On the Day of the Pentecost, a Renewal of Faith and Transition to True Light
Come, Holy Spirit, and send us a ray of your light from heaven
Report by Elia Nasrallah
Translated by Mary Yahchouchy
It is the day of the founding and birth of the Church, the day on which it was entrusted with its mission: a community of missionaries and witnesses. The disciples accepted the word of the Lord with great joy to preach it around the world in one language, the language of God... It is the day of Pentecost, the memory of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles who were gathered with the Mother of God in Zion, Jerusalem, following the ascension of Jesus Christ into the heart of the Heavenly Father. It is the celebration of renewal that guides man from darkness and sin to light and chastity. This divine light was mentioned in the Bible of John in chapter 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Church families celebrate this divine event fifty days after Easter, each according to its rite and belief. According to Acts 2: 1-11 "And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim…" With the Pentecost, the Church ends the third stage of the New Testament. The first would be the stage from the Annunciation to the Cross, the second, from the Cross to the Resurrection, and the third, from the Resurrection through the Ascension to the Pentecost.
Of course, the Pentecost is a changing point in human history, representing the beginning of Christianity. What are the meanings behind the name of this celebration? “Pentecost” is a Hebrew word, its origin is “Asar” from which was derived the word “Asret” meaning “gathering” or “gathered”, since the Jews used to gather to celebrate many holidays. The word also has another meaning, which is “prevent” or “refrain”, since work is prohibited on this day because it is sacred and dedicated to the Lord. In Greek, "Pentecost" is Pentecosti, derived from πεντηκόστη ἡμέρα, meaning the 50th day.
The Holy Spirit, Guide of Mankind
It is worth noting that the story of Pentecost mentioned in the Acts includes symbols referring to the Holy Spirit. First, you will find the expression “a strong wind” or “a stormy wind”, symbolizing the appearance of God in the Sinai desert, as mentioned in Exodus 19: 16-19 and Deuteronomy 10:4, where we realize the divine might and presence of God with man through the Holy Spirit (John 20: 23-24).
Secondly, the image of fire. The coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles in the form of tongues of fire expresses the power of the divine work of the Spirit as Jesus Christ sent them to earth through the greatest act of love in history, his death and Resurrection. We recall what St. John the Baptist said in the Bible of Luke 3:16 "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Thirdly, the Acts mentions the idea of speaking in languages, symbolizing the spiritual gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit on the first Christian groups that spread all over the world and among all people. Although the disciples in Jerusalem chose different languages, they all understood one language, that of the Holy Spirit. Unlike what happened in the Tower of Babel, where disciples used to speak one language until the Lord made them speak in different languages, and they could no longer understand each other.
Pentecost from the Old to the New Testament
Historically, Pentecost is one of the three main Jewish celebrations, which are the Passover, the Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It indeed has a connection with the Old Testament, mostly in agriculture, especially since it was the main focus of the life and work of the Jewish people in their land. At first it was known as the "Feast of Harvest" and the "Feast of the Grain", as it was mentioned in Exodus 16:23 "You shall also keep the feast of the grain harvest with the first of the crop that you have sown in the field; and finally, the feast at the fruit harvest at the end of the years, when you gather in the produce from the fields." It was also called the “Feast of Weeks,” “You shall keep the feast of Weeks with the first of the wheat harvest; likewise, the feast at the fruit harvest at the close of the year.” (Exodus 34:22).
However, since the second century B.C., this feast has taken on another turn to become linked to the establishment of the covenant between God and the people in Sinai and introducing Shariaa to Jewish at the hands of the Prophet Moses, fifty days after they crossed the Red Sea.
Between the Old and New Testaments, Pentecost has different meanings and connotations. In the first period, the day of Pentecost is the commemoration of Moses receiving the law, while in the second, the memorial of Jesus' disciples receiving the law of the Holy Spirit. In the old days, Moses presented the commandments of God to the people, while in the Christian era, Peter presented to the people the glorification of the Lord Jesus. Likewise, in the old, Moses addressed the people who were preparing to enter the earthly Jerusalem, while in the new Peter called the people to enter the heavenly Jerusalem.
Pentecost Icon
A special icon displays this divine event, but what are its symbols? First, we notice the red drape surrounding the place in the icon, as a sign of divine glory. There are 12 disciples surrounded by the drape, sitting on a semi-circular seat, as if they were in a higher council. “You will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28), holding in their hands Gospels and epistles, a symbol of what they wrote and preached.
The seat in the middle is empty, it is dedicated to Jesus Christ. On the right sit Peter, Matthew, Mark, James, Simon and Thomas, and on the left are Paul, John, Luke, Andrew, Bartholomew and Philip. The Mother of God is not present in all icons of Pentecost, unlike the icon of Ascension, because the Holy Spirit came to her on the Annunciation.
At the bottom of the icon, you will find an old man in a dark cave, an old king who represents all creation facing sin and awaiting the good news, the divine light. In his hands, he holds a piece of cloth with 12 coils on it denotes the 12 apostles who preached the gospel throughout the world.
Let us praise the Holy Spirit and glorify the three hypostases, chanting together, “We have seen the True Light! We have received the Heavenly Spirit! We have found the True Faith! Worshiping the Undivided Trinity, Who has saved us.” ((Hymn from the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom in the Orthodox Church).
Communication and Public Relations Department
Resources:
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East website: https://bit.ly/3cDl0Zq
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem website: https://bit.ly/3gw67cK
Pope Francis website: https://bit.ly/3gk5ns7
Annahar website: https://bit.ly/3gmwrqY
Al Siraj Al Orthodoxy website: https://bit.ly/3gCQwrI