News

Katya has arrived!

Maxim and Masha wish everyone to share in their joy, as little Ekatirina came into the world at 7:13 AM last Sunday morning. She is truly a beautiful child, and weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches at birth. Mother and daughter are doing fine. After the services today, Fr Seraphim will go to their apartment for the service of naming the baby.

Perhaps Another Katya has arrived!

If anyone sees Greg Ogden and wonders why he is smiling so much, it is because his daughter, Meagan, had her baby this week, in Austin. Mother and daughter are fine. We do not have the vital statistics yet, and are not sure of the name, but the last we heard, Meagan was leaning towards naming her Katherine.

Questions about Pentecost

QUESTION 1
What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

QUESTION 2
What are two symbols for the Holy Spirit? Explain why symbols are used to depict Him, and the reason for these particular symbols. How did the Holy Spirit manifest Himself on the day of Pentecost? Describe three ways.

QUESTION 3
What is the complete text of the most famous prayer to the Holy Spirit? In which services is it used? There are certain days when it is not used. When?

QUESTION 4
Describe the procession of the Holy Spirit, and the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other Persons of the Godhead. Is it important to be exact? Describe a popular heresy concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit, and the two divinely inspired documents that directly refute this heresy. What are the implications for those who believe this heresy?

QUESTION 5
Describe the gift of tongues, and comment upon the claims of many who say they have this gift today

QUESTION 6
Describe the day of Pentecost. Do it from memory. If you do not remember much, maybe you need to read the scriptures a little more? We have a lot of time to be dead, but not much to learn the things that pertain to our salvation.

QUESTION 7
What very important prayer did the Holy Prophet David make concerning the Holy Spirit, and what are its implications? Hint - All Orthodox Christians should be saying this prayer every day.

QUESTION 8
How is the Holy Spirit given? Can He be lost? How?

QUESTION 9
Why is the feast of Pentecost called 'Pentecost"? What Jewish feast was occurring at the same time? Explain some of the implications of the juxtaposition of the Jewish feast and the Giving of the Holy Spirit to the church.

QUESTION 10
Describe the services for Pentecost, and do not neglect to mention any special prayers that are said. This day is also unique in that the main scriptural text for the feast is not from the Gospels. Why not?

Some Words about Pentecost

On this day we recall that just 50 days after the Glorious Resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon the Holy Apostles and all those gathered with them in a new and different way. For the first time, the Holy Spirit actually took up residence within the human soul. Before this the Spirit of God would descend upon a person for various reasons - such as when one of the prophets was inspired to speak or write or act in a particular way so that God's will might be made known to His people, but He did not make His abode within their soul. But something new happened at Pentecost, something wondrous, something marvelous - God came and dwelt not only among us as our Lord Jesus Christ, but within us through the Holy Spirit. The promise of our salvation that we would be united with God, began to be made manifest.

This indwelling of the Holy Spirit has a profound effect on the person, for by this action a transformation is begun. The soul has come into contact with God and cannot remain the same. Now it is simple to see how one's behavior might change when he has been joined to the Church. In his eagerness to learn and absorb all that our Holy Mother Church has to give us, he will follow her instructions concerning behavior and do things differently than he did before. But this change does not end there, for these new actions have an effect of their own; they begin to change the way that one thinks and perceives the world around him. If, for example, you wished to develop compassion for someone, then the best way to begin is to act as though you were compassionate and through consistent compassionate actions on the part of the body, the mind will begin to think in terms of compassion and the heart will begin to feel compassion. If you act towards someone in a loving manner, even though you may have no feeling or even feelings of dislike for them, then after even a short time, you will begin to love them in actual fact, for such is the effect of the body's action on the heart. (This truth, by the way, contradicts the idea in our society of "falling in or out of love" by demonstrating that love is not something that strikes out of the blue for some mysterious reason, rather it is the result of and is maintained by effort) But even here this change does not end, for once we develop new feelings and thoughts, then our spirit also changes and begins to develop in the soul the spiritual fruits of these changes, called virtues, and these virtues attract the grace of God. This grace then transforms our very nature so that we no longer have a nature of sin, but begin to develop a nature which has the likeness of God.

