The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Nativity of Jesus Christ today. Christmas is also called the Epiphany, that is, the time when God appeared to the world with the birth of Christ.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” These prophetic words refer to the Nativity of Christ and give occasion for reflection.
According to the church's sacred tradition, Christ was baptized in the Jordan River 30 years later, on the day of his birth. And therefore, January 6 is also the day of Christ’s baptism.
God became man and appeared to people. During the baptism of Christ, God the Father testifies: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22), and the Holy Spirit descends on Christ in the form of a dove. The second Epiphany takes place.
In the Armenian Church, Christmas and the Epiphany are the first holidays of the calendar year.
In the Armenian Apostolic Churches, on the morning of January 6, a Divine Liturgy is served, followed by the Blessing of the Water (according to tradition, lowering the cross into the water symbolizes Jesus’ entry into the Jordan River). The minister blesses the water with the cross, then with myron, and the faithful take some of that water home as a blessing and healing medicine for the sick.
On the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany, people give each other the good news, saying: “Christ is born and revealed,” to which the response is: “Blessed is the revelation of Christ.”
This is the imperative of spiritual life: to be born as a child, to grow like a child, to be strengthened with grace and wisdom, so that we are ready to dedicate our lives to truth, justice, mercy, and love for the glory of God and our salvation.
