Holy Pentecost - 50 Days after Pascha
From the Synaxarion
After the Saviour's ascent to heaven the eleven Apostles, the rest of the Disciples, the pious women who were accustomed to follow him from the beginning, his most holy Mother the Virgin Mary and his brothers returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Altogether they were about one hundred and twenty souls. When they had entered the house in which they lived, they went up to the upper room to await the coming of the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of their divine Master, continuing in prayer and supplication. About that time the election fell on Matthias who was counted among the eleven Apostles.
On a corresponding Sunday, which is the tenth day after the Ascension, and the fiftieth after the Passover, falling then on the thirteenth of May, about the third hour of the day, there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where the Apostles were sitting. And immediately there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and sat upon the head of each of them. And all those who were there were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak, not with the tongues of their ancestors, but with other tongues with which the Holy Spirit supplied them as He inspired them.
And by divine provision, there were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast great multitudes from about eighteen different nations and tongues, such as Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and others, who were all Jews by race and religion, but, because they had been born and brought up in various places among strange nations, they were dispersed from ancient times, and each was called after the place of his birth. When these heard the sound from heaven, descending, to where the Disciples of Christ were gathered, they all hastened thither to find out what had happened. And as each heard the Apostles speaking in his own language, they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another, "Behold are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"
And there were others, who, because of their great wickedness and folly, mocked the miracle, saying that the Apostles were drunk.
Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spake before the multitude, explaining that what had happened was not due to intoxication, but to the fulfillment of God's promise, speaking to Joel which says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days I will pour of my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy," etc. (Acts 2:2-28). Then he preached Jesus the Nazarene, explaining with many proofs that he was Christ the Lord whom the Jews crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
Many then were touched in their hearts because of his words, and, accepting them, were baptized. And on that day there were added to the faithful about three thousand souls. (Acts 1:12 to 2 :4).
This then is the object of the present Feast, namely, the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world, the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus Christ, and the completion of the undefiled Disciples' hope. It is the sequel and the conclusion of the Feasts of the great mystery of the divine Incarnation. On the day corresponding to this day of salvation, the day of Pentecost, the Saviour's Apostles, who were formerly simple fishermen and illiterate, were suddenly instructed by the advent of the Holy Spirit, becoming possessed of the greatest wisdom and speaking plainly of heavenly doctrines. They became preachers of truth and teachers to the whole world. From that day they began the work of their great mission, the wonderful and delectable first-fruit of which was the conversion of three thousand souls on that very same day.
From the Synaxarion
After the Saviour's ascent to heaven the eleven Apostles, the rest of the Disciples, the pious women who were accustomed to follow him from the beginning, his most holy Mother the Virgin Mary and his brothers returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Altogether they were about one hundred and twenty souls. When they had entered the house in which they lived, they went up to the upper room to await the coming of the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of their divine Master, continuing in prayer and supplication. About that time the election fell on Matthias who was counted among the eleven Apostles.
On a corresponding Sunday, which is the tenth day after the Ascension, and the fiftieth after the Passover, falling then on the thirteenth of May, about the third hour of the day, there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where the Apostles were sitting. And immediately there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and sat upon the head of each of them. And all those who were there were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak, not with the tongues of their ancestors, but with other tongues with which the Holy Spirit supplied them as He inspired them.
And by divine provision, there were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast great multitudes from about eighteen different nations and tongues, such as Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and others, who were all Jews by race and religion, but, because they had been born and brought up in various places among strange nations, they were dispersed from ancient times, and each was called after the place of his birth. When these heard the sound from heaven, descending, to where the Disciples of Christ were gathered, they all hastened thither to find out what had happened. And as each heard the Apostles speaking in his own language, they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another, "Behold are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"
And there were others, who, because of their great wickedness and folly, mocked the miracle, saying that the Apostles were drunk.
Then Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spake before the multitude, explaining that what had happened was not due to intoxication, but to the fulfillment of God's promise, speaking to Joel which says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days I will pour of my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy," etc. (Acts 2:2-28). Then he preached Jesus the Nazarene, explaining with many proofs that he was Christ the Lord whom the Jews crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
Many then were touched in their hearts because of his words, and, accepting them, were baptized. And on that day there were added to the faithful about three thousand souls. (Acts 1:12 to 2 :4).
This then is the object of the present Feast, namely, the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world, the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus Christ, and the completion of the undefiled Disciples' hope. It is the sequel and the conclusion of the Feasts of the great mystery of the divine Incarnation. On the day corresponding to this day of salvation, the day of Pentecost, the Saviour's Apostles, who were formerly simple fishermen and illiterate, were suddenly instructed by the advent of the Holy Spirit, becoming possessed of the greatest wisdom and speaking plainly of heavenly doctrines. They became preachers of truth and teachers to the whole world. From that day they began the work of their great mission, the wonderful and delectable first-fruit of which was the conversion of three thousand souls on that very same day.