When the Savior entered the Jordan and was baptized by John, the God-man came into contact with matter. And until now, on the day of Epiphany, it is according to the church style, when water is consecrated in churches, it becomes incorruptible, that is, it does not deteriorate for many years, even if it is kept in a closed vessel. This happens every year and only on the feast of Epiphany according to the Orthodox, Julian calendar. On this day, according to one of the church stichera, “the nature of all waters is sanctified,” therefore, not only the water in the church, but all the waters acquire the original property of incorruption. And the next day, after Epiphany, all the waters again acquire their usual properties.

On the day of Theophany, every Orthodox Christian brings home a vessel with holy water, carefully keeps it as the greatest shrine, praying to partake of holy water in sickness and all kinds of infirmity.

How to use holy Epiphany water?

The use of holy water in the daily life of an Orthodox Christian is quite diverse. For instance, taken on an empty stomach in small amounts, usually together with a piece of prosphora (this especially applies to the great agiasma - Epiphany water), sprinkle their dwelling.

She eats on an empty stomach, a spoonful, a little bit, daily and with a prayer:

« 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 boundless mercy, with the prayers of the Most Pure Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen«.

A man got up, crossed himself, asked for a blessing from the Lord for the day that had begun, washed himself, prayed and took a great hagiasma. If the medication is prescribed on an empty stomach, then first take holy water and then the medicine. And then breakfast and stuff.

But due to a special need for God's help - in case of ailments or attacks by evil forces - you can and should drink it without hesitation, at any time or every hour.

Ascetics of Christian piety call blessed water the best medicine for all spiritual and bodily ailments.

She can wash the patient and sprinkle. Truth, women on critical days are not blessed to take baptismal water. But this is if the woman is otherwise healthy. BUT if she is sick, then even this circumstance does not play a role. Epiphany water will help her!

With a reverent attitude, holy water remains fresh and pleasant to the taste for a long time.

It should be stored in a separate place, next to the home iconostasis.. Because the Great Agiasma is one of the main shrines of the Orthodox Church. The very word "Agiasma" means "shrine". And you don't have to put it in the fridge. It is also unacceptable for holy water to fall into the drain..

A special property of holy water is that, added even in a small amount to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, therefore, in case of a shortage of holy water, it can be diluted with plain water from a clean container.

We must not forget that blessed water is a church shrine, with which the grace of God has come into contact, and which requires a reverent attitude towards itself.

1. Holy water should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach or at night before bed (but not from the total capacity).
2. With a very serious illness or if a person is in a state of intense spiritual struggle, despondency, it can be drunk in unlimited quantities, regardless of food intake.
3. After drinking, you need to pray for healing.
4. For pain or just a sore spot, you can apply a compress moistened with holy water.
5. Holy water has tremendous healing power. There are cases when a few drops of such water, poured into the mouth of an unconscious patient, brought him to his senses and changed the course of the disease. But that doesn't mean you don't need to see a doctor. A special property of holy water is that, added even in a small amount to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it.
6. It is necessary to store holy water at the icon or behind the icon. Just please label the bottle or stick a proper label on it. Be careful that your loved ones inadvertently do not pour out holy water, or do not use it reverently. Do not store this water in the refrigerator. Do not keep it near food.
7. This water is not given to animals.
8. You can only sprinkle it with your home (while reading a prayer), a car, or some other thing, also clothes, and even pets.
9. If the water has deteriorated, it must be poured into a river or other natural source. Holy water must not be poured down the sink or drain. Holy water is not thrown on the ground. It is poured into an "impregnable" place, that is, to the place where people do not go ( do not trample on feet) and dogs don't run. You can pour water into the river, you can into a flower pot, you can into a clean place under a tree.

HOLY WATER IS NECESSARY NOT ONLY TO KEEP CAREFULLY, BUT ALSO USE REGULARLY.

1. Eternal storage of water "in reserve" is unacceptable if it was brought to their church once for Baptism according to the principle "to be in the house, because everyone has it." This is a kind of confinement of the shrine. The grace of holy water does not decrease, no matter how much it is stored, but people who do not turn to the shrine rob themselves.
2. Once blessed water always remains so.. In the case when we have little holy water left, but we need some significant amount, we can add holy water to ordinary water. All water will be sanctified.

