A tongue of fire?

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In the dim recesses of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a priest and his reflection.

Enlarge the photo and you will even see the light reflected in his eyeglasses as well.

What almost looks like a flame above his head reminds us that this Sunday is Pentecost for some Christians.

The Book of Acts says that the Apostles were gathered together in one place [Jerusalem's Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.
Then tongues of fire appeared and one sat upon each one of Apostles!
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Spirit.
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Happy Pentecost to all the Christians celebrating it today!
There is a surprising and beautiful blessing for you here, by the modern poet Jan Richardson. 
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(Linking to the meme inSPIREd Sunday.)
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Orthodox Pentecost today and a video

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The Orthodox and Eastern Churches are celebrating Pentecost this weekend.
(Catholic and Protestant Pentecost was last Sunday.)
Here in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the Greek Orthodox clergy's red vestments bring to mind the red tongues of fire of the first Pentecost in Jerusalem.

The prostration goes with the liturgy of the day which has three sets of kneeling prayers for Pentecost.

The first is a prayer of great repentance; the second prayer is a call to the Holy Spirit to help the faithful follow the right path during their life; and the third prayer is to remember those who have gone before.

Some selected lines from the liturgy:
DEACON: For those who incline their hearts as well as the knee before the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy.

DEACON: That He will accept our act of kneeling as incense before Him, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy. . . .

DEACON: Again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy. Kyrie eleison.

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My photos are from 2009 but not much changes from year to year.

Wishes for a joyous feast day to all the Orthodox Christians!

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Sister  Dr. Vassa Larin, an American sister of the Russian Orthodox Church, has eleven minutes of good insights about Pentecost/Descent of the Holy Spirit in this new video (Episode 50!):

(You can also follow her meditations and world travels on her Facebook page, Vassa Larin.)

UPDATE: Here is the entire text of Great Vespers on the Sunday Evening of Pentecost with the Kneeling Prayers, in English, from the helpful website http://www.antiochian.org/online-liturgical-guide .
UPDATE June 6: Today the Jerusalem Patriarchate put online the videos and photos of the Orthodox celebration of Pentecost.

(Linking to inSPIRED Sunday.)

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Both count 50 days: Pentecost and Shavuot, both today!

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It is a double celebration today, with Jewish Shavuot and Christian Pentecost coming on the same day.

Today Jews celebrate Shavuot, also know by its Biblical names Chag HaKatsir, the [wheat] Harvest Festival, and Yom HaBikurim, Day of the First Fruits.
By tradition today also marks the day of King David's birth and death.
But mainly Shavuot is Zman Matan Toratenu, The Season of the Giving of our Torah.
Seven weeks (shavuot = weeks) have passed since Passover.
It took 49 (+1) days of wandering in the desert for God and Moses to prepare the People for the the biggest day in history.
In today's morning prayer service Exodus 19-20 is read.
All rise in silent reverence to listen to the Ten Commandments with the feeling that we all are standing at Mount Sinai.
The scroll of the Book of Ruth is also chanted, in loving memory of David and of Ruth, his Moabite ancestor, the mother of all converts.

In the dim recesses of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a priest and his reflection.
What almost looks like a flame above his head reminds us that this Sunday is Pentecost for some Christians.

The Book of Acts says that the Apostles were gathered together in one place [in Jerusalem's Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.
Then tongues of fire appeared and one sat upon each one of Apostles!
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Holy Spirit.

Chag sameach, happy holiday  to you, whichever festival you are celebrating today!
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(Linking to inSPIRED Sunday.)
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Is that a flame on her head??

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I sometimes  hear about weeping icons and myrrh-gushing icons and miracle-working icons, but . . .  well . . .

But what happens when on the feast of Pentecost  you are all alone in an old chapel built by the Crusaders,  looking at an icon,  and you actually see a "flame" above the woman's head??

Enlarge the photo, you will see it too!

The Book of Acts says that the Apostles [on the very first Pentecost] were gathered together in one place [the Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.

"Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them."
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Spirit.
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You can see the flames as depicted in classical artwork at
http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.co.il/2011/06/whats-that-on-your-head.html

My other posts about Pentecost in Jerusalem are here.
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 Here's how the icon appears normally.

And as grateful as I am for the "miracle" I was treated to,   I must add that this photo is for Weekend Reflections.    Yes, reflections.

Happy Pentecost to all the Catholics and Protestants who celebrate it today!
Shalom from Jerusalem, where it all started.
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(Linking to inSPIREd Sunday.)
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The first Babel fish?

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Step through this door and you will find doors to many little translation booths.
Or so I trust.
Alas, I lost my nerve after seeing the sign
TRANSLATION BOOTHS -- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
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Well, I AM (or was) a certified translator, but I was certainly not authorized to be roaming in the big empty convention hall building of The Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.
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The new modern building is on Vatican property near the 19th century Notre Dame pilgrim hostel (see here and here).
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These doors made me think about the Catholic center's need for simultaneous interpreting these days as compared to the Disciples' sudden ability to speak in many languages, a miraculous gift given in Jerusalem's Upper Room on the first Pentecost almost two thousand years ago.
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Today is Pentecost Monday, the Feast of the Holy Spirit.
The dramatic story of the "speaking in tongues" is in Acts 2.
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Some see this as a reversal of the curse of the Tower of Babel, when God confounded the languages.
Acts 2 describes the phenomenon as a miracle of universal translation, enabling people from many parts of the world speaking many different languages to understand the Christian message.
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From the Orthodox Christian liturgy for the day:

Kontakion

When the most High came down and confused the tongues,
He divided the nations;
But when he distributed the tongues of fire
He called all to unity.
Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the All-holy Spirit!

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This post, my last about Pentecost until next year (no, really!), enters into Monday Doorways and That's MyWorld Tuesday.
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What's that on your head?

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Tonight the vigil of Pentecost begins.
The happy festival has to be one of the strangest on the Christian calendar.
Or so it appears to this Jew (and probably to quite a few Christians too).
Let's admit it--the mystery and the drama of the Church is fascinating.
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As we said in yesterday's post, Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit.
The symbol of the Holy Spirit is the dove, