Have you ever wondered why there is a special blessing for Epiphany Water? Many of us may not have stopped to think about that, but if we atop to think about it, there is nothing about the visit of the Magi that seems to have a special connection with water. As we come to the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord, it may actually make more sense that we would have a special blessing of the water on this day, the day that remembers when the Word Himself, the one who was in the presence of the waters of the deep and through whom all water was created, subjected Himself to the very simplest of waters (the water of the Jordan not being particularly clean or worthy of being compared with the purity of a spring), so that by its outpouring over the Word, it would be made truly clean and empowered to carry the graces of baptism and salvation of the world . . .
It would make sense that this would be the day of all the days of the year to have water blessed for the rest of the year. Water of the Lord’s Baptism, may even sound more profound. However, the blessing of the water has always been associated with Epiphany. Why?
The answer mostly lies within everything that we just said about the Baptism of the Lord. It is no mistake, nor happenstance that these two feast days come on back-to-back Sundays in the middle of the traditional Christmas Season.
For us in the West, we have long connected the Epiphany of the Lord, that is, the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to save the nations of the world, through the visit of the Magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Many countries in Europe continue to celebrate Jan. 6th as Christmas Day. However reasonable and obvious this is to us, that is not the case for the Eastern Catholic Churches (remember that they are in full union with Rome).
The Epiphany of the Lord in the East has just as long been celebrated with the Baptism of the Lord—the moment when John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God and the voice was heard of the Father saying: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Not only was it through His baptism that the Son of God was confessed and presented to the world, but the event also marked the beginning of His public ministry. It seems like an Epiphany to match any other.
The blessing of water on Epiphany originates from this relationship and is a continuing expression of our union and connection with the East. It is, I believe, a recognition of the two Epiphanies, at the heart of them, being the element through which all life comes. Each is rightly called the Epiphany of the Lord.
