The day we celebrate and its meaning is difficult to explain. It's not even a matter of words. When we say that our God is, then our feelings become confused. What does it mean? Or even more important - how to approach this?
Yes, we can limit the mind, we can cope with the inquisitiveness of the mind, recognizing the mystery of the Holy Trinity as incomprehensible. And this will be quite enough for a person if he sincerely seeks God. Faith is not expected to resolve logical difficulties; that would be too simple. After all, the most important thing for a person is not what peace and Why it's built that way, but What what I do in this world, why I came here and how I can answer the mystery of the universe with my life...
Here we begin to come closer to understanding the meaning of our faith in God the Trinity. Looking closely at the world around us, at people, at ourselves, we come to the realization that we know very little about the Universe. And this mystery, the understatement of the main thing, it turns out, is the bridge that connects our God and the world He created. And the more honesty we show here, the closer we can get to the truth. We look around, notice amazing harmony and wisdom in nature, people, society; we look into ourselves, into our feelings, experiences and understand that all this is too mysterious, wise and beautiful to be the product of blind chance. This mystery could only come from another Mystery... But this is only the beginning, the first steps.
When a person stands before God, revealed in the image of the Holy Trinity, he has the right to ask: “Okay, this is the Creator, He is mysterious and incomprehensible to me. I can agree with this. But then what relation do I have to my Creator? This question is very important. You can't miss it. It must certainly be born in the heart of everyone who sincerely seeks a living faith. And here the believing heart has something to say.
Very rarely do we think about the fact that the world can do without us
First, the Holy Trinity is completeness. This means that God really doesn’t need us. And this honesty should not scare us. We are accustomed to building our relationships with God at least as equals, and most often as self-satisfied creditors who can do a favor in the form of a good deed, prayer or good attitude towards others. But very rarely do we think about the fact that the world can do without us, that God does not need ours at all. good deeds, much less in prayers to Him. Therefore, if all this bothers us, if we don’t have time for it, then it’s quite possible to do without performances, the world won’t collapse because of it. Another thing is how long without God we can maintain our human appearance. The Creator does not want to violate our freedom if we ourselves renounce our humanity.
But it would be wrong to stop there. There is something else. The mystery of the Trinity is... And here the reason and meaning of that world is revealed, the mystery of which we are surprised every day. God creates the world and people because He is truly willing and able to embrace them with His love. He sacrifices Himself for the creation that has turned away from Him. And only in the Trinity can one comprehend the greatness of this event: God, Who does not need us, whose love we have trampled underfoot, for our sake gives His Only Begotten Son to be tortured. There is only one reason and explanation here - love...
And now we can answer main question, which worries us: how the Mystery of the Holy Trinity comes into contact with our lives. Honesty is needed here. We really cannot bring anything to God, who finds fullness and love in the Trinity. But we can answer this mystery with a mystery too. We must feel our involvement in the Creator. After all, our God is a God who did not just create us and leave us to our own devices. He continually cares and participates in our lives. And this participation has one reason - love. This means that He does not come into our lives when favorable circumstances arise and everything is ready for us to meet Him, not because we were able to reach a certain spiritual level by engaging in ascetic exercises. God is not interested in circumstances or our form. He is waiting for one thing - an answer to His love for man. And this answer should also be the fruit of love, and not coercion or any obligations or dreams.
We are called to respond to the mystery of the Holy Trinity with the secret love that God has invested in every person. And it is very important to always remind yourself of this. To remind us that God does not need our good deeds, spiritual exercises, prayers, if they do not reveal traces of the Divine secret in ourselves. To remind us that we must respect this mystery in everyone we meet along the way. Not because it is necessary or it will be better to live on earth this way, but because this is what our God has determined - to endow every person with His own image.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity reminds us that the world is inexplicable and we should not look for any truly important patterns in the combination of circumstances and events. All this is just the voice of God to man, which we must hear with our hearts. The man who stands before us is also inexplicable, because in him there is a reflection of this secret. This means you shouldn’t bother yourself with trying to explain his actions and deeds. It is necessary to respect the mystery in him, and to respond to him with the same, which gives the power to forgive.
The Holy Trinity is a theological term reflecting the Christian teaching about the Trinitarian nature of God. This is one of the most important concepts of Orthodoxy.
The Holy Trinity
From lectures on dogmatic theology at the Orthodox St. Tikhon's Theological Institute
The Dogma of the Holy Trinity is the foundation of the Christian religion
God is one in essence, but trinity in persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible.
The word “Trinity” itself, of non-biblical origin, was introduced into the Christian lexicon in the second half of the 2nd century by St. Theophilus of Antioch. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is given in Christian Revelation.
The dogma of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible, it is a mysterious dogma, incomprehensible at the level of reason. For the human mind, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is contradictory, because it is a mystery that cannot be expressed rationally.
It is no coincidence that Fr. Pavel Florensky called the dogma of the Holy Trinity “a cross for human thought.” In order to accept the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity, the sinful human mind must reject its claims to the ability to know everything and rationally explain, that is, in order to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, it is necessary to reject its understanding.
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is comprehended, and only partially, in the experience of spiritual life. This comprehension is always associated with ascetic feat. V.N. Lossky says: “The apophatic ascent is an ascent to Golgotha, therefore no speculative philosophy could ever rise to the mystery of the Holy Trinity.”
Belief in the Trinity distinguishes Christianity from all other monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam. The doctrine of the Trinity is the basis of all Christian faith and moral teaching, for example, the doctrine of God the Savior, God the Sanctifier, etc. V.N. Lossky said that the doctrine of the Trinity is “not only the basis, but also the highest goal of theology, for ... to know the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity in its fullness means to enter into Divine life, into the very life of the Most Holy Trinity.”
The doctrine of the Triune God comes down to three points:
1) God is trinity and trinity consists in the fact that in God there are Three Persons (hypostases): Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
2) Each Person of the Holy Trinity is God, but They are not three Gods, but are one Divine being.
3) All three Persons differ in personal or hypostatic properties.
Analogies of the Holy Trinity in the world
The Holy Fathers, in order to somehow bring the doctrine of the Holy Trinity closer to the perception of man, used various kinds of analogies borrowed from the created world.
For example, the sun and the light and heat emanating from it. A source of water, a spring coming from it, and, in fact, a stream or river. Some see an analogy in the structure of the human mind (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Ascetic experiences): “Our mind, word and spirit, by the simultaneity of their beginning and by their mutual relationships, serve as the image of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
However, all these analogies are very imperfect. If we take the first analogy - the sun, outgoing rays and heat - then this analogy presupposes some temporary process. If we take the second analogy - a source of water, a spring and a stream, then they differ only in our imagination, but in reality they are one water element. As for the analogy associated with the abilities of the human mind, it can only be an analogy of the image of the Revelation of the Most Holy Trinity in the world, but not of intra-Trinity existence. Moreover, all these analogies place unity above trinity.
Saint Basil the Great considered the rainbow to be the most perfect analogy borrowed from the created world, because “the same light is both continuous in itself and multi-colored.” “And in the multicoloredness a single face is revealed - there is no middle and no transition between colors. It is not visible where the rays demarcate. We clearly see the difference, but we cannot measure the distances. And together, the multicolored rays form a single white one. The one essence reveals itself in a multi-colored radiance.”
The disadvantage of this analogy is that the colors of the spectrum are not independent individuals. In general, patristic theology is characterized by a very wary attitude towards analogies.
An example of such an attitude is the 31st Word of St. Gregory the Theologian: “Finally, I concluded that it is best to abandon all images and shadows, as deceptive and far from reaching the truth, and adhere to a more pious way of thinking, focusing on a few sayings.” .
In other words, there are no images to represent this dogma in our minds; all images borrowed from the created world are very imperfect.
A Brief History of the Dogma of the Holy Trinity
Christians have always believed that God is one in essence, but trinity in persons, but the dogmatic teaching about the Holy Trinity itself was created gradually, usually in connection with the emergence of various kinds of heretical errors. The doctrine of the Trinity in Christianity has always been connected with the doctrine of Christ, with the doctrine of the Incarnation. Trinitarian heresies and trinitarian disputes had a Christological basis.
In fact, the doctrine of the Trinity became possible thanks to the Incarnation. As the troparion of Epiphany says, in Christ “Trinitarian worship appears.” The teaching about Christ is “a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks” (1 Cor. 1:23). Also, the doctrine of the Trinity is a stumbling block for both “strict” Jewish monotheism and Hellenic polytheism. Therefore, all attempts to rationally comprehend the mystery of the Holy Trinity led to errors of either a Jewish or Hellenic nature. The first dissolved the Persons of the Trinity in a single nature, for example, the Sabellians, while others reduced the Trinity to three unequal beings (Arians).
The condemnation of Arianism occurred in 325 at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The main act of this Council was the compilation of the Nicene Creed, into which non-biblical terms were introduced, among which the term “omousios” - “consubstantial” - played a special role in the Trinitarian disputes of the 4th century.
To reveal the true meaning of the term "omousios" it took enormous efforts of the great Cappadocians: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and Gregory of Nyssa.
The great Cappadocians, primarily Basil the Great, strictly distinguished between the concepts of “essence” and “hypostasis”. Basil the Great defined the difference between “essence” and “hypostasis” as between the general and the particular.
According to the teachings of the Cappadocians, the essence of the Divine and its distinctive properties, i.e., the non-beginning of existence and Divine dignity, belong equally to all three hypostases. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are its manifestations in Persons, each of which possesses the fullness of the divine essence and is in inextricable unity with it. The Hypostases differ from each other only in their personal (hypostatic) properties.
In addition, the Cappadocians actually identified (primarily the two Gregory: Nazianzen and Nyssa) the concept of “hypostasis” and “person”. “Face” in the theology and philosophy of that time was a term that belonged not to the ontological, but to the descriptive plane, that is, a face could be called the mask of an actor or the legal role that a person performed.
By identifying “person” and “hypostasis” in trinitarian theology, the Cappadocians thereby transferred this term from the descriptive plane to the ontological plane. The consequence of this identification was, in essence, the emergence of a new concept that the ancient world did not know: this term is “personality”. The Cappadocians managed to reconcile the abstractness of Greek philosophical thought with the biblical idea of a personal Deity.
The main thing in this teaching is that personality is not part of nature and cannot be thought of in the categories of nature. The Cappadocians and their direct disciple St. Amphilochius of Iconium called the Divine hypostases “ways of being” of the Divine nature. According to their teaching, personality is a hypostasis of being, which freely hypostasizes its nature. Thus, the personal being in its specific manifestations is not predetermined by the essence that is given to it from the outside, therefore God is not an essence that would precede Persons. When we call God an absolute Person, we thereby want to express the idea that God is not determined by any external or internal necessity, that He is absolutely free in relation to His own being, always is what He wants to be and always acts as He wants to be. as he wants, that is, he freely hypostasizes His triune nature.
Indications of the trinity (plurality) of Persons in God in the Old and New Testaments
In the Old Testament there is a sufficient number of indications of the trinity of Persons, as well as hidden indications of the plurality of persons in God without indicating a specific number.
This plurality is already spoken of in the first verse of the Bible (Gen. 1:1): “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The verb bara (created) is singular and the noun elohim is plural, which literally means “gods.”
Life 1:26: “And God said: Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.” The word “let us create” is in plural. Same thing Gen. 3:22: “And God said, Behold, Adam has become as one of Us, knowing good and evil.” “Of Us” is also plural.
Life 11, 6 – 7, where we are talking about the Babylonian pandemonium: “And the Lord said: ... let us go down and confuse their language there,” the word “let us go down” is in the plural. Saint Basil the Great in Shestodnevo (Conversation 9) comments on these words as follows: “It is truly strange idle talk to assert that someone sits and orders himself, supervises himself, compels himself powerfully and urgently. The second is an indication of the actual three Persons, but without naming the persons and without distinguishing them.”
XVIII chapter of the book of Genesis, the appearance of three Angels to Abraham. At the beginning of the chapter it is said that God appeared to Abraham, in the Hebrew text it is “Jehovah”. Abraham, coming out to meet the three strangers, bows to Them and addresses Them with the word “Adonai,” literally “Lord,” in the singular.
In patristic exegesis there are two interpretations of this passage. First: the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, appeared, accompanied by two angels. We find this interpretation in martyr. Justin the Philosopher, St. Hilary of Pictavia, St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret of Cyrrhus.
However, most of the fathers - Saints Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine - believe that this is the appearance of the Most Holy Trinity, the first revelation to man about the Trinity of the Divine.
It was the second opinion that was accepted by the Orthodox Tradition and was embodied, firstly, in hymnography, which speaks of this event precisely as the appearance of the Triune God, and in iconography (the well-known icon of the “Old Testament Trinity”).
Blessed Augustine (“On the City of God,” book 26) writes: “Abraham meets three, worships one. Having seen the three, he understood the mystery of the Trinity, and having worshiped as if one, he confessed the One God in Three Persons.”
An indication of the trinity of God in the New Testament is, first of all, the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan by John, which received the name Epiphany in Church Tradition. This event was the first clear Revelation to humanity about the Trinity of the Divine.
Further, the commandment about baptism, which the Lord gives to His disciples after the Resurrection (Matthew 28:19): “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Here the word “name” is singular, although it refers not only to the Father, but also to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit together. Saint Ambrose of Milan comments on this verse as follows: “The Lord said “in the name,” and not “in names,” because there is one God, not many names, because there are not two Gods and not three Gods.”
2 Cor. 13, 13: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” With this expression, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the personality of the Son and the Spirit, who bestow gifts on an equal basis with the Father.
1, In. 5, 7: “Three bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” This passage from the letter of the apostle and evangelist John is controversial, since this verse is not found in ancient Greek manuscripts.
Prologue of the Gospel of John (John 1:1): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” By God here we mean the Father, and the Word is called the Son, that is, the Son was eternally with the Father and was eternally God.
The Transfiguration of the Lord is also the Revelation of the Most Holy Trinity. This is how he comments on this event gospel history V.N. Lossky: “That is why the Epiphany and Transfiguration are celebrated so solemnly. We celebrate the Revelation of the Most Holy Trinity, for the voice of the Father was heard and the Holy Spirit was present. In the first case, in the guise of a dove, in the second, as a shining cloud that overshadowed the apostles.”
Distinction of Divine Persons by Hypostatic Properties
According to church teaching, Hypostases are Persons, and not impersonal forces. Moreover, the Hypostases have a single nature. Naturally the question arises, how to distinguish them?
