| On December 13, 2015, the 28th Sunday after Pentecost and the commemoration day of St. Andrew-the-First-Called, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR) and chairman of the Commission on Old Believer parishes and cooperation with the Old Believer community, celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Protecting Veil in Rubtsovo, at which the Patriarchal Center of the Old Russian Liturgical Tradition operates. Concelebrating at the Liturgy according to the Old Rite were Archimandrite Irinarkh (Denisov), rector of the Common Faith church in the Mikhailovskaya Sloboda village, Moscow region; Igumen Kirill (Sakharov), rector of the St. Nicholas church on Bersenevka; Archpriest Georgy Krylov, rector of the church of the New Martyrs of Russia in Strogino and head of the Assumption deanery in Moscow; Archpriest Ioann Mirolyubov, head of the Patriarchal Center of the Old Russian Liturgical Tradition, a cleric of the church of the Protecting Veil in Rubtsovo and secretary of the Commission on Old Believer parishes and cooperation with the Old Believer community; Revd. Mikhail Zheltov, head of the chair of church practice sciences of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Post-Graduate Studies; Revd. Yevgeny Sarancha, a cleric of the Common Faith church in the Mikhailovskaya Sloboda village; Hieromonk Sergy (Gaponov), rector of the Common Faith church in the Maloye Murashkino village in the Nizhny Novgorod region; and clerics of the parish. Attending the Liturgy were Vladimir Yakunin, a founder of the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation, and Leonid Sevastianov, executive director of the Foundation and member of the Supervisory Board of the Patriarchal Center of the Old Russian Liturgical Tradition. After the Litany of Fervent Supplication Metropolitan Hilarion lifted up a prayer for peace in Ukraine and addressed the worshippers, telling them in detail about the life and ministry of St. Andrew-the-First-Called, including the story of his apostolic mission in our land. St. Andrew was " the first baptizer of the Russian people even before St. Vladimir. It was St. Andrew who sowed the seeds of Christian preaching that later bore abundant and blessed fruits, " Metropolitan Hilarion said and congratulated all reverend fathers, brothers and sisters on the feast and wished them St. Andrew’s aid in their labors. DECR Communication Service 14 декабря 2015 г. Смотри также Комментарии Johnny 14 декабря 2015, 19:00 Why is that man staring at the honourable Metropolitan? Terrifying stare Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| The commemoration of two great saints always falls on November 30. One of them is St Gregory the Neo-Caesarian, the other, a great hesychast (ascetic devoted to the Jesus Prayer), St Paisios Velichkovsky. It is no accident that on the feast day of these two holy men is also the 35th anniversary of the episcopal consecration of our dear Abbot, His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, a man also devoted to the Jesus Prayer and the Ruling Bishop of the German Diocese. The calling of hierarch and a monk in the truest sense of the word, are perfectly united in this one individual. It brought us great joy that His Eminence decided to prayerfully mark the occasion of the anniversary of the 35th anniversary of his consecration in the Convent of St Elizabeth in Buchendorf, Germany. Many admirers and spiritual children of Vladyka Mark came on this Sunday, November 29, 2015, to join in prayer. All wished to welcome him for his greeting at Liturgy, scheduled for 4 am. Under the gentle singing of the nuns, and accompanied by Abbess Maria and candle-bearing nuns, Vladyka Mark slowly proceeded into the entrance to the church. The long hallway was adorned with burning candles and flowers, arranged by the sisters. Fourteen priests, deacons, subdeacons and acolytes awaited their beloved archpastors, and midnight office then bagean, followed by matins and Divine Liturgy. The service was dedicated to St Paisios and St Gregory. The bishop’s cathedra was also decorated with roses, which reminded one of the Pentecostal services. Protopriest Apostolos Malamussis, the Vicar of Bavaria, read a greeting from His Eminence Metropolitan Augustine, head of the Greek Orthodox Metropoliate in Germany, Exarch of Central Europe of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Afterwards, greetings were read from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, followed by congratulations from the clergymen and parish leaders, including one from Vera Aleksandrovna, warden of Holy Dormition Church in London, who was also in attendance with members of its sisterhood. The congratulations were punctuated by singing of Many Years by the nuns and the local men’s monastery. Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Tweet When is Pentecost in Greece? Enough Pentecost dates to keep advance travel planners very happy SOURCE: About.com The Pentecost Mosaic in the dome of The Church in the Monastery of Hosios Loukas Greece 11th century. Photo: soniahalliday.com Pentecost in Greece happens fifty days after Greek Easter. While in some Christian denominations, this religious holiday slides by with relatively little fanfare, in Orthodox Greece Pentecost is vigorously celebrated. For the more secularly-minded traveler in Greece, it can even be thought of as a kind of " second Easter " if you " ve unfortunately missed the first. It occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter, or the " Fiftieth Day " , and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is also known as Trinity Sunday. By the way, the " Pente " in Pentecost is an easy way to help remember the number " five " in Greek if you can associate it with the " 50 days " . Like other religious holidays in Greece, such as Easter itself and the Feast of the Virgin Mary on August 15th, transit schedules may shift and extra ferries or ferry stops may be added to accommodate Pentecost travelers. I remember traveling to Milos on a Pentecost weekend, when Minoan Lines snuck in an extra stop at the island on the route from Heraklion to Athens. Unfortunately, not all the Minoan employees knew that there was an extra stop that night, and they looked at me very strangely as I insisted that their ferry would indeed be stopping at " my " island. Ticketing was complicated as it could only be actually booked through an outside travel agent who had arranged a special group tour and had enough paying passengers to make the stop warranted. I managed to get my friends and I " adopted " by the group at least for the transit portion to the island. As with most religious holidays in Greece, the eve of the feast on the " Saturday before Pentecost " will be when the more public celebration will occur, so plan accordingly. Pentecost in Greece Dates 2012 - Sunday, June 3rd 2013 - Sunday, June 23rd 2014 - Sunday, June 8th 2015 - Sunday, May 31st 2016 - Sunday, June 19th 2017 - Sunday, June 4th 2018 - Sunday, May 27th 2019 - Sunday, June 16th 2020 - Sunday, June 7th 2021 - Sunday, June 20th 2022 - Sunday, June 12th 2023 - Sunday, June 4th 19 июня 2013 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий Комментарии © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru При перепечатке ссылка на Православие.Ru обязательна Контактная информация Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| Babylon and the Trees of Pentecost The first time I saw trees in an Orthodox Church was at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania, just after Pentecost Sunday. I was completely caught off guard. Though I had been in a number of different Churches over the years, I had never been in a parish of Russian background for the feast of Pentecost. Thus I had missed the Slavic practice of bringing trees into Church for the feast of Pentecost. It was wonderful – like going into Church only to find a forest. Source: Glory to God for All Things From the Feast of Pentecost The arrogance of building the tower in the days of old led to the confusion of tongues. Now the glory of the knowledge of God brings them wisdom. There God condemned the impious for their transgression. Here Christ has enlightened the fishermen by the Spirit. There disharmony was brought about for punishment.// Now harmony is renewed for the salvation of our souls. The first time I saw trees in an Orthodox Church was at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania, just after Pentecost Sunday. I was completely caught off guard. Though I had been in a number of different Churches over the years, I had never been in a parish of Russian background for the feast of Pentecost. Thus I had missed the Slavic practice of bringing trees into Church for the feast of Pentecost. It was wonderful – like going into Church only to find a forest. My Western background left me completely unprepared for this Eastern take on the feast of the gift of the Spirit to the Church. In Western Churches, Pentecost particularly focuses on the “fire” of the Holy Spirit lighting on the disciples in the upper room and the “empowerment” of the Church for mission. Traditionally in the West, the color of the feast is red (for the fire). In the East, the color of the feast is green – which is also the color worn for the feast days of monastic saints. In the West, green is the “ordinary” color worn in the “in between” Sundays and weekdays of the Calendar. For the Orthodox, gold serves this function. |
| The Feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost) Even in apostolic times, it was customary to begin the Church year with the celebration of the Savior’s Resurrection. The second oldest Christian feast day was the day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. Tradition has it that the first Christian church was built on Mount Sion, at the place where the Apostles were gathered on the day of Pentecost. The church was not destroyed even during the general destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions in 70 A.D. In one fragment from a work by the Holy Hieromartyr Irenaus of Lyon a recollection is preserved of the feast of the New Testament Pentecost (from the end of the second century). It was also called the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. On that day, the Church was born. From that time, the grace of the Holy Spirit has been present in the life of the Church, and fulfills all its Sacraments. The services for the feast of Pentecost were formed and enriched