When and how to collect baptismal water and how to store it. Russian shrines

If we return to ancient history, then the holy epiphany water was reported earlier in the sermons of John Chrysostom. It is alleged that in Russia until the XII century the custom of consecrating water was not performed. It appeared only after the Jerusalem liturgical charter, which was criticized and canceled several times, received distribution. For example, Patriarch Nikon in 1655 generally forbade the blessing of water at Baptism. This ban was lifted only at the Great Moscow Cathedral in 1667.

Let's try to understand the question of what holy water is, when to collect it and how to use it.

What is holy water

Its use in Christianity dates back to the 2nd century. in the Church got its name from a special rite, which was called that - blessing of water. This phenomenon is associated with the Old Testament traditions of worship and with biblical history, when the prophet John baptized Christ himself in the waters.

Archaeological museums of East and West are filled with clay vessels and flasks, in which ancient Christians kept holy water. This tradition has come down to our days.

divine grace

Many Orthodox come to the temple to collect blessed water and then use it. After all, they believe that after special prayers, she receives some special properties and does not even deteriorate, which, by the way, does not always happen. Such water differs from ordinary water in that a special Blessing descends on it. And she keeps the Divine power in herself. Therefore, every person who uses this water with reverence will receive sanctification and grace upon himself. Many are interested in the question: "What is holy water, when to collect it, on what day?" And it is worth looking into it carefully.

Baptism: date

There are three ranks of blessing water in the HRC. The first rank is the great consecration of water on January 18 (5), the next day, on Epiphany, the date of which is January 19 (6). It is on this day that many believers go on a solemn procession to the reservoir (the journey to the Jordan). The second rank is an abbreviated great consecration of water. It takes place just before the sacrament of Baptism. The baptized are then immersed in this water. And the third rank is a small consecration of water, which is carried out with the help of certain prayer services on holidays.

On the day of Epiphany, you need to sprinkle home walls with holy water with the words of the prayer: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." For convenience, you can buy a special whisk in any church shop - a sprinkler - or, in extreme cases, just use a twig of a bush or tree. At this time, it is better to sing a special troparion, which is a short holiday prayer.

Holy water: when to dial

Many are in a deep delusion about when the water is most healing and when it is better to collect it - January 18 or 19? The main thing you need to understand is that on the first and on the second day the water is consecrated in exactly the same way.

In some churches, after Baptism, it is poured for a few more days. Therefore, if it is not possible to stand in a long line, which is usually lined up on this holiday, then you can find out in the temple on which day it is better to come and calmly draw water.

It is a mistake to use Epiphany water as a pill for an illness - he drank it and was cured. The holy water collected for Baptism has healing properties, but it must be taken with faith and prayer, and only then can you really get real healing.

Properties of baptismal water

The Christian tradition of blessing water calls upon it the grace of the Holy Spirit, which endows it with powerful healing power. It is drunk not to quench thirst, but to heal the soul and body. It is recommended to use every day on an empty stomach a small cup of this water to strengthen the strength of the mental and physical. The Holy Fathers blessed the sick to drink Epiphany water, one tablespoon every hour. A few drops taken could change the course of the disease. Seraphim Vyritsky generally believed that consecrated oil and water helped best of all medicines.

How to store holy water

You should not strain and drag whole cans of holy water on yourself. It is enough to dial it in a small amount to last until the next holiday. Since this water has a special property: added to ordinary water, it sanctifies it all. It is advisable to sign the dishes in which it will be stored and put them in

Some people believe that holy water flows from the tap on the day of Epiphany. In general, any miracle depends on a person's faith. If he approaches the sacrament of Baptism unprepared and unbelieving, then nothing good will come of him. God enters into a person only when he is willing and ready to receive him. The Church claims that all the water element on earth is consecrated and cleansed on January 18 and 19. Therefore, a deeply religious person can get water from the tap with all its unique properties. It will not spoil and will be stored for a whole year. But since people's faith is often not very strong, it is necessary to take Epiphany water in the Church. It is also necessary to know that in the temple there is always the opportunity to draw water of small consecration. Just before accepting it, a prayer is read for holy water. Then you can drink it and not necessarily on an empty stomach.

