On the eve of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral celebrated an episcopal Divine Liturgy at the Annunciation Monastery of Beška, located on an island in Lake Skadar, and addressed the faithful with a sermon on the spiritual renewal of both the individual and society, the website of the Montenegrin Metropolitanate reported.

Congratulating worshippers on Theophany Eve, Metropolitan Joanikije recalled that the feast commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan and the revelation of the Holy Trinity. This event, he said, marked the beginning of the renewal of human nature and of the entire world.

“The Baptism of Christ must renew us as well — our own baptism, our unity, our brotherly and sisterly love, and our harmony,” the metropolitan emphasized.

He noted that the blessing of water performed on the feast of Theophany carries a special meaning, as it symbolizes the sanctification of all creation. At the Beška Monastery, the waters of Lake Skadar have already been blessed. Photographs of the service on the lake — traditionally one of the central locations of Theophany celebrations in Montenegro — were published on the website of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.

Metropolitan Joanikije explained that Christ’s baptism marked the beginning of the renewal not only of humanity but of the entire world. “The blessing of water on the feast of Theophany is a sign that God’s grace touches all of nature, all creation,” he said. This, he added, is why the rite of the Great Blessing of Water is performed in churches and on open bodies of water — lakes and rivers — especially prominently throughout Montenegro during these days.

Reflecting on the preaching of John the Baptist, the metropolitan stressed that the call to repentance signifies a person’s readiness to change their life and open their heart to God. Reiterating his message, he said that the Baptism of Christ should renew believers in unity, mutual love, and peace.

The Annunciation Monastery of Beška is one of the largest and oldest monasteries on Lake Skadar. Situated on an island between the monasteries of Starčevo and Moračnik, it is recognized as an important spiritual and cultural center of medieval Zeta. Founded in the 14th–15th centuries, the monastery includes the Church of St. George, endowed by ruler Đurađ II Balšić, and the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, built by his wife Jelena Balšić, daughter of Saint Prince Lazar.

In the Middle Ages, the monastery was a major center of manuscript production, where liturgical and spiritual texts were written and copied, including the renowned Gorički Zbornik. After a long period of neglect, the monastery was restored in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and regular liturgical life has been renewed there since 1997.