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Special Service For The Epiphany
(January 6)
THE COLLECT
Infinite, unknowable glory, who art ever ready to descend in blessed epiphany into the souls of the children of earth, hear the prayer of thy offspring in every place who pray with a full heart. For because of Thee we have put on this glory, and through Thee we have seen the Father of the universe, and the Mother of all things who is hidden in every place, who is the thought of every aeon, the Gnosis of every invisible. We hail thy glorious epiphany, we give thanks for thy blessed showing forth of thyself now and forevermore.
Amen.
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the Acts of St. John:
Now the uniform crowd around the cross is the lower nature, both those whom thou seest in the cross, if they have not also one form, it is because every limb of the one who came down has not yet been gathered together. But as soon as the higher nature and race, coming to me in obedience to my voice, is taken up, then what does not hear me now will become as thou art and all no longer be what it is now, but over them even as I am now. For until thou callest thyself mine, I am not that which I am, but if thou hearest me attentively, thou shalt be as I am, while I shall be what I was, as soon as I have beside myself thee as I am. For from this thou art.
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark and the Gospel according to St. John:
John did baptise in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptised of him in the river Jordan. And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying: Thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And John bare record, saying: I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me: Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.