All divine properties relate to a common nature; they are characteristic of all three Hypostases and therefore cannot express the differences of the Divine Persons by themselves. Impossible to give absolute definition each Hypostasis, using one of the Divine names.
One of the features of personal existence is that personality is unique and inimitable, and therefore, it cannot be defined, it cannot be subsumed under a certain concept, since the concept always generalizes; impossible to bring to a common denominator. Therefore, a person can only be perceived through his relationship to other individuals.
This is exactly what we see in Holy Scripture, where the idea of Divine Persons is based on the relationships that exist between them.
Starting approximately from the end of the 4th century, we can talk about generally accepted terminology, according to which hypostatic properties are expressed in the following terms: in the Father - ungeneracy, in the Son - birth (from the Father), and procession (from the Father) in the Holy Spirit. Personal properties are incommunicable properties, eternally remaining unchanged, exclusively belonging to that or another of the Divine Persons. Thanks to these properties, Persons differ from each other, and we recognize them as special Hypostases.
At the same time, distinguishing three Hypostases in God, we confess the Trinity to be consubstantial and indivisible. Consubstantial means that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three independent Divine Persons, possessing all divine perfections, but these are not three special separate beings, not three Gods, but One God. They have a single and indivisible Divine nature. Each of the Persons of the Trinity possesses the divine nature perfectly and completely.
The Orthodox holiday of Trinity (three holy faces) is a special day for believers. Its second name is Pentecost. It is explained by the fact that Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday. In terms of importance, the Trinity is surpassed only by Holy Easter. Even Christmas is given less significant significance. Trinity is one of the dozen most important Orthodox holidays. Therefore, it is very important to know what the holiday of Trinity means in Orthodoxy and for believers.
Celebrating the holiday of Trinity, Orthodox Christians honor the day when they learned about the most important dogma of their religion - the trinity of God as its true essence. Before this, believers thought that there was a separate God the Father and God the Son. But they did not know about Their Spirit at all. But the grace that descended on the fiftieth day after Great Easter, revealed to them true knowledge, namely:
- God the Father is not begotten by anyone and cannot come from anyone;
- God the Son is born from God the Father eternally;
- God the Holy Spirit also emanates from God the Father from all eternity.
These three faces are inseparable from each other. God in Orthodoxy is one. He is the creator of the world. He provides for all things (living and nonliving), sanctifying them. Orthodox believers praise God in all His forms.
The history of the Orthodox holiday Trinity
Trinity has a very interesting story. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven on the fortieth day after his Resurrection. And it was then that he prophesied to the apostles that God’s Spirit would descend on them. It came true exactly ten days later. That is, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ.
The Holy Trinity- the doctrine revealed by Christianity about the Triune God, one in essence and trinity in the Persons (Hypostases) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.However, the concept of the Trinity is reflected in many biblical texts. More than 60 times Scripture simultaneously mentions the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For example:
- “And Jesus, having been baptized, immediately came out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending upon Him. And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3: 16 -17),
- “Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19),
- “For three bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7),
- “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:13),
- “When the grace and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” ( Tit. 3, 4 -6).
The Hebrew word Elohim, found in Genesis 1, is the plural form of El or Eloah. Many see here an indication of the plurality of Persons in God.
Distortions of the doctrine of the Trinity
Followers of Christian sects who do not accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity are called anti-Trinitarians.
Iconography
The iconographic tradition of depicting the Trinity, first of all, reflects several biblical episodes, of which the Eternal Council and the Hospitality of Abraham are widespread; the appearance of the Trinity to Alexander of Svirsky and the Holy Life-Giving Trinity with Acts are less commonly mentioned
The Christian holiday of Trinity is one of the Orthodox twelve holidays, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, on Sunday. Churches of the Western tradition celebrate on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Pentecost, and the Trinity itself on the following resurrection.
The meaning of the holiday of Trinity
The Bible says that the grace given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit descended on them on this very day. Thanks to this, people were shown the third face of God, they joined the sacrament: the unity of God is manifested in three persons - Father, Son and Spirit. From that day on, the message was preached throughout the entire earth. In general, the meaning of Trinity as a holiday is that God reveals himself to people in stages, and not all at once. In modern Christianity, the Trinity means that the Father, who created all living things, sent the Son, Jesus Christ, and then the Holy Spirit to people. For believers, the meaning of the Holy Trinity comes down to the praise of God in all his forms.
Traditions of celebrating Trinity
The Holy Trinity, the history of which dates back thousands of years, is also widely celebrated today. The people celebrate Trinity for three days. The first day is Klechalny or Green Sunday, when people had to be extremely careful because of the aggressiveness of mermaids, moths, terrapins and other mythical evil spirits. In villages, the holiday of the Russian Trinity is celebrated in compliance with traditions and certain rituals. The floors of churches and houses were decorated with grass, icons were decorated with birch branches. Green color symbolized the renewing and life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. By the way, in some Orthodox Churches golden and white colors. Girls tell fortunes on Green Sunday using wicker wreaths. If the wreaths floating on the water come together, then the young woman will be wooed this year. On this day, deceased relatives were remembered in cemeteries, leaving treats on the graves. And in the evenings, buffoons and mummers entertained the villagers.
It's Clue Monday in the morning. After the church service, the clergy went to the fields and read prayers, asking the Lord for protection for the future harvest. At this time, the children participated in interesting fun games.
On the third day, Bogodukhov Day, the girls “took Topolya.” Her role was played by the most beautiful unmarried girl. She was decorated beyond recognition with wreaths and ribbons, and was taken around rural yards so that her owners would generously treat her. The water in the wells was sanctified on this day, getting rid of the unclean spirit.
Christian Western tradition
Lutheranism and Catholicism share the holidays of Trinity and Pentecost. The cycle opens with Pentecost, a week later they celebrate Trinity, on the 11th day after Pentecost - the feast of the Blood and Body of Christ, on the 19th day - the Sacred Heart of Christ, on the 20th day - the feast of the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary. In Poland and Belarus, Catholic churches in Russia these days, churches are decorated with birch branches. Public holiday is considered the Trinity in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Latvia, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Norway and France.
Trinity and modernity Nowadays, Trinity is especially celebrated in rural areas. Before this day, housewives usually clean up both the house and the yard and prepare festive dishes. Flowers and grass collected early in the morning are used to decorate rooms, doors and windows, in the belief that they will not allow evil spirits into the house.
In the morning, festive services are held in churches, and in the evening you can attend concerts, folk festivals, and take part in fun competitions. Most of the traditions, unfortunately, have been lost, but the holiday still remains one of the most important for believers.
Day of the Holy Trinity
This article is about the church celebration. For Slavic rituals, see Trinity Day. The query "Descent of the Holy Spirit" redirects here; see also other meanings. The request for "Pentecost" redirects here; for the Jewish holiday, see Shavuot. Type Otherwise Established Celebrated Date In 2016 In 2017 In 2018 Celebration Associated with| Day of the Holy Trinity | |
  El Greco. "The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles." |
|
|
Christian, in a number of countries state |
|
|
Holy Sunday of Pentecostia, Pentecost, Trinity Day, Trinity |
|
|
in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the 50th day after Easter |
|
|
by the majority of Christians in the world |
|
|
50th day (8th Sunday) after Easter, 10th day after Ascension |
|
|
worship services, festivals, folk celebrations |
|
|
Easter and Holy Spirit Day |
|
| Trinity Day at Wikimedia Commons | |
Day of the Holy Trinity(abbr. Trinity), Pentecost(Greek Πεντηκοστή), Sunday of Holy Pentecost, (Greek Κυριακή της ἁγίας Πεντηκοστής), sometimes Whit Monday- one of the main Christian holidays.