in the hole

The tradition of swimming in the hole on the feast of Epiphany has already become stronger in our country. Many mistakenly believe that if you plunge headlong into the hole three times, then you can thus atone for all sins, but this is not true. Without spiritual work on oneself, nothing will come of it. To do this, in the church there is the sacrament of confession, where the sins of a sincerely repentant person are forgiven. By plunging into the water, he receives Divine grace and, through his faith, can even be healed.

gospel story

The Holy Scripture tells the story that there was once a pool at the Sheep Gate of Jerusalem. And sick people were always waiting for an angel from heaven to descend onto the water. And when this happened, the first person who dipped into the water was immediately healed. By this font lay a man who had been ill for 38 years and wanted to be cured. The Lord asked him if he wanted to become healthy, and he replied that he really wanted to. But for some reason, he could not enter the water, as someone was sure to be ahead of him and plunge into the font first. And then the Lord had mercy and healed him himself.

This story shows that healing depends not only on the strength of faith, but also on the degree of readiness for a miracle.

Answers to questions about what holy water is, when to draw it and how much, how to use it, are not so difficult. The most difficult and important thing for a person is spirituality and morality, you need to work on this every day with the help of good deeds, attending church services and holy places. Then God will surely protect, help and heal. After all, it’s not for nothing that people say: “Trust in God, but don’t make a mistake yourself!”

On January 18, all Christians of the world celebrate one of the main holidays of mankind -

When and where to collect baptismal water?

One two-liter bottle is enough for the whole family for a year.

According to the Church, the consecration of water takes place on the eve of Epiphany. A special procedure, called the liturgy, takes place on Epiphany Christmas Eve. From that moment on, water can be considered consecrated, however, historically, water is consecrated twice.

There are no problems with this in the Church. And on January 18 and 19, after the blessing of water, you can come and collect baptismal water. For those who collect baptismal water at home from the tap, the rule is simple: after midnight (00:00) on the night of January 18-19.

In the absence of such an opportunity, you can quite easily draw Epiphany water in the morning and even throughout the whole of January 19. The time for baptismal water has not yet passed.

Greed is a sin

You don’t need to stand at the temple to collect 20 liter canisters, one bottle will be enough. You can increase the volume of baptismal water at home: just add a few drops of baptismal water to regular water.

Healing properties

Holy baptismal water has many healing powers. It gives not only spiritual, but also physical healing. All Christians firmly believed in this since the time of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. This point of view is supported by many doctors and even some scientists.

The following unusual properties are attributed to baptismal water:

• ability to long-term storage;
• miraculous healing;
• getting rid of negative energy and evil;
• body rejuvenation;
• transfer of healing properties to ordinary water (lighting through touch);
• spiritual cleansing and protection through sprinkling and ingestion.

All these properties are preserved in Epiphany water for many days, until the next Christmas Eve. However, remember that if the water is still spoiled, and this may be, you should not use it inside.

When to swim in the hole and is it necessary?

Swimming is not required, but many people like it

The Epiphany bathing itself takes place on the same Epiphany night from January 18 to 19. However, no one forbids doing it during the day. Before bathing, it will not be superfluous to receive a blessing from the priest.

It is absolutely not necessary to conduct Epiphany bathing in the hole called "Jordan". The mere fact of bathing does not make you better or worse.

The basis of everything is the inner state of a person and sincere repentance. How you do it, in an ice hole or a warm bed, matters little.

For me, these dips are just entertainment, extreme. Our people, on the other hand, love something unusual: to dive into an ice-hole, and then drink vodka and talk about piety. For most, this is akin to fisticuffs on Shrove Tuesday. Archpriest Alexy Uminsky

What can not be done with baptismal water?