Pascha and Pentecost are about transformation. In Pascha, we are reborn; we die and are resurrected with Christ. This new resurrected nature is then shaped and molded by the Church and it is filled with the Holy Spirit. Our Lord spoke of an unclean spirit which had been cast out of a man, and finding no place to rest thought that it would return to its former host. "And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of the man is worse than the first." (Luke 11:25 &26). When at Pascha, we are reborn and our soul is "swept and put in order", then it is necessary for our soul to be occupied, so as to prevent the demons from taking advantage, and so God in His infinite love and mercy comes Himself to dwell in us through the Holy Spirit. This is the feast of Pentecost, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the transformation which was begun at Pascha is further fulfilled in the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And the Holy Spirit within us, Himself, has the effect of transforming and shaping the soul into more perfectly taking on His own image and likeness.

But God does not act towards us as a tyrant, Who imposes His own will with no regard for our own desire, but rather He acts as a loving Father, Who enables us by our voluntary action, to submit to His will and Who works with us that we might be changed. It is therefore necessary for us to cooperate with God, to allow Him to work in us and to shape our own will to His will. If we resist Him and refuse to cooperate with His direction and His leading, then He will withdraw and will not force Himself upon us unwilling. Therefore we must develop within ourselves a desire for God which surpasses all other desire and a love for Him which is greater than any other love.

How do we develop this desire and this love? What did we just say? If you wish to love someone, then act as though you love them, and in a short time that love will begin to grow within your heart. And so if we wish to develop a supreme love for our Lord Jesus Christ, then we must begin to act as though we had such a love already. If we adjust our behavior to conform with a supreme desire and love for God, then that desire and love will grow within our heart and soul. When we desire Him, then He will fulfill our desire; when we love Him, then He will come to us. And when He comes, He will transform us into His own image and likeness and will dwell within us, uniting us to Himself.
With permission, from Priest David Moser
St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church (ROCOR) Boise, ID

Gleanings from the Fathers

Ministry of the Holy Spirit

God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit into the world to testify of Him to the end of time: 'He shall testify of Me.' How will God the Holy Spirit testify of God the Son? He will testify in many ways: by bringing men's souls to Christ's Church; by opening to them the meaning of Holy Scripture; by bringing the commandments of Christ to their understanding; by giving to the words of Christ warmth, freshness, strength and gentleness; by turning repentant sinners to righteousness; by fulfilling all the promises and prophecies of Christ to men, to peoples and to the Church of God; by upholding the Church of Christ and holding it firm against all the storms of time and all the wickedness of hell, throughout the ages. ... Therefore, my brethren, let us pray, before all and above all, that this Eyewitness and Participator, the Holy and Almighty Spirit, will come and dwell in our hearts, that our faith may be a living faith, unwavering and creative of joy
Blessed Nicolai Velimorovich, THE PROLOGUE, Vol. 2

The Restoration to Paradise

Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to Paradise, our ascension to the Kingdom of heaven, our adoption as God's sons, our freedom to call God our Father, our becoming partakers of the grace of Christ- in a word, our inheritance of the fullness of blessings, both in this world and the world to come. Even while we wait for the full enjoyment of the good things in store for us, by the Holy Spirit we are able to rejoice through faith in the promise of the graces to come. If the promise itself is so glorious, what must its fulfillment be like? We are also able to distinguish between the grace that comes from the Spirit and mere baptism in water. John baptized in water for repentance, but our Lord Jesus Christ baptized in the Holy Spirit.
St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit

True Humility

The Holy Spirit gives true humility. Even the most intelligent person, if he has not the Holy Spirit, cannot know himself properly. Without God's help he cannot see the inner state of his soul. If he does good to others and acts honestly, he thinks that he is a righteous man and even perfect in comparison with others, and therefore he does not feel that he needs anything. O, how often people perish from a false assurance of their honesty and righteousness! They perish because they trust in their own goodness, and do not think about the spirit of Christianity at all or the help of the Holy Spirit, just when they are in extreme need of His help. And as the Holy Spirit is given only to those who ask and seek, and such people not only fail to ask and seek Him but do not even consider it necessary, therefore He is not given them and consequently they remain in error and perish.
St. Innocent of Alaska, Indication of the way into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

If you bear your sufferings with submission and surrender to the will of God and do not seek consolation anywhere or in anyone except the Lord, then in His mercy He will not abandon you and will not leave you without consolation. He will touch your heart with His grace and will communicate to you the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Amid your sufferings, and perhaps even at the very beginning of them, you will feel in your heart ineffable sweetness, a wonderful peace and joy which you never felt before; and at the same time you will feel within you the power and ability to pray to God with true prayer and to believe in Him with true faith. Then your heart will burn with pure love for God and your neighbor. All this is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
St. Innokenty of Irkutsk, Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of
Heaven.

The Source of the Spiritual Life

One must always remember that success in any aspect of the spiritual life is the fruit of the grace of God. Spiritual life comes entirely from His most Holy Spirit. We have our own spirit but it is void of power. It begins to gain strength only when the grace of God flows into it.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse

The Grace of God

The grace of God is the life of our souls. Our soul cannot be alive without the grace of God. For as our body lives by the soul, so our soul lives by the grace of God. Pray, then, always, and sigh unto God that He give you His grace, and that He preserve you in it. We need the grace of God every minute. For this reason, sigh often from the depths of your heart, `Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not the Holy Spirit from me.'
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven.

Even When We are Impure

The Holy Spirit, in compassion for our weakness, comes to us even when we are still impure; and if only He finds our mind sincerely praying to Him, descends upon it and disperses all the swarm of thoughts and images which surrounds it, thus disposing it towards desire for spiritual prayer.
St. Nilus of Sinai, Early Fathers from the Philokalia.

The Holy Spirit Gives Mysterious Light

The deifying gift of the Spirit is a mysterious light, and transforms into light those who receive its richness. He does not only fill them with eternal light, but grants them a knowledge and a life appropriate to God. Thus, as Maximus teaches, Paul lived no longer a created life, but "the eternal life of Him Who indwelt him." Similarly, the prophets contemplated the future as if it were the present.
St. Gregory Palamas, The Triads

Allow the Spirit of God to Dwell Within You

Allow the Spirit of God to dwell within you; then in His love He will come and make a habitation with you; He will reside in you and live in you. If your heart is pure you will see Him and He will sow in you the good seed of reflection upon His actions and wonder at His majesty. This will happen if you take the trouble to weed out from your soul the undergrowth of desires, along with the thorns and tares of bad habits.
Evagrius of Pontus in The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life.

Pentecost ... and Thirst

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today we celebrate the bringing of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, the fulfillment of the Resurrection in the heart of man. Christ prophesied it Himself, and the fulfillment we hear in the Acts of the Apostles. Actually, it's rare -- when we have a feast day, usually the primary reading is that of the Gospel, in terms of in content of the feast, but the event of Pentecost is described in the Acts.

Christ said, "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink," and He said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." The Apostle John tells us this refers to the Holy Spirit, Who was not yet given, but He was prophesying of what would happen when it was given. "If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink." The Holy Spirit is available to us, if we thirst. Abundant water, cool water, fresh water. Not water from a cistern, but water from a living spring is available to us -- but only if we thirst. If we don't thirst, then the water that we partake of is flat and lifeless and tepid. We must thirst.

This is the key to the Christian life -- thirst. Thirst for righteousness, thirst for Christ. Then, out of your belly truly shall flow rivers of living water. Think of the image, of what this means. Continual activity, continual purity -- because water purifies, especially flowing water. It scours the ground, and cleans, takes waste away, continually flowing and purifying and cleansing. This is what happens in the heart of man -- but only if we thirst. We must thirst for that good water, the water that Christ also spoke of with the woman at the well, St. Photini. If you thirst, then indeed, you will have living water.

If you don't thirst, if you don't put the priorities in your life wholly towards learning of the sweetness of God, then you won't experience this living water. You might experience a little of it, sort of like being at the spray of a waterfall. You don't experience the power of the water, but you feel some of the mist. This is not for us Christians. We want to feel the full force of the water. But we must thirst.

"As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This putting on is our action, our desire, our continual living in Christ. May it be that we would truly live as Christians. The Spirit makes it possible. It's all there for us. Abundant grace is present, and abundant grace is continually shed upon us. And we would have all of this grace if we thirsted. To the extent that we thirst for things that are not godly, and that distract us, to that extent we don't have this living water.

And the sad thing is, it's not something we can know obviously. Many times, when you do something wrong in life, it's obvious that you did something wrong. You can tell, if you make a mistake in building something, if you cut a board too short, or do something an incorrect way, or something of that nature, your mistake becomes apparent to you. Or even in human relationships, often times we can tell if we've made a mistake, and sometimes we have the opportunity to correct it. But, if we don't know that we have this living water, we won't know. It's not something that we can know of to correct, because this is knowledge that is wholly beyond us. It's wholly outside of our carnal frame of reference. So, if we miss this living water, if we don't have water springing out of our belly, we won't know it. To me, that is the greatest tragedy of life -- to not know the grace of God when it is presented to us.

All of us, if we don't struggle, if we don't thirst, we won't experience grace. I've come to the conclusion that the reason that some things in our faith are not explained thoroughly is that those who need the explanation would not understand it, because they haven't experienced it. Only those that truly thirst can truly understand the wisdom and the mercy and the might and the beauty of God, and the excellence of His plan for us. All of us may have realized a small portion of that plan, have small bit of knowledge of God. And may it be that with every single one of us, God is abiding in us, and cleansing us. But may it be for all of us especially that out of our bellies would flow living water. Not just a trickle, not just a drop at a time, not a stagnant pool, but continual activity in Christ, continual knowledge, mounting up like eagles.

It's all there for us. Jesus Christ provided the way, He made our flesh capable. And then, not only did He make our flesh capable, but He sent the Spirit. Why? So that we would know what we can do, that we would know of the mercy and the beauty of God. Truly any man who really knows God does not sin. We have to be honest with ourselves, and say, to that extent, we don't know God. Because God makes Himself known to the pure. Or actually -- thank God for this -- He makes Himself known to those who want to become pure. To those who struggle to become pure, He reveals Himself, by degrees. And then we become more aware of Him, and more aware of what's wrong with us. And we leave one, we cleave to the other. But if we do not struggle, life goes on, the waves of life, and we don't even know what we've missed.

That is not the way it should be, brothers and sisters. Follow the words of our Lord. If any man thirst. You be a man, woman, child, who thirsts, who desires. And then, in line with this thirst and this desire, do what is necessary to accomplish your task. Ask, pray, struggle to be correct in the way you think, to not judge, to not hate, to not lust, not be lazy, and all the rest. We know in our hearts; we know in our minds, especially in our minds, the things we should do or not do, in a kind of general overview of the Christian life. That is only barely the surface, barely the crust of the bread. Inside the loaf is the knowledge of God, and purity, and sanctity, and completeness, absolute perfection. It is for us. It is for all men, but it is only for those who thirst. Those who do not thirst do not drink much of the water, and they do not have water springing up in themselves.

Let this not be so for us. Let's thirst. Let's desire all the grace God wishes to give us. Let's turn our back on that which is ugly, and ordinary, and temporal, and unclean, and useless, and let's turn towards our Lord, and remember what he has done. Let us try to make our soul a place where the Holy Spirit wishes to live. Let us sweep it and garnish it, and protect it, so that the Holy Spirit would desire to stay and warm us. And let us have this water springing up within us, changing us, making us "more than conquerors." May God help us to desire Him. Amen.

