"He breathes rapidly, his tongue burns, Christ is the divine Spirit of the Apostles. A great catch of Spirit is poured out. The embassies of the Holy Apostles, Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen"
The great Despotic feast of Pentecost, day on which our Holy Church celebrates its Birthday, the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Great Virgin celebrated with all splendor and sanctity, in Mykonos Town.
In an all-night atmosphere and with every ecclesiastical magnificence, the day of Pentecost was celebrated in the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Great Virgin Mary.
Pious Mykonians and vacationers came from the early hours of the morning and with exemplary order and reverence watched prayerfully the celebration of the Orthrus and the Divine Liturgy by the High Priestly Commissioner of Delos and Mykonos, His Eminence. Petro Marago, flanked by the archpriest Fr. George Kousathanas
«Συνηγμένων τῶν Μαθήτῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
ἐγένετο ἦχος, καπαπερ φερομένης βιαίας πνοῆς και
ἐπλήρωσε τόν οἶκον, οὖ ἦσαν καθήμενοι »
Orthrinos Gospel of Sunday, According to John K '(20) 19-23
Οὔσης οὖν ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν ουουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ ηησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς · εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ. ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν Κύριον.
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ᾿ ηησοῦς πάλιν · εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς.
καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς · λάβετε Πνεῦμα ῞Αγιον ·
ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς, ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, are held.
On the Sunday of Pentecost the apparition of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles is honored. In remembrance of this event, each year, we celebrate with special splendor the birthday of the Church, one day before the feast of the Holy Spirit.
A day of divine joy is Pentecost Sunday when our Church experiences the descent of the Holy Spirit, is formed into the Body of Christ, and receives the divine gifts. The Acts of the Apostles describes the event of Pentecost in very vivid colors. During that day the Disciples "they were all in agreement on this" (Act. β΄2). That is, they were all gathered together with one mind in the same place.
The post-Resurrection events had united them mentally. Under the unbearable pressure of danger they gather to pray and ask for God's help. Just at that time of trial he descends "to the breath of violence" the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, whom the Lord had promised them to comfort them, to strengthen them, but mainly to unite them in one Body with the Risen Christ.
Of the Divine Liturgy, followed by the Great Vespers of Kneeling, presence of believers.
After the end of the Divine Liturgy it was performed, in an overwhelming atmosphere and according to the standard of the Orthodox Church, the Great Vespers of the Holy Spirit or the so-called "Vespers of the Kneeling Church", during which they were read, the preordained wonderful all-encompassing wishes of Gonyklissia.
Immediately after «login" of Vespers, and after singing it "Hilarious Light" and the solemn Great Object "The Great God as our God; You are God, who wonderfully alone!» in heavy sound, majestic, worthy of its meaning and message, His Eminence Fr. Petros Maragos announced the start of the kneeling ceremony, calling the clergy and faithful, to kneel and address to God kneeling a word of supplication, with the phrase : "So and so, kneeling, let us pray to the Lord".
The wishes of the Holy Church were read by His Holiness Fr. Petros Maragos and the archpriest Fr. Georgios Kousathanas from the Beautiful Gate to the bishop of the whole Church.
These wishes are divided into three groups, as are the kneeling.
1) In the obedience that the Son showed to the Father, which we are called to imitate,
2) in the love shown by the Word of God to the world and
3) to the gratitude we owe to God for His benefits.
His Holiness announced the end of the Holy Mass with the phrase "I understand, save, ελεησον, resurrect, and may God protect us ".
At the end of the Holy Services, His Holiness Fr. Petros Maragos spoke to the large congregation referring theologically to the hypostatic idioms of the Holy Spirit of the third person of the Holy Trinity and wished everyone a happy birthday.
See images from Divine Liturgy and the Vespers of Kneeling:
