Trinity — Holy Trinity Day, Pentecost (12/06)

One of the main Christian holidays —, Holy Trinity Day — is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. In Orthodoxy, it is one of the twelfth holidays and glorifies the Most Holy Trinity. And it is called Pentecost because the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles took place on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ.

After the ascension of Jesus Christ came the tenth day: it was the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. The Jews had a great feast of Pentecost in memory of Sinai legislation. All the apostles, together with the Mother of God and with other disciples of Christ and other believers, were unanimously in the same upper room in Jerusalem.

«It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish clock count, that is, in our opinion, — was the ninth hour of the morning. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the entire house where the disciples of Christ were. And the tongues of fire appeared and rested (stopped) one on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to glorify God in different languages that were not known before».

So the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Savior, descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach Christ’s teachings to all nations; came down in the form of fire as a sign that he has the power to scorch sins and cleanse, sanctify and warm souls.

In Jerusalem at this time there were many Jews who came from different countries for the holiday. The apostles came out to them and began to preach in their native languages the risen Christ. The sermon had such an effect on those listening to it that many believed and began to ask: «What should we do?». Peter answered them: «Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, then you too will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit».

Those who believed in Christ willingly received baptism; there were about three thousand of them that day. Thus, the Kingdom of God, that is, the Church of Christ, began to take shape on earth.

On this holiday, in churches immediately after the Divine Liturgy, Vespers is celebrated in memory of the descent of the Comforter Spirit on the holy apostles. During this service, kneeling prayers are read for the sending down of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason and fear of God (kneeling prayer after a litany).

The Holy Church prays for the granting of the grace of the Holy Spirit to all those present, as well as to our previously deceased fathers and brethren and other relatives in the flesh, so that they too will settle down to be participants in the Kingdom of Glory in the land of the living... «zane is not alone is pure before God from filth, below is the only day of his belly there is» (kneeling prayer after «Similar, Lord, in the evening of this»).

On this day, Orthodox Christians decorate houses and churches with green birch branches and flowers.

This custom comes from the Old Testament Church, when houses and synagogues were decorated with greenery on Pentecost in memory of how, under Mount Sinai, everything bloomed and turned green on the day when Moses received the tablets of the law. The Zion upper room, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, at that time, according to general custom, was also decorated with tree branches and flowers.

On the Feast of the Trinity, they also remember the appearance of the Trinity to Abraham in the Mamvrian oak grove, so the temple decorated with greenery also resembles that oak grove. And blooming branches remind us that under the influence of God’s grace, human souls bloom with the fruits of virtues.

550