Sv. Kiril i Metodij

Saints Cyril and Methodius/Sv. Kiril i Metodij. What are they known for and why are they important? Simple. My short answer and knowledge is that, they are the apostles to the Slavs. How? They made the Glagolitic alphabet so that the pagan Slavs at that time would be converted and enlightened by the word of Christ.

The Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets are the oldest known Slavic alphabets, and were created by the two brothers and their students, to translate the Bible and other texts into the Slavic languages. The early Glagolitic alphabet was used in Great Moravia between 863 (the arrival of Cyril and Methodius) and 885 (the expulsion of their students) for government and religious documents and books, and at the Great Moravian Academy (Veľkomoravské učilište) founded by Cyril, where followers of Cyril and Methodius were educated, by Methodius himself among others. The alphabet has been traditionally attributed to Cyril. That attribution has been confirmed explicitly by the papal letter Industriae tuae (880) approving the use of Old Church Slavonic, which says that the alphabet was "invented by Constantine the Philosopher". The term invention need not exclude the possibility of the brothers having made use of earlier letters, but implies only that before that time the Slavic languages had no distinct script of their own.

 Ever since their students made and perfected the Slavic alphabets over time, they are considered ''Equal to the Apostles'' and their feast day are either celebrated at May 11(New Calendar) and May 24(Old Calendar).

Značaj Pedesetnica +++

Pentecost. Or in Serbian, Pedesetnica. Why is it important to the Eastern Orthodox Christians? It is because after Pentecost, the apostles spread across the world.

It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and to those who believed in Jesus Christ.
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 churchess 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. The feast itself lasts three days. The first day is known as "Trinity Sunday"; the second day is known as "Spirit Monday" (or "Monday of the Holy Spirit"); and the third day, Tuesday, is called the "Third Day of the Trinity." The Afterfeast of Pentecost lasts for one week, during which fasting is not permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday. In the Orthodox Tradition, the liturgical color used at Pentecost is green, and the clergy and faithful carry flowers and green branches in their hands during the services.

The apostles spread and here is were they went:
Peter-Antioch, Corinth, Rome
Andrew-Scythia, Black Sea, Dnieper river, as far as Kiev
James(son of Zebedee)
John-Ephesus
Philip-Greece, Syria, Phyrgia
Bartholomew-India, Armenia
Thomas-India
Matthew-Judea
James(son of Alphaeus)-Lower Egypt
Thaddeus-Samaria, Idumea, Mesopotamia, Syria and Libya
Simon(the Cananean)-Egypt, Persia and Armenia
Matthias-Georgia
Paul-Rome

As time goes, the apostles became larger and larger and it continues to the present day. Some of them are equal to the apostles.

Here are some of them.

St. Nino-Georgia
St. Nikolai of Japan-Japan

St. Sava-Serbia

Mary Magdalene

Emperor Constantine and his mother, Empress Helena

St. Patrick-Ireland

Sts. Cyril and Methodius-Slavic lands

Olga of Kiev

Boris of Bulgaria

Innocent of Alaska

Stephen of Hungary

One day, who knows that there will be a modern day equal to the apostles by God's grace. Let's pray for the stability of the church.