Feast of theTheophany

Orthodox Christian Churches celebrate the Theophany of Christ, on (January 6 (Gregorian Calendar)/January 19 (Julian Calendar) it is one of the Great Feasts of the (Eastern) Orthodox Christian Church.  In Orthodox Tradition, the feast commemorates the biblical event which reveals the Holy Trinity to the world. The Baptism of  Christ by John the Baptist is seen as that moment. Specifically when Christ  emerges from the waters of the river Jordan, The Holy Spirit of God descends upon Him as a dove and the voice of God The Father is heard, simultaneously (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).

Theophany, from the Greek (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια (Τheophaneia, meaning "appearance of God"),refers to the appearance of a deity to a human. 

The term has been used to refer to appearances of the gods in the ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. The Iliad is the  earliest source for  a description of Throphany in classical Greek literature.  Probably the earliest description of a theophany is in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The term theophany has acquired a specific usage for Christians and Jews: It refers to the manifestation of God to man; the sign or way by which the presence of God is revealed.

In Celtic Christianity  in a general sense all of creation can  be seen as a theophany, a vehicle by which God is revealed.


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