My Beloved the benevolent                                   June 2025

Grace and peace, wishing you all the goodness and blessings

On Sunday, June 8th, we celebrate the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, which comes at the end of the Holy Fifty Days; it is also called the Feast of Pentecost. The Apostles Fast begins on Monday, June 9th, and continues until our celebration of the Apostles Feast on Saturday, July 12th, which is the Feast of the Martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul.

+ Christ, after His glorious resurrection, remained with the disciples for forty days, as the book of Acts mentions, “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3. The forty days was an important period for the disciples to understand the prophecies and is considered the foundation for the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament. As the Gospel of Luke mentions, “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:45-47.  The redemptive work of salvation that Christ had done for the salvation of mankind through His crucifixion and glorious resurrection was the fulfillment of the prophecies, and that the salvation for all nations should be preached in His name.

+ Christ commissioned His disciples to preach His name and His work of salvation for all nations. First, He gave them the power to perform this mission by sending the Holy Spirit. Then He specified for them the place of the preaching, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall witness to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8.

+ After the ascension of Christ, the disciples remained in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them and on all believers on the day of Pentecost. Therefore, Pentecost is considered the day of the birth of the Church.  The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the gift of speaking in tongues and gave effectiveness to St. Peter’s sermon, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 2:37-38. “Then those who gladly received his words were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” Acts 2:41. It is a powerful and joyful beginning, especially since the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the power to perform wonders and signs, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” Acts 2:43.

                      The book of Acts describes the growth of the churches, “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” Acts 9:31.

+ As the book of Acts describes the work of the Holy Spirit in the growth of the church, it also mentions the resistance that the early church faced from the Jews, especially from the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection. Therefore, they strongly resisted the proclamations of the disciples regarding the resurrection of Christ, threatened them, flogged them, and imprisoned them. However, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were bearing witness to the resurrection of Christ, “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33.

The book of Acts also tells us about the complaint that arose against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1), and how the disciples dealt with this complaint with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and ordained the seven deacons. It also reminds us of Ananias and Safira’s lie to the Holy Spirit in the selling of the field and how the Lord punished them.

The Fast of the Apostles is a good opportunity for us to read the book of Acts carefully. Let us rejoice in the work of Holy Spirit in the early church, learn how to be faithful witnesses, and learn to care for the ministry of the needy, which was a prominent service in the church’s early life, “for there was no one in need among them” Acts 4:34.

May the Lord bless your gifts to support Santa Verena’s charitable programs.

Metropolitan Serapion