Epiphany
Part II: Jerusalem
At Jerusalem the feast had a special reference to the Nativity owing to the neighbourhood of Bethlehem.
The account left to us by Etheria (Silvia) is mutilated at the beginning.
The title of the subsequent feast, Quadragesimae de Epiphania (Perigrin. Silviae, ed. Geyer, c.xxvi), leaves us, however, in no doubt as to what she is describing.
On the vigil of the feast (5 Jan.) a procession left Jerusalem for Bethlehem and returned the following morning.
At the second hour the services were held in the splendidly decorated Golgotha church, after which that of the Anastasis was visited.
On the second and third days this ceremony was repeated; on the fourth the service was offered on Mount Olivet; on the fifth at the grave of Lazarus at Bethany; on the sixth on Sion; on the seventh in the church of the Anastasia, on the eighth in that of the Holy Cross.
The procession to Bethlehem was nightly repeated.
It will be seen, accordingly, that this Epiphany octave had throughout so strong a Nativity colouring as to lead to the exclusion of the commemoration of the Baptism in the year 385 at any rate.
It is, however, by way of actual baptism on this day that the West seems to enter into connection with the East.
Saint Chrysostom (Hom. in Bapt. Chr. in PG. XLIX 363) tells us how the Antiochians used to take home baptismal water consecrated on the night of the festival, and that it remained for a year without corruption.
To this day, the blessing of the waters by the dipping into river, sea, or lake of a crucifix, and by other complicated ritual, is a most popular ceremony.
A vivid account is quoted by Neale (Holy Eastern Church, Introduction, p.754; cf. the Greek, Syriac, Coptic, and Russian versions, edited or translated from the original texts by
John, Marquess of Bute, and A. Wallis Budge).
The people consider that all ailments, spiritual and physical, can be cured by the application of the blessed water.
The custom would seem, however, to be originally connected rather with the miracle of Cana than with the Baptism.
That baptism on this day was quite usual in the West is proved, however, by the complaint of Bishop Himerius of Tarragona to Pope Damasus (d.384), that baptisms were being celebrated on the feast of the Epiphany.
Pope Siricius, who answered him (PL. XIII 1134) identifies the feasts of Natalitia Christi and of his Apparitio, and is very indignant at the extension of the period for baptisms beyond that of Easter and that of Pentecost.
Pope Leo I(Ep. xvi ad Sicil. episcopos, c. i, in PL. LIV 701; cf.696) denounces the practice as an irrationabilis novitas; yet the Council of Gerona (can.iv) condemned it in 517, and Victor Vitensis alludes to it as the regular practice of the (Roman-) African Church (De Persec. Vandal. II xvii, in PL. LVIII 216).
Saint Gregory of Tours, moreover (De gloriâ martyrum in PL. LXXI 783; cf. cc xvii xix), relates that those who lived near the Jordan bathed in it that day, and that miracles were then wont to take place.
Saint Jerome (Comm. in Ez. I i on verse 3 in PL. XXV 18) definitely asserts that it is for the baptism and opening of the heavens that the dies Epiphaniorum is still venerable and not for the Nativity of Christ in the flesh, for then absconditus est, et non apparuit -- "He was hidden, and did not appear."
That the Epiphany was of later introduction in the West than the Christmas festival of 25 December, has been made clear in the article Christmas.
It is not contained in the Philocalian Calendar, while it seems most likely that 25 December
was celebrated at Rome before the sermon of Pope Liberius (in St. Ambrose, De virg. iii I, in PL. XVI 231) which many assign to 25 December 354.
Saint Augustine clearly observes Oriental associations in the Epiphany feasts: "Rightly", says he (Serm. ccii 2 in Epiph. Domini 4, in PL. XXXVIII 1033), "have refused to celebrate this day with us; for neither do they love unity, nor are they in communion with the Eastern Church, where at last the star appeared."
Saint Philastrius (Haer. c.cxl, in PL. XII 1273) adds that certain heretics refuse to celebrate the Epiphany, regarding it, apparently, as a needless duplication of the Nativity feast, though, adds the saint, it was only after twelve days that Christ "appeared to the Magi in the Temple."
The dies epiphaniorum, he says (PL. XII 1274), is by some thought to be "the day of the Baptism, or of the Transformation which occurred on the mountain."
Finally, an unknown Syrian annotator of Barsalibi (Assemani, Bibl. Orient. II 163) boldly writes: "The Lord was born in the month of January on the same day on which we celebrate the Epiphany; for of old the feasts of the Nativity and Epiphany were kept on one and the same
day, because on the same day He was born and baptized.
The reason why our fathers changed the solemnity celebrated on 6 January, and transferred it to 25 December follows: it was the custom of the heathens to celebrate the birthday of the sun on this very day, 25 December, and on it they lit lights on account of the feast.
In these solemnities and festivities the Christians too participated.
When, therefore, the teachers observed that the Christians were inclined to this festival, they took counsel and decided that the true birth-feast be kept on this day, and on 6 Jan., the feast of the Epiphanies.
Simultaneously, therefore, with this appointment the custom prevailed of burning lights until
the sixth day."
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