Holy Trinity Day - the history of the holiday. Holy Trinity: the history of the holiday
The day of the Holy Trinity does not have an exact date - it is customary to celebrate it on the 50th day after Easter. Thanks to this, an important church holiday has a second well-known name - Pentecost. Where did this holiday beloved by Christians come from, and what are its traditions?
History of occurrence
Pentecost is an ancient Old Testament holiday, traditionally celebrated on the 50th day after the Jewish Passover. The Jews attributed this day to the three great celebrations, closely linking it with the acquisition by the people of Israel of the Sinai law, received 50 days after the day of the exodus from Egypt. The celebration of Pentecost has always been accompanied by mass joy, general rejoicing and sacrifices.
Orthodox Pentecost, also known as the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, is celebrated on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, this great holiday personifies the beginning of a new era for the existence of mankind among Christians. Moreover, an important date is considered the day of the foundation of the Christian church. But the most important thing is that on this day the Holy Spirit descended on the 12 apostles and revealed to them that God is one and three at the same time. This is how things unfolded, according to the Bible.
On the day of the celebration of the Jewish Pentecost, 12 followers of Jesus retired from the mass fun in one of the Zion upper rooms. The disciples of Christ met daily at the request of their mentor. Even during the life of the Savior, they knew about the coming event and were waiting for a new miracle. The Son of God informed them of the coming of the Holy Spirit before he died on the cross. On the 50th day after the Resurrection of the Savior, the participants heard a heartbreaking noise that filled a small house like a hurricane. Then fiery tongues appeared, they touched everyone present and seemed to separate those who were nearby.
The Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Jesus in the form of God the Father (Divine Mind), God the Son (Divine Word), and God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). This Holy Trinity is the fundamental basis of Christianity, on which the Orthodox faith is firmly held. The Holy Trinity is one God who is also trinity. God the Father is devoid of beginning and creation, God the Son is begotten by the Father, and the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father.
People who approached the house, from which incomprehensible sounds were heard, were very surprised that the apostles spoke among themselves in different languages. At first they doubted the sobriety of those who were inside, but the apostle Peter dispelled the doubts of involuntary witnesses of the miracle. He said that the Holy Spirit descended on them, and through them it will touch every Christian. God specially gave the chosen ones the opportunity to speak in previously unknown languages and dialects so that they could go to different countries and tell their inhabitants the Truth about Christ. It is believed that the Holy Spirit descended to the apostles in the form of a purifying and enlightening fire.
The preachers chosen for an important mission scattered around the world. They preached Christianity in different parts of the world, easily communicating with the inhabitants of unfamiliar cities in their native languages. The disciples of Christ reached the countries of the Middle East and Asia Minor, baptized people in India, in the Crimea and in Kyiv. Of the 12 apostles, only one survived - John, the rest were executed by opponents of the new faith.
Features of the celebration of the Holy Trinity Day
Pentecost always falls at that wonderful time of the year when nature generously gives fragrant herbs and fragrant flowers. Green leaves do not yet have time to be covered with road dust and enliven the young twigs of trees. They decorate churches and dwellings, thereby demonstrating the flowering of the human soul and the renewal of people. The aroma of herbs mixes with the smell of incense, creating a festive mood and causing joy. And the faces of the saints, surrounded by fresh greenery, look like they are alive.
In the temples, the Trinity is celebrated with special reverence. This is the most important and one of the most beautiful holidays. On the eve of Pentecost, the universal parental Saturday is celebrated, commemorating those who could not be buried according to Christian customs, including those who drowned and disappeared without a trace. On the night before the celebration, a night service is held in the churches.
On the Day of the Holy Trinity, Sunday hymns are not performed; instead, special holiday songs are heard. The solemn service takes place according to a special festive rite. The liturgy is followed by vespers, during which the descent of the Holy Spirit is glorified and three special prayers are read. Priests on Trinity always wear symbolic emerald robes. Parishioners come to the temple in high spirits with flowers and birch twigs.
The week after Pentecost does not have a fast on Wednesday and Friday, and immediately after the holiday follows an important and closely related to the Trinity holiday - the Day of the Holy Spirit.