Many are worried about whether baptismal water can be used in one way or another. You can drink baptismal water with prayer as you like, up to making healing and good wishes during this.

The rule here is simple: remember that Epiphany water is sacred and treat it accordingly, then it will never occur to you to commit some inappropriate act with water. All this applies to the water received in the temples, and of course, does not apply to tap water. At the same time, the clergy claim that all the water on the planet becomes sanctified, including the one that comes from the tap.

Delusions

Many folk beliefs about baptismal water from the evil one

The Great Blessing of Water was overgrown with many folk signs and superstitions, not only without a logical justification, but also far from church traditions.

Epiphany water never spoils

With careless storage, anything can be spoiled. You should not use water that is clearly rotten, although it is baptismal. But don't pour it down the drain? That's right, you can water the plants, or take it to the temple and pour it into a suitable place (dry well).

This is "Epiphany" water, and this is "Epiphany"

It is believed that there are two types of water, "Epiphany" consecrated on January 19 and "Epiphany" consecrated on Epiphany Christmas Eve on January 18. Any sensible priest will confirm to you that this epiphany water is no different from baptismal water. Moreover, in both cases, the same sequence of prayers is used.

I will swim in the hole and become baptized

Without repentance it is impossible to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Bathing in baptismal water and Baptism are not directly related.

I will dive into the hole and get rid of all diseases and problems

There are people who actually testify to this. But the majority does not get rid of their life's hardships after bathing in baptismal water.

Epiphany water protects from the evil eye and curses

Christians believe in God, and such phenomena as corruption or the evil eye are considered nothing more than superstition. Priests recommend praying to God with a request for protection from someone else's and their own evil. And all sorts of witchcraft is considered nothing more than quackery.

On this day, planets and stars are arranged in a special way.

The Great Blessing of Water takes place through the prayers of the Church. According to Christian tradition, after prayers, the Lord God sanctifies the water and bestows upon it his grace-filled power.

Going to church is not necessary - all the water on Earth is baptismal

Indeed, all waters are sanctified. But water itself should not be an end in itself. The whole holiday is devoted to the glorification of God in gratitude for the blessings of His Son, and not to the simple collection of healing water.

Alternative opinions from the evil one

In 2019, the maximum energy activity of Epiphany water will be on January 18 at 13 :20 (Moscow time), this is an astronomical value and is calculated using astronomical tables. To collect water for drinking, flowers (including from the tap), take a shower, plunge into the hole this year is better at 13:20 Moscow time. At this moment, water has a maximum of energy and healing properties. However, storing baptismal water, even from the temple, is not worth more than a month. It loses its healing properties every day.

Baptism is one of the great church holidays, celebrated by Orthodox Christians on January 19, established in memory of the day when Jesus Christ came to the Jordan River to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. This holiday has a double name. The Baptism of the Lord, and they also call it Theophany.

Every year on January 19, many people rush to the church to collect blessed water, and thousands of those who are suffering from gaining health rush to swim in the hole, despite the Epiphany frosts. Thanks to this rite, this holiday has come down to our days.

What happens to the water on the Day of Epiphany?

Prayer in front of a glass of water

There is an opinion that if you kindly and passionately utter kind words over a vessel with water, the structural lattice of the latter takes on an ideal shape. It is advisable to take the contents from a clean spring or pass through a reliable filter. Therefore, in the morning, before drinking a glass of water, you need to read over it:

Stones accumulated over the years not for the future,
you turn them into fine sand.
Gallbladder and bladder
to be cleansed by you.
glands, lungs, liver, stomach,
cleanse the ducts, pores, vessels.
Oxygen was supplied to the brain
rinse all capillaries with water!
make my life healthy
I pray for healing water in the morning.

