To our beloved children in the Holy Spirit, the faithful throughout our Diocese, across our nation, and in the Diaspora;
May the peace of the Lord be with you as we celebrate the Glorious Feast of the Epiphany. We congratulate you on reaching this great public festival, commemorating the baptism of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by the hand of John, for the sake of the salvation of the entire world.
“ርእዩከ ማያት እግዚኦ ርእዩከ ማያት ወፈርሁ ደንገፁ ቀላያተ ማያት ወድምጸ ማያቲሆሙ”
“The waters saw Thee, O Lord, the waters saw Thee and were afraid; the depths also were troubled. The waters poured out a sound.” (Psalm 77:16 / 76:16)
This prophetic utterance of the Holy Prophet David describes the awe of creation as it recognized its Creator. When our Lord and Savior stood in the Jordan to be baptized, the inanimate elements manifested their fear and reverence for Him who became man through the Mystery of the Incarnation (ተዋሕዶ). Our Lord did not approach the Jordan because He was in need of purification; rather, as the “Source of Life” from whom “አፍላገ ማየ ሕይወት ዘይውኅዝ እምከርሡ”—”rivers of living water flow” (John 7:38) — He went down into the waters to sanctify them, transforming them into a womb of spiritual rebirth and divine adoption for us.
On that day, the Jordan recoiled and the depths trembled, acknowledging the Divine Nature of the Christ standing in their midst. As the Holy Scripture bears witness: “ባሕርኒ ርእየት ወጎየት ወዮርዳኖስኒ ገብአ ድኅሬሁ” — “The sea saw it and fled; Jordan was driven back” (Psalm 114:3). This marks the great day of triumph where the debt of human sin was annulled, and humanity was led from the shadows of darkness into the marvelous light of grace.
Beloved children in the Holy Spirit;
The baptism of our Lord in the Jordan was intended to pave the way for our salvation and to grant us new life by washing away our transgressions. Therefore, as we celebrate this sublime feast, we must reflect deeply on the price Christ paid for our redemption. Our celebration should be marked by Christian conduct that honors the dignity of the sonship we received through Holy Baptism.
We must refrain from worldly excesses and secular behaviors that obscure the spiritual depth of this mystery or deviate from the ancient traditions of the Church (ጥንታዊ ሥርዓት). Instead, let us observe the feast through liturgy (ሥርዓተ አምልኮ), fervent prayer, and acts of charity.
In conclusion, may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through the grace of His baptism, strengthen us to live in faith and righteousness throughout this year. May He, who stood in the midst of the Jordan, grant enduring peace to our nation and bestow health and divine blessings upon all our people.
May God Bless Ethiopia!
Abba Gerima
Bishop of the Diocese of Gedeo, Kore, and Burji
Member of the Holy Synod