The Russians began to celebrate the Holy Trinity Day only in the 14th century - 300 years after the Baptism of Russia. The holiday was introduced by St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Every year an increasing number of Russians call themselves believers - these are the results of many years of observations and studies of various sociological institutes, foundations and other similar organizations. However, the interest of the population in the church is clearly visible to the naked eye: in television and newspaper news, they talk in detail about the holidays or other outstanding events of Orthodoxy.
The history of one of the main holidays in Russia
However, even here there were skeptics who doubted the true faith of all those who, on the eve of Easter, besiege churches in order to consecrate Easter cakes and eggs, and if holy relics or a myrrh-streaming icon arrive in any city from afar, they stand in queues for many days, so that with their own eyes see the shrine. The inquisitive minds of our time, with their usual incredulity, turned to the same sociologists and with their help found out something. As it turned out, a considerable number of Russians who wear a cross and regularly keep Great Lent cannot tell about the history of the emergence of the most important ones, such as the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Ascension, the Annunciation and the Trinity. The history of the holiday, whatever it may be, should be known to those who celebrate it. Otherwise, one has to doubt: is it not a simple tribute to fashion, all that is given out by many Russians for religiosity?
History of the Holy Trinity
Despite the long-suffering biography of our country, Russians have preserved many religious and other traditions forever. One of the most significant calendar - the Trinity. The history of the holiday and its origins were somewhat unexpected. Few people know that this holiday "stepped" into Orthodoxy ... from ancient religions! And not only Slavic, but also Hebrew!
In both beliefs of our distant ancestors, it was customary to celebrate the end of spring field work. Among the ancient pagan Slavs, this day was called Semik, and among the Jews who worshiped many gods and celebrated the beginning of the harvesting of bread in Palestine, it was called Pentecost. Later, when the Jews believed in one God and became Jews, the feast of Pentecost acquired a new meaning - the clergy announced that this day was marked by the handing over of the tablets to Moses, which took place on the famous And the Slavs who became Orthodox began to celebrate the Trinity in memory of the day when, according to According to legend, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. Until that moment, the Lord appeared to people only in his two hypostases - father and son. The very name of the Trinity, as you know, is associated with the trinity of the Son and God the Holy Spirit. By the way, the Jewish name of the Trinity - Pentecost - can often be heard in Russia, because the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles on the 50th day after Easter.
Leave to posterity
People truly caring for their culture and religion strive to provide future generations with all the knowledge that has been accumulated so far. However, modern life, and this should be recognized, leaves less and less time for studying the spiritual heritage of the people. Therefore, historians, culturologists and religious scholars do not consider it possible to let the process of this knowledge run by itself. In school curricula, culture and religion are now given special attention, and caring teachers are trying their best to instill in children an interest in this area of knowledge. And since one of the most important (but not as popular as Christmas and Easter) Orthodox dates is, in particular, the Trinity, the history of the holiday for children is often presented in an entertaining way. So, in some Russian schools, an annual costume performance dedicated to this holy day is practiced. And many parents who are not devoid of spirituality, bringing their children to the Tretyakov Gallery, do not forget to tell that one of the greatest Orthodox canvases - the icon of Andrei Rublev, painted by him in the 15th century - "Trinity".
The history of a holiday, whatever it may be, is always important and interesting, and therefore we urge everyone: when celebrating this or that celebration - church or secular - ask how, when and why mankind began to consider this date a holiday.
One of the biggest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the feast of the Trinity, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday it is and what the name Trinity means, which is also used in the ordinary life of Christians.
Trinity Holiday - what is it?
The Trinity holiday (another name for Pentecost) is dedicated to the memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth. It was on this day that the Lord God appeared to the world in his third incarnation of the Holy Spirit, descending to Earth and appearing in this third incarnation before the disciples of Christ, i.e. in fact, in front of his disciples, since in Christianity the Holy Spirit, Christ and God are one whole entity.
Why is the feast of Trinity called Pentecost?
Icon. Andrei Rublev. Trinity. Around 1422-1427 Minimum symbols: three angels (Trinity), a cup (Atonement sacrifice), a table (the Lord's meal, the Eucharist. Of the recognizable realities - an oak (Mamre), a mountain (here is the sacrifice of Isaac, and Golgotha) and a building (Abraham's house? Church?) .
The answer to this question is very simple.
The descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth and the appearance of Christ to his disciples took place exactly on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) or on the 10th day after the Ascension of Christ (Ascension).
