MAY 28: CONFESSION – 8:30 AM, DIVINE LITURGY – 9:00 AM (LIVE-STREAMED (OUTSIDE – WEATHER PERMITTING), PANACHIDA FOR 5TH ALL SOULS SATURDAY – 10:10 AM; KNEELING VESPERS – 12:00 PM.
SUNDAY PROPERS: Pentecost_DL
Moleben (Prayer Service) Invoking the Help of the Holy Spirit: Moleben_Holy_Spirit
PENTECOST AFTERNOON (KNEELING) VESPERS PROPERS: Pentecost_afternoon_Vespers
Parishes live-streaming in the Diocese can be found here: https://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/directory
Byzantine Catholics and the Feast Of Pentecost: “Your good Spirit shall lead me into the land of righteousness. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!” (from the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh): https://archpitt.org/byzantine-catholics-and-the-feast-of-pentecost-your-good-spirit-shall-lead-me-into-the-land-of-righteousness-alleluia-alleluia-alleluia/
An Explantation of the Byzantine Rite Liturgical Practice of Observing All Souls Saturdays (from the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh): https://archpitt.org/an-explantation-of-the-byzantine-rite-liturgical-practive-of-observing-all-souls-saturdays/
The Gospel Reading for Sunday is John 7:37-52 & 8:12, The Promise of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel reading for Pentecost includes: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” and “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” We must learn to thirst for the Holy Spirit and for light. How do we learn to thirst? We must search for knowledge about our weaknesses, and with faith to learn to walk in the light. This does not just happen, as we go through life in order to have the Holy Spirit abide in us, since He is the Spirit of Truth, we must live according to the truth.
Feast of Pentecost occurs 50 days after Pascha and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Christ after His Resurrection. Traditionally, in the Byzantine Rite, Green is the color associated with Pentecost. The emphasis is always on the life-giving, life-renewing aspect of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to bring new life to all. Churches and homes are often decorated with green boughs and branches to herald the life-giving Spirit. In the Slav tradition, Pentecost is often called Rusalija. In the “night” of Pentecost Sunday a special Vespers is celebrated, called the Kneeling Prayer. This is a Vespers service to which are added three sets of long poetical prayers, the composition of Saint Basil the Great, during which everyone makes a full prostration. Eastern Christians do not kneel for prayers from Pascha until Pentecost, so this Vespers service is the first time we kneel! (Of course we don’t on Sundays throughout the year.)
Pentecost Monday (May 29) is also known as “Feast of the Holy Trinity” and is the first day of the after feast of Pentecost, being dedicated specifically to the honor of God the Holy Spirit and particularly to the historical event of His descent on the holy apostles on Pentecost. The third day, Tuesday, is called the “Third Day of the Trinity. The After-feast of Pentecost lasts for one week and is festive, during which fasting is not permitted. Then we return to “ordinary time” of the Church year.
The final day for the Feast of Pentecost is Saturday, June 3rd.
