The Feast of Pentecost
June 2, 2023
The Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, ten days after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven, as He promised them, saying, “I will send to you another Paraclete, who shall come from the Father. Wait you and remain in Jerusalem until ye received the promise of the Father.” Again He said to them, “When the Spirit of righteousness come, He will guide you in all righteousness.” Saint Peter, who was chief with our Lord Christ, said to them, “The Lord has promised to send to us the Paraclete, who is the Holy Spirit, and He will make us to understand what it is meet for us to hear and to do.” Behold, they heard the sound of a storm wind, and smelled a sweet smell, the like of which they knew not in all the world.
There appeared among them, as it were, tongues of fire, which came down upon each one of them, and each began to speak with a new tongue; they fasted for forty days and gave thanks to Him. It is also said in the Acts of the Apostles, that when the days of Pentecost were ended, and whilst they were all together in one place, suddenly there came from heaven the sound of the Holy Spirit, and filled the chamber wherein they were gathered together. There appeared as it were tongues of fire, and [one tongue] rested on each of them. They were filled with the spirit of power, and all began to speak the tongues of all countries, each a different tongue, according as the Holy Spirit gave them power.
There were good men in Jerusalem from every nation, and when they heard the report of this, they all gathered together; and were amazed, for they heard the Apostles talking the languages of their native countries. They were astonished and marveled, and said, “Are not all these men of Galilee whom we hear speaking the languages of our native countries, Parthia, Media and Elam, and the languages of those who dwell between the rivers (i.e. in Mesopotamia), and Judea, and Cappadocia, and Phrygia, and Pamphylia, and Egypt, and the borders of Libya, and those who are from Cyrene, and those who speak Rumi, Jews, pilgrims, Cretans and Arabians. Behold we hear them speaking in the languages of our own countries concerning the great things of God”; and they were amazed, and were unable to speak. They said among themselves, “What is this?” Some of them laughed, and said, “These men are filled with new wine.” Peter stood up among the eleven Apostles, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “O all you men of Judea and you who dwell in Jerusalem, know you and hearken to my voice. These men are not drunk as ye think, and say, for it is only now three hours since day dawned on the earth.”
This is what the prophet Joel said, “And it shall come to pass after this that I will pour out my spirit upon all souls, and your sons and you daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men dream dreams” (Joel 2:28). He also said, “And upon my slaves and upon my handmaidens I will also pour out my spirit, and they shall prophesy, and I will give a sign in the heavens above, and wonders on the earth beneath” (Joel 2:29-30). It is said in the Book of David, “Make not your Holy Spirit to go forth from upon me. Endow me with joy, with your salvation, and make me strong with the spirit of strength, so that I may teach sinners your way.” Again he said, “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created. You renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the Lord be forever.” Again he said, “Your Holy Spirit shall guide me in the land of righteousness. For your Name’s sake, O Lord, make me alive in your righteousness, and take my soul out of tribulation.” Then he said, “The Lord has made strong the heavens by His word, and all the powers thereof by the breath of His mouth.” Isaiah said, “The Spirit of God Who hath anointed me is upon me, and He has sent me to declare and to proclaim freedom for captives, and to announce the chosen year of God.” (Isaiah 61:2)
Our Lord said to His disciples, “This I tell you whilst I am with you, but when the Paraclete, the Spirit of righteousness, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Whom My Father will send to you in My Name, has come, He will teach you everything, and will make you to remember everything which I have spoken to you. My peace I leave with you, and the peace of My Father I give you, not as the world giveth it gives I it to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Behold you have heard Me say to you that I am going to the Father Who has sent Me, and that I will return again to you.” He also said, “When the Paraclete has come, Whom I will send from the Father, the Spirit of righteousness, which shall go forth from My Father, He shall be My witness. You are all My witnesses, that He was with Me from of old. I tell you these words so that you may not err, and be offended; but know you that they will cast you out of their synagogues, the time will come and arrive when all who kill you will imagine that they are bringing sacrifices to God.”
He also said, “The words which I say to you I say by My truth; It is better for you that I go to the Father, for if I do not go to the Father the Paraclete cannot come to you; and if I go I will send Him to you. When He has come, He will rebuke the world concerning sin, righteousness and punishment. Concerning sin, because they have not believed on Me, and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you shall not see Me again, and concerning punishment, because the work of this world shall be judged. There are many other words which I would say to you, but you are not able to bear them now.
When that Spirit of righteousness has come, He will guide you into all righteousness, He will not speak to you from Himself, but He will declare to you what He has heard. He Who shall come to you shall speak to you and tell you. Me He will glorify and praise, for He spring from Me, and He will speak to you, and will tell you.” After His Resurrection in ascending to His Father He fulfilled all the Law of Incarnation. He said to His disciples, “Go to all nations and, in baptizing them, say, ‘In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.’”
Salutation to your descent, O Paraclete. Salutation to your descent, O Paraclete, the Spirit of grace and righteousness.
Salutation to your, O Paraclete, who did make the Apostles to drink of your fire in a moment.
Source: Ethiopian Synaxarium