CONCLUSIONS:

For 5 years, remote studies have been carried out on the energy field of Epiphany water, using only biological objects! No currents, ionizations, potentials, conductivity, magnetic fields!!! Just how the energy field of Epiphany water remotely influenced living organisms! (positive or depressing on the growth and development of living organisms)

1. The maximum activity of harmonious Epiphany water is observed at the estimated time “axis to axis”
2. The energy flow repeats every 4 years (plus or minus several tens of minutes)
3. Studies have shown that the nature of the energy flow is strongly influenced by daily fluctuations in the energy of the earth.
4. If the peaks of energy activity fall in the evening or at night, the energy impact is stronger and longer.
5. The appearance of anomalous "dips" in the flow of energy was detected, at regular intervals.
6. The energy flow during the period of "baptism" is not uniform and can carry both healing positive energies and short-term anomalous ones, depending on a particular year.

The calculated moment of coincidence of the "axis" of the earth with the "axis" of the galactic by years

During the evening of January 18 and the whole day of January 19, you can collect baptismal water in any church. Water these days is consecrated in one rank. That is, there is no difference when Epiphany water, when to dial in 2019 the time of the activity itself. This will be the evening after the service on Christmas Eve, and the day of Epiphany itself.

Important! On the feast of Epiphany, believers should not forget that they should visit the church, confess and take communion. Then take water and at home, with prayers and faith, sanctify every corner of your home.

• Great consecration of water
• Bathing in the hole for Epiphany

Great consecration of water

Since ancient times, it has been believed that baptismal water can bring spiritual and bodily health to a person. Every year, huge queues of believers line up near the temples, who come for water to make supplies for the whole year. You can drink such water only in small quantities. It is best to take a couple of small sips immediately after waking up on an empty stomach.

Epiphany water is suitable for consecrating the house, work premises. It is called to give the grace of God to people. But the essence of all Orthodox rituals is not to draw water, but to draw closer to God and believe in him even more. It is necessary to go to church, pray and ask the Lord to cleanse the body and soul through the water, give peace and balance.

Bathing in the hole for Epiphany

The hole is called "Jordan" and the water in specially cut holes is blessed by priests on the night of Epiphany. Bathing should not be treated as a sporting feat. This is one way to obey. It is recommended to take a blessing from the priest to plunge into the hole. It is believed that washing cleanses from all sins, but this is only if the process itself is approached with all responsibility and seriousness.

Bathing in baptismal water is a testimony of a person of his faith in the power of the Lord, which even a thirty-degree frost cannot bend.

Are there any differences in water blessed on January 18 or 19

Consecrating your home with consecrated water, according to tradition, you need to draw crosses in the air when the sprinkling process takes place. This is a rather old tradition that is associated with Epiphany Christmas Eve. Crosses were once not drawn with chalk, but burned with a candle: soot from a candle was applied to the corners of houses. In modern dwellings, both soot and chalk are quite radical methods. Therefore, crosses are drawn in the air with the help of holy water. Christmas Eve before Epiphany is the last evening during Christmas time, when possible.

Using tap water in baptism

It happens that holy water deteriorates. In this case, you need to pour it into the river, in the forest under a tree, or simply close it in a vessel that will not let air through. Many believers have some of the holy water left over from last year, what to do with it? If everything is fine with water, then you can use it as usual: drink a few tablespoons in the morning on an empty stomach after prayer. If something happened to the water, then you can pour it into indoor plants.

Important! It is believed that a woman during critical days can touch a vessel with holy water. But it cannot be taken orally these days, unless it is a matter of life and death.

Already on Christmas Eve of Epiphany - January 18, after the service, the priests will bless the water. It can be collected and carried home to cleanse your home, soul and body. But holy water is not the only tradition of the holiday, we must remember about prayers, about faith. To decorate the holiday, you can please yourself and loved ones

On January 19, 2019, the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated annually in Orthodox churches - one of the main Christian holidays. Over the years, its traditions have developed, which are observed to this day.

This holiday, which is also called Theophany, is established in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ, which was performed by John the Baptist. During the baptism on the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

“Baptism” literally means “immersion in water”, it is no coincidence that one of the traditions of this holiday is the blessing of water. This rite is performed twice - on Epiphany Christmas Eve and on Epiphany. Consecrate water in natural reservoirs, cutting holes in rivers and lakes in the form of a cross or a circle. This hole is called the Jordan.

