| Sermon on the Sunday of Zacchaeus The story of Zacchaeus concerns precisely this. In our daily church life we almost do not distinguish between Confession and repentance. But the Savior did not speak with Zacchaeus one on one; He did not cover him with the epitrachil [stole]; He did not read any prayer of absolution over him. It was not Confession, but repentance did occur. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a rich man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And He ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see Him; for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw Him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:1-10). The reading about Zacchaeus in the Gospel according to Luke immediately follows the story of the healing of the blind man that was heard last Sunday. Yet between these fragments lies a liturgical watershed: while the reading for the thirty-first Sunday after Pentecost (the story of the blind man of Jericho) in fact depends on the day of last year’s Pentecost and Pascha, the reading about Zacchaeus, although assigned to the thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost, is in fact connected not with the last Pascha, but with the coming one. In other words, when we hear the story of Zacchaeus in church it means that Great Lent begins in four weeks. |
| This is part of the reason why we celebrate the feast of All Saints on the first Sunday following Pentecost: to remind each one of us of our high calling; to remind each one of us that we are saints – that is, we have been consecrated, set apart for the service of God: not the service of the world, or of our flesh, or of our passions. What makes a person a saint? Today, the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the Sunday of All Saints. Those of us who grew up in the western church knew the celebration called by this name in a different way. The western church remembers all the saints on November the first, the day after what is called, “Hallowe’en.” The Druids in Ireland held a festival on October 31st, and among those associated with that day was their god of the dead. When the western church encountered this festival, it made an effort to take it from its pagan roots and make it a Christian celebration to honor the saints who had died. All Saints Day – or “All Hallows Day” (“hallowed” being a word that means, “to make holy”) was the result; and at that time, as we still do, a Vigil service was held before the feast; so All-Hallows Eve (“eve” being short for “even” or “evening”) became Hallowe’en. Our feast of All Saints is not at all the same, although the name suggests it might be. What was last Sunday? It was the feast of Pentecost, the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit of God, Whom our Lord Jesus Christ had promised to send to His disciples as He was preparing to ascend into heaven. Now, the Holy Spirit has come; the Church has been established, and is strengthened and guided by the Holy Spirit; and each one of us who has been baptized and chrismated in the Orthodox Church has received this same Spirit. So, today we celebrate the means by which we are sanctified, by which we may become saints. This brings us back to the question, what makes a person a saint? One of the reasons we have icons in our churches and icons in our homes is to remind ourselves that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses: the holy men and women who have shared our faith and way of life, and who, by their struggles and ascetic labors of prayer and fasting and worship and giving and forgiving and humility and service have shown us, in their words and deeds and lives the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same life given to each one of us in our baptism, empowered by the same Holy Spirit Who descended upon the disciples in the upper room. |
| In America the Fast of the Apostles is probably the least well known, but is among the oldest of Christian traditions. It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church. Orthodox Christians around the world observe four fasting seasons during the year. Two of these—the Great Fast for the forty days of Lent, and the Dormition Fast during the first fifteen days of August—are considered “strict” fasts. The other two are generally observed as “lesser” fasts: the so-called “Christmas Lent” or fast during the forty days before the Feast of the Nativity, and the Fast of the Apostles which occurs in June. In America the Fast of the Apostles is probably the least well known, but is among the oldest of Christian traditions. It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church. The fast begins on the day after the observance of All Saints’ Sunday, which falls one week after Pentecost. Today the fast ends with the observance of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is held on June 29. In earliest practice, however, the fast was probably not connected with the Feast of Peter and Paul. Rather, it was a time for fasting after the celebration of Pentecost and/or All Saints. Apparently, different traditions prescribed different lengths of the fast—whether for one week, several weeks, or even only one day. Today, the fast still has a variable length because of its connection to the date of Pentecost, and therefore of All Saints. The date of Pentecost varies with the date of Holy Pascha (Easter), falling fifty days after Pascha. Therefore, the date of the Sunday of All Saints varies accordingly. This means that the length of the Fast of the Apostles also varies each year. For those churches which follow the Old Calendar, the Fast can be very long (as long as 42 days) or very short (8 days), depending upon when Holy Pascha falls. For Orthodox churches which use the New Calendar, there are some years in which there is no Apostles’ Fast at all. |