gradually, through the efforts of St. Gregory the Theologian (fourth century), St. Roman the Melodist (fifth century to the beginning of the sixth century), Sts. Cosmas of Jerusalem and John Damascene (eighth century), Metropolitan Theophanes of Nicea (ninth century), and Emperor Leo (886–912). The stichera by the Emperor Leo, Come, let us worship the Three-hypostatic Godhead, marks the beginning of the celebration of Pentecost as a feast honoring the Three-hypostatic God—the Holy Trinity. The Lord Himself indicated to His disciples the particular theological meaning of this great New Testament event when He said, But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (Jn. 15:26). During the seven weeks of Pentecost (from Pascha to Pentecost), full prostrations are not allowed by the Church typicon. At the completion of this period, three “kneeling” prayers are read, which were composed by St. Basil the Great. However, because throughout the whole year full prostrations are not allowed on Sundays, and the Feast of the Holy Trinity is always on a Sunday, immediately following the Divine Liturgy come the Vespers service for Monday, during which honor is rendered to the Holy Spirit. During this service, we kneel for the first time since the burial service of the Epitaphion. |
| Tweet Pentecost: The Descent of the Holy Spirit Pentacost, Sretensky Monastery, Moscow In the Old Testament, Pentecost was the feast that occurred fifty days after Passover. As the Passover feast celebrated the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, so Pentecost celebrated God " s gift of the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. In the new covenant of the Messiah, the Passover event takes on its new meaning as the celebration of Christ " s death and resurrection, the " exodus " of men from this sinful world to the Kingdom of God. And in the New Testament as well, the Pentecostal feast is fulfilled and made new by the coming of the " new law, " the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ. 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 as resting upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit ... (Acts 2:1–4). The Holy Spirit that Christ had promised to his disciples came on the day of Pentecost (cf. Jn 14:26, 15:26; Lk 24:49; Acts 1:5). The apostles received " the power from on high, " and they began to preach and bear witness to Jesus as the risen Christ, the King and the Lord. This moment has traditionally been called the birthday of the Church. In the liturgical services of the feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit is celebrated together with the full revelation of the divine Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Godhead is manifested with the Spirit " s coming to man, and the Church hymns celebrate this manifestation as the final act of God " s self-disclosure and self-donation to the world of His creation. For this reason Pentecost Sunday is also called Trinity Day in the Orthodox tradition. Often on this day the icon of the Holy Trinity—particularly that of the three angelic figures who appeared to Abraham, the forefather of the Christian faith—is placed in the center of the church. This icon is used with the traditional Pentecostal icon, which shows the tongues of fire hovering over Mary and the Twelve Apostles, the original prototype of the Church, who are themselves sitting in unity surrounding a symbolic image of " cosmos, " the world. |
| Sunday of All Saints The key, as we Orthodox have always known, is that faith is found not in our words, but in our actions. We live our confession of Christ, we do not simply speak it. A saint is someone who lives according to what he believes. His life is a constant labor to follow the commandments of Christ. His silence speaks volumes. His meekness brings peace to all those around him. His sanctity is a living witness for God. So a saint is a person who has struggled to surrender his passions; who surrendered his or her will to Christ, who for the love of God has abandoned self. 13 June 2009 Source: Saint Elizabeth Orthodox Mission parish Last week, we celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. St. Luke tells us in the Book of Acts that as the Apostles and the Mother of God patiently awaited the promised Comforter “…suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind…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.” From that very moment, the Apostles and disciples were changed. Before, they were fearful. After Pentecost, they were courageous. Before, they lacked understanding and comprehension. After Pentecost, they were filled with divine wisdom. Before, they were simple men and women. Afterward Pentecost, they were truly the children of God. That is why this week, the Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the Sunday of All Saints. Saints are nothing more and nothing less than the fruit of the Holy Spirit. They are men and women who were just like any of us, yet after being tested in the storm and purified in the fire, they become more than mere men and women. Saints have truly become vessels of the Holy Spirit, and they follow Pentecost as surely as summer follows spring. Yet, ironically, the world tells us that saints are irrelevant. Even people who call themselves Christians accuse us of superstition and even heresy in our veneration of, and pleas for intercession to, the saints of the Orthodox Church. |