Hence the name of this holiday - Pentecost. At the same time, this Pentecost holiday should not be confused with another Jewish holiday that has exactly the same name Pentecost and is celebrated on the same day, but dedicated to another event - the holiday in memory of the Sinai legislation (the holiday of Moses receiving the commandments of the Lord on Mount Sinai).
How did the Holy Spirit appear on Earth?
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit happened unexpectedly and was attended by a limited number of people.
On the tenth day after the ascension of Christ to heaven, the Jews, as always, celebrated their ancient and great holiday in memory of the Sinai legislation.
On this day, all the apostles, together with the Mother of God and with other disciples of Christ and other believers, were in the same upper room in Jerusalem. “It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish account of hours, that is, in our opinion, the ninth hour of the morning. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where the disciples of Christ were. And fiery tongues appeared and rested (stopped) one on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to praise God in different languages, which they did not know before.
So the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach Christ's teaching to all peoples; he descended in the form of fire as a sign that he has the power to scorch sins and purify, sanctify and warm souls.
In Jerusalem at that time there were many people who came from different countries for the holiday. The apostles went out to them and began to preach in their native languages. The sermon had such an effect on those who listened 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, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Those who believed in Christ willingly accepted baptism, there were about three thousand people that day. This is how the Church of Christ began to be established on earth.
It was on this day that the beloved children of the Lord, united with Him by the Holy Spirit, left the walls of the Zion Upper Room to fearlessly preach Christ's doctrine of love.
Why did the Holy Spirit descend to earth?
The main reason why the Holy Spirit descended to earth was the reason to encourage the disciples to build the Church of Christ: "...to perfect the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the Body of Christ." It is the poet who considers Pentecost to be the birthday of the Christian Church.
How is Pentecost celebrated?
On Pentecost, immediately after the Divine Liturgy, Vespers is served in the churches in remembrance of the descent of the Spirit of the Comforter upon the holy apostles. During the service, kneeling prayers are read for sending us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason and the fear of God.
The Church prays for the grace of the Holy Spirit to be bestowed on all those present, as well as on the formerly deceased relatives in the flesh, so that they too can be arranged to be participants in the Kingdom of Glory in the land of the living - “for not a single one is clean before God from filthiness, if only one day of his life is lower” ( kneeling prayer after "Vouchee, O Lord, this evening").
Orthodox Christians on this day 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 everything bloomed and turned green at Mount Sinai on the day when Moses received the tablets of the law.
The Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, at that time, according to the general custom, was also decorated with tree branches and flowers. On the feast of the Trinity, the appearance of the Trinity to Abraham in the Mamrian oak forest is also remembered, so the temple decorated with greenery also resembles that oak forest. And the flowering branches remind us that under the influence of the grace of God, human souls bloom with the fruits of virtues.
What does the word Trinity mean in the Bible?
The very word "Trinity" of non-biblical origin was introduced into the Christian lexicon only in the second half of the 2nd century, two hundred years after the ascension of Christ, by Bishop Theophilos of Sioy.
In his treatise "Against Autolycus" Theophilus wrote: "The three days [of creation], which were before [the creation of] the luminaries, are the images of the Trinity: God, His Word and His Wisdom." This work has survived to this day only in one manuscript of the 11th century and was probably written no earlier than 180 AD. e., as it mentions the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Neither in the Old nor in the New Testaments is the concept of "Trinity" directly used, and according to biblical scholars, there are only a few hints in Scripture indicating the trinity of God, but no more.
The doctrine of the Trinity
Non-canonical icon. Holy Trinity with angels and saints. Master from Meskirch, early 16th century.
The doctrine of the Triune God comes down to three propositions:
1) God is trinity and trinity consists in the fact that there are three Persons (hypostases) in God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
2) Each Person of the Most Holy Trinity is God, but They are not three Gods, but the essence of a single Divine Being.
3) All three Persons differ in personal or hypostatic properties.
All three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same Divine dignity, between them there is neither senior nor junior; just as God the Father is true God, so God the Son is true God, so the Holy Spirit is true God. Each Person bears in itself all the properties of the Divine.
Since God is one in His essence, then all the properties of God — His eternity, omnipotence, omnipresence, and others — belong equally to all three Persons. In other words, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are eternal and omnipotent, like God the Father.