| Pentecost (8th Sunday after Pascha) Pentecost. Byzantine Museum in Athens. XV century On the tenth day after the Ascension of Jesus Christ during the Jewish feast of Pentecost, at the third hour, but according to our reckoning at nine o'clock in the morning, when people usually go to the temple both for offering up a sacrifice and prayer all the disciples were assembled in Jerusalem, in the upper room (Acts 1:13), which was " on Mount Zion " , " and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, " (as though from an unusually strong wind). " Actually there was no wind rustling, but the noise was similar as if it were from the strength of a wind, but without the wind. " This noise " filled the whole house where they were sitting " , - not only of the apostles, but, according to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, even other believers in Christ (Acts 1:16). In that instant in the middle of the house in the air appeared many tongues as of fire, being carried above the heads of the disciples, dropped down and rested on them. They were not really fiery tongues, but were " as if of fire " , i.e. it only had the appearance of fire; they shone only, but did not burn. Directly behind these, or even together with these external appearances, the event followed the internal, completing in the souls of the believers: " all were filled with the Holy Spirit " . As fast as the Divine Fire flared up in the souls of the believers, they were filled with holy ecstasy and in reply to the gift of Heaven have lifted up to Heaven a word of praise and thanksgiving to the Great God for the benefactions to the human race. And they all " began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance " : each of these gifted ones began to speak in whatever language even if the other language was unknown to him, in the language of a country where he never lived or a language which he never studied; the knowledge of this language for him was exclusively a gift of the Holy Spirit; and the power of the Holy Spirit first of all was found out by their ability in languages, because this ability first of all was necessary for the apostles, so that they could preach the Gospel message all over the world. |
| The The Feast of Pentecost, or Holy Trinity Sunday The Feast of Pentecost, or Holy Trinity Sunday " > feast of Pentecost has various adornments. Lofty theology, unusual worship, the long-awaited prayer, “O Heavenly King”, sung on this day as if for the first time in life. And then, the verdancy of our beloved birch trees, freshly cut grass, a variety of field and garden flowers. It’s no coincidence that our ancestors called Holy Trinity week a “Green Christmastide.” Our common cause of flower arrangement Julia Ivanovna Tsygankova Bishop Pachomy of Pokrovsk and Novouzensk called Pentecost the “Day of the Orthodox Florist.” “I fully agree and always try to take part in the decoration of a church on this day,” says Julia Ivanovna Tsygankova, head instructor at the florist courses of the Pokrovsk Diocesan Educational Center. A successful master of her craft and the owner of several florist shops, she has been teaching, for the last seven years, anyone interested to make a positive contribution to this beautiful and fragrant activity. A church floral designer of many years, she puts her heart and soul into every project. When asked, “What does this work give you personally?” she would answer, “It is another way to have a conversation with God.” No more and no less. The Lord gradually reveals Himself to her, a sincere and genuine teacher, who in response to the frank question, “Don’t you regret sharing your trade secrets with others?” she straightforwardly replies: “The more capable students I get, the more joy it brings. It means my life’s work will live on.” Flower décor, as another method of serving the Lord and the Church, is also used as an educational tool Besides, flower décor, as another method to serve the Lord and the Church, is also used as an educational tool. “You are not here to show off your skills. The most important thing for you is to learn humility.” Wouldn’t you agree that it is unusual to hear such a comment from a self-described secular florist? But those are exactly the words we heard when we got into a little argument during our flower décor session as to who was the best at it. “You have to see what others are doing and learn to work as a team. You " re working to achieve a common goal,” our teacher admonished us. Over the years, we indeed developed a team, and not just one but a few of them. The course graduates consider the job of decorating their parish church a matter of strategic personal interest, as they rejoice at having the opportunity to serve the Lord with their newly discovered talent. |