Orthodox churches celebrate Holy Trinity Day on Sunday Pentecost- 50th day after Easter (Easter - 1st day). The holiday is one of the twelve holidays.
In the Western Christian tradition, Pentecost or the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is celebrated on this day, and Trinity Day itself is celebrated on the following Sunday (57th day after Easter).
In the New Testament
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Shavuot) is described in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 2:1-18). On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (the tenth day after His ascension), the apostles were in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem, “...suddenly there was a noise from the sky, as if from rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where they were. And cloven tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”(Acts 2:2-4).
On this day, Jews from different cities and countries were in the city on the occasion of the holiday. Hearing the noise, they gathered in front of the house where the apostles were, and since “everyone heard them speaking in his own dialect”(Acts 2:6), everyone was amazed. Some of them mocked the apostles and “they said: they got drunk on sweet wine”(Acts 2:13). In response to this reaction:
|
Name and interpretation
The holiday received its first name in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which Jesus Christ promised them before His ascension into heaven. The descent of the Holy Spirit indicated the trinity of God. What John Chrysostom writes about this:
| “And he filled the whole house.” The stormy breath was like a font of water; and fire serves as a sign of abundance and strength. This never happened to the prophets; it was like this only now - with the apostles; but with the prophets it is different. For example, Ezekiel is given a scroll of books, and he eats what he was supposed to say: “and it came to pass,” he says, “in my mouth it was as sweet as honey” (Ezek. 3:3). Or again: the hand of God touches the tongue of another prophet (Jer. 1:9). And here (everything is done) by the Holy Spirit himself and thus is equal to the Father and the Son |
On the day of Pentecost, according to Bishop Alexander (Mileant), the universal apostolic Church was formed (Acts 2:41-47).
The New Testament does not directly mention that the Mother of God was with the apostles at the descent of the Holy Spirit. The tradition of her presence in iconographic images of this event is based on the indication in the Acts of the Apostles that after the Ascension, the disciples of Jesus “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with certain women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”(Acts 1:14). On this occasion, Bishop Innokenty (Borisov) writes: “ Could she who conceived and gave birth through His medium not be present at the moment of the Holy Spirit’s coming?».
Divine service
In Orthodoxy
Trinity (icon of Andrei Rublev, early 15th century) Title in liturgical books: "Sunday of Saint Penticostia"(Church glory. Nedѣlѧ saints Pentikosti, Greek. Κυριακή της ἁγίας Πεντηκοστής) On this day in Orthodox churches One of the most solemn and beautiful services of the year is being celebrated. The day before, on Saturday evening, a festive all-night vigil is served, at Great Vespers of which three proverbs are read: the first of them tells how the Holy Spirit descended on the righteous in Old Testament(Num. 11:16-17 + Num. 11:24-29), the second (Joel 2:23-32) and the third (Ezek. 36:24-28) proverbs, according to the faith of the Orthodox Church, are prophecies of the descent the Holy Spirit on the apostles at Pentecost; for the first time after Great Lent, the famous stichera of the sixth tone to the Heavenly King is sung in stichera, which is repeated twice more after this at the matins of the all-night vigil; starting from this day, the prayer to the Heavenly King becomes the first prayer of the usual beginning of both church and home prayers. At Matins the polyeleos is served and the Gospel of John is read, the 65th conception (John 20:19-23); At Matins, two canons of this holiday are sung: the first was written by Cosmas of Mayum, the second by John of Damascus. On the holiday itself, a festive liturgy is served, at which the Apostle, 3rd Conception (Acts 2:1-11) is read and the composite Gospel of John, 27th Conception (John 7:37-52 + John 8:12) is read ). After the liturgy, the ninth hour and Great Vespers are served, at which stichera glorifying the descent of the Holy Spirit are sung; during Vespers, those praying three times, led by the priest, genuflect - they kneel, and the priest reads seven prayers (the first and second times of genuflection, the priest reads two prayers, and the third time - three prayers) for the Church, for the salvation of all those who pray and for the repose of the souls of all the departed (including “ in hell held") - this ends the post-Easter period, during which no kneeling or prostration is performed in churches.
Troparion, kontakion and tribute on the Sunday of Holy Pentecost In Greek In Church Slavonic (transliteration) In Russian
| Troparion of the holiday, tone 8 (Ἦχος πλ. δ") | Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι" αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι. | Blessed are you, Christ our God, who are all wise fishers of phenomena, having sent down to them the Holy Spirit, and with them you caught the universe: Lover of mankind, glory to you | Blessed are You, Christ our God, who made the fishermen wise, sent down the Holy Spirit to them, and through them captured the universe. Lover of humanity, glory to You! |
| Kontakion of the holiday, tone 8 (Ἦχος πλ. δ") | Ὅτε καταβὰς τὰς γλώσσας συνέχεε, διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ Ὕψιστος· ὅτε τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς γλώσσας διένειμεν, εἰς ἑνότητα πάντας ἐκάλεσε, καὶ συμφώνως δοξάζομεν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα. | Whenever the languages of the Most High descended, dividing the tongues, and when the fiery tongues were distributed, we all called into unity, and we glorified the All-Holy Spirit in agreement. | When the Most High came down and confused languages, He divided the nations; when He distributed tongues of fire, He called everyone to unity, and we, in agreement, glorify the All-Holy Spirit. |
| Honorer of the holiday, voice 4 (Ἦχος δ") | «Χαίροις Ἄνασσα, μητροπάρθενον κλέος. Ἄπαν γὰρ εὐδίνητον εὔλαλον στόμα. Ῥητρεῦον, οὐ σθένει σε μέλπειν ἀξίως. Ἰλιγγιᾷ δὲ νοῦς ἅπας σου τὸν τόκον Νοεῖν ὅθεν σε συμφώνως δοξάζομεν» | Rejoice, Queen, mother-maiden glory, for every kindly, benevolent mouth cannot flow, It is worthy to sing to You, but every mind is amazed to understand Your Christmas. Moreover, we glorify Thee in agreement. | Rejoice, Queen, glory to mothers and virgins! For no moving eloquent lips, speaking, can praise You worthily; Every mind also becomes weak, striving to comprehend the birth of Christ from You; therefore we glorify You accordingly. |
According to Russian tradition, the floor of the church (and the houses of believers) on this day is covered with freshly cut grass, the icons are decorated with birch branches, and the color of the vestments is green, depicting the life-giving and renewing power of the Holy Spirit (other Orthodox Churches also use white and gold vestments). The next day, Monday, is Holy Spirit Day.
In Catholicism
Main article: Trinity Day (Roman Rite)IN Catholic Church and in Lutheranism, the celebration of Pentecost (the Descent of the Holy Spirit) and the day of the Holy Trinity is divided, the day of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the following Sunday after Pentecost. In the Catholic tradition, the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit opens the so-called “Pentecost cycle”. It includes:
- Trinity Day (Sunday, 7th day after Pentecost)
- Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Thursday, 11th day after Pentecost)
- Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday, 19th day after Pentecost)
- Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary (Saturday, 20th day of Pentecost)
The holidays of the descent of the Holy Spirit and the day of the Holy Trinity have the highest status in the Roman liturgical calendar - celebrations. The colors of the vestments of the priests on the day of Pentecost are red, as a reminder of the “tongues of fire” that descended on the apostles; and on the day of the Holy Trinity - white, as on other great holidays. On the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, two masses are celebrated according to different rites - the mass of the evening (on Saturday evening) and the mass of the day (on Sunday afternoon).
In some Eastern European countries (Poland, Belarus) and in Catholic churches in Russia there is also a tradition of decorating the temple with tree branches (birch).
Iconography
For more information on this topic, see Orthodox iconography of the Trinity.
Descent of the Holy Spirit(Gospel of Rabula, 6th century)
Dome of the Descent of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of St. Stamp in Venice. Tongues of fire emanate from the etymasia with a dove; Below the apostles, between the windows, representatives of different nations are depicted
Descent of the Holy Spirit(icon from the Holy Spirit Church of the Novodevichy Convent, 18th century)
The development of the iconography of the holiday begins in the 6th century, its images appear in facial Gospels (Gospel of Rabula), mosaics and frescoes. Traditionally, the Upper Room of Zion is depicted, in which, according to the book of the Apostolic Acts, the apostles gathered. Books, scrolls are placed in their hands, or a blessing gesture is placed on their fingers (historically the gesture of an orator or preacher).
The traditional characters in the scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit are:
- 12 apostles, and the place of Judas Iscariot is usually taken not by Matthias, but by Paul;
- sometimes - the Virgin Mary (known already from miniatures of the 6th century, then disappears in the Eastern tradition (preserved in the Western) and reappears on icons from the 17th century).
The empty space between Peter and Paul (in compositions without the Virgin Mary) recalls the presence of the spirit absent from this second “Last Supper” of Jesus Christ. The apostles, as a rule, are arranged in a horseshoe shape, which is also close iconographically to “Christ among the teachers.” The same composition, associated with the transfer to the plane of the traditional image of the Descent in the dome of the temple, will be repeated by the images Ecumenical Councils, since their task is to express the idea of conciliarity, community, clearly expressed here.
"The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles." Archbishop's workshop in Veliky Novgorod. The turn of the XV-XVI centuries. At the top of the icon, rays of light or flame are usually depicted. This descending fire is a way of depicting the descent of the Holy Spirit, based on the biblical description (Acts 2:3), along with which, especially in the Western tradition, the image of a descending dove, transferred from the description of the Baptism of the Lord, can be used.
In the lower part, inside the horseshoe-shaped composition, a dark space is left, indicating the first floor of a house in Jerusalem, under the upper room where the event took place. It may remain unfilled, thus associated with the empty tomb of Christ and the future resurrection of the dead, or with a world not yet enlightened by the apostolic preaching of the Gospel. Medieval miniatures here usually depicted (following the compositions under the dome) crowds of people from different countries who witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit. Later they are replaced (occasionally depicted with them) by the figure of a king with twelve small scrolls on the canvas. There is an interpretation of this image as King David, whose prophecy about the resurrection of Christ was quoted by the Apostle Peter in his sermon (Acts 2) and whose grave is believed to be located on the first floor under the Zion upper room. Less common are interpretations of him as the prophet Joel, also quoted by Peter, Adam, the fallen Judas (cf. Acts 1:16) or Jesus Christ in the form of the Old Denmi, remaining with his disciples until the end of the age.
Modern greek icon Pentecost. On the first floor, representatives of different nations are shown at a festival in Jerusalem, in the inset - David and Joel with the texts of the prophecies quoted by Peter.
A traditional, although late, interpretation is the understanding of the king as an image of the people to whom the gospel sermon is addressed and who is represented by the ruler. In his hands, the king holds a stretched blanket on which 12 scrolls are laid - they symbolize the apostolic sermon (or, according to another interpretation, the totality of the peoples of the empire). In connection with this interpretation, the Greek inscription κόσμος - “world” began to be placed next to the figure, according to which the image of the king received the name “Tsar-Cosmos”.
According to the philosopher Evgeny Trubetskoy, the image of the king on the icon symbolizes the Cosmos (Universe). In his work “Speculation in Colors” he wrote:
|
...down in the dungeon, under the arch, a prisoner is languishing - the “king of space” in the crown; and in the upper floor of the icon Pentecost is depicted: tongues of fire descend on the apostles sitting on thrones in the temple. From the very opposition of Pentecost to the cosmos to the king, it is clear that the temple where the apostles sit is understood as new world and a new kingdom: this is the cosmic ideal that should lead the actual cosmos out of captivity; in order to give place within itself to this royal prisoner who must be freed, the temple must coincide with the universe: it must include not only the new heaven, but also new land. And the tongues of fire above the apostles clearly show how the force that should bring about this cosmic revolution is understood. |
This interpretation, based on an expanded interpretation of the Greek word “κόσμος,” is also found among a number of art critics. In the church environment, the concept of Tsar-Cosmos is used, but in the meaning of the world (Universe), without interpretations characteristic of secular philosophy.
Folk traditions
In Italy, in memory of the miracle of the descent of tongues of fire, it was customary to scatter rose petals from the ceiling of churches, and therefore this holiday in Sicily and other places in Italy was called Pasqua rosatum(Easter of Roses). Another Italian name Pasqua rossa, comes from the red color of the Trinity priestly robes.
In France, it was customary to blow trumpets during worship, in remembrance of the sound of the strong wind that accompanied the descent of the Holy Spirit.
In the north-west of England, church and chapel processions, the so-called “Spiritual Walks”, were held on Trinity Sunday (sometimes on Spiritual Friday after Trinity). Whit Walks). As a rule, brass bands and choirs took part in these processions; the girls were dressed in white. Traditionally, "Spirit Fairs" (sometimes called "Trinity Ales") were held. Trinity was associated with traditions of brewing beer, dancing the sea, organizing cheese races and archery tournaments.
According to a Finnish proverb, if you don't find a partner before Trinity, you will remain single for the entire next year.
In Slavic folk tradition the day is called Trinity or Trinity Day and is celebrated as a holiday either for one day (Sunday) or three days (from Sunday to Tuesday), and in general the period of Trinity holidays includes Midnight, Ascension, Semik, the week preceding Trinity, Trinity week itself, and individual days the week following Trinity, which are celebrated in order to avoid drought or hail or as a wake for the unclean dead (primarily Thursday), as well as Peter's ritual. Trinity completes the spring cycle, and after the next Peter's Fast, a new summer season begins.
For more information on this topic, see Trinity Day. See also: Maypole
Pentecost in different languages
From Greek Πεντηκοστή “Pentecost” From Lat. Rosalia, Pascha rosata“Festival of Roses, Pink Easter” From Old Glory. Trinity From “Spirit” From “White Sunday” (based on the color of the catechumens’ clothes) OtherTrinity Day: what do we know about it?
The history of Christianity preserves the memory of many great events. To make it easier to navigate and not miss an important day, many believers use orthodox calendar. However, there are only a few main holidays, and one of them is the Feast of the Holy Trinity. How much do we know about him? If you ask the first person you come across about what the holiday of Trinity is celebrated in the Christian world, he will most likely say that this day symbolizes the trinity of the divine essence: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Although this is true, at the same time this is not all that you need to know about this great day. 
How did the holiday Trinity originate?