Finally, the most important:

Holy water will not bring us any benefit if we spend our lives away from God. If we want to feel God in our lives, to feel His help, His participation in our affairs, we must become Christians not only in name, but also in essence.

Being a Christian means:

1. Fulfill the commandments of God, love God and neighbors;
2. Participate in Church Sacraments and pray at home;
3. Work on fixing your soul.

May the Lord help us, no matter how far we are from our Heavenly Father's home, to return to Him.

On January 19, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord. Otherwise, this holiday is called Theophany, since at that moment the manifestation of the Fullness of the Godhead took place - the appearance of all the Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, who testified about the Son with a voice from Heaven, the Son, who received Baptism, and the Holy Spirit, who descended on the Son in the form of a dove.

Since the New Testament Baptism took place in the waters of the Jordan River, this holiday is strongly associated with the symbolism of water and purification. It is no coincidence that in Russia, whose climate is very different from the climate of Palestine, thousands of believers, and not only believers, bathe in the ice holes on Epiphany. It is believed that on the night of Epiphany, all water, both in ponds and in rivers, and even from the tap, becomes holy, baptismal.

What the Orthodox Church Says

Epiphany water in Greek is called "Great Agiasma" ("shrine"). This water, the church teaches, heals mental and bodily ailments, extinguishes the flame of passions, and drives away evil forces. Therefore, baptismal water is sprinkled on the dwelling and every thing that is consecrated. St. John Chrysostom, who lived in the 4th century, said that holy water remains incorruptible for many years, it is fresh, pure and pleasant, as if it had been drawn from a living source just a minute ago.
Many saints, in response to requests for healing, sent a bottle of baptismal water to the sick, or simply advised prayerfully, reverently, to drink such water every day.

Orthodox people have a special attitude towards baptismal water. For example, it is not customary to pour holy water where it can be trampled under foot, and if for some reason the need arises to pour baptismal water, then this should be done somewhere in the garden, at the roots of a tree, or in a flower bed. Keep baptismal water next to the images, and drink it in the morning, on an empty stomach, after reading the morning prayers.
It is also believed that if ordinary water is diluted with baptismal water, then the whole liquid will become holy.

What Science Says

Scientists, even non-believers, in general, have never denied such a property of baptismal water as the ability to stay fresh for a long time. What is strange if this water is taken in the coldest period of the year, when the activity of microorganisms is zero? In addition, when consecrating water, a silver cross is immersed in a vessel, and everyone knows that silver ions destroy microorganisms.
However, recently it turned out that the properties of baptismal water are not limited to this.

Some scientists explain the healing properties of Epiphany water by the peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. On this day, it deviates from the norm and all the water on the planet is magnetized. What causes these changes has not yet been studied.

The Russian experimental physicist Professor A. Belsky conducted the following experiment: on the night of January 19, he took water samples from a nearby pond. Polyethylene bottles with samples stood in his laboratory for several years. The water in them remained clear, odorless and sediment.
At a scientific conference, Belsky told about this to a professor he knew from the Research Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University, who was engaged in the study of neutron fluxes from space and from the Earth. He became interested and promised to look at the experimental data of his laboratory in recent years.

So, according to these data, before January 19, neutron flux bursts were regularly recorded, exceeding background levels by 100-200 times. There was no hard binding to January 19: the highs fell on both the 18th and 17th, but sometimes exactly on the 19th.
Specialists of the laboratory of drinking water supply of the Institute. Sysina also conducted a scientific study of the properties of baptismal water. As Candidate of Technical Sciences A. Stekhin said, the task of the experiment was to fix the phase of the transition of water to an unusual state; for this, water began to be monitored from January 15. Tap water was defended and the amount of radical ions in it was measured. The number of radical ions began to increase from January 17th.

