Homily on the Feast of Pentecost (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

 

 

Homily on the Feast of Pentecost 

By Metropolitan Chrysostomos III of Mani

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles describes with precision the historical event of the descent and visitation of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Specifically, it states:

“When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared unto them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1–4).

All the faithful were gathered together with one soul in the same place, in Jerusalem, and suddenly, without anyone expecting it, there came a sound from heaven like the roar of a mighty wind. This sound filled the entire house where all the disciples were gathered. Then tongues appeared to them, as though flames of fire were being distributed, and upon the head of each one of them rested a single tongue. Thus the whole of their being, their entire inner world, was filled with the Holy Spirit.

More specifically, when the day of Pentecost was about to be fully completed according to the Jewish reckoning, as prescribed, all were gathered together in the same place, as the sacred Luke writes, that is, the Apostles, the disciples, and the faithful. It should be noted in passing that Pentecost, as is well known, was one of the three great annual feasts of the Jews. It was called Pentecost because the feast was appointed to be celebrated after seven weeks had elapsed from the second day of Passover. It was a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest; for this reason it was also called the “Feast of Harvest” and the day of the new fruits, the “firstfruits.” Moreover, on the day of Pentecost they also commemorated the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai.

*

All, therefore, were gathered there in the upper room in Jerusalem, as the author of Acts writes, and specifically “with one accord,” that is, in the sense of unanimity, communion of souls, and feelings of love, peace, and concord. Then “suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.”

This “suddenly,” this unexpectedness, naturally points to the Second Coming of Christ, “as the lightning comes from the east and shines even to the west” (Matt. 24:27), and “of that day and hour no one knows” (Matt. 24:36). What followed was that the sound which came from heaven was not like a wind gradually increasing from a gentle breeze to a violent storm; rather, from the very beginning it was like the blast of a powerful and mighty wind. It was somewhat similar to a sound that many of us have experienced, one which occasionally precedes an earthquake by a short time.

✠ Support the Mystagogy Resource Center ✠

For more than fifteen years, the Mystagogy Resource Center has provided thousands of free Orthodox Christian articles, translations, lives of saints, theological studies, and spiritual resources for readers throughout the world. Your support helps sustain and expand this one-man ministry and its ongoing work for the Church.

PayPal • Credit Card • Debit Card • Venmo

 

It was a sound from heaven, as Revelation describes it, “like the voice of thunder” (Rev. 6:1), and without any knowledge of where it came from, as the Evangelist John writes: “The Spirit blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes” (John 3:8).

As Saint John Chrysostom beautifully explains the words “as” and “as if” in this passage regarding the sound and the fire, this is done “so that you may not think anything material concerning the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is neither the sound of a mighty wind nor tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit is not confined or defined by these natural phenomena, but is entirely above them. Such expressions are used because of our weakness and in order to provide some approximation of the descent of the Holy Spirit. The signs of His visitation were twofold: for hearing, a sound like that produced by a violent wind; and for sight, tongues as if of fire. They both heard and saw the mystery of the descent of the Holy Spirit.

This mighty wind had been prefigured in the Old Testament when the mother of the Prophet Samuel said: “The Lord ascended into heaven and thundered” (1 Kingdoms [1 Samuel] 2:10). Likewise, upon Mount Sinai God descended amid a storm: “And the mountain burned with fire up to heaven, with darkness, gloom, tempest, and a great voice” (Deut. 4:11). This occurred in order to convey a sense of the divine presence of the Holy Spirit.

Concerning this, the sacred hymnographer of the prose Canon of the feast, Kosmas the Melodist (8th century), writes in the Eighth Ode:

“When the life-giving and mighty breath of the all-holy Spirit came down from on high with a resounding sound, and in the form of fiery tongues, the fishermen proclaimed the mighty works of God.”

That is, when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven upon the Apostles with the sound of a mighty rushing wind and in the form of fiery tongues, the Holy Spirit revived and encouraged their souls so that they might thereafter proclaim the mighty works of God. This mighty breath did not cause terror or fear in the Apostles. Rather, because it was life-giving, it granted them courage, strength, and holy enthusiasm. These Apostles, who had been weak, were made strong.

For this reason Saint Basil the Great says:

“For just as the rays of the sun illuminate a cloud and cause it to shine with a golden appearance, so also the Holy Spirit, coming upon the body of a man, gave life, gave immortality, gave sanctification, and raised up what had lain fallen. And that which had been set in motion by the eternal motion of the Holy Spirit became a living and holy being. Man received the dignity of prophet, apostle, and angel of God through the indwelling of the Spirit, though before this he was merely earth and ashes” (PG 29, 769).

And according to Saint Gregory Palamas, this breath is called “mighty” precisely because it conquers all things.