According to Holy Scripture, on the fiftieth day after Christ was resurrected, a real miracle happened. At nine o'clock in the morning, when people were gathering in the temple for prayer and sacrifice, a noise arose above the Zion Upper Room, as if from a stormy wind. This noise began to be heard in every corner of the house in which the apostles were, and suddenly tongues of fire appeared above their heads and slowly descended on each of them. This flame had an extraordinary property: it shone, but did not burn. But even more amazing were the spiritual properties that filled the hearts of the apostles. Each of them felt a huge surge of energy, inspiration, joy, peace and ardent love for God. The apostles began to praise the Lord, and then it turned out that they were speaking not in their native Hebrew, but in other languages incomprehensible to them. This is how the ancient prophecy, predicted by John the Baptist, was fulfilled (Gospel of Matthew, 3:11). On this day the Church was born, and in honor of this the Trinity holiday appeared. By the way, not everyone knows that this event has another name - Pentecost, which means that it is celebrated fifty days after Easter.
What is the significance of the Trinity holiday?
Some people believe that this event was just a fantasy of the Bible writers. Since this unbelief is most often explained by ignorance of Holy Scripture, we will tell you what happened next. Seeing what was happening to the apostles, people began to gather around them. And even then there were skeptics who laughed and explained everything that was happening as a result of the influence of wine. Other people were perplexed, and, seeing this, the Apostle Peter came forward and explained to those gathered that the descent of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, including the prediction of Joel (Joel 2:28-32), which is aimed at the salvation of people. This first sermon was very short and at the same time simple, but since Peter’s heart was filled with Divine grace, many decided to repent that day, and by the evening the number of those who were baptized and accepted Christian faith grew from 120 to 3000 people.
No wonder this date Orthodox Church considers it his birthday. After this event, the apostles began to preach the Word of God throughout the world, and everyone had the opportunity to find their true path and find the right guidelines in life. Knowing all the details of this grandiose event, it is difficult to remain a skeptic and an unbeliever. It remains to add that the Trinity holiday in 2013 was celebrated on June 23, and next year, 2014, this event will be celebrated on June 8. Meanwhile, Easter next year falls on April 20.
What is the HOLY TRINITY? Prayers to the Holy Trinity.
Quote from the message Moonlight_Zakharinka Read in full In your quotation book or community!What is the HOLY TRINITY?Prayers to the Holy Trinity.
The Holy Trinity – God, one in essence and threefold in Persons
(Hypostases); Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - the One and Only God,
cognizable in three equal, equal in size, not merging with each other,
but also inseparable in a single Being, Persons, or Hypostases.
Images of the Holy Trinity in the material world
How can the Lord God be simultaneously One and Trinity?
Don't forget
that the earthly measurements familiar to us are not applicable to God, including
space, time and forces. And between the persons of the Holy Trinity there is no
no gap, nothing inserted, no cutting or division.
The Divine Trinity is absolute unity. The Mystery of the Trinity of God
inaccessible to the human mind (see more details).
Some visible examples, rough analogies of Her can be:
the sun is its circle, light and warmth;
the mind that gives birth to the ineffable word (thought), expressed by breathing;
a source of water, a spring and a stream hidden in the earth;
the mind, word and spirit inherent in the godlike human soul.
One nature and three identities
Being one in nature, the Persons of the Holy Trinity differ only in their personal properties: unbornness with the Father, birth with the Son, procession with the Holy Spirit.
The Father is beginningless, not created, not created, not begotten; Son - eternal
(timeless) begotten of the Father; The Holy Spirit eternally comes from the Father.
The personal properties of the Son and the Holy Spirit are indicated in the Creed: “begotten of the Father
before all ages,” “coming from the Father.” “Birth” and “exodus” cannot be thought of either as a one-time act or as some extended act in time.
process, since the Divine exists outside of time. The terms themselves:
“birth”, “procession”, which the Holy Scripture reveals to us,
are only an indication of the mysterious communication of Divine Persons,
these are only imperfect images of their ineffable communication. As he says
St. John of Damascus, “the image of birth and the image of procession is incomprehensible to us.”
There are three Persons in God, three Selves. But the analogy human faces not applicable here
Faces are connected without merging, but interpenetrating so that they do not exist
one outside the other, the Persons of the Holy Trinity are in constant mutual
communication with each other: the Father abides in the Son and the Holy Spirit;
Son in the Father and the Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit is in the Father and the Son (John 14:10).
Three Persons have:
– one will (desire and expression of will),
- one force,
– one action: any action of God is one: from the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Unity of action in relation to God should not be understood as a certain sum
three mutually solidary actions of Persons, but as a literal, strict unity.
This action is always just, merciful, holy...
The Father is the source of the existence of the Son and the Holy Spirit
The Father (being beginningless) is the one beginning, the source
in the Holy Trinity: He eternally begets the Son and eternally brings forth the Holy Spirit.
The Son and the Holy Spirit simultaneously ascend to the Father as one cause, while the origin of the Son and the Spirit does not depend on the will of the Father. The Word and the Spirit, in the figurative expression of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, are the “two hands” of the Father. God is not only one
because His nature is one, but also because they ascend to a single person
those Persons who are from Him.
The Father has no greater power or honor than the Son and the Holy Spirit.
True knowledge of God the Trinity is impossible without internal transformation
person.
Experienced knowledge of the Trinity of God is possible only in mystical revelation
according to the action of Divine grace, to a person whose heart is cleansed from
passions. The Holy Fathers experienced the One Trinity, among them one can
especially highlight the Great Cappadocians (Basily the Great, Gregory the Theologian,
Gregory of Nyssa), St. Gregory Palamu, St. Simeon the New Theologian,
St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Alexander Svirsky, St. Silouan of Athos.
Saint Gregory the Theologian:
“I have not yet begun to think about the Unity, when the Trinity illuminates me with Its radiance.
As soon as I began to think about the Trinity, the One took hold of me again.”
How to understand the words “God is Love”
According to the definition, given by the Apostle and the Evangelist John the Theologian,
God is love. But God is love not because He loves the world and
humanity, that is, his creation, - then God would not be completely Himself outside
and apart from the act of creation, would not have perfect existence in Himself,
and the act of creation would not be free, but forced by the very “nature” of God.
According to the Christian understanding, God is love in Himself, because
the existence of the One God is the co-existence of the Divine Hypostases residing
among themselves in the “eternal movement of love,” according to the 7th century theologian St. Maximus the Confessor.
Each of the Persons of the Trinity does not live for Himself, but gives Himself without reserve
to other Hypostases, while remaining completely open to their response, so that all three coexist in love with each other.
The life of Divine Persons is interpenetration, so that the life of one
becomes the life of another. Thus, the existence of the God of the Trinity is realized
as love in which the individual's own existence is identified
with dedication.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the basis of Christianity
According to St. Gregory the Theologian, the dogma of the Holy Trinity is the most important
of all Christian dogmas. St. Athanasius of Alexandria defines the Christian faith itself as faith “in the unchangeable, perfect and blessed Trinity.”
All the dogmas of Christianity rest on the doctrine of God as one in essence
and the trinity in Persons, the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the highest goal of theology, since to know
the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity in its fullness means entering into the Divine life.
To clarify the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the holy fathers pointed out
on the human soul, which is the Image of God.