At the same time, the pH value (pH level) increased, making the water less acidic. On the 18th of January, in the evening, the changes reached their peak of activity. Due to the large number of radical ions, the electrical conductivity of water was like that of an artificially created catholyte (water saturated with electrons). At the same time, the pH index of water jumped over neutral (7рН) by 1.5 points.
However, it is necessary to warn that references to the scientific publications of Professor A. Belsky and Candidate of Technical Sciences A. Stekhin either do not exist at all, or they are so few that no one can find them.

What do non-pagans think?

But a lot of space is given to the properties of baptismal water by astrologers and followers of various mystical practices.
They claim that on the night of January 19, the Sun, the Earth, as well as the center of the Galaxy are located in such a way that a line of communication opens between the heart of our planet and the center of the Galaxy. At this time, a special energy channel operates, which structures everything that enters it. This structurization is subjected to water on Earth and everything that is made from it.

The followers of the doctrine, which they call the "Slavic Vedas", believe that the name "Epiphany water" does not come from the word "baptism" at all, but from the name of the ancient Slavic deity Khors. And the word "water" comes from the word "veda". Such is the water, "Khorsa in charge." And the followers of this doctrine offer to swim for baptism not in holes cut in the shape of a cross, but in open reservoirs and polynyas.
For Christians, the experiments of scientists and the speculations of mystics are unnecessary. They know that water is sanctified by the Grace of God, and they believe in its power and healing properties.

Every year on January 19, many people rush to the church to get blessed water, and thousands of those suffering from health rush to swim in the hole, despite the Epiphany frosts...

The history of Epiphany water

Baptism is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on January 19 and is considered one of the great church holidays established in memory of the day when Jesus Christ came to the Jordan River to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. A special feature of the holiday are two great blessings of water. One is performed on Christmas Eve (the evening before Epiphany) in the church. Another is held on the day of the holiday in the open air, if possible - at the source of water (rivers, lakes, springs, springs). At the same time, if the water is frozen, an ice hole is hollowed out in advance. According to the church charter, this rite is accompanied by the reading of prayers and the threefold immersion of the cross in the consecrated water, after which it is endowed with a special healing power. The word "I baptize" or "I baptize" from the Greek "baptiso" means "immerse".

This great Christian holiday has a double name, the Baptism of the Lord is also called Epiphany. Because at the Baptism of the Lord, the main event was the appearance of the Holy Trinity. God the Father testifies from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God the Son is baptized according to His human nature; The Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove. This affirms faith in the Divine Trinity and faith in the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

What happens to water on Epiphany Day

According to mystical views, the cosmic bodies the Sun, the Earth, the center of the Galaxy are located in such a way that "a line of communication is opened between the heart of our planet and the center of the Galaxy." A special kind of energy channel operates, which in a certain way structures everything that enters it. This structurization is subjected to water on Earth and everything that is made from it.

Epiphany water is called agiasma, which means “shrine” in Greek. For the first time, St. John Chrysostom, who lived in the 3rd century, mentions the healing properties of baptismal water. And for more than 17 centuries, opponents of Christianity have been trying to prove that the phenomenon of baptismal water does not exist.

Its ability not to spoil for a long time is explained by the fact that priests lower silver crosses into bowls (silver ions, as you know, have a detrimental effect on microorganisms), and also by the fact that water is collected in winter, when the number of microorganisms in reservoirs is minimal.

What scientists think about Epiphany water

Studies have shown that the optical density of Epiphany water is higher than water from the same sources on ordinary days. Moreover, it is close to the optical density of water from the Jordan River. Some scientists explain the healing properties of Epiphany water by the peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. On this day, it deviates from the norm and all the water on the planet is magnetized. What causes these changes is not yet fully understood.

Professor Anton Belsky, a Russian experimental physicist, once, on the night of January 19, took water samples in plastic bottles from a nearby pond. They stood in his laboratory for many years. The water in them remained clear, odorless and sediment. At one of the scientific conferences, he told about this experiment to a familiar professor from the Research Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University, who was engaged in the study of neutron fluxes from space and from the Earth. He promised to look at his experimental data in recent years. Soon A. Belsky received very interesting information by e-mail. According to him, before January 19, a number of years, intense bursts of neutron flux were recorded, exceeding background levels by 100-200 times. There was no hard binding to January 19: the highs fell on both the 18th and 17th, but sometimes exactly on the 19th.