*

And at the same time, “there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:3). Indeed, the sacred hymnographer in the Pentecostarion writes the highly characteristic phrase: “A mighty breath distributes itself in fiery tongues.”

The presence of the Holy Spirit, therefore, was clearly visible in the form of fiery tongues, which were distributed upon the heads of the Apostles. They appeared specifically as “tongues,” because the organ most closely related to speech is the tongue, and thus the intimate association of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God is indicated. Moreover, through their mouths, “in articulate speech,” they would proclaim the divine teaching, “being moved by the Holy Spirit.” In this regard, the wise hymnographer recalls the confusion of tongues at the building of the Tower of Babel and writes beautifully in the Third Ode:

“The power of the divine Spirit, having come among us, divinely united into one harmony the speech that had formerly been divided among those who had wickedly agreed together, instructing the faithful in the knowledge of the Trinity, in whom we have been established.”

In other words, Pentecost, as an “anti-Babel,” comes and overthrows confusion, human folly, arrogance, and pride, dissolving the confusion brought about by the Fall. Indeed, the Holy Spirit unites and enlightens. Through the spiritual harmony that He brings, He teaches the faithful the knowledge of the Holy Trinity, in whom we have been firmly established.

Saint John Chrysostom writes concerning this:

“For because in ancient times men, having fallen into arrogance, desired to build a tower reaching to heaven, and because God shattered their wicked agreement through the division of tongues, for this reason the Holy Spirit now descends upon them in the form of fiery tongues, in order to unite through Himself the world that had been divided.”

*

But they also appeared as “tongues as of fire.” The manifestation of fiery tongues, rather than some other form, further signifies the consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, since God is “a consuming fire” (Deut. 4:24). Fire also appeared upon Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:18). In this way it is shown that the Holy Spirit possesses the same nature and energy as the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity.

Kosmas the Melodist expresses this beautifully and theologizes through his hymnography in the Fourth Ode:

“Bearing the sign of divinity, the Spirit was distributed among the Apostles in fire, and revealed itself in foreign tongues, showing that it comes from the Father as divine power, proceeding by its own authority.”

The sacred poet here explains why the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles “as tongues of fire.” Yes, it came in fire because it bore the sign of divinity, for fire symbolically signifies the divine nature, thus revealing that the Holy Spirit is God. Furthermore, through the miraculous gift of tongues it manifested that it proceeds from the Father as a divine power. Moreover, it “comes by its own authority,” meaning that it is not inferior, but self-acting and self-governing, equal in honor with the Father and the Son.

For “strength” and “power” are not attributes applied only to the Son, as in the words “Christ the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:24), but also to the Holy Spirit, according to “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). Likewise, the Father is called power in the words: “From now on you shall see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power” (Matt. 26:64).

And of course, the sacred text does not simply say “fire,” but “as of fire,” because, “what appeared was not fire, though it seemed to be fire.” Likewise, at Theophany, at the Baptism of the Lord, Scripture says: “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove upon Him” (Luke 3:22). Therefore, the expression “as of fire” is used so that we do not think of the Holy Spirit as something material.

Saint Augustine says that “we cannot call the Holy Spirit a divine dove or a divine fire.” And certainly, the Holy Spirit, as “another kind of fire,” signifies that:

“It melts and softens hardened hearts, reshaping them; it separates and burns away the dross; it kindles within human beings pious and devoted feelings; it transforms souls into a living and rational altar upon which spiritual and rational sacrifices are offered” (P. Trembelas, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Athens, 1955, p. 78).

We should further add that these fiery tongues rested upon the heads of the Apostles, a fact that signifies the sovereign and royal authority, dignity, and unity of the Holy Spirit. The sacred text specifically states that “it sat upon each one of them” (v. 3), using the singular number in order to indicate that a single tongue rested upon each individual, and not that all the tongues descended successively upon each person. The head, moreover, is the highest and most honored part of the human body, and this carries particular significance.

In conclusion, one final reminder is especially noteworthy and deserves mention. In the Church’s hymnography, Pentecost is called the final feast. Specifically, it is written:

“Let us, the faithful, joyfully celebrate the afterfeast and final feast; this is Pentecost, the fulfillment of the promise and the appointed completion” (Monday after Pentecost).

This means that with Pentecost the saving work of the Divine Economy was brought to completion. It is the “end,” because through the Holy Spirit, whom the believer receives by grace, he becomes a member of the risen Body of Christ. In this way it is demonstrated that indeed “all things were created in order to become one body with Christ as their Head” (see Basil Tsingos, Topics in the Dogmatics of the Orthodox Church, Thessaloniki, 2014, p. 322). That is, all things are meant to become the Church, and thus the ultimate purpose of the Christian life is fulfilled. Therefore: “Let every breath praise the Spirit of the Lord.”

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.