January 14 Feast of Circumcision of the Lord

 

Circumcision as a rite of dedication to the Godhead existed among many peoples, including the Egyptians. In the Jewish understanding blood is sacred because "blood is the soul," blood flowing from the life-giving organ signifies a dedication of life accepted as a gift to God. With the Israelites, this rite came to signify the union of Abraham and his chosen people with God and was meant to remind the people of the obligations that flowed from it.

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision on January 14. Festive services will be held in all churches on this day.

Gospel legend says that on the eighth day after Jesus Christ's birth, according to Old Testament law, he underwent circumcision. The rite was established for all male infants as a sign of God's covenant with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.

In performing this rite, the Divine Child was given the name Jesus (Savior), spoken by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary.

According to the Church fathers' interpretation, God the Son accepted circumcision to show people an example of strict observance of the Divine rules and that nobody afterwards could doubt that He was a true Man, but not a carrier of phantom flesh, as some heretics taught.

In the New Testament, the rite of circumcision gave way to the sacrament of Baptism, of which it was the prototype.

Evidence for the celebration of circumcision in the Eastern Church dates back to the 4th century.

The Feast of the circumcision of Our Lord lasts one day and is combined with the celebration of the memory of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, why it is known among the people as Saint Basil's Day.