| The Feast of Mid-Pentecost and the Pentecostarion Icon of the feast of Mid-Pentacost The fifty days following Pascha until the Feast of Pentecost are known as the period of the Pentecostarion in the Orthodox Church. At the mid-point between these great feasts of Pascha and Pentecost, on the twenty-fifth day which is always a Wedneday, is one of the most beloved feasts for the most devout Orthodox Christians known quit simply as Mid-Pentecost. Mid-Pentecost is to the Pentecostarion what the Third Sunday of Great Lent which honors the Holy Cross is to the period of Great Lent. It is a day which helps us focus on the central theme of the entire period. Whereas the mid-point of Great Lent reminds us to bear up the Cross of Christ bravely so that we may daily die with Christ in order to experience the Resurrection of our Lord, so also the mid-point of the Pentecostarion enlightens us regarding the theme of the fifty days following Pascha - which is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit poured out as a gift upon all the faithful who partake of the living water which is Christ Himself. The central theme woven throughout the period of the Pentecostarion therefore is water. This becomes the central theme of the period because it is the central theme of the Gospel of John which we read in its entirety during the Pentecostarion and which naturally flows into the Acts of the Apostles which is also read during this period in its entirety. This theme appears for the first time on Pascha itself in the joyous Canon of the Feast of Feasts written by Saint John the Damascene when he invites us to " drink a new drink, " not " brought forth from a barren rock, " as in the Old Testament under Moses, but which rather " springeth forth from the grave of Christ. " Then during the Paschal Divine Liturgy the priest processes with the Gospel and chants loudly from Psalm 67:27 saying: " In the congregations bless ye God, the Lord from the well-springs of Israel. " When Renewal or Bright Week is over the Church wisely sets up two Sundays in which to abolish all doubts concerning the Resurrection of Christ, that of the Sunday of Saint Thomas and the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women. |
| On Thoms sunday 2002 The Resurrection is the core of our Orthodox Christian faith. It is why we are called Orthodox Christians. No-one else in all history has risen from the dead, defeating death through death. The Hindu gods failed, the gods of Greece and Rome failed, Buddha failed, Mohammed failed, the Popes of Rome failed, Luther failed, atheists and humanists failed, even Moses and the whole Old Testament failed. Christ alone did not fail. He rose from the dead, raising the righteous with Himself. That is why we follow Him, calling ourselves Christians. Source: Orthodox England In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Sunday after Easter is called by Anglicans ‘Low Sunday’. There is a certain truth in this name, for no Sunday can be as high a day as Easter Sunday. On the other hand, for Orthodox Christians, no Sunday can be called low, for every Sunday is a feast of the Resurrection. This is why in Russian the word for Sunday means ‘Resurrection’; and this is why in Church English ‘Sunday’ is called the Lord’s Day, as in Greek. In the Orthodox world, the Sunday after Easter is known as ‘Antipascha’, which means the Sunday facing Easter, in other words similar to a mirror, this Sunday reflects the light of Easter. This is the light that we felt on Easter Night and all of us who came to vespers every day this last week have also seen and experienced that light, the light of Bright Week. But this Sunday is also known as ‘Thomas Sunday’. Today we have heard the Gospel of Thomas and how he had to feel and see Christ’s wounds and the nail marks in His body in order to believe. In the middle of the church we can see the icon of this feast. It is a copy of a very ancient icon. On it you can see Christ standing before the sealed doors of which we have read and sung. He is surrounded by his disciples, not yet enlightened by the Holy Spirit of Pentecost. And there to one side, we see the very young face of His disciple Thomas peering at Christ’s side. As a result of Thomas’ doubt, the phrase ‘doubting Thomas’ long ago entered the English language. His doubt of course is providential for us. Here we have proof of Christ’s Resurrection. One who disbelieved has come to belief. Thomas did not know how the Resurrection was possible, and yet he saw and felt it with his own eyes and therefore believed it, for it would have been perverse to disbelieve. How can anyone now still not believe in the Resurrection of Christ after the testimony of Thomas? |
| INTRODUCTION The Feast of Holy Pentecost is celebrated each year on the fiftieth day after the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha (Easter) 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 through 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. 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). |
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