Many believers are interested in: how to collect baptismal water correctly, how to use it correctly? We will answer these and other questions.

How to collect baptismal water?

After the church service, it can be dialed in churches. In order for the water not to lose its properties, the containers for its set must be clean. Do not use cans or bottles containing the remains of other drinks for this.

There is no difference between the water collected on Epiphany Eve on January 18, 2019 or on the holiday itself. You can go for water later, because according to tradition, the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated during the week. That is, all seven days, believers can come to churches for holy water.

You do not need to collect such water in large quantities. As the priests say, any drinking water to which you add a little holy water will also become sanctified. That is, you can take, for example, a liter of such water and pour it into larger containers already at home.

How to use baptismal water correctly?

The water consecrated in temples has a special symbolic meaning: it is used to wash in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with its help they cleanse people from sins, relieve various ailments.

According to tradition, on the morning of the Epiphany, people drink blessed water. In the old days, after that, the girls hurried to the river - to wash in the "Jordanian water", "so that their faces were beautiful and pink."

The consecrated water is kept at home next to the icons. Since it does not spoil, it can be stored for a long time. It is considered the best medicine for various mental and bodily ailments. Epiphany water strengthens the immune, nervous, endocrine systems, has a general strengthening effect on the body.

According to church rules, it is better to use it on an empty stomach, with prosphora, and it is enough to take a couple of sips. If you need to drink medicine, then a couple of sips of water are taken, and then medical procedures are already carried out.

People suffering from serious illnesses can drink holy water in any quantity throughout the day. After taking holy water, you must definitely pray for healing and remission of sins. The stronger your faith, the more likely you are to be healed.

Where to get holy water if you were not in the church for Baptism?

There are times when people do not have the opportunity to visit the temple on these days. However, the water supply can be replenished in the temple, where it is always stored, and at other times. That is, on any day of the year, not necessarily at Epiphany, you can take it in the church.

You can also pour water from other sources on Baptism and use it. It is believed that at this time all water becomes holy. As the priests say, the point is not in the water, but "in the human heart - to what extent it is able to accept the shrine that God gives to everyone as a gift."

If you want to collect Epiphany water from the tap, it is better to do this from midnight to 1:30 on the night of January 18-19, 2019.

What should be done with baptismal water?

Homes are sprinkled with holy water in order to expel evil spirits from the house. To do this, sprinkle all the rooms, the yard and outbuildings. It is necessary to sprinkle every corner with a cross from water, as well as entrance doors and windows, in order to protect the house from evil spirits.

At the same time, the following prayer is read:

“Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities through Your infinite mercy through prayers Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen".

Telling how to properly collect holy water for Baptism, one cannot but mention the snow, which is also credited with special properties on this day. In the old days, it was collected from girls' haystacks, as it was believed that it whitens the skin and helps preserve beauty.

The snow collected on Epiphany evening was used to bleach canvases. It, like water, was considered healing, and they treated various ailments with it.

On this day, our ancestors observed many other traditions. On Epiphany Christmas Eve, they put a bowl of water on the table and said: “At night, the water itself sways,” which was a sign of Baptism. If at midnight the water in the bowl swayed, people went out into the street - to look at the sky, to pray and make a cherished wish, which, as it was believed, was bound to come true.

As a rule, these days there are strong - "Epiphany" - frosts. Despite this, many believers bathe in ice holes. It is believed that this rite promotes healing from ailments. Many people also believe that sins can be washed away in this way, but the church teaches that they are washed away only by repentance through the sacrament of confession.

Therefore, our story about how to properly use the water consecrated for Baptism will be incomplete if we do not mention other traditions of Baptism.

Try to pay more attention to your loved ones at this time, help the poor and do other good deeds. On Baptism, in no case should you quarrel with relatives and other people, swear and swear. One should not allow oneself even evil thoughts, and not only bad deeds.