Church Bulletin - June 23, 2002 - Sunday of Pentecost

Sunday of Pentecost - June 23, 2002
[ Click here for the Bible readings: Acts 2:1-11; Jn 7:37-52; Jn 8:12]
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"WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST HAD FULLY COME . . ."

For the Jews of the ancient world, fifty days after the Passover was a time of celebration. The festival was called "Pentecost," and its significance was two-fold. Established primarily as a celebration of the first-fruits of harvest, the day later took on a historical connotation, being viewed at the day when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. As the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem 10 days after our Lord's Ascension, little did they know the monumental importance this day would have for the Christian Church.

In the Book of Acts, we read of the Apostles, along with the Theotokos and other disciples of the Lord, being together "with one accord in one place." That "place" was the same upper room where the Mystical Supper had occurred. At the third hour (9 A.M.) of that appointed day, a powerful, rushing wind filled the room, and tongues of fire appeared over the heads of the Apostles. The Holy Spirit, Whom the Lord had promised to send, had descended upon them!

The Apostles found a new zeal "burning" within their hearts. They quickly went out into the crowded streets of Jerusalem and preached the message of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. Some 3,000 people were baptized that day after hearing the words of Peter: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

On Pentecost, it is customary to decorate our churches with greenery and flowers, expressing our joy and thanksgiving to God for sending us the Holy Spirit, Who renews us and gives us birth into a new life through Baptism.

KURIAKH THS PENTHKOSTHS
jApolutivkion th`~ Penthkosth`~

Eujloghtov~ ei,\ Cristev oJ Qeov~ hJmw`n, oJ pansovfou~ touv~ aJliei`~ ajnadeivxa~, katapevmya~ aujtoi`~ tov Pneu`ma tov {Agion, kaiv di j aujtw`n thvn oijkoumevnhn saghneuvsa~, Filavnqrwpe, dovxa soi.

SUNDAY OF PENTECOST
Dismissal Hymn of Pentecost

Blessed are You, O Christ our God, who made fishermen all-wise, sending upon them the Holy Spirit and, through them, drawing the world. O Loving One, glory to You.

Kontavkion

{Ote katabav~, tav~ glwvssa~ sunevcee, diemevrizen e[qnh oJ {Uyisto~: o{te tou` purov~ tav~ glwvssa~ dievneimen, eij~ eJnovthta pavnta~ ejkavlese: kaiv sumfwv-nw~ doxavzomen tov panavgion Pneu`ma.

Kontakion

When the Most High came down and confounded tongues of men at Babel, He divided the Nations. When He dispensed the Tongues of Fire, He called all to unity, and with one voice we glorify the Most Holy Spirit.

jjApovstolo~
Prokeivmenon. \Hco~ pl. d j. (Yalmov~ ih j).
Eij~ pa`san thvn gh`n ejxh`lqen oJ fqovggo~ aujtw`n.
Stivc. OiJ oujranoiv dihgou`ntai dovxan Qeou`.
Pravxewn tw`n jApostovlwn tov jAnavgnwsma.
(Kef. B j 1<11)

jEn tw`/ sumplhrou`sqai thvn hJmevran th``~ penthkosth`~ h\san a{pante~ oiJ ajpovstoloi oJmoqumadovn ejpiv tov aujtov. Kaiv ejgevneto a[fnw ejk tou` oujranou` h\co~ w{sper feromevnh~ pnoh`~ biaiva~, kaiv ejplhvrwsen o{lon tovn oi\kon ou| h\san kaqhvmenoi: kaiv w[fqhsan aujtoi`~ diamerizovmenai glw`ssai wJseiv purov~, ejkavqisev te ejf j e{na e{kaston aujtw`n, kaiv ejplhvsqhsan a{pante~ Pneuvmato~ JAgivou, kaiv h[rxato lalei`n eJtevrai~ glwvssai~ kaqwv~ tov Pneu`ma ejdivdou aujtoi`~ ajpofqevggesqai. \Hsan dev ejn JIerousalhvm katoikou`nte~ jIoudai`oi, a[ndre~ eujlabei`~ ajpov pantov~ e[qnou~ tw`n uJpov tovn oujranovn: genomevnh~ dev th`~ fwnh`~ tauvth~ sunh`lqe tov plh`qo~ kaiv sunecuvqh, o{ti h[kouon ei|~ e{kasto~ th`/ ijdiva/ dialevktw/ lalouvntwn aujtw`n. jExivstanto dev pavnte~ kaiv ejqauvmazon levgonte~ prov~ ajllhvlou~: oujk ijdouv pavnte~ ou|toiv eijsin oiJ lalou`nte~ Galilai`oi; Kaiv pw`~ hJmei`~ ajkouvomen e{kasto~ th`/ ijdiva/ dialevktw/ hJmw`n ejn h| ejgennhvqhmen, Pavrqoi kaiv Mh`doi kaiv jElami`tai, kaiv oiJ katoikou`nte~ thvn Messopotamivan, jIoudaivan te kaiv Kappadokivan, Povnton kaiv thvn jAsivan, Frugivan te kaiv Pamfulivan, Ai[gupton kaiv tav mevrh th`~ Libuvh~ th`~ katav Kurhvnhn, kaiv oiJ ejpidhmou`nte~ Rwmai`oi, jIoudai`oiv te kaiv proshvlutoi, Krh`te~ kaiv [Arabe~, ajkouvomen lalou`ntwn aujtw`n tai`~ hJmetevrai~ glwvsai~ tav megalei`a tou` Qeou`;

