Pentecost/Nedelja Pedesetnice

Jovan Glava 7:37-52
A u poslednji veliki dan praznika stajaše Isus i vikaše govoreći: Ko je žedan neka dođe k meni i pije.  Koji me veruje, kao što pismo reče, iz njegova tela poteći će reke žive vode.A ovo reče za Duha kog posle primiše oni koji veruju u ime Njegovo: jer Duh Sveti još ne beše na njima, jer Isus još ne beše proslavljen. A mnogi od naroda čuvši ove reči govorahu: Ovo je zaista prorok. Drugi govorahu: Ovo je Hristos. A jedni govorahu: Zar će Hristos iz Galileje doći? Ne kaza li pismo da će Hristos doći od semena Davidovog, i iz sela Vitlejema odakle beše David? Tako raspra postade u narodu Njega radi. A neki od njih hteše da Ga uhvate; ali niko ne metnu ruku na Nj. Dođoše pak sluge ka glavarima svešteničkim i farisejima; i oni im rekoše: Zašto ga ne dovedoste? A sluge odgovoriše: Nikad čovek nije tako govorio kao ovaj čovek. Tada im odgovoriše fariseji: Zar se i vi prevariste? Verova li ga ko od knezova ili od fariseja?  Nego narod ovaj, koji ne zna zakon, proklet je. Reče im Nikodim što dolazi k Njemu noću, koji beše jedan od njih: Eda li zakon naš sudi čoveku dokle ga najpre ne sasluša i dozna šta čini?  Odgovoriše mu i rekoše: Nisi li i ti iz Galileje? Razgledaj i vidi da prorok iz Galileje ne dolazi.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Pentecost is one of the Orthodox Great Feasts and is considered to be the highest ranking Great Feast of the Lord, second in rank only to Easter/Resurrection Sunday/Passover. The service is celebrated with an All-night Vigil on the eve of the feast day, and the Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast itself. Orthodox churches are often decorated with greenery and flowers on this feast day, and the celebration is intentionally similar to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Mosaic Law.

Just this afternoon, a parishioner told me that it is the 50th day after Pascha and  it is that start of the ancient church we knew today.

The Orthodox icon of the feast depicts the Twelve Apostles seated in a semicircle (sometimes the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) is shown sitting in the center of them). At the top of the icon, the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, is descending upon them. At the bottom is an allegorical figure, called Kosmos, which symbolizes the world. Although Kosmos is crowned with earthly glory he sits in the darkness caused by the ignorance of God. He is holding a towel on which have been placed 12 scrolls, representing the teaching of the Twelve Apostles.

Without this event of the Sunday of Pentecost, the current church we have are not in place. God indeed makes the better things and never sways from his words. It is us, that continue the tradition of the ancient church into the contemporary period.

The ancient church since the Pentecost started with the remaining apostles not just one and they expanded to other preachers that dedicated their whole lives to the true teachings of Christ, thus naming the next batch of apostles as the ''Equal to the Apostles''.