On January 19, the feast of Theophany, the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine blessed the waters of the Dnieper River near Holy Protection Cathedral in the Obolon district of Kiev.
The beloved Ukrainian primate celebrated the rite of the great blessing of the waters after the festal Liturgy at the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Church.
His Beatitude was concelebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the UOC, and five other hierarchs and the clergy of the Kiev Diocese.
After the service, His Beatitude addressed the gathered faithful with a festal greeting:
I heartily congratulate all of you, dear brothers and sisters, on the great feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This holiday is also called Theophany. In holy Baptism, the Savior consecrated the waters of the Jordan—and not only the Jordan, but also the waters of the entire globe.
In His Baptism, He revealed to us the mystery of the Holy Trinity, because in the Jordan, Heaven was opened and they heard the voice of our Heavenly Father, Who said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Savior in the form of a dove, thus, the Father spoke, the Holy Spirit descended, and the Son was baptized.
May the grace that the Lord brought to earth by His birth, by His Baptism, fill our hearts, our families, our Ukraine, and the whole world—because we all live by this grace. May it strengthen us in all the difficulties and complexities of earthly life, help us overcome with dignity everything that meets us on our way, and live in love for God, in love for each other, and in respect and patience for each other. This is the beauty and wisdom of life. May the Lord bless us all!
Footage from the blessing of the waters can be seen in the video below starting at 1:55:
