Orthodox Readings for Theophany or the Baptism of the Lord


Matins and Divine Liturgy

Saturday Before
1 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Matthew 3:1-11

Matins Gospel
Mark 1:9-11

Divine Liturgy
Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Matthew 3:13-17


Synaxarion
About the beginning of our Lord's thirtieth year, John the Forerunner, who was some six months older than Our Saviour according to the flesh, and had lived in the wilderness since his childhood, received a command from God and came into the parts of the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. Then our Saviour also came from Galilee to the Jordan, and sought and received baptism though He was the Master and John was but a servant. Whereupon, there came to pass those marvellous deeds, great and beyond nature: the Heavens were opened, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon Him that was being baptized and the voice was heard from the Heavens hearing witness that this was the beloved Son of God, now baptized as a man (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:1-22). From these events the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great mystery of the Trinity were demonstrated. It is also from this that the present feast is called "Theophany," that is, the divine manifestation, God's appearance among men. On this venerable day the sacred mystery of Christian baptism was inaugurated; henceforth also began the saving preaching of the Kingdom of the Heavens.


Troparion
Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the veneration of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved, and the Spirit, in the guise of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world.


Kontakion
You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: "You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light."


Genesis 1:1-13 (Vespers, 1st reading)

1
    In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2
    The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3
    Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4
    And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5
    God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
6
    Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
7
    Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
8
    And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
9
    Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.
10
    And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11
    Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.
12
    And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13
    So the evening and the morning were the third day.


Exodus 14:15-18, 21-23, 27-29 (Vespers, 2nd reading)

15
    And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16
    “But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
17
    “And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18
    “Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22
    So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
23
    And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
27
    And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28
    Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
29
    But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Exodus 15:22-16:1 (Vespers, 3rd reading)

22
    So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
23
    Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24
    And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
25
    So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,
26
    and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.
27
    Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
1
    And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.

Joshua 3:7-8, 15-17 (Vespers, 4th reading)

7
    And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8
    You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ “
15
    and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
16
    that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17
    Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

4[2] Kings 2:6-14 (Vespers, 5th reading)

6
    Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on.
7
    And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8
    Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9
    And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10
    So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”
11
    Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12
    And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13
    He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14
    Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

4[2] Kings 5:9-14 (Vespers, 6th reading)

9
    Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10
    And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
11
    But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’
12
    Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13
    And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
14
    So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Isaiah 1:16-20 (Vespers, 7th reading)

16
    “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
17
    Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
18
    “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
19
    If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
20
    But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Genesis 32:1-10 (Vespers, 8th reading)

1
    So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2
    When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3
    Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
4
    And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now.
5
    “I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
6
    Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7
    So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies.
8
    And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”
9
    Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’:
10
    “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.

Exodus 2:5-10 (Vespers, 9th reading)

5
    Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6
    And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7
    Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8
    And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother.
9
    Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10
    And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Judges 6:36-40 (Vespers, 10th reading)

36
    So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said –
37
    look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38
    And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
39
    Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”
40
    And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.

3[1] Kings 18:30-39 (Vespers, 11th reading)

30
    Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31
    And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32
    Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33
    And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34
    Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35
    So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36
    And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37
    Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38
    Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
39
    Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

4[2] Kings 2:19-22 (Vespers, 12th reading)

19
    Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”
20
    And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21
    Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ “
22
    So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

Isaiah 49:8-15 (Vespers, 13th reading)

8
    Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
9
    That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10
    They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11
    I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated.
12
    Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.”
13
    Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. God Will Remember Zion
14
    But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15
    “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.

Isaiah 35:1-10 (Great Blessing of Waters)

1
    The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
2
    It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God.
3
    Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.
4
    Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
5
    Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6
    Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.
7
    The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8
    A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.
9
    No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there,
10
    And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 55:1-13 (Great Blessing of Waters)

1
    “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
2
    Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3
    Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you – The sure mercies of David.
4
    Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people.
5
    Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”
6
    Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
7
    Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8
    “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9
    “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10
    “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11
    So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12
    “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13
    Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Isaiah 12:3-6 (Great Blessing of Waters)

3
    Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
4
    And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.
5
    Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.
6
    Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (Great Blessing of Waters, Epistle)

1
    Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2
    all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3
    all ate the same spiritual food,
4
    and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Mark 1:9-11 (Great Blessing of Waters, Gospel)

9
    It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10
    And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
11
    Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:9-11 (Matins Gospel)

9
    It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10
    And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
11
    Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

1 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (Epistle, Saturday Before)

14
    These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15
    but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16
    And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
1
    Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2
    speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
3
    forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4
    For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
5
    for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Matthew 3:1-11 (Gospel, Saturday Before)

1
    In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2
    and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3
    For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ “
4
    Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5
    Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6
    and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7
    But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8
    Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9
    and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10
    And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11
    I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 (Epistle)

11
    For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12
    teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13
    looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14
    who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
4
    But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5
    not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6
    whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7
    that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Matthew 3:13-17 (Gospel)

13
    Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14
    And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15
    But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16
    When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17
    And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”



 
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