Troparion
in Tone Four
Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fisherman all-wise,
by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them, drawing all the
world into Your net. O Loving One, glory be to You.
Kontakion in Tone Four
When the Most High came down and confounded tongues of men at
Babel, He divided the nations. When He dispensed the tongues of fire, He
called all to unity, and with one voice we glorify the Most Holy Spirit.
The Feast of Holy Pentecost is celebrated
each year on the fiftieth day after the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha and
ten days after the Feast of the Ascension of Christ. The Feast is always
celebrated on a Sunday.
The Feast commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, a feast of the Jewish tradition.
It also celebrates the establishment of the Church thru the preaching of the
Apostles and the baptism of the thousands who on that day believed in the
Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Feast is also seen as
the culmination of the revelation of the Holy Trinity.
In the Church's annual liturgical cycle,
Pentecost is "the last and great day." It is the celebration by the
Church of the coming of the Holy Spirit as the end - the achievement and
fulfillment - of the entire history of salvation. For the same reason,
however, it is also the celebration of the beginning: it is the "birthday"
of the Church as the presence among us of the Holy Spirit, of the new life
in Christ, of grace, knowledge, adoption to God and holiness.
This double meaning and double joy is revealed to us,
first of all, in the very name of the feast. Pentecost in Greek means
fifty, and in the sacred biblical symbolism of numbers, the number fifty
symbolizes both the fullness of time and that which is beyond time: the
Kingdom of God itself. It symbolizes the fullness of time by its
first component: 49, which is the fullness of seven (7 x 7): the number of
time. And, it symbolizes that which is beyond time by its second component:
49 + 1, this one being the new day, the "day without evening" of God's
eternal Kingdom. With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's
disciples, the time of salvation, the Divine work of redemption has been
completed, the fullness revealed, all gifts bestowed: it belongs to us now
to "appropriate" these gifts, to be that which we have become in Christ:
participants and citizens of His Kingdom.
Biblical Story
The story of Pentecost is found in the book of The Acts of the Apostles. In
Chapter two we are told that the Apostles of our Lord were gathered together
in one place. Suddenly, a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind,
filling the entire house where they were sitting. Then, tongues of fire
appeared, and one sat upon each one of Apostles. They were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the
Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
This miraculous event occurred on the Jewish Feast
of Pentecost, celebrated by the Jews on the fiftieth day after the Passover
as the culmination of the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10).
The Feast of Weeks began on the third day after the Passover with the
presentation of the first harvest sheaves to God, and it concluded on
Pentecost with the offering of two loaves of unleavened bread, representing
the first products of the harvest (Leviticus 23:17-20; Deuteronomy 16:9-10).
Since the Jewish Feast of Pentecost was a great
pilgrimage feast, many people from throughout the Roman Empire were gathered
in Jerusalem on this day. When the people in Jerusalem heard the sound, they
came together and heard their own languages being spoken by the Apostles
(Acts 2:5-6). The people were amazed, knowing that some of those speaking
were Galileans, and not men who would normally speak many different
languages. They wondered what this meant, and some even thought the Apostles
were drunk (Acts 2:7-13).
Peter, hearing these remarks, stood up and
addressed the crowd. He preached to the people regarding the Old Testament
prophecies about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He spoke about Jesus Christ
and His death and glorious Resurrection. Great conviction fell upon the
people, and they asked the Apostles, "What shall we do?" Peter said to them,
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 2:38-39).
The Bible records that on that day about three
thousand were baptized. Following, the book of Acts states that the newly
baptized continued daily to hear the teaching of the Apostles, as the early
Christians met together for fellowship, the breaking of bread, and for
prayer. Many wonderful signs and miracles were done through the Apostles,
and the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved (Acts
2:42-47).
Icon
of the Feast
The icon of the Feast of Pentecost is known as
"The Descent of the Holy Spirit". It is an icon of bold colors of red and
gold signifying that this is a great event. The movement of the icon is from
the top to the bottom. At the top of the icon is a semicircle with rays
coming from it (1). The rays are pointing toward the Apostles, and the
tongues of fire are seen descending upon each one of them signifying the
descent of the Holy Spirit (2).
The building in the background of the icon
represents the upper room where the Disciples of Christ gathered after the
Ascension. The Apostles are shown seated in a semicircle which shows the
unity of the Church (3). Included in the group of the Apostles is Saint Paul
(4), who, though not present with the others on the day of Pentecost, became
an Apostle of the Church and the greatest missionary. Also included are the
four Evangelists—Matthew, Mark (5), Luke (6), and John—holding books of the
Gospel, while the other Apostles are holding scrolls that represent the
teaching authority given to them by Christ.
In the center of the icon below the Apostles, a
royal figure is seen against a dark background. This is a symbolic figure,
Cosmos, representing the people of the world living in darkness and sin, and
involved in pagan worship (7). However, the figure carries in his hands a
cloth containing scrolls which represent the teaching of the Apostles (8).
The tradition of the Church holds that the Apostles carried the message of
the Gospel to all parts of the world.
In the icon of Pentecost we see the
fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, sent down upon the Apostles
who will teach the nations and baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity.
Here we see that the Church is brought together and sustained in
unity through the presence and work of the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit
guides the Church in the missionary endeavor throughout the world, and that
the Spirit nurtures the Body of Christ, the Church, in truth and love.