They differ only in that God the Father is neither born nor emanates from anyone; The Son of God is born from God the Father — eternally (timeless, beginningless, infinite), and the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father.
How to understand the doctrine of the Trinity?
Any educated Christian is well aware that the main dogma and cornerstone of the Christian church is the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity, and without its correct understanding there is neither faith nor the Christian church.
The dogma of the Trinity tells believers the following: God is one in essence, but trinity in persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible.
In other words, there is a God who has three essences, none of which is the main one and none of them can be divided.
Believers must clearly understand that the dogma of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible, it is a mysterious dogma, incomprehensible at the level of reason. For the human mind, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is contradictory, because it is a mystery that cannot be expressed rationally.
It is no coincidence that Pavel Florensky called the dogma of the Holy Trinity "a cross for human thought." In order to accept the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the sinful human mind must reject its claims to the ability to know everything and rationally explain everything, i.e., in order to comprehend the mystery of the Holy Trinity, it is necessary to turn away from one’s own thinking.
Since when is Trinity celebrated?
Christian Pentecost as a feast of the Holy Trinity has been celebrated since the 4th century, when the dogma of the Trinity was finally approved at the II Council of Constantinople, in which the one God began to officially exist in three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
The Feast of the Trinity is not only the feast of the appearance of the third Person of the Godhead in a visible way, but also the birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the day will come when God will complete the formation of His Church here on earth, and She will be taken from the earth in order to be with God forever. This moment is also called the second coming of Christ or the rapture of the Church, when God will return for those in whom His Holy Spirit lives.
Signs on the Trinity
There are many signs and superstitions regarding things that cannot be done on this day.
So, on the Trinity it is better not to appoint a wedding day. Allegedly, those who tied the knot on this day will have an unhappy family life. It is better to get married on Trinity and prepare for the wedding.
The ancient Slavs believed that on the day on which Christians later appointed the Trinity, fabulous creatures appear - mavkas and mermaids. Therefore, it was not worth walking alone in the forests and fields, because they can take away a lone traveler and tickle to death.
According to ancient beliefs, it was forbidden to swim, because mermaids will surely drag you to the bottom. There is a superstitious legend that there will definitely be a drowned man on Trinity, so you should avoid any bodies of water and not tempt fate. One of the largest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the Trinity holiday, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday it is and what the name Trinity means , which is used in the ordinary life of Christians.
From time immemorial, Trinity was considered a bad omen to play weddings.
How to celebrate Trinity (Pentecost)
On Pentecost, houses, apartments and churches are decorated with greenery and flowers, as well as birch branches, because it was the birch in Russia that was the main symbol of this holiday.
Before the Trinity, it is customary to clean up the house and visit the cemetery to pay tribute to the dead.
In the morning on Trinity, people go to the temple, sanctify birch branches, greenery and flowers. It is generally accepted that the greens lit on the Trinity can be stored throughout the year - in Russia, the greens consecrated on this day replaced people with an amulet that protected the home from evil spirits and troubles.
On the Trinity, girls often guessed at the future groom.
How to guess on the Trinity
Of course, the church does not welcome fortune-telling, but this tradition stretches to the present day from antiquity.
It is customary to guess at the Trinity from Thursday to Sunday.
Fortune-telling on wreaths is considered the most common on the Trinity - with their weaving and their further letting through the water.
On this day, irresponsible Christians tell fortunes using other objects - rings, chains, etc.
Fortune-telling by a wreath consisted in the fact that the girl weaved a wreath and wished on the groom, after which she went to the river and, with a tilt of her head, threw the wreath into the water.
Ideas for the behavior of the wreath and guessed at the betrothed:
If the wreath floated calmly, then his mistress expected a calm year
If the wreath floated under water or sank, then the girl needed to be afraid of illness, death of loved ones or other troubles.
If the wreath was untwisted, then this promised the girl parting with the sweet
If the wreath quickly floated away, then this promised the bridegroom's girl from the far side
A wreath stuck by the shore meant that the bridegroom could not be expected until the next Pentecost.