Unique studies of Epiphany water taken from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, conducted several years ago at the Moscow Institute of Information and Wave Technologies, showed that the frequency spectrum of the radiation of Epiphany water is similar to the electromagnetic radiation of healthy human organs. That is, it turned out that in the baptismal church water there is a certain information program in the form of an ordered set of healthy frequencies of the human body.

If the healing properties of baptismal water in the church are known to everyone, then few people know that ordinary tap water on Epiphany night can also become bioactive and then retain its special qualities not only for a whole year, but much longer. It turns out that tap water annually on January 19 changes its structure many times over a day and a half. The conducted studies included measurements of the water biofield, acid-base balance, hydrogen potential, specific electrical conductivity, as well as the result of its impact on a person during internal and external use (by gas-discharge visualization methods, dowsing, laboratory studies). To do this, starting from the evening of January 18, samples of the water flowing from the tap were taken at short intervals and measurements were taken. For control, the samples were stored for a long time.

Specialists of the laboratory of drinking water supply of the Institute. Sysina also conducted a serious scientific study. As Candidate of Technical Sciences Anatoly STEKHIN said, the main task was to fix the phase of the transition of water to an unusual state, for this they began to observe the water from January 15. The water collected from the tap was defended and the amount of radical ions in it was measured.

During the study, the number of radical ions in the water has been creeping up since January 17th. Along with this, the water became softer, its hydrogen index (pH level) increased, which made the liquid less acidic. The water reached its peak of activity on January 18, in the evening. Due to the large number of radical ions, its electrical conductivity was really like that of an artificially created catholyte (water saturated with electrons). At the same time, the pH of water jumped over neutral (7 pH) by 1.5 points.

The degree of structuredness of Epiphany water was also studied. The researchers froze several samples - from the tap, from a church source, from the Moscow River. So, even tap water, which is usually far from ideal, when frozen, was a harmonious spectacle under the microscope. The curve of the electromagnetic activity of water began to decline already in the morning of January 19 and by the 20th took its usual form.

Scientists believe that the reason for such a sharp increase in the electromagnetic activity of water in Epiphany was a large accumulation of radical ions in the Earth's lithosphere. On ordinary days, the amount of energy in the water varies depending on the time of day. From 7 pm to 9 am, the water is most active (but not to the same extent as Epiphany). This is the best time to wash and stock up for household needs. When the sun rises, a large number of radical ions “fly away” from the water to the upper atmosphere. Such channels through which energy “escapes” from us are all vortex processes in the atmosphere. It is not for nothing that during the activity of cyclones, many people feel worse. We simply do not have enough water electromagnetic energy. But the most extreme phenomenon that literally devastates the Earth energetically is an earthquake.

As for the three Epiphany days, according to Stekhin, this is an “anomalous” period when an anticyclone always dominates the Earth. And electrons, obeying some kind of cosmic influence, quietly “sit” in the lithosphere and water and saturate us with healing powers. The only explanation for this can be a special redistribution of the poles of the magnetic field that exists between the Sun and the Earth. It is the cosmic forces that hold the energy on Earth during Baptism.

Doctor of Sciences, Professor of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University Vladimir VOEIKOV believes that all kinds of magnetic and neutron storms affect water. In particular, scientists have proven that the properties of water are greatly changed by a solar eclipse. And everywhere, regardless of the degree of blackout in a particular part of the globe. As for the processes that affect the water in Baptism, they have not yet been fully studied. It is possible that during this period the restructuring of interplanetary magnetic fields really takes place and the electrons of water are somehow “magnetized” to the Earth. But this is just a hypothesis.

The phenomenon of the Epiphany water has not been fully studied, and researchers, it seems, will not soon be able to unravel its secret. Epiphany water has not undergone scientific research, which is subjected to medicines, and there are no medical conclusions about the properties of Epiphany water yet. But there is a centuries-old experience of a huge number of people. And, probably, it is not so important what heals - water or a person’s firm belief that it will help him

Is it necessary to bathe in Epiphany?

