It is important to call the Holy Spirit on the Church, the Ukrainian people and each of us. God loves us and gives us Himself. Therefore, it is necessary to realize the gift of the Holy Spirit and receive Him. The sin against the Holy Spirit means not accepting God’s love. Moreover, we will never be able to become a united Church without help of the Holy Spirit.
This was emphasized by the Father and Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his sermon to the faithful on Sunday, June 16, 2019, during the Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. On this day, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost. This feast has other names – the Descent of the Holy Spirit, or Green holidays.
“Today, the Church of Christ celebrates one of the largest Christian holidays in the year, it is also called the birthday of the Church. After all, on this day an important historical event took place,” said the Primate.
And later he added: “We have heard how the evangelist Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, describes to us that on this day the Holy Spirit came onto the apostles in the form of fiery tongues at the moment when they were gathered in prayer together with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Interestingly, this moment was not secret, behind closed doors. After they got this inner fire, they came out and began to speak different languages. Moreover, they could be understood by different peoples, in particular those who had arrived to Jerusalem on the feast of the Old Testament Pentecost from all corners of the Roman Empire. Those who were uneducated became smarter than the wise men; those who were frightened – received the power that led them to the edge of the earth, to teach the Word of Christ’s Gospel, and to make all peoples the sons and daughters of God.”
The Head of the UGCC said that the day of Pentecost has a profound background. The Jews celebrated the moment when from different tribes they had became one nation, received God’s Law and became God’s people.
“The Holy Spirit coming down to the apostles is the moment when the Almighty begins to write His eternal word, eternal law in the heart of man. The Heavenly Father begins to speak a language that man understands for this is the language of God’s love. By giving the Holy Spirit to man, God says: “I am yours, and you are Mine. You will be My people, and I will be your God!” emphasized the preacher.
According to the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics, this day we celebrate our holy divine adoption.
“Today, the Creator, through the Son of God and the Holy Spirit, reveals to us His fatherhood for each of us. Interestingly, today we are also celebrating Father’s Day. I want to congratulate all our husbands with the gift of fatherhood, which the Lord gives you, and also I want to thank you for accepting this gift,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav at the end.
Department of Information of the UGCC