PENTECOST (WHITSUNDAY)

The date of Pentecost is regulated by the date of Easter. But that Sunday is called The Day of the Ho y Trinity. The Feast of the Holy Spirit (in that He ir separate, yet equal in essence, honour and glory with the Father and the Son) is celebrated on the following day, Monday, and is called the Day of the Spirit. It is customary to decorate c arches and houses at this Feast with freshly cut trees and flowers, and to stand at the Divine Liturgy holding flowers. This custom is founded upon that of the Old Testament Church (Lew. xxiii. 10-17; Nam. xruiii. 16). The trees and flowers, the tokens of the renewal of Nature in the Spring, typify also the renewal of mankind through the indwelling of the Holy 5pirit.

The special features in the celebration of this Feast consist of certain petitions in the Litany; and of Prayers recited kneeling at Vespers, which, as a rule, immediately followeth the Liturgy.

A! the All-Night Vigil.

The Stanza (Stikhira) for: Lord, I have cried: In Tone I. Let us celebrate Pentecost, and the coming of the Spirit, and the appointed day of the promise, and the fulfilment of hope, and the mystery which is as great as it is precious. Wherefore unto thee, O Lord, the Maker of all things, do we cry: Glory to thee.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Come, 0 ye people, let us worship the Godhead in three Persons, the Son in the Father with the Holy Spirit. For the Father before time was begat the Son, who is coeternal and is equally enthroned, and the Holy Spirit who was in the Father, and was glorified together with the Son; one Might, one Essence, one Godhead. Adoring the same let us all say: 0 Holy God, who by the Son didst make all things through the cooperation of the Holy Spirit: 0 Holy Mighty One, through whom we have known the Father, and through whom the Holy Spirit came into the world: O Holy Immortal One, the Spirit of comfort, who proceedest from the Father, and restest in the Son: 0 Holy Trinity, glory to thee.

The Gradual (Proklmen) for the Day.

The Parables (Paremiig. Num. xi. 16, 17, 24—29; Joel ii. 23—32; Ezek. xxxvi. 24-28.

The Stanza at the Litiyd, in Tone V111. When thou didst send thy Spirit, 0 Lord, while the Apostles sat, then were the Hebrew children affrighted with dread as they gazed; for they heard them speak one to another in strange tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. For though unlearned they were made wise, and bringing the Gentiles unto the faith, proclaimed things divine. Wherefore, we also

do cry unto thee, O Lord, who hast revealed thyself upon earth, and hast saved us from guile: Glory to thee.

The Hymn for the Day (Tropdr), in Tone VIII. Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed fishers most wise, sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and thereby catching the universe as in a net. 0 Christ our God, who lovest mankind, glory to thee.

The Collect-Hymn (Konddh). When the Most High confounded the tongues, be dispersed the nations: but when he distributed the tongues of fire, he called all men unto unity. Wherefore, with one accord, we glorify the All-holy Spirit.

The Exaltation (Velitchdnie). We magnify thee, O life-giving Christ, and do homage to thine all-holy Spirit, whom thou didst send from the Father upon thy disciples divine.

The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Fourth Tone. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the land of righteousness.

Verse (Stikh): O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear to my petition. The Gospel. John xx. 19-23.

THE CANON.

Tone IV. (St. Cosmas of Maium.)

Theme-Songs (Irmosi). I. He who shattereth the enemies with his lofty arm overwhelmed with the sea Pharaoh and his chariots: To him let us sing, for gloriously hath he been glorified.

III. Tarry ye in Jerusalem until ye shall be endued with power from on high, thou didst say unto thy disciples, O Christ; for I will send another, like unto myself, even the Comforter, my Spirit and the Father's, in whom ye shall be established.

IV. When he foresaw thy coming in the latter days, 0 Christ, the Prophet exclaimed: I have heard of thy power, 0 Lord, that thou art come to save all thine anointed.

V. The Spirit of salvation, through thy fear, 0 Lord, conceived in the womb of the Prophets, and born upon earth maketh pure the hearts of the Apostles, and in that it is righteous, is renewed in the faithful. For thy statutes are light and peace.

VI. Sailing on the stormy sea of earthly cares, drowning in the billows of the sins which compass me round about, and cast forth unto the soul-destroying monster, like Jonah I cry unto thee, O Christ: Lead thou me forth from the death-dealing abyss.

VII. When they were cast into the fiery furnace, the God-fearing Children transmuted the fire into dew, crying aloud, after this manner, in song: Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our Fathers.

VIII. The bush which could not be consumed, though surrounded by fire, on Sinai revealed God unto Moses, slow of tongue and halting of speech: and the zeal toward God of the Three Children showed the singers untouched of the fire. 0 all ye works of the Lord bless ye the Lord, and magnify him unto all the ages.