Bathing is not a mandatory rule, according to the priests. This is a blessing, but not a must. After all, people are different, someone can swim in icy water in winter, but someone can’t, it’s not useful for someone - the state of health is such that they can’t afford it. The Church does not demand from a person a feat beyond his strength. You can come home and not with ice-cold baptismal water, but simply cool, take a dip in the bathroom, since there is only one grace-filled power. And it depends not on the temperature of the water, not on its quantity and quality, but on the faith of a person.

Doctors do not forbid, but warn

Despite the bright emotional mood, doctors advise to approach the dive into the ice hole thoughtfully and carefully. The main dangers: a heart attack due to vasospasm, convulsions, the rapid development of pneumonia. Therefore, people with a weak heart or bronchopulmonary diseases (especially those suffering from asthma) should absolutely not dive into cold water. If blood pressure is elevated, when swimming in ice water, the risk of vasospasm and even a microstroke increases, and if it is low, convulsions and the risk of losing consciousness in the water.

Do not drink a single drop of alcohol before climbing into the icy water: alcohol will only help to quickly hypothermia and give an extra load on the heart. Cool down gradually: first take off your outer clothing, after a few minutes - shoes, then undress to the waist and only then go into the water. By the way, before bathing, it would be good to rub the body with any fat cream or olive oil. Sit in the water for no longer than 1 - 2 minutes. When you get out, rub yourself with a terry towel and hurry to a warm room, where you can already skip a glass of cognac or a glass of warmed wine.

Where to get Epiphany water

It is believed that water collected at Epiphany midnight from any source (even from the tap) has healing properties. In modern terms, Epiphany water is structured. If such water is kept away from human eyes and empty conversations - in a quiet and dark place - (believers keep it at the home iconostasis), then it retains its healing properties all year round.
Researchers believe that every year, starting from fifteen minutes past midnight on January 19, a person can draw water from the tap at any time during the day for subsequent storage and use as bioactive throughout the year.

In order to get the most bioactive baptismal effect, without leaving home and without swimming in the frost in the hole, you need to wait for half past one in the morning and wash your face in the next half hour, take a shower or bath from the tap water of the Epiphany, drink a little of this unusual water from the tap. The results of biolocation studies show that it immediately affects the body, raises the size of the human biofield by tens and hundreds of times, energizes and has a healing effect.

How to use Epiphany water

For those who managed to stock up on the most active baptismal water, no matter where you got it - from a water pipe, from an open source or brought from a church - scientists remind you that you need to drink it regularly, preferably every day and on an empty stomach. It perfectly raises the immune system and makes a person resistant to many infections. For example, if a child is regularly fed with such water, he will be less likely to catch a cold. By the way, it is useful not only to drink baptismal water, but also to wash your face with it in the morning and at night. It will also not be superfluous to give water to animals and water the plants with Epiphany water.

Epiphany water is a psychotherapeutic tool for relieving increased anxiety, irritability, so after a hard, nervous day, drink half a glass of holy water - and you will feel how the tension goes away, peace and tranquility come.

Press Secretary of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese Igor Pchelintsev: “Just as the sun shines on good and evil and rain falls on everyone, so does holy water - it flows from everywhere, but if we ourselves are unclean in soul, evil by nature and unbelievers, we cannot assimilate the grace that consists in any shrine. The question is not in water, but in the human heart - how much it is able to accept the shrine that God gives to everyone as a gift.

How do pseudoscientists explain the “special” properties that water acquires during Baptism, why they are wrong and how holy water can be poisoned, Indicator.Ru explains.

The properties of water equally strongly attract both scientists and ordinary people. Only if for the first it is a subject of study, demonstrating interesting physical properties, then others often consider water a mysterious substance, which is credited with incredible abilities.

In Russia, the latter is especially evident on the eve of the Orthodox Epiphany on January 19, which is associated with the biblical story of the baptism of Jesus. Many believers are sure that water acquires healing properties on the eve of this church holiday. Let's see if there are scientific justifications for the properties attributed to water.

