by Presvytera Nicole Sultani, OCAN Board Member
As we enter the new year, many of us reflect on the challenges, joys, and opportunities of the year past while anticipating what lies ahead. For many, the beginning of a new year means new resolutions to adopt healthier habits or drop our less favorable ones, in an effort to improve our well-being. As Orthodox Christians, January is an especially significant time for reflection, as we not only mark the beginning of a new year but also celebrate the feast of Theophany.
Upon the feast of Theophany, we celebrate the baptism of Christ, which reveals the Holy Trinity to the world. As Christ is baptized in the Jordan, we hear the voice of the Father and see the Spirit descend in the likeness of a dove. The troparion for this feast captures the beauty of this revelation:
When Thou, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, and called Thee His beloved Son! And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ our God, Who hast revealed Thyself and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee!
This feast is rich in theological meaning and invites us to contemplate Christ’s revelation to the world and the first manifestation of the Holy Trinity. As Christ entered the Jordan River, on January 6th (19th on the Old Calendar) Orthodox priests around the world call upon God to send the blessing of the Jordan on waters, rivers, creeks, springs, seas and oceans. Christ enters the water and purifies it, and just as Christ transforms ordinary bread and transforms it into His Body during the Divine Liturgy, this water is transformed into a source of sanctification and healing.
We not only are sprinkled with this water in church, but we drink it and take it home with us. We invite our priest to bless our home with it. Thus, this water permeates every aspect of our lives, even to our work as attorneys. Our natural inclination may be to compartmentalize our lives: Sundays are for church and God; the rest of the week is for work. However, the mystery of holy water—the sanctification of the most basic element of human life—teaches us that our entire lives can be sanctified. The work we do Monday to Friday, and often on weekends and late at night, is our opportunity to bring God’s holiness to the world.
Everything we do in our workdays — from meetings with clients, to sending emails and writing briefs — is an opportunity for us to reveal Christ to the world in the way we go about our work. While many of our resolutions this January may include improvements to our organization skills and habits or other contributions to the workplace, we can add to those a resolution to represent Christ to the world: by speaking kindly to coworkers and clients, refraining from workplace gossip, and praying for our adversaries and the matters we represent. In this way, we can sanctify every moment, just as every drop of water in the world is sanctified on Theophany.
© 2025 Nicole Sultani