IX. 0 Maiden Birth-giver of God, who in birth-giving suffered not defilement, and didst lend flesh unto the All-creating Word; Mother Unwedded, Receptacle of Him who cannot be contained, Abode of thy Maker illimitable, we magnify thee.

Benediction. May he who sent down the Most Holy Spirit, in the form of fiery tongues, upon his holy disciples and apostles, Christ, our true God and so forth, as usual. (See page 122.)

At the Liturgy.

Antzphon 1., Tone [1.

Verse 1: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.

Refrain. Through the prayers of the Birth-giver of God, 0 Saviour,

save us.

Verse 2: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. B

Verse 3: Their voice is gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world. R

Antiphon 11., Tone [1.

Verse 1: The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble: the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee.

Refrain. Save, 0 blessed Comforter, us who sing unto thee, Alleluia.

Verse 2: Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion. E

Verse 3: Grant thee thy heart’s desire, and fulfil all thy mind. R Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages ages. Amen.

of

O Only-begotten Son and Word of God! . . . (See page 170.)

Antiohon [1]., Tone VIII.

Verse 1: The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord: exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.

Refrain: The Hymn for the Day (Tropdr). Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed fishers most wise, sending down upon them thy Holy Spirit, and thereby catching the universe as in a net. Glory to thee, O thou who lovest mankind.

Verse 2: Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not denied him the request of his lips. B

Verse 3: Thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness, and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head. R

The Introit. Exalted be thou, O Lord, in thy power. We will praise and sing thy mighty acts. R

In place 0 : O Holy God, Holy Mighty, . . . As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The Gradual (Prokimen), in the Eighth Tone. Their voice is gone out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.

The Epistle. Acts ii. 1-12.

Alleluia. (Tone I.) By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the word of his mouth.

Verse (Stihh): The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men.

The Gospel. John vii. 37-52, viii. 12.

In place of: Meet is it: The Ninth Theme-Song of the Second Canon. Hail, 0 Queen, thou glory of motherhood and maidenhood! For every mouth, however eloquent and sweet of speech, is incapable of worthily singing thy praise; and every mind reeleth when it would fain understand thy birth-giving. For which cause, with one accord, we glorify thee. The Communion Hymn. Thy good Spirit shall guide me into the land of righteousness.

Vespers.

(Which followeth immediately after the Liturgy.)

After the customary beginning, and the Prefatory Psalm, the Litany: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

And the rest. After the Petition .

For those who travel by sea or by land: B

For the people here present who await the grace of the Holy Spirit: R

For those who have bowed their knees and their hearts before the Lord: R

That he will strengthen us in the performance of those things which are well pleasing in his sight: R

That he will send down upon us the riches of his grace: R That he will accept this, the bending of our knees, as incense before him: R

For those who entreat from him his aid: R

That he will deliver us from all tribulation, wrath, peril and necessity R

Succour us, save us, have mercy upon us, and keep us, 0 God, by thy grace.

Calling to remembrance our most holy, undefiled, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Birth-giver of God and ever-virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

Exclamation. For unto thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever. and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Stanza (Stikhira) for: Lord, I have cried: In Tone IV. Marvellous things have all the nations beheld this day in the city of David, when the Holy Spirit descended in tongues of fire, as Luke, preaching the word of God, doth relate; for he saith: The disciples of Christ being assembled in one place, there came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And they all began to speak in strange tongues with strange doctrines, by the strange commands of the Holy Trinity.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come, and take up thine abode in us, and cleanse us from every stain; and save our souls, 0 Good One.

The Entrance is made with the censer.

O gladsome radiance

The Great Gradual (Prokimen), in the Seventh Tone. Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art God who doest wonders.

Verse (Stikh) 1: Thou hast declared thy power unto the nations. Verse 2: And I said: Now have I made a beginning; these are the charges of the right hand of the Most High.

Verse 3: I have remembered the works of the Lord, as I have remem~ bered thy marvels from the beginning.

Then the Priest exclaimeth (or the Deacon):

Again, yet again, on bended knees let us pray to the Lord.
Choir. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)

The First Prayer.

Priest. 0 Lord most pure, spotless, who art from everlasting, invisible, ineffable, unsearchable, unchanging, unsurpassable, immeasurable, longsuffering; who alone hast immortality; who dwellest in light unapproachable; who hast made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that therein is; who grantest unto all men their petitions before they ask: We pray thee, and beseech thee, O Master who lovest mankind, the Father of our Lord, and God, and Saviour jesus Christ, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of Mary the ever-virgin and exceeding-glorious Birth-giver of God; who first did teach in words and afterwards did manifest himself in deeds, when he had suffered his redeeming Passion; who hast given unto us, thy humble, and sinful, and unworthy servants, a command that we should ofier supplications unto thee with bending of the neck