To begin with, we will repeat a little material from the school curriculum. We should all have learned from it that water has a truly unique set of features. For example, the solid phase of water, ice, has a lower density than liquid water, and is also characterized by an extremely high specific heat and surface tension.

The structure of the molecule, in which two hydrogen atoms form an angle of 104.45° with the oxygen atom, and the properties of these atoms themselves provide a high dipole moment (which is why water heats up well in a microwave oven), and also makes it a good solvent of polar substances.

However, none of the above is mentioned by near-religious figures in the context of the remarkable properties of this liquid. Usually you can hear from them "terms" like "energy-informational memory", "structured", "aqua communications" and the like.

One of the works often cited in such cases is “What explains the healing properties of holy water, Orthodox prayer and the sign of the cross?” electrical engineer Angelina Malakhovskaya. In it, the author describes how the physical properties of water change and healing qualities appear when it is exposed to various religious rites. Among other things, a change in optical properties was announced, namely, an increase in optical density in the region of 200-260 nm.

However, the staff of the Faculty of Physics at St. Petersburg State University failed to confirm Malakhovskaya's conclusions even with the use of a hundred times more accurate equipment. The structuring of water is the eternal theme of pseudoscientific articles, the authors of which are not familiar with the actual results of scientific research.

Meanwhile, it has long been shown that structures that, according to some, "remember" and "record" information, live in water only for extremely short periods of time (about a picosecond).

Another common myth is a certain special configuration of the Earth's magnetic field on the eve of January 19, which provides water with "special" properties. In fact, the Earth's magnetic field does not take on any specific state, because its source is the rotation of the nucleus - a very inert process that cannot change significantly on the scale of days.

The real change in the Earth's magnetic field manifests itself in the form of the movement of the magnetic poles with a characteristic speed of several kilometers per year and a field inversion, which occurs on average once every half a million years.

Among the special properties of baptismal water - and consecrated water in general - is also often called its ability not to deteriorate for a long time. Some especially devout believers even store it for a year in advance.

Such an opinion can only be due to a misunderstanding of the reasons why water becomes undrinkable. In fact, bacteria are the culprit, decomposing particles of organic substances dissolved in water that are invisible to the naked eye.

It is logical that water taken from a clean source, especially at low ambient temperature, which is stored in a tightly sealed vessel, will deteriorate much more slowly than usual. Another possible explanation is the frequent use of silver objects in church rituals. Silver ions, even in a small amount getting into the water, have bactericidal properties and effectively suppress the reproduction of bacteria.

By the way, if the water for consecration is not taken from a clean source, then the amount of bacteria in it will be quite dangerous to health, this was proven by Austrian scientists. During the work, the researchers took water samples from 21 holy springs and 18 samples from special vessels for holy water located in the churches of Vienna.

During the analysis of water, it was shown that only 14% of the samples met the sanitary standards and were suitable for drinking. In the remaining 86% of the samples, microorganisms such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus), Salmonella, and bacteria of the genus Campylobacter were found.

Another favorite "explanation" of the mysterious properties of water by obscurantists is references to certain "cosmic influences". Here, each interpreter gives free rein to his imagination, so the absurdity of the theses is limited only by the number of scientific terms familiar to a particular person.

Here you can meet neutrinos emanating from the center of the Galaxy, which lined up with the Sun and the Earth in one line, and cosmic rays that awaken electrons deep in the lithosphere, and hypotheses about the impact of interplanetary space on the bioinformation fields of water.

It is very difficult to refute such a number of heterogeneous unsubstantiated hypotheses, but we can consider the problem as a whole. Of course, particle flows from space change over time. In particular, the solar neutrino flux correlates with the 11-year cycle of solar activity, but is in no way related to what is happening on Earth.

The number of particles recorded on the surface of the planet from deep space depends much less on time: the usual variations are fractions of a percent and, again, do not have any pronounced anomalies during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

In general, it can be said that not only are no “wonderful” properties of baptismal water confirmed by real scientific research, but they also do not have any justified scientific basis. Water is already a very interesting substance, and more than one study in the future will certainly be devoted to its physical and chemical properties.

