DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

Wednesday, January 10, 2007                                                             Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa

2nd Vigil of Theophany: Exodus 14:15-29     Epistle: James 1:1-18          Gospel:  Mark 7:14-24

 

Types of Baptism ~ The Red Sea: Exodus 14:15-29 LXX (Ex. 14:15-29 MT), especially vs. 25: “...and the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them....”  The Feast of Theophany is one of the greatest of the Holy Days of the Church after Pascha and Pentecost.  The Gospel read at the Divine Liturgy on Theophany (Mt. 3:13-17) is the account of the first, undisguised manifestation in history of God the Holy Trinity: God the Son, the Incarnate Word, is baptized by the Forerunner in the waters of Jordan.  God the Father audibly voices His infinite pleasure in His Beloved Son; and God the Holy Spirit confirms the Father’s word in His descent upon the Lord Jesus in the form of a dove.

Anciently, in preparation for the Feast, the Church kept an all night Vigil.  Holy Baptism was administered during this service.  The Vigil began with the full assembly - Catechumens and the Faithful - sharing in a Solemn Catechesis of thirteen lessons from the Old Testament, after which those to be Baptized were led to a separate building called a “Baptisterion” while the Faithful continued with Little Compline, Great Vespers, Litiya and Artoklasia.  Finally, the newly Baptized came in procession and joined the Faithful for Orthros and the Divine Liturgy.

The ten Old Testament lessons that we begin reading today are from that Catechesis.  They describe events which, as antitypes, foreshadow the great reality of Holy Baptism revealed in the entire Mystery of Christ.  Like all antitypes, these events participate in the eternal realities which they herald.  Each Christian partakes in the Lord’s Baptism through his own Baptism within the full Mystery of Christ, so that the earlier events are received as the beginning of one’s salvation: Israel’s escape at the Red Sea, the sweetening of the bitter waters of Marah, the entrance into the Holy Land at the Jordan, Elijah’s assumption into Heaven, Naaman’s cleansing from leprosy, Jacob’s illumination at Mahanaim, Moses’ rescue from the Nile, Gideon’s fleece, Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel, and Elisha’s cleansing of the waters at Jericho.

Thus, this first reading from Exodus for today discloses that through Holy Baptism we are delivered as at the Red Sea: the Lord fights for us, God Himself delivers us from our enemy - the old slave master, and it is the Lord Who blesses us at the hand of His Priest and servant.  We also know salvation in our passage through water proclaiming it our liberation by God, for we share in the Mystery of Christ in Holy Baptism.  The truth is we are defended, delivered, and blessed by the our God.  “A helper and protector was He unto me for salvation” (Ex. 15:2 LXX). 

Who has not tasted defeat by sin, the overwhelming, crushing power of sin to enslave and dehumanize?  Who could fail to assent with St. John of the Ladder that one passion gives place to another and the “spirit of despair rejoices at the sight of increasing vice”?  Yet, as the Lord’s own, we stand amazed as He takes up on our behalf the overwhelming battle against sin, and the Holy Spirit, like a pillar of glory, stands between us and our sin and prevents its advance.

The Lord yokes Himself to us, and delivers us from our enemy the slave master, vanquishing - in and through our flesh - that which has held us.  Death comes with chariot, spear, and sword, and we find no escape from his tyranny; yet we see Moses “trace the Cross, thus symbolizing that invincible weapon” as his hands are stretched over the waters.

When the Lord’s Priest plunged us beneath the waters, we first knew the blessing of the Master Who “couldst not endure to behold mankind oppressed by the Devil” and “didst come and save us.”  The hands that baptized, lifted us up, and anointed us, were Christ’s own hands.

We confess Thy grace.  We proclaim Thy mercy.  We conceal not Thy gracious acts.  Thou hast delivered the generations of our mortal nature.  All creation magnifieth Thee.

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