Pentecost

"Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving, and Undivided Trinity, always, now and forever, and to the ages of ages!"

On this 7th Sunday after the Lord's Pascha we celebrate the descent and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the disciples in the Holy City, Jerusalem, and the revelation of God as Trinity to the fledgling Church. By the Holy Spirit the disciples were empowered to preach the good news of the Resurrection not only in Palestine, but to the ends of the world. More on the significance of this great feast and its significance in the life of all Christians can be found here.

As last night's hymns said, "Let us celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the appointed day of promise, and the fulfillment of hope, the mystery which is as great as it is precious!" Amen.

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Joyous feast! The Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy was established in the Byzantine Rite to commemorate the final restoration of the holy icons in the East Roman Empire. It has since taken on a wider meaning to commemorate the triumph of Orthodoxy over all the heresies that have assailed the Faith since the preaching of the Apostles.

Today's feast is also the third anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Laurus (Skurla) of New York of thrice blessed memory. More on his life can be found here. Вечная память! May his memory be eternal!

A beautiful sermon on today's feast by Fr. Alexander Schmemann can be found here.