Greetings, our dear readers. Epiphany frosts are approaching, but let's talk today about what Epiphany water is and its properties. Why it is worth bathing, collecting water and using it, how to store it properly.

I want to note right away that I am baptized, but like most young people in the modern world, I almost never go to church. Hope I fix it. But even though I don’t read prayers, I rarely go to church, I never stop believing in God, in a miracle.

Many of us honor Christian holidays, this is very good, and such a holiday as the Epiphany of the Lord is honored by a lot of people, including me.

By nature, I can be attributed to the technician. I don’t really like the humanities, and even more so I don’t really trust “magic”. It's just that almost everything around can be explained by physical phenomena, quite simple. And now, scientists know perfectly well that Epiphany water is very useful, they know why. But they cannot yet explain why on this day and only then.

But let's talk a little about something else, today I will tell you why Epiphany water and its properties are so useful for a person.

Properties of baptismal water.

The fact that queues are gathering for Epiphany water and Epiphany water is not really surprising. After all, it is she who is considered the most powerful and healing. What is most interesting is that its healing properties are not even denied by doctors. It favorably influences:

• immune system
• endocrine system,
• nervous system.

In addition, it helps to heal the brain area and respiratory system, improves the balance between the right and left side of the body. There are even cases when just a couple of drops of healing water brought people out of a coma and much more. Therefore, people very often use it for the benefit of their health. As a preventive measure, take it on an empty stomach from all diseases, wash it.

But still, it is not recommended to use it daily in large quantities. It is enough to take a couple of sips on an empty stomach in the morning. If you need to take medicine, then a couple of sips of water are taken, and then the rest of the procedures are already carried out.

For those who do not know how to use Epiphany water at home, priests recommend that women wash their faces with it, sprinkle food, and use it as a medicine during illness. After all, Epiphany water is very useful for the sick.

I also wash small children from the evil eye with baptismal water, even just when something hurts a child, he gets nervous and freaks out, cries endlessly, you can also wash a child with such water and give a couple of sips to drink.

A little history.

Water is directly related to the feast of the Epiphany. Christ, before a public sermon on the Jordan River, received his water Baptism from the Baptist. This ceremony took place as follows: believers came to John and confessed their sins. This served as a sign of remission of sins.

Even though Jesus Christ was sinless, he still fulfilled all customs. As the Gospel says, at the moment when he received water Baptism, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a white dove.

This holiday is also called Theophany, because at the same time as Baptism, the Holy Trinity appeared on the Jordan. After Baptism, Christ began to go out to preach. He did this for three years, until the very crucifixion at Calvary.

The custom of consecrating water for this holiday came from the custom of the Jerusalem church. There, to this day, the Jerusalem Patriarch, together with believers, travel to the Jordan River and perform the ritual of blessing the water. Then they take it for drinking, washing. From Palestine, the custom passed to all Orthodox churches.

For many years, Orthodox believers have been celebrating the Epiphany on the night of January 18-19. I must say that it is he who is one of the most revered holidays. It is also called Epiphany Christmas Eve.

Once, laboratory assistants noticed one interesting fact: water collected from the lake on the feast of Epiphany stood in the laboratory for four years. And at the same time, she did not change her properties, and did not even bloom. While ordinary water from the water supply after 2 months is not suitable for use.

After such an incident, the question arose: why does Epiphany water and its healing properties not deteriorate? Physicists from the Research Institute of Human Ecology began to conduct daily studies of water taken from the tap in the Lord's Epiphany. As surprising as it may sound, the phenomenon has been confirmed.

In fact, it has a high level of energy. In addition, these days the water becomes softer, its pH level rises by 1.5 points. Why this happens no one can explain. Isn't it a miracle?

Emoto Masaru, researcher, Japan:“Let's imagine that here we have a person, but here we have water. This water contains many different types of information. If you introduce this water into the human body, the human body will absorb this information. And it can change the state of a person.”