“Our mind is the image of the Father; our word (the unspoken word we usually
we call thought) - the image of the Son; spirit is the image of the Holy Spirit,”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov teaches. – As in the Trinity-God there are three Persons unfused
and inseparably constitute one Divine Being, so in the trinity-man
three persons constitute one being, without mixing with each other, without merging
into one person, without being divided into three beings. Our mind gave birth and never ceases
give birth to a thought, a thought, having been born, does not cease to be born again and together
with that it remains born, hidden in the mind. Mind without thought to exist
cannot, and the thought is crazy. The beginning of one is certainly the beginning of the other; the existence of the mind is necessarily the existence of thought.
In the same way, our spirit comes from the mind and contributes to thought.
That is why every thought has its own spirit, every way of thinking has
its own separate spirit, every book has its own spirit.
Thought cannot exist without spirit; the existence of one is certain
accompanied by the existence of another.
In the existence of both is the existence of the mind.”
The very doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a doctrine
“Mind, Word and Spirit - one co-nature and divinity,” as he said about Her
St. Gregory the Theologian. “The First Existing Mind, God has in Himself a consubstantial
The Word is co-essential with the Spirit, never being without the Word and the Spirit” -
teaches St. Nikita Studiysky.
The Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the doctrine of the Divine Mind (Father), the Divine Word (Son) and the Divine Spirit (Holy Spirit) -
Three Divine Persons, possessing a single and indivisible Divine Being.
God has an all-perfect Mind (Reason). Divine Mind is beginningless
and infinite, limitless and unlimited, omniscient, knows the past, present
and the future knows the non-existent as already existing,
knows all creations before they exist.
In the Divine Mind there are ideas of the entire universe,
there are plans for all created beings.
“Everything from God has its own being and existence, and everything is before being
in His creative Mind,” says St. Simeon the New Theologian.
The Divine Mind eternally gives birth to the Divine Word, by which He
creates the world. The Divine Word is “the Word of the Great Mind,
surpassing every word, so that there was not, is not and will not be a word,
which is higher than this Word,” teaches St. St. Maximus the Confessor.
The Divine Word is All-perfect, immaterial, soundless, does not require human language and symbols, beginningless and endless, eternal.
It is always inherent in the Divine Mind, born from Him from eternity,
why the Mind is called the Father, and the Word the Only Begotten Son.
The Divine Mind and the Divine Word are spiritual, because God is immaterial,
incorporeal, immaterial. He is the All-Perfect Spirit.
The Divine Spirit is outside of space and time,
has no image or form, above any limitation.
His All-perfect Being is limitless, “incorporeal and without form,
both invisible and indescribable” (St. John of Damascus).
The Divine Mind, Word and Spirit are entirely Personal, which is why They are called
Persons (Hypostases). Hypostasis or Person is a personal way of being
Divine essence, which equally belongs to the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one
according to their Divine nature or essence, they are of the same nature and consubstantial.
The Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
They are completely equal in Their Divine dignity.
Each Person has omnipotence, omnipresence,
perfect holiness, highest freedom, uncreated and independent
from something created, uncreated, eternal. Each Person carries within Himself all the properties of the Divine. The doctrine of three Persons in God means that the relationship
The Divine Persons for each Person are threefold.
It's impossible to imagine one of the Divine Persons without
so that two Others do not exist at once.
The Father is Father only in relation to the Son and the Spirit.
As for the birth of the Son and the procession of the Spirit, one presupposes the other.
God is “Mind, the Abyss of Reason, the Parent of the Word and through the Word the Maker of the Spirit,
Who reveals Him,” teaches St. John of Damascus.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three full-fledged Persons,
each of which possesses not only the fullness of being,
but is also entirely God. One Hypostasis is not a third of the total essence,
but contains within Himself the entire fullness of the Divine essence.
The Father is God, and not a third of God, the Son is also God and the Holy Spirit is also God.
But all Three together are not three Gods, but one God. We confess "Father and Son
and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible"
(from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom).
That is, the three Hypostases do not divide a single essence into three essences,
but the single essence does not merge or mix the three Hypostases into one.
Can a Christian reach out to everyone?
three Persons of the Holy Trinity?
Undoubtedly:
in the Lord's Prayer we turn to the Father, in the Jesus Prayer we turn to the Son,
in the prayer “Heavenly King, Comforter” - to the Holy Spirit. Who does each of the Divine Persons recognize Himself as and how can we correctly realize
our conversion, so as not to fall into the pagan confession of three gods?
Divine Persons do not realize themselves as separate Personalities.
We turn to the Father, who eternally begets the Son,
whose spokesman is the Holy Spirit, who eternally proceeds from the Father.
We turn to the Son, eternally begotten of the Father,
whose spokesman is the Holy Spirit, who eternally proceeds from the Father.
We turn to the Holy Spirit as the spokesman of the Son,
who is eternally born of the Father.
Thus, our prayers do not contradict the teaching about the unity (including will and action) and inseparability of the Persons of the Holy Trinity.
* * *
According to legend, when St. Augustine was walking along the seashore,
reflecting on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, he saw a boy
who dug a hole in the sand and poured water into it,
which he scooped up from the sea with a shell. St. Augustine asked,
why is he doing this? The boy answered him:
“I want to scoop the whole sea into this hole!”
Augustine grinned and said that this was impossible.
To which the boy said to him:
- How are you trying to exhaust the
the inexhaustible mystery of the Lord?
And then the boy disappeared.
source http://azbyka.ru/dictionary/17/svyataya_troitsa-all.shtml
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us;Lord, cleanse our sins;
Master, forgive our iniquities;
Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Prayer to God the Father
Almighty Master, all-wise and all-good Lord,
of the luminous Son, the Pre-Eternal Parent,
and Your life-giving Spirit
eternal and ever-present to the Self-Maker,
His majesty is innumerable, his glory unspeakable, and his mercy immeasurable,
We thank You, for You called us from non-existence
and Thou hast honored Thou with Thy precious image,
for Thou hast granted to us, unworthy, not only to know and love Thee,
but it is the sweetest thing to eat, and to call Thee my Father.
We thank You, God of mercy and bounty, for those who have transgressed Your commandment
You have not left us in the midst of sin and the shadow of death,
but Thou didst favor Thy only begotten Son,
In whom the worlds were created, send to our earth for the sake of salvation,
Yes, through His incarnation and the terrible suffering of the torment of the devil
and mortal aphids will be free.
We thank You, God of love and strength, for
upon the ascension into heaven of our dearest Savior,
Having been begged by His Cross, You sent down Your Most Holy Spirit
to His chosen disciples and apostles,
yes, by the power of their inspired preaching,
will illuminate the whole world with the imperishable light of the Gospel of Christ.
Himself, Humane-loving Master,
Hear now the humble prayer of Your unworthy children,
Yes, just as You created us for Your goodness alone,
Thou hast redeemed us for Thy compassion alone,
Thus also save us according to Thy one unconditional mercy:
from our deeds below the trace of salvation imams,
but the hope of righteous vengeance and separation from Thy bright face:
If even one idle verb will be exacted on the day of Judgment and testing,
about our innumerable iniquities, even those who have sinned before You,
poor, imams give an answer;
For this reason, we have greatly despaired of justification from our deeds, to Yours alone,
every mind and every word that surpasses, let us take refuge in the goodness that is
As we have a solid foundation of hope, we pray to Thee:
Cleanse those who have sinned, O Lord!
Lawless people, forgive me, Master!
With anger You, be reconciled, Long-suffering!