| All Saints Day The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those who are known only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit. Commemorated on June 3 The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those who are known only to God. There have been saints at all times, and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit. The Descent of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to rise above our fallen state and to attain sainthood, thereby fulfilling God’s directive to “be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16, etc.). Therefore, it is fitting to commemorate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost. This feast may have originated at an early date, perhaps as a celebration of all martyrs, then it was broadened to include all men and women who had borne witness to Christ by their virtuous lives, even if they did not shed their blood for Him. St. Peter of Damascus, in his “Fourth Stage of Contemplation,” mentions five categories of saints: Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, and Monastic Saints (from the Philokalia). He is actually quoting from the Oktoikhos, Tone 2 for Saturday Matins, kathisma after the first stichology. St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (July 14) adds the Righteous to St. Peter’s five categories. The list of St. Nicodemus is found in his book The Fourteen Epistles of St Paul (Venice, 1819, p. 384) in his discussion of I Corinthians 12:28. The hymnology for the feast of All Saints also lists six categories: “Rejoice, assembly of the Apostles, Prophets of the Lord, loyal choirs of the Martyrs, divine Hierarchs, Monastic Fathers, and the Righteous….” |
| On the Sunday of Pentecost Our Faith : Feasts. Calendar Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2011 - 05:50:02 On the Sunday of Pentecost By Fr. Antony Hughes Jun 6, 2009, 10:00 Discuss this article Printer friendly page Source: St. Mary Orthodox Church In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ! The Reading is from John 7:37-52; 8:12 “He who believes in me, as the scripture says, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive.“ “Do you not know,” writes St. Paul, “that you are temples of the Holy Spirit?” The question is: are there rivers of living water flowing from our hearts or rivers of something else? Are our hearts at peace or are we troubled within? Are we at ease or anxious, happy or confused? Do we bring joy to others? What is coming from our hearts? Is it compassion? Kindness? Patience? Love? Does our presence bring peace and healing to the people we meet or would it have been better had they not met us at all? The fruit of our lives reveals much about the state of our souls. Metropolitan Anthony Bloom poses the same question in a different way: “Why is it that people who meet us never notice that we are limbs of the risen Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit? Why? Each of us has got to give his own reply to this question. Let us, each of us, examine ourselves and be ready to answer before our own conscience and do what is necessary to change our lives in such a way that people meeting us may look at us and say,’Such people we have never seen. There is something about them that we have never seen in anyone. What is it?’ And we could answer: It is the life of Christ abroad in us. We are His limbs. This is the life of the Spirit in us. We are His temple. Amen.” There is a kind of religiosity that is false and artificial. We are not interested in anything that is not completely honest. Nor are we talking about being weird. Smiles can cover a multitude of sins, just as long hair, klobuks and prayer ropes can. We need to look for something deeper than that. Clothes and mannerisms do not make the saint. Saints are authentically human and are not “playing a role” called holiness. Saints may be characters, but they are not actors! Rivers of living water flow deep. To the deeply observant they are unmistakable. Holiness cannot be faked. Sooner or later the “man behind the curtain” will be exposed and the truth will be known and the world is always better for it. Have we not seen this throughout history over and over again? The “great evangelist”, the new television savior, falls into public scandal! So there must be no pretense. |
| Tweet Нравится His Holiness Patriarch Kirill’s homily delivered at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour after the Divine Liturgy on 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Source: DECR Communication Service November 22, 2016 On 20 November 2016, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with the Primates and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, as well as with an assembly of archpastors and pastors of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. That day His Holiness turned 70. After the Liturgy, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed all those present with a homily, saying: “I cordially thank all of you for praying together with me at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour today. It is a great spiritual support for me. I feel the power of prayer of the Primates, the bishops, the clergy and the laypeople, and I realize that it can give strength to me, weak though I am, so that I could continue this ministry for as long as the Lord