Films on the theme of the Trinity holiday
Not many films have been made about the Trinity, but nevertheless, you can find the following films on the internet:
Film by Metropolitan Hilarion "Trinity";
Film "Holy Trinity"
Genre: Documentary
The Orthodox holiday Trinity (three holy faces) is a special day for believers. Its second name is Pentecost. It is explained by the fact that the Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Bright Resurrection. Only Holy Pascha is ahead of the Trinity in importance. Even Christmas is given lesser importance. Trinity is one of the dozen most important Orthodox holidays. Therefore, it is very important to know what the feast of the Trinity means in Orthodoxy and for believers.
What does "TBI" mean?
The history of the Orthodox holiday Trinity
Trinity has a very interesting history. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven on the fortieth day after his Resurrection. Namely, then there was a prophecy from him to the apostles that the Spirit of God would descend upon them. It came true exactly ten days later. That is, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ.
All the twelve apostles, as well as the Mother of God Mary, were at that moment in the same room on Mount Zion, where they were praying. And then, suddenly, thunder rumbled, as if the heavens had opened up, it became noisy, as if the strongest winds were raging, and the room was filled with tongues of flame, which for some reason did not burn anyone.
The disciples of Jesus Christ heard the voice of God, who told them to go around the world, preaching Christianity. In addition, each of the apostles suddenly realized that they could speak in many languages that they did not know before. This was necessary in order to bring faith to different peoples of the world, the Lord endowed them with such an opportunity.
The people used to have so-called "forbidden" customs on the Trinity. For example, a week before the Peter's post it was impossible to swim, go to the forest, since the rivers and forests at that time "passed" into the possession of mermaids, kikimor. And these "ladies" tried to drag people into the thicket or drown them.
Amazed by what had happened, the apostles left the room and began to tell everyone about the Grace that had descended on them. Their words touched the hearts of many. As a result, three thousand people converted to Christianity at once. Here, on Mount Zion, the first temple was built. Therefore, the Trinity is also considered the birthday of the church of God on earth.
Important! There are several versions of the story of condescension to the apostles of the grace of God. The above is the main one and is supported by most Christians.
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Church holiday Trinity among the Slavs before and now
What does the Trinity holiday mean among the Slavs? Among the Slavs, a holiday called the Trinity appeared somewhat later than among many other Christians. This is due to the fact that they became Orthodox only after the Baptism of Russia in 988. And before that, our ancestors were pagans, and they did not hear about Christ. The Slavs had a holiday similar to the Trinity. And it was celebrated by our ancestors around the same days.
The Slavs believed in three main gods - Svarog, Svyatovit and Perun. Each of them had a special purpose. And our ancestors were convinced that as long as this great trinity performs its functions, the world will exist. This unity of the three deities was just celebrated in early June.
Many traditions associated with the celebration of the pagan Trinity automatically switched to the Orthodox Pentecost. For example, picking up herbs and decorating their homes with them, weaving wreaths, refusing to swim in water bodies (earlier people believed that these days mermaids show their evil spells, and, in general, all evil spirits are activated), conducting matchmaking rites and much more.
The stronger Orthodoxy took root in the Slavic land, the more parishioners were in churches on the Trinity. Solemn services were held. And after some time, going to church that day became mandatory for everyone.
Interesting! After the Trinity on the twentieth of June, the Slavic holiday of the Spirits comes. According to popular beliefs, it is believed that at this time all evil spirits come into the world: devils, goblin, mermaids and the like. Men should be wary of mermaids (girls who drowned themselves because of unrequited love). Their goal is to seduce a man and drown him.
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Video "What does the holiday of the Trinity mean in Orthodoxy"
The Day of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, so this holiday is also called Pentecost.
Afterwards, His disciples incessantly lived with a sense of celebration. For forty more days He appeared to them one by one and gathered together. Before the eyes of the disciples, the Lord rose above the earth, as if assuring them that on the last day of the world He would come to earth in the same way that He had departed to God the Father. Saying goodbye to them before the time, He promised to send them the Comforter - the Holy Spirit, coming from God the Father. The disciples did not know what this meant, but they believed that everything would be according to the word of the Lord.
Like a fire in a hearth, they maintained the blessed state of that day in their souls, gathering every day in the same house on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. In a secluded room they prayed, read the Holy Scriptures. So another of the ancient prophecies came true: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem." This is how the first Christian church arose. Near that house was the house of the beloved disciple of Christ - the Apostle John the Theologian, in it, according to the will of the Lord, His Mother - the Virgin Mary also stayed. The disciples gathered around Her, She was a consolation to all believers.