Orthodox Christian
Celebration of the Feast of Pentecost
This great Feast of the Church is celebrated with
the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom on the Sunday that is the
fiftieth day after the celebration of Pascha. The Liturgy is conducted on
the day of the Feast, and is preceded the evening before by a Great Vespers
service and on the morning of the Feast by the Matins service. On the day of
the Feast a Vespers service is conducted that includes the kneeling prayers.
These prayers mark the beginning of the practice of kneeling during the
Liturgy at the time when the holy gifts of bread and wine are consecrated as
the body and blood of Christ. The practice of kneeling has been suspended
during the Paschal season. On the Monday following the Feast, the Divine
Liturgy is conducted in commemoration of the All-holy and Life-creating and
All-powerful Spirit, Who is God, and One of the Trinity, and of one honor
and one essence and one glory with the Father and the Son (From the
Synaxarion of the Feast).
Scripture readings for the Feast are the following:
At the Saturday Vespers:
Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29;
Joel 2:23-32;
Ezekiel 36:24-28. At
the Orthros (Matins):
John 20:19-23. At the
Pentecost Sunday Divine Liturgy:
Acts 2:1-11;
John 7:37-52, 8:12.
At the Divine Liturgy on the Monday of the Holy Spirit:
Ephesians 5:8-19;
Matthew 18:10-20.
Prayer of the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and
filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life: come and abide
in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One.
The Vigil of the Pentecost
The all-night Vigil service begins with a solemn invitation:
"Let us celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the
Holy Spirit, The appointed day of promise, and the fulfillment of hope,
The mystery which is as great as it is precious."
In the coming of the Spirit, the very essence of
the Church is revealed:
"The Holy Spirit provides all, Overflows with
prophecy, fulfills the priesthood, Has taught wisdom to illiterates, has
revealed fishermen as theologians, He brings together the whole council
of the Church."
In the three readings of the Old Testament
we hear the prophecies concerning the Holy Spirit.
We are taught that the entire history of mankind was directed towards the
day on which God "would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh." This day has
come! All hope, all promises, all expectations have been fulfilled. At the
end of the Aposticha hymns, for the first time since Easter, we sing the
hymn: "O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth…," the one with
which we inaugurate all our services, all prayers, which is, as it were, the
life-breath of the Church, and whose coming to us, whose "descent" upon us
in this festal Vigil, is indeed the very experience of the Holy Spirit
"coming and abiding in us."
Having reached its climax, the Vigil continues as
an explosion of joy and light for "verily the light of the Comforter has
come and illumined the world." In the Gospel reading (John 20:19-23) the
feast is interpreted to us as the feast of the Church, of her divine nature,
power and authority. The Lord sends His disciples into the world, as He
Himself was sent by His Father. Later, in the antiphons of the Liturgy, we
proclaim the universality of the apostles' preaching, the cosmological
significance of the feast, the sanctification of the whole world, the true
manifestation of God's Kingdom.
The Vespers of Pentecost
The liturgical peculiarity of Pentecost is a very special Vespers of the day
itself. Usually this service follows immediately the Divine Liturgy, is
"added" to it as its own fulfillment. The service begins as a solemn
"summing up" of the entire celebration, as its liturgical synthesis. We hold
flowers in our hands symbolizing the joy of the eternal spring, inaugurated
by the coming of the Holy Spirit. After the festal Entrance, this joy
reaches its climax in the singing of the Great Prokeimenon:
"Who is so great a God as our
God?"
Then, having reached this climax, we are invited to
kneel. This is our first kneeling since Easter. It signifies that after
these fifty days of Paschal joy and fulness, of experiencing the Kingdom of
God, the Church now is about to begin her pilgrimage through time and
history. It is evening again, and the night approaches, during which
temptations and failures await us, when, more than anything else, we need
Divine help, that presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who has already
revealed to us the joyful End, who now will help us in our effort towards
fulfillment and salvation.
All this is revealed in the three prayers which the
celebrant reads now as we all kneel and listen to him. In the first prayer,
we bring to God our repentance, our increased appeal for forgiveness of
sins, the first condition for entering into the Kingdom of God.
In the second prayer, we ask the Holy Spirit to
help us, to teach us to pray and to follow the true path in the dark and
difficult night of our earthly existence. Finally, in the third prayer, we
remember all those who have achieved their earthly journey, but who are
united with us in the eternal God of Love.
The joy of Easter has been completed and we again
have to wait for the dawn of the Eternal Day. Yet, knowing our weakness,
humbling ourselves by kneeling, we also know the joy and the power of the
Holy Spirit who has come. We know that God is with us, that in Him is our
victory.
Thus is completed the feast of Pentecost and we
enter "the ordinary time" of the year. Yet, every Sunday now will be called
"after Pentecost" - and this means that it is from the power and light of
these fifty days that we shall receive our own power, the Divine help in our
daily struggle. At Pentecost we decorate our churches with flowers and green
branches - for the Church "never grows old, but is always young." It is an
evergreen, ever-living Tree of grace and life, of joy and comfort. For the
Holy Spirit - "the Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life - comes and
abides in us, and cleanses us from all impurity," and fills our life with
meaning, love, faith and hope.
Father Alexander Schmemann (1974)