Allois Grubber, Austrian explorer: How does a person handle water? If he turns to this water with good thoughts, blesses it, says “Thank you” to it, the quality of this water grows, and the water will have a positive effect on the person and his body.

Do not forget that a person himself consists of water by more than 80%. We ourselves are water.

Popular beliefs.

• In the villages on this day, old women and girls collected snow from haystacks. The old women did this in order to bleach the canvas. They believed that only he could bleach her. And the girls did it in order to whiten their skin.
• It was believed that a girl who washed herself in the morning at Epiphany with snow became much more attractive.
• It was also believed that the snow collected in the evening before Epiphany was healing. Using it, people were healed of many ailments. A bowl of water was placed on the table. This was done in order to see the Baptism of the Lord.

Epiphany Christmas Eve is an evening of preparation before a great Orthodox holiday. It is called Theophany of the Lord's Baptism. This day commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ by the Baptist in the Jordan River. On this day, in the courtyards of temples and churches, there are huge queues for holy water.

Where to collect baptismal water?

It is best to collect water in the temple. But many are gaining it from the tap. But it's probably more about faith. After all, as scientists have proven, on this holiday, Epiphany water and its properties really change, regardless of where it is collected.

• If you do not believe in miracles, then wherever you type it, it will not help you.
• You need to store it next to the icons in the house in a glass or plastic container.
• It must be treated as a shrine, rubbed with it, drunk and sprinkled with housing.

Many believe that absolutely all water becomes holy on the day of Epiphany.

The clergy explain that only the water over which a special prayer service is performed is consecrated.

This is how the waters in natural reservoirs are consecrated, where a cruciform hole, the Jordan, is cut through the ice. There are also many myths associated with it. The opinion that all sins are forgiven when immersed in holy water is erroneous. The priests remind that in order to receive forgiveness, it is necessary to sincerely repent and confess.

But, personally, I draw water from a spring outside a small village. Once upon a time, priests performed rituals there, but in the last 5 years they have not performed them. But in the Epiphany of the Lord there is still Epiphany water and no one disputes its properties.

All the locals go there and we keep it even for more than a year sometimes. That's how it happens.

Some people, when the baptismal water runs out, try to dilute it with ordinary water, not wondering if it is possible to dilute the baptismal water. There is an opinion that it is forbidden. As the water begins to lose its power, and will no longer have such healing properties.

But as the priests say, you can dilute it, only not with a large amount of ordinary water. And it is better to do this not with liquid from the tap, but from wells.

How to properly store and use baptismal water.

Believers - out of reverence for the shrine - take Epiphany water on an empty stomach, but due to a special need for God's help - in case of ailments or attacks by evil forces - they drink it without hesitation at any time.

Believers have a pious custom - in the morning on an empty stomach to drink a little baptismal water and eat a piece of church prosphora, which is taken in the temple at the service on Saturday - Sunday. If on the days of church holidays it is not possible to go to the service, you can pray at home and sprinkle water on your home.

Epiphany water is not allowed to drink to animals, but from church practice it is known that during pestilence, animals were sometimes sprinkled and fed with holy water. The grounds for such audacity must have been extremely serious.

It is customary to pour Epiphany water only into a special place that is not trampled under foot, therefore, as a rule, they do not bathe in it (for example, children), but wash and sprinkle it.

With a reverent attitude, holy water remains fresh and pleasant to the taste for a long time. It should be stored in a separate place, preferably next to the icons.

A special property of baptismal water is that, added even in a small amount to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, therefore, in case of a shortage of holy water, it is diluted with plain water.

How to sprinkle an apartment with Epiphany water.

For many centuries, Christians have developed a tradition of sprinkling their homes with baptismal water. As a rule, this happens on the day of the holiday. This ceremony is carried out in order to cleanse the home of all that is bad. For this procedure, it will be necessary to remove the housing, take a container of water.

First, they sprinkle the eastern side of the apartment, then the western, northern and southern. Before the consecration of the premises is carried out, the owner is advised to ventilate the apartment well, and confess and take communion themselves.

Epiphany water and its properties: why and why. updated: January 17, 2018 by: Subbotin Pavel