The feast of Pentecost, or the day of the Holy Trinity, passed like this. On the tenth day after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the day of the Jewish feast of the first harvest, when the disciples and them were in the Upper Room of Zion, at the third hour of the day a great noise was heard in the air, as during a storm. In the air, bright fluttering tongues of fire appeared. It was a non-material fire - it was of the same nature with the blessed fire, which annually descends in Jerusalem on Easter, it shone without burning. Hovering over the heads of the apostles, the tongues of fire descended on them and rested. Immediately, along with the external phenomenon, the internal phenomenon took place, which took place in the souls: “ all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Both the Mother of God and the apostles felt at that moment an extraordinary power acting in them. Simply and directly, they were given from above a new gracious gift of the verb - they did not speak in languages that they did not know before. This was the gift needed to preach the gospel throughout the world.
Washed, generously endowed by the One Spirit, feeling that this is only a part of the spiritual gifts they received from the Lord, they held each other's hands, forming a new radiant bright Church, where God Himself is invisibly present, reflecting and acting in souls. Beloved children of the Lord, united with Him by the Holy Spirit, they came out of the walls of Zion's upper room to fearlessly preach Christ's doctrine of love.
In memory of this event, the feast of Pentecost is also called the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, as well as the day of the Holy Trinity: in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, who came from God the Father according to the promise of God the Son, the mystery of the unity of the Holy Trinity was revealed. This day received the name Pentecost not only in memory of the ancient holiday, but also because this event fell on the fiftieth day after the Christian Easter. Just as the Easter of Christ replaced the ancient Jewish holiday, so Pentecost laid the foundation of the Church of Christ as union in the Spirit on earth.
Chants of the Feast of the Holy Trinity: Troparion of the Trinity, Kontakion of the Trinity, Exaltation of the Trinity
Troparion of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Tone 1
Kontakionfeast of the Holy Trinity, voice 2
magnificencefeast of the Holy Trinity
We magnify Thee, Life-Giver of Christ, and honor Thy All-Holy Spirit, Whom from the Father Thou hast sent as Thy Divine Disciple.
Articles about the feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost)
Trinity Sergius Lavra
- Photo report
- – What do the monks and inhabitants of the monastery eat? We offer you a report from the refectory, kitchen, bakery and pickling Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
- - Why does a novice need a prayer with a rosary? Picked up the rosary. Why a strict post? So, the “verdict” has ripened: “If he lived like people, he would have been a monk long ago, otherwise he is playing a saint.”
- article about the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary
Icons of the Holy Trinity
What date does Trinity, Holy Trinity Day fall on in 2019? What is the history of this Orthodox holiday?
What date is Trinity, Holy Trinity Day in 2019?
The color of the Trinity holiday is emerald green. This is a shade of fresh juicy grass or foliage that has not had time to get tired and absorb the city's heavy dust. The temples glow from the inside like an emerald cloud – hundreds of birch twigs are carried by the parishioners, the floor of the church is thickly covered with grass, the rotten smell of June is enhanced by the rays of the sun from the church windows, mixed with subtle notes of incense and wax candles. Candles are no longer red, but honey-yellow - "Easter is given away." Exactly 50 days after the Resurrection of the Lord, Christians celebrate the Holy Trinity. Great Holiday, beautiful Holiday.
… Fifty days after the Jewish Passover, the Jews celebrated the day of Pentecost, dedicated to the legislation of Sinai. The apostles did not take part in mass celebrations, but gathered together with the Mother of God and other disciples in the house of one person. History has not preserved evidence of his name and what he did, it is only known that it was in Jerusalem ... It was about three o'clock in the afternoon according to Jewish time (about 9 o'clock in the morning according to modern accounts). Suddenly, from heaven itself, from a height, there was an incredible noise, reminiscent of the howl and rumble from a rushing strong wind, the noise filled the whole house, in which the disciples of Christ and the Virgin Mary were. People began to pray. Fiery tongues began to play between people and began to stop for a moment on each of the worshipers. Thus, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, along with which they received an amazing ability to speak and preach in many languages, previously unknown to them ... The promise of the Savior was fulfilled. His disciples received a special grace and gift, strength and ability to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is believed that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of fire as a sign that it has the power to burn sins and purify, sanctify and warm the soul.