And save the rest of our mind, conscience and heart from worldly defilements, deliver
and save us from the multi-rebellious storm of passions and falls,
free and involuntary, known and unknown,
and lead into a quiet haven of faith, love and the hope of eternal life.
Remember us in Your mercy, Lord,
grant us all requests for salvation,
what is more important is a pure and sinless life;
make us worthy to love You and fear You with all our hearts,
and do Your holy will in everything,
through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and all Your saints,
for You are a Good and Lover of Mankind God,
and to You we send glory and thanksgiving and worship,
with Your Only Begotten Son, and with the Most Holy and Good
and Your life-giving Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to God the Son
Only begotten Son and Word of God,
who deigned for our salvation to be incarnate and to endure death, now
and with Thy Most Pure Flesh, sitting in heaven on the Throne with the Father,
and rule the whole world, do not forget us with Your mercy,
down to earth and tempted by many misfortunes and sorrows,
who are very unclean and unworthy of us, but in You,
Our Savior and Lord, we believe
and there is no other Intercessor or hope of salvation.
Wait, O all-merciful Redeemer, let us remember,
How much torment of Your soul and Body is required,
to satisfy the eternal righteousness of Thy Father for our sins,
and how You even descended from the Cross to hell with Your most pure soul,
May the power and torment of hell free us:
Keeping this in mind, let us be careful from passions and sins,
who were the cause of Your fierce suffering and death,
and let us love truth and virtue, which is most pleasant for You to have in us.
As if you are experienced in all sorts of things, weigh yourself, O All-Merciful One,
since the weakness of our spirit and flesh is great,
but our enemy is strong and cunning, like a roaring lion who walks around, looking for someone to devour:
Do not forsake us with Your all-powerful help, and be with us, protecting and covering,
instructing and strengthening, delighting and cheering our spirit.
We, throwing ourselves into the bosom of Thy love and mercy, our whole belly,
temporary and eternal, we commit to You, our Master, Redeemer and Lord,
praying from the depths of my soul, yes, in the image of fate,
make us pass comfortably through the gloomy life of this earthly vale,
and Your God-red palace has been reached, which You promised to prepare for everyone,
believers in your name, and to Your subsequent Divine feet. Amen.
Prayer to God the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, All-merciful Comforter, Soul of Truth,
come from the Father eternally and rest in the Son,
unenvious Source of Divine gifts, dividing them into each other,
as you want,
By it we too were unworthy to be sanctified and to be designated on the day of our baptism!
Look upon Your servant for prayer, come to us, dwell in us, and cleanse our souls,
may we be prepared for the dwelling of the Most Holy Trinity.
She, O All-Good One, do not abhor our uncleanness and sinful wounds,
but heal me with Your all-healing anointing.
Enlighten our mind, so that we understand the vanity of the world and what is in the world, revive our conscience,
let him incessantly proclaim to us what we should do and what we should discard,
correct and renew your heart,
Let not the rest of the day and night exude evil thoughts and inappropriate desires,
tame the flesh and extinguish the flame of passions with Your dewy breath,
It is through this that the precious image of God is darkened in us.
Drive away the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk,
Give us the spirit of love and patience, the spirit of meekness and humility,
spirit of purity and truth,
Yes, having straightened the weakened hearts and knees,
we unlaxly flow along the path of the commandments of the saints, and so,
avoiding all sin and fulfilling all righteousness,
Let us be worthy to achieve a peaceful and shameless death,
bring you into Heavenly Jerusalem and there worship You, together with the Father and the Son,
singing forever and ever: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
The Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial Power, the Wine of all good things,
that we will reward You for everything that You have rewarded us sinners and unworthy before,
before you came into the world, for everything that you have repaid us with every day,
and what you have prepared for all of us in the world to come!
More fittingly, for the amount of good deeds and generosity,
thank you not just words,
but above all the works that keep and fulfill Thy commandments:
But we, we are aware of our passion and evil custom,
We are cast down into countless sins and iniquities from our youth.
For this reason, as unclean and defiled,
not just to appear before Your Trisagion without coldness,
but below Thy Most Holy Name speak unto us,
If only You Yourself had not deigned,
for our joy, to proclaim that we love the pure and righteous,
and sinners who repent are merciful and more kindly accepted.
Look down, O Divine Trinity, from the height of Your Holy Glory
upon us, many sinners, and accept our good will instead of good deeds;
and give us the spirit of true repentance, so that we may hate all sin,
in purity and truth, we will live until the end of our days, doing Your most holy will
and Your sweetest and most magnificent name is glorified by pure thoughts and good deeds.
Amen.
SYMBOL OF FAITH
We believe in one God the Father, Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
Who was born of the Father before all ages;
Light from Light, God is true from God
true, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father,
That's all it was.
For our sake man and for our salvation came down from heaven,
and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human.
She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.
And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And again the future will be judged with glory by the living and the dead,
His kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving,
Those who come from the Father,
Let us worship and glorify those who spoke with the Father and the Son.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
We confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
Tea resurrection of the dead, and the life of the next century. Amen.
Diary Moonlight
What does "Holy Trinity" mean?
What does "Holy Trinity" mean? Does this mean the threefold nature of the Lord?
Olesya astakhova
IN Orthodox Christianity(than in Catholic Christianity and Protestantism, where they recognize only one God - Christ and his mother, the Mother of God) God is represented by three components - God the Father (the one in heaven, that is, this is the macrocosm, the cosmos - if according to modern times), God the Son ( the one on Earth, the representative of people - Jesus Christ, he proved this, that is, these are living organisms of the planet - sons or beings of God), God the Holy Spirit (that which connects God the Father and God the Son, that is, spirituality, morality, faith in God, the laws by which everything exists). In general, such an interpretation of God can be accepted and imagined... Why not.. . Only everyone should have their own (own understanding of God)... there must be faith in him... But you need to understand and respect others in their spirituality, in their faith, in their religion... Although God is common to everyone - this is NATURE and its laws... That's all.
The Fullness of Divine Life in the Trinity
To make the doctrine of the Trinity more accessible to understanding, the Holy Fathers sometimes resorted to analogies and comparisons. For example, the Trinity can be compared to the sun: when we say “sun”, we mean the celestial body itself, as well as sunlight and solar heat. Light and heat are independent “hypostases,” but they do not exist in isolation from the sun. But also the sun does not exist
without heat and light... Another analogy: water, source and stream: one cannot exist without the other... Man has a mind, a soul and a word: the mind cannot exist without a soul and a word, otherwise it would be soulless and wordless, but neither the soul nor the word can be mindless. In God there is the Father, the Word and the Spirit, and, as the defenders of “consubstantiality” said at the Council of Nicaea, if God the Father ever existed without God the Word, then He was wordless or unreasonable.
But analogies of this kind, of course, also cannot explain anything essentially: sunlight, for example, is neither a person nor an independent being. The easiest way would be to explain the mystery of the Trinity, as St. Spyridon of Trimythous, a participant in the Council of Nicaea, did. According to legend, being asked how it could be that Three could simultaneously be One, instead of answering, he picked up a brick and squeezed it. From the clay that softened in the hands of the saint, a flame burst upward, and water flowed down. “Just as in this brick there is fire and water,” said the saint, “so in one God there are three Persons...”
Slavik Cherkezov
why are Muslims so concerned about what the trinity means? I told you that it means father, son and the holy spirit more than once they say this is like not the answer
on their part it’s stupid to say and blaspheme against the father, the holy spirit and the son, in my opinion