Answers to Questions about Pentecost

ANSWER 1
The ministry of the Holy Spirit was carefully described by Christ shortly before His death and resurrection, and after He rose from the dead, until His glorious Ascension. Some of His teaching was preserved in the Holy Scriptures, although not all, but all of His teaching has been faithfully preserved by the Church. The service of Pentecost and the Sunday Matins Hymns of Ascents especially explain the "economy" of the Holy Spirit, but this teaching is also contained in many other services and the writings of the Fathers.

The Holy Spirit reveals truth to a man, enlightens him, and purifies him with fire. The Holy Spirit, Who guides into all truth, reveals the mystical dogmas of Christ and the Holy Trinity. By the Holy Spirit, the prophets prophesied, the apostles taught, and the councils of the church defined the divine dogmas concerning the All Holy Trinity, and other things in the life in the church. By the Holy Spirit, the weak were made strong, and the faint-hearted brave, and, seeing the things of God, are made able to endure grievous martrydoms. By the Holy Spirit, ordinary bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, a man has his sin revealed, and has the means to change. By the Holy Spirit, the simple are made wise. By the Holy Spirit, a man sees things that cannot even be uttered, the deep things of God, after the Spirit prepares him. By the Holy Spirit, a man prays in spirit and truth, according to his need and the will of God. By the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is lived.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; {17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17)

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)

"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." (John 15:26)

"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall he speak: and He will show you things to come. {14} He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 16:13-14)

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. {10} But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. {11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. {12} Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. {13} Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Cor 2:9-13)

"The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: {17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. {26} Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom 8:16-26)

"The Holy Spirit provideth all things; He gusheth forth prophecy; He perfecteth the priesthood; He hath taught wisdom to the illiterate. He hath shown forth the fishermen as theologians. He holdeth together the whole institution of the Church. Wherefore, O Comforter, one in essence and throne with the Father and the Son, glory be to Thee." (Pentecost Vespers, Lord I have cried, 3rd Sticheron)

"O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save, our souls, O Good One." (Pentecost Vespers, the third Sticheron of the Aposticha, and numerous other places)

"The Holy Spirit is Light and Life, and a living, noetic Fountain, a Spirit of wisdom, a Spirit of understanding; a good, an upright, a noetic Spirit, presiding in power and purging offenses. He is God, and doth deify; He is Fire, issuing from Fire, speaking, working, distributing the gifts; through Whom all the Prophets, and the Apostles of God, and all the Martyrs received their crowns. Strange is this report, strange and new this sight, a Fire divided that these gifts may be apportioned." (Pentecost Matins, Third Sticheron at the Praises)

The Sunday Matins service is indispensable for the proper understanding of the ministry and action of the Holy Spirit, especially the 3 (4 parts if in the eighth tone), part Hymns of Ascents which impress the soul profoundly with their deep theology sung to sweet melody. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of the Orthodox never or almost never hear these beautiful hymns, which occur in the middle of matins. Perhaps 4 things can occur in reference to Sunday Matins, and 3 of them are bad: In a shocking number of churches, matins is not even served, or is served in a severely truncated manner, either out of the spirit of ecumenism, ignorance, laziness or indifference to the divine law of God. Many do not attend vigil as a rule, or the morning Orthos, or they leave God's house early, or come late unnecessarily. In the best of circumstances, the holy services are served completely and piously, and the faithful Christian considers his time these services to be more important that any agenda, or schedule, or worldly priority.

"By the Holy Spirit is every soul given life, exalted by purity, and made radiant by the unity of the Trinity in a sacred and mystical manner." (Sunday Octoechos, the Hymns of Ascent, Tone 2)
ANSWER 2
At the Theophany of the Lord (His baptism) the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove. This symbol has been used iconographically from the earliest times. At Pentecost, He appeared as tongues of fire. He was also manifested by the mighty wind, and by the Apostles speaking in Tongues.

