On the 50th Day after Pascha, the Holy Church
celebrates the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Holy Pentecost). When
the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And
suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled
all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of
fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
In His farewell discourses to His
disciples, the Lord told them, I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Comforter, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, Whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; you know Him,
for He dwells with You, and will be in you.... The Comforter, the Holy Spirit,
Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things... (John
14:16-17, 26). These words of the Lord were accomplished on the 50th Day after
the Passover (Pascha), for the Seal of the Holy Spirit was seen on the Apostles
in the form of fiery tongues, just as, in Holy Chrismation, we receive the Seal
of the Holy Spirit in the form of the Holy Chrism.
The people who were present were greatly
amazed at the sight, and especially that each one of them, no matter what
nationality, heard the Apostles speaking to them in their own language. But
others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13).
Then Peter got up and spoke to them:
Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men
are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day; but
this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And in the last days it shall be,
God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your
old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on My menservants and My maidservants in those
days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show
wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire,
and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into
blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And it
shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:14-21).
Peter went on to speak of the Risen
Christ and His redemptive acts, reminding them that this Jesus God raised up,
and of that... all [of the Apostles were] witnesses (Acts 2:32). He continued:
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy spirit, He has poured out this which you see and
hear (Acts 2:33).
Many of those hearing were cut to
the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what
shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit...' So those who received his word were baptized,
and there were added that day about three thousand souls (Acts 2:37-38,
41).
A special characteristic of this day
is the singing of the Troparion to the Holy Spirit: “O Heavenly King, the
Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all
things, Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us and
cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One!” In addition,
seven Kneeling Prayers are read by the Priest during the Vespers which
immediately follows the Divine Liturgy of that day, while everyone are on
bended knees, this being the first time kneeling is permitted since Holy
Pascha.
Troparion of the Feast
(Tone 8).
Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who
hast revealed the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon them the Holy
Spirit; through them thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of Man,
Glory to Thee!
Kontakion of the Feast
(Tone 8).
When the Most High came down and confused
the tongues, He divided the nations; but when He distributed the tongues of
fire, He called all to unity. Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the
All-Holy Spirit!