On the 50th day after the Holy Feast of Easter, the “Feast of Pentecost”, which celebrates the “Ascension of Jesus Christ and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles”, was celebrated with special rites.
For the “Feast of Pentecost”, which is celebrated as the day when the Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, after his resurrection and ascension to the sky, liturgies were held in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Antakya, the St. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church and the Samandağ Saint Elijah Greek Orthodox Churches.
Due to the curfew on Sunday, the Pentecost ceremony was held at the St. Mikail and St. Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church in Mersin on Saturday, 19 June, directed by Church Father İspir Teymur.
Father Yusuf Nicholas Papasoğlu conducted the service in the Iskenderun Orthodox Church, Fathers Dimitri Doğum and Can Dellüller conducted the service in the Antakya Orthodox Church, and Fathers Trifon Yumurta and Dimyan Yakupoğlu conducted the service in the Samandağ Orthodox Church.
In the rites accompanied by the members of the large congregation, while kneeling and prostrating themselves, passages from the Bible about the descent of the Holy Spirit were read. In many churches, water was sprinkled on the members of the congregation after the service as a tradition for years.
Why Kneel at Pentecost?
Pentecost-Ansra Day is also celebrated in Orthodox Churches as a day of joy. On this day, when the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also remembered, congregation kneel in prostration during the ritual. During the fifty-day period from Easter to Pentecost, kneeling is not permitted by law.
According to Article 15 of the Peter Law of the Archbishop of Alexandria, three centuries after Jesus Christ, the Spiritual Leader of Antioch, St. Makarios, witnesses a miracle during the evening prayer on Sunday, on Pentecost while reciting the trinity prayers by standing up.
While the first prayer was being read and the congregation was standing, a strong breeze filled the church, just as it was on the day of Pentecost. This breeze causes the congregation in the church to prostrate and kneel. This gust of wind is just as the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. This breeze is repeated in the second and third prayers as well.
St. Makarios and those in the church understand that while these trinity prayers are being recited, God demands prostration to Himself and to the trinity. From that day on, in Orthodox Churches, when the Trinity prayers are read at the evening prayer on Pentecost, they begin to bow down to God and the Trinity, kneel down and prostrate. (SAT-7 TURK/İlyas Edip TERBİYELİ-İskenderun)