"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him" (Mat 3:16)

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. {2} And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. {3} And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. {4} And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)

"Coming down to those on earth, the Holy Spirit's spring was seen in the form of fiery streams apportioned spiritually to all, as it bedewed and enlightened the Lord's Apostles. And thus, the fire became a cloud bedewing them, filling them with light, and raining flames on them. And through them, grace hath been vouchsafed us by fire and water in very truth. Behold, the Comforter's light is come and hath illumined the whole world." (Pentecost Matins, Sessional hymn after the 2nd reading from the Psalter)

"That is the reason why the Holy Spirit comes in the form of a dove: it is a simple joyous creature, not bitter with gall, not biting savagely, without vicious rearing claws; it loves to dwell with humankind, it keeps to one house for assembling; when they mate they hatch their young together, when they fly anywhere they keep their formulation, the resorts they live in are shared in common, by their billing too they pay tribute to concord and peace, in all things they fulfil the law of unanimity. The same is the simplicity of the Church which we need to learn, this is the charity we must acquire, that we may imitate the doves in our love for the brethren, and rival lambs and sheep in their meekness and gentleness." St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church
ANSWER 3
The Most common prayer to the Holy Spirit is "O Heavenly King":

"O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save, our souls, O Good One."

This prayer is at the beginning of many services, as the start of the Trisagion prayers, which, although simple and oft repeated, contain a profundity of theology

The Trisagion prayers are as follows
* Heavenly King...

* Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

* Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

* Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.
* Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
* Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
* Our Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
* Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
* A layman "Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Amen".

These prayers are in
* Morning prayers
* Evening prayers
* Midnight Office
* Daily Matins
* The 3rd and 9th hour
* Daily Vespers
* Compline

This prayer also is often used before the beginning of any work, or before instruction, and is in several "trebnic" services.

The prayer is not said aloud in Divine Liturgy, but the Priest prays it silently (in a quiet, usually almost inaudible voice) just before Liturgy begins.

"O, Heavenly King" is omitted in all prayers and services from Pascha until the Vigil for Pentecost.
ANSWER 4
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. This is a divinely revealed dogma, first expressed exactly by Jesus Christ Himself, 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." (John 15:26)
This dogma was later formalized in the Symbol of Faith in the Second Ecumenical Council, with the following article concerning the Holy Spirit: "And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the prophets."

Belief in this dogma is obligatory. Those who add "and from the Son" (the philiqoue) sin against the words of Christ Himself, and the divinely revealed dogmas of the church, and those who persist in this heresy are outside of the Church. There is no room for compromise concerning this dogma, especially since the councils themselves forbad any change to the symbol of faith. In our age, dogma is passe, and there is a rush for unity in organization, and mutual "acceptance" of one another's beliefs, whether they be the revealed beliefs of the Christian faith or not. Therefore, the dispute over the Philioque is thought to be a mere "misunderstanding" over terminology. But the Orthodox, who hear in their services this dogma expressed with startling clarity, and read the lives of Saints who endured exile for this dogma, believe it without wavering.
ANSWER 5
On the first Christian Pentecost, the Apostles spoke, and people understood their preaching in their own tongues. It is not entirely clear whether the gift was in the "speaking" or in the "hearing", but the result was that all men heard the gospel (good tidings) in their own tongue. The apostles did not speak in an ecstatic prayer language, as the modern day heretical Pentecostal sects, and other Protestants and Roman Catholics infected with this false teaching practice.
ANSWER 6
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered in the upper room, praying. Suddenly, there was a sound, like a mighty wind, and the Holy Spirit descended on each of them in the form of tongues of fire. This fire was not the Holy Spirit, but a symbol of His presence. They Apostles were able to preach the Gospel and be understood by each man in his own tongue.
ANSWER 7
In Psalm 50, the Holy Prophet and King David, who had, as a man, fallen into grievous adultery and murder, prayed "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me."

We must understand that we can lose the Holy Spirit by sinning and not repenting. The church services are full of advice in this regard.
ANSWER 8
Chrismation confers the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the newly baptized Christian.

