The Feast of Pentecost at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem

On Sunday, May 22nd/ June 4th, 2023, the Patriarchate celebrated Pentecost Sunday, that is, the fifty-day completion since the Ascension of the Lord and the day of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, according to the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Chap. 2), the Lord, who was gloriously taken up into the heavens, sent His holy disciples and Apostles, through His Father, His Holy Spirit. This paradoxical phenomenon was revealed “in a violent breath” and “filled the house where the disciples were sitting” and “in tongues of fire, which sat at the head of each one of them, were illuminated and spoke in other languages the greatness of God”. Through the Holy Spirit, the apostles were enlightened and strengthened and proclaimed to those who heard the noise and gathered multitudes Christ Crucified and Risen and believed in the preaching of the Apostle Peter and were baptized “on that day as many as three thousand souls” and “formed the first Church”.

This event was celebrated with a solemn Divine Liturgy at the Holy and Life-giving Sepulchre, which was presided over by our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, along with their Eminences the Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Archbishops Theophanes of Gerassa, Aristarchos of Constantina, Theodosios of Sebasteia, Demetrios of Lydda, two Archbishops of the Serbian Church Damascene and Ioannis, the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nektarios, the Archimandrites Claudios, Nicodemos, Makarios, Hieronymos, Raphael, the Exarch of Athens, Dometian of the Patriarchate of Moscow and John of the Patriarchate of Romania, Fr Anastasios and Priest Nikolaos, other Orthodox Priests, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon, as the service was attended by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras and the Consul of Georgia Mr Lhasa and many pilgrims.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Vespers of the Monday of the Holy Spirit, which is also called the Kneeling service, was added.

In this service, the prayers of the kneeling service from the Pentecostarion were also read by His Beatitude and by the Bishops in Greek and Arabic.

At the Holy Altar of the Catholicon, the Vespers of the Kneeling service was also held at the same time, according to the order kept, for the Holy Sepulchre Fathers staying in the Central Monastery.

After Vespers, the Patriarchal Entourage went up to the Patriarchate Hall.

From Secretariat-General

Source: Jerusalem Patriarchate