wills, to continue it with full awareness of my responsibility before God, before the Church and before the people – the responsibility for the very inner life of the Church and for everything that is going on around us, since the Patriarch, the bishops and the whole Church are responsible for people’s moral life. “Looking back at my life, I feel the deepest gratitude to all those good, wise people whom I happened to meet and who helped me prepare for the service, to which the Lord called me in the twilight of my life. I have grateful memories of my pious parents, of my teachers, of the late Metropolitan Nikodim, of my relatives and friends who in various trying circumstances of my difficult life strived to support me, while many others would even be afraid to look my way. I thank all those who have been with me in the joys and sorrows of my life. “I am particularly grateful to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, both to those who have gathered here today and to those who for some reasons could not come to Moscow. The Primates of the Orthodox Churches have the particular responsibility for preserving the unity of the Orthodoxy, for protecting the Church from divisions, heresies and schisms, and for giving a spiritual and intellectual impetus to the development of the church life. And I thank God for letting me be a member of the family of the Primates. It is a great honour and joy to work side by side with the outstanding hierarchs of the Orthodox Church. |
| “Had They But Waited” – Sermon for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost David-Constantine Wright 02 September 2012 Matthew 21:33-42 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. On this the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost the Church presents to us Christ’s parable of the wicked tenants in the vineyard. Now historically, this story refers to the Old Testament kingdoms of Judah and Israel and how they behaved – or, rather, misbehaved – over the course of their covenantal relationship with God. The people were supposed to show forth in themselves the good fruit which God expected of them, but they did not. And when God sent his servants the prophets to them to call them to account for that lack and to recall them to the path which would produce such fruit, well, they were – as St. Theophylact Archbishop of Ochrid in Bulgaria notes in his commentary on this parable – “abused in various ways by the husbandmen, that is, the false prophets and false teachers of those times. One they beat, as they did to Micah when Sedek struck him on the jaw; another they killed, as they did to Zechariah [the father of the Forerunner St. John the Baptist] between the temple and the altar; another they stoned, as they did to Zechariah the son of Jodae the high priest.” |
| Lay Sermon by Eugene Rose. May 1965 For too many of us, perhaps, the weeks following the radiant Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ are a time of relaxation and even of indulgence; the rigors of the Fast being ended, the body revels while the spirit grows weak. But if this is unfortunately so, it is our own fault and not the fault of the Holy Church; for she never ceases to draw our minds upward and instruct us as to what thoughts and actions are appropriate for Orthodox Christians in this holy season. Each Sunday after Easter has a special name drawn from the appointed Gospel reading; between Easter and the Ascension there are the Sundays of St. Thomas, of the Myrrh bearers, of the Paralytic, of the Samaritan Woman, of the Blind Man. Another special feast, to which too little attention is usually paid, occurs on the Wednesday of the fourth week after Easter and is called “Mid-Pentecost.” This feast commemorates the event in the life of the Savior when, in the middle of the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, He taught in the Temple concerning His being sent from God and concerning the living water of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which all those who thirst may receive from Him (St. John 7:14-39). As celebrated by Orthodox Christians, this feast occurs exactly midway between Easter and Pentecost and serves as a link between them. It continues the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection, emphasizing His Divine nature and glory; for it was proper to no one but to God to conquer death. At the same time it reminds us of the approaching Descent of the Holy Spirit and prepares us for it, teaching us to find in Christ our God the Source of life and grace, He Who sends the Holy Spirit (St. John 16:7), and to become ourselves not merely recipients, but even givers of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: “He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (St. John 7:38). Faith has grown weak in our day, and few live up to this teaching: but even for the weakest there is at least one lesson to be learned from the teaching of this feast of Mid-Pentecost: thirst. Even while feasting on the good things of this earth that are permitted to us in this joyful season, we should yet thirst for what lies above the earth, for the Holy Spirit Whose coming we await even while we enjoy the presence among us of the Risen Lord. Thus we sing in the Troparion of the feast: |
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