Epistle
Prokeimenon. Eighth Tone. Psalm 18.4,1.
The voice has gone out into all the earth.
Verse. The heavens declare the glory of God
The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.
Chapter 2.1-11.

WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."

Eujaggevlion
JEk tou` katav jIwavnnhn.
Kef. z j (7), 37<52 kaiv h j, 12

Th`/ ejscavth/ hJmevra/ th`/ megavlh/ th`~ JEorth``~, eiJsthvkei oJ jIhsou`~ kaiv e[kraxe levgwn: jEavn tiv~ diya`/, ejrcevsqw prov~ me, kaiv pinevtw. JO pisteuvwn eij~ ejmev, kaqwv~ ei\pen hJ Grafhv, potamoiv ejk th`~ koiliva~ aujtou` rJeuvsousin u{dato~ zw`nto~. Tou`to dev ei\pe periv tou` Pneuvmato~, ou| e]mellon lambavnein oiJ pisteuvonte~ eij~ aujtovn: ou[pw gavr h\n Pneu`ma a{gion, o{ti oJ jIhsou`~ oujdevpw ejdoxavsqh. Polloiv ou\n ejk tou` o[clou ajkouvsante~ tovn lovgon, e[legon: Ou|tov~ ejstin ajlhqw`~ oJ Profhvth~. [Alloi e[legon: Ou|to~ ejsti oJ Cristov~. [Alloi dev e[legon: Mhv gavr ejk th`~ Galilaiva~ oJ Cristov~ e[rcetaiÉ Oujciv hJ Grafhv ei\pen, o{ti ejk tou` spevrmato~ Daui?d, kaiv ajpov Bhqleevm th`~ kwvmh~ o{pou h|n Daui?d, oJ Cristov~ e[rcetaiÉ Scivsma ou\n ejn tw`/ o[clw/ ejgevneto di j aujtovn. Tinev~ dev h[qelon ejx aujtw`n piavsai aujtovn: ajll j oujdeiv~ ejpevbalen ejp j aujtovn tav~ cei`ra~. \Hlqon ou\n oiJ uJphrevtai prov~ touv~ jArcierei`~ kaiv Farisaivou~, kaiv ei\pon aujtoi`~ ejkei`noi: Diativ oujk hjgavgate aujtovnÉ jApekrivqhsan oiJ uJphrevtai: Oujdevpote ou{tw~ ejllavlhsen a[nqrwpo~, wJ~ ou|to~ oJ a[nqrwpo~. JApekrivqhsan ou\n aujtoi`~ oiJ Farisai`oi: Mhv kaiv uJmei`~ peplavnhsqeÉ mhv ti~ ejk tw`n ajrcovntwn ejpivsteusen eij~ aujtovn, h[ ejk tw`n FarisaivwnÉ ajll j oJ o[clo~ ou|to~, oJ mhv ginwvskwn tovn novmon, ejpikatavratoiv eijsi. Levgei Nikovdhmo~ prov~ aujtouv~, oJ ejlqwvn nuktov~ prov~ aujtovn, ei|~ w[n ejx aujtw`n. Mhv oJ novmo~ hJmw`n krivnei tovn a[nqrwpon, ejavn mhv ajkouvsh/ par j aujtou` provteron, kaiv gnw`/ tiv poieiÉ jApekrivqhsan kaiv ei\pon aujtw`/: Mhv kaiv suv ejk th`~ Galilaiva~ eiÉ ejreuvnhson kaiv I[de, o{ti profhvth~ ejk th`~ Galilaiva~ oujk ejghvgertai. Pavlin ou\n oJ jIhsou`~ ejlavlhse, levgwn: jEgwv eijmi tov fw`~ tou` kovsmou: oJ ajkolouqw`n ejmoiv, ouj mhv peripathvsh/ ejn th`/ skotiva/, ajll j e{xei tov fw`~ th`~ zwh`~.

Gospel
From the Gospel according to St. John
Chapter 7:37-52 and 8:12

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ "Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you let astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee."

And Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose, California 95126