Pentecost - Trinity Sunday

Pentecost (Ancient Greek: πεντηκοστή [ἡμέρα], pentekostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks or 49 days after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus, Pentecost now also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 in the New Testament. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday".

Recommended reading:

• Holy Pentecost by Father Alexander Schmemann
  
• How to Celebrate Pentecost at Home by Fr. Anthony Coniaris
• Cincizecimea, punctul de plecare al sfinteniei, si tensiunea ei eshatologica (Romanian)
• Icoana Cincizecimii (Romanian)
  

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 8)

Blessed art You O Christ Our God
You have revealed the fishermen as most wise
By sending down upon them the Holy Spirit
Through them You drew the world into Your net
O Lover of Man, Glory to You!

Kontakion (Tone 8)

When the most High came down and confused the tongues,
He divided the nations;
But when he distributed the tongues of fire
He called all to unity.
Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the All-holy Spirit!

The Annunciation to the Theotokos

The Annunciation (or Evangelismos in Greek) to the Theotokos is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthod

ox Church, celebrated on March 25. This is one of only two days during Lent, the other being Palm Sunday, when fish is permitted.

According to the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son, even though she "knew no man." According to holy tradition Mary had come home to her parents when she was only fifteen when she was visited by Gabriel. This date was selected by the

Church Fathers to be exactly nine months ahead of Christmas, indicating that Christ was conceived in perfection at that time "of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary," as stated in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

The feast of the Annunciation normally falls during the season of Great Lent, but it is still a joyous day. Many lessen their fast with fish on this

day.

If the feast comes on a weekday of Lent, the Divine Liturgy of the feast is served in the evening with Vespers. When this happens, the fasting rules for the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts are followed. The Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation is the only celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom allowed on a weekday of Great Lent.

If the feast falls on the same day as Pascha, the resultant festival is called Kyriopascha and is celebrated with special rubrics.

Recommended reading:

• Chapter: Pictures of the Virgin Mary, in History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 100-325, by Philip Schaff(1819-1893)

--click here or on the chapter title to read/download the text for free--