Today, 5 January 2015, the servant priests of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest announced the Baptism of the Lord to His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and blessed the rooms of the Patriarchal Residence with Great Holy Water.
According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church on this day the priests go to the houses of the faithful to announce the Baptism of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and to bless their houses and them, by splashing with Great Holy Water.
After celebrating the Great Blessing of Waters at the Patriarchal Cathedral, the group of servant priests and singers of the Patriarchal Cathedral went to the Patriarchal Residence.
They were met by the Patriarch of Romania who blessed them and spoke them about the significance of the blessing of the houses by splashing with Holy Water.
“The coming of the priests with Great Holy Water at the houses of the faithful is a missionary, blessing and deifying work. The life, houses, and the whole activity of the Christian family, as well as the entire dwelling place are blessed, the place where the Christian prays, rests, and is hospitable, receiving those who come to visit him.
Thus, the Orthodox Church does not lock God in the Church, within walls, but takes Him to the people’s houses so that they should orientate to the church within the community. We bless the houses to remember that it is here that we prepare to go one day to the house of the Heavenly Father”, His Beatitude said.
