How is Pentecost celebrated in the Middle East?
Many consider Pentecost to mark the birthday of the church. It is a time of celebration for Christians across the world. Various of our friends and partners across the region tell us how they will be celebrating.
PENTECOST IS A TIME OF REMEMBERANCE
For Christians from Byzantine tradition (Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic), Pentecost is the fulfillment of the big feast of the Resurrection (Anastasis). This great event is celebrated over three days, as Fr Elias Chatawi, from our partner Beit El Nour in Lebanon, explains:
Pentecost is the day in which the Son has sent – as He promised – the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father, to his apostles and disciples. It is the “birthday” of the Church and the beginning of the New Creation.
The Saturday before Pentecost is dedicated for the commemoration of all the Christians who “fell asleep in the Lord” (all the dead believers). The Church organizes a prayer vigil for them on Friday night, in which every family brings bread, wine and Koliva (boiled wheat garnished with candies) to be blessed and shared in the memory of Her dead ones, in order to be “remembered by name” before the Lord. They are remembered again on Saturday morning in the Divine Liturgy (Holy Mass). On Saturday evening the great vesper office is celebrated in a big liturgical pomp. The churches are wrapped in the green colour and decorated with green branches to emphasize the New Life given by the Holy Spirit to the creation.
The Sunday of Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Trinity. Orthros (morning prayer) and Divine Liturgy are celebrated in green colour. Many children are baptized on this special day. Sunday evening in the vesper prayer, colours change to red symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit and a special office of “the Prostration” is held. Believers are invited by the deacon to kneel down, and the priest invokes, by long prayers, the Holy Spirit to come down and lay on all the faithful congregation. This prayer refreshes the personal event of Pentecost, and has an “Absolution” power for the living and dead members of the Holy Church.
The Monday after Pentecost is especially dedicated for the adoration of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and draws in each one of us the image of the Christ, leading us to the Father as sons and daughters.
A TIME OF PRAYER AND EXPECTATION
Pentecost comes from the Greek for ‘fiftieth’ as it falls 50 days after Easter. Mona, from our Egyptian partner Life Vision, tells us that for the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, these 50 days are very important:
Pentecost is a very special season here. We enjoy a continual 50 day-celebration after Easter. On the 40th day, we celebrate Christ’s ascension, followed by 10 days of prayer seeking God’s face and asking Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit, the Spirt of Faith, of knowledge and revelation, of power, and of wisdom, the Spirit of Love. It is a special time to remember God’s wonderful mystery of choosing not only to reach out to us, or to visit us, but to dwell in us, to make our hearts His sanctuary.
Along these glorious days of prayer and expectation, I try to write my journal, so as not to miss out on what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach me. I also like to be in fellowship with my fellow believers, the body in Christ so that we would receive power to serve God and make a difference in our families and communities.
On the day of Pentecost, the Church service starts in the afternoon. The Church congregation meets to seek God’s faith through Bible readings and prayers. It is a perfect time to remember God’s covenant, to renew our minds and to present ourselves as living sacrifices to our Lord and Master, who loves us with everlasting love.
PENTECOST IS A TIME OF HUMBLE ADORATION
In the Assyrian Orthodox Church, Pentecost is considered one of seven Lord Feasts in the annual ecclesiastical calendar, along with Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Reveal (on Tabor mount) (6th August), and Holy Cross (13th September). Its importance is reflected in the liturgy, as Fr Emanuel who leads our Iraqi partner CAPNI explains:
All the feasts have a different liturgical structure and context, although all are celebrations, as reflected in the hymns and lyrics. Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost all have special, extra components in the liturgy. For Pentecost, the special component is conducted after the conclusion of the holy mass liturgy but before delivering the Eucharist (body and blood) to the faithful. This special component is called ‘The ritual of prostration’. The clergy at the altar and faithful in the church prostate themselves and sing special psalms. This ritual is to celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.
CELEBRATING PENTECOST WITH FEASTING
For all Christians, Pentecost is a time of celebration, and what better way to celebrate than with a feast? James, from Refuge Egypt, explains how many refugee communities from parts of Africa have brought their traditional ways of celebrating Pentecost with them to Egypt:
During this festival all Christians gather together in one place in the church and perform church ceremonies in local dialects, full of prayers, praising to God. People bring traditional kinds of food to the church and the women group cook food during the night in the church compound to make sure there is more food available to give to everyone who comes, including strangers. Because there were no fridges to keep some remainder of food, everyone eats as much as he/she needs to satisfy him or herself. It's a community norm not good to throw the food away. People also have non-stop traditional dances.
RENEWING COMMITMENTS AT PENTECOST
For the Pentecostal Church, Pentecost is not just a time of celebration of past events but is also a time to look forward and embrace the mission of the church. You can read Simon Azazian’s blog describing exactly this experience living and working in Jerusalem today. Hussein, from our partner Learning Centre for the Deaf in Lebanon, says:
In preparation for Pentecost, the church holds daily services of prayer for 10 days, culminating with the Pentecost Sunday morning service. Following the prayer session, a commitment is made by the congregation to continue the journey started by the apostles, by sharing the gospel, and by praying for the sick.
However you are celebrating Pentecost this year, we wish you joy and pray God’s blessing on you. The gift of the Holy Spirit meant God’s Church could spread throughout the world and we rejoice in being able to share the celebration of Pentecost with our sisters and brothers worldwide today.