It is the clear teaching of the church that the Holy Spirit can be lost because of unrepentant sin. Why else would the Prophet David, in his repentant psalm (50) which he prayed after he realized the full weight of his guilt for the murder of Urias, the husband of Bathsheba, with whom he had committed adultery, say: "Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me"?

"The Spirit does not take up His abode in someone's life through a physical approach; how could a corporeal being approach the Bodiless one? Instead, the Spirit comes to us when we withdraw ourselves from evil passions, which have crept into the soul through its friendship with the flesh, alienating us from a close relationship with God. Only when a man has been cleansed from the shame of his evil, and has returned to his natural beauty, and the original form of the Royal Image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete. Then, like the sun, He will show you in Himself the image of the invisible, and with purified eyes you will see in this blessed image the unspeakable beauty of its prototype."
St. Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit.
ANSWER 9
The giving of the Holy Spirit occurred fifty days after the resurrection. In Greek "Pentekoste" means "Fiftieth Day". This was also during the Jewish feast called "Pentecost", which celebrated the giving of the law. Only through the Holy Spirit may we actually fulfil the law. The Holy Spirit reveals the law to our hearts.
ANSWER 10
Pentecost is a "Great Feast" of the Lord, and supersedes the Sunday Octoechos, which is usually the primary commemoration on Sunday. On the eve of Pentecost (Saturday evening), a Vigil is served, consisting of Great Vespers, Litya, Matins, and the First Hour. All variable texts are from the Pentocostarian. Certain parts of the service normally sung on Sunday are omitted, such as "Having beheld the resurrection" (after the Gospel), and "Holy is the Lord our God" (the Expostilarion before the Praises), and The Evlogitaria of the Resurrection

On Sunday morning the Divine Liturgy is sung with special Festal Antiphons for Pentecost, and an entrance hymn at the Small Entrance. "As many have been baptized into Christ..." is sung instead of the "Holy God...".

The Vespers for the evening of the Monday of the Holy Spirit (served Sunday evening, or in some parishes, almost immediately after Divine Liturgy) includes three long prayers, called the kneeling prayers, which are said by the priest, while everyone kneels for the first time since Holy Wednesday, before Pascha.

Something to Think About

Questions about the Sunday of All Saints

QUESTION 1
When is the Sunday of All Saints? Speculate why. Where is the service found (which service book)?

QUESTION 2
What is a "Saint"? What does the word literally mean?

QUESTION 3
Why do Christians pray to the Saints? Describe their attitude and expectations in these prayers. Why is this prayer so misunderstood by non-Orthodox?

QUESTION 4
Describe the "procedure" in which someone becomes recognized as a Saint.

QUESTION 5
Why does the Orthodox Church think so much about the Saints? What do the Protestants and other non-Orthodox who profess belief in Christ think about them? Speculate why.

QUESTION 6
The Saints are like trees, fed by the ever-flowing stream that is the grace of God. Just as there is one sun, but many types of trees that are nourished by it, so there are many ranks of Saints, from many walks of life. The church has given "titles" to many of them. Here is one: "Equal to the Apostles". What does this mean? Give at least 3 examples.

QUESTION 7
Another title given to some saints is "Fool for Christ". Explain. Give at least one example.

QUESTION 8
What is an "Unmercenary Healer"? Give an example.

QUESTION 9
Some of the Saints we love were "baptized by blood". Describe what this exceptional occurrence is and give a scenario.

QUESTION 10
The church is always aware of the phalanx of the Saints, and knows that they are present during the Divine Liturgy. In token of this, the priest commemorates nine separate "ranks" or categories of the Saints before the Divine Liturgy.

In which service is this done? What are the nine ranks? What do these ranks symbolize?

"Redeeming the Time" is an almost weekly Journal of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Dallas Texas. Distribute this text if you wish, but only if attribution and all contact information are included. I would appreciate being contacted if any large-scale use of this text is desired. All unsigned or unattributed portions (c) 1999 Fr Seraphim Holland. All rights reserved

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