On the occasion of the holiday, Jerusalem was full of people, Jews from different countries converged in the city on this day. A strange noise from the house where the disciples of Christ were, made hundreds of people run to this place. Those gathered were amazed and asked each other: “Are they not all Galileans? How do we hear each of our own languages in which we were born? How can they speak with our tongues about the great things of God?” And they said in bewilderment: "They drank sweet wine." Then the apostle Peter, standing up with the other eleven apostles, said that they were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, as had been predicted by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus Christ, who had been crucified, ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on them. Spirit. Many of those who listened to the sermon of the Apostle Peter at that moment believed and were baptized. The apostles initially preached to the Jews, and then dispersed to different countries to preach to all nations.
So Saint Andrew, who is also called Andrew the First-Called, set out to preach the Word of God to the eastern countries. He passed through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, reached the Danube, passed the Black Sea coast, the Crimea, the Black Sea region and climbed along the Dnieper to the place where the city of Kyiv now stands. Here he stopped at the Kyiv mountains for the night. Getting up in the morning, he said to his disciples: “Do you see these mountains? On these mountains the grace of God will shine, there will be a great city, and God will raise up many churches.” The apostle climbed the mountains, blessed them and erected a cross. Having prayed, he climbed even higher along the Dnieper and reached the settlements of the Slavs, where Novgorod was founded.
Miraculously, the Apostle Thomas, who believed in Christ, reached the shores of India. Until now, Christians live in the southern states of this country, Kerala and Karnataka, whose ancestors were baptized by St. Thomas.
Peter visited various areas of the Middle East, Asia Minor, and later settled in Rome. There, according to a very reliable tradition of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, he was executed between 64 and 68 AD. punishment that the Lord endured.
Enlightening the nations with the teachings of Christ, the apostle Paul also undertook long journeys. In addition to his repeated stays in Palestine, he preached about Christ in Phoenicia, Syria, Cappadocia, Lydia, Macedonia, Italy, the islands of Cyprus, Lesbos, Rhodes, Sicily and other lands. The power of his preaching was so great that the Jews could not oppose anything to the power of Paul's teaching, the pagans themselves asked him to preach the word of God and the whole city gathered to listen to him.
That grace of the Holy Spirit, which was clearly given to the apostles in the form of fiery tongues, is now given invisibly in the Orthodox Church - in her holy sacraments through the successors of the apostles - the pastors of the Church - bishops and priests.
The feast of Christian Pentecost contains a double celebration: both in the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, and in the glory of the Most Holy Spirit, who descended upon the Apostles and sealed the new eternal covenant of God with man.
On the Feast of the Holy Trinity, established at the end of the 4th century, after the dogma of the Trinity, the trinitarian God, was officially adopted at the church council in Constantinople in 381, we are talking about another important aspect of the Christian faith: the incomprehensible mystery of the trinity of God. God is one in three persons and this mystery is incomprehensible to the human mind, but the essence of the Trinity was revealed to people on this day.
By the way, for a long time, Christian artists did not depict the Trinity, believing that God can only be depicted in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But not God - the father, not God - the Holy Spirit should not be painted .. However, over time, a special iconography of the Holy Trinity was formed, which is now divided into two types. The Old Testament Trinity is familiar to each of us from the well-known icon of Andrei of Radonezh (Rublev), on which God is depicted in the form of three angels who appeared to Abraham. The icons of the New Testament Trinity are images of God the Father in the form of an old man, Jesus Christ as a child in his bosom or an adult husband, to his right, and the Spirit above them in the form of a dove.
In Russia, they began to celebrate Holy Pentecost not in the first years after the baptism of Russia, but almost 300 years later, in the 14th century, under St. Sergius of Radonezh.
From that day until the next feast of Holy Pascha, they begin to sing the troparion to the Holy Spirit “King of heaven ...” From this moment, for the first time after Pascha, prostrations are allowed.
… The service on the feast of Holy Pentecost is touching and beautiful. The temple is decorated, the priests are dressed in green robes, it smells of grass and fresh greenery, the choir “... renew in our hearts, Almighty, true, right Spirit” solemnly and brightly sounds, the parishioners kneel to read the special prayers of St. Basil the Great. And in the yard is a juicy early summer - a reminder of that beautiful and deep "year of the Lord" that Jesus Christ promised the righteous.
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