I Go to the Orthodox Church |
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LentWe prepare for the festival of Easter with a period (six weeks) of fasting called Lent. It is a time to deepen our relationship with God, to take more time for prayer and to be more aware about our love for the people around us. In Lent we change our diet to make it more simple and we give money to people who are in need. | |
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TheophanyOn 6th January we celebrate the baptism of Christ. Normally when someone is baptised they receive a washing with water. When Jesus was baptised he "washed the water" because he is holy. At this festival we remember that Christ's presence in the Jordan river blessed the water and so we bless water, by dipping a cross three times into a large container of water, as a kind of extension of that event. |
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Blessing water at Theophany (Click to see an enlarged photo in a new window) |
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The blessed water is then splashed all around the church and on the people. People also have their homes and cars blessed with water at this time of year. |
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Blessing a car |
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A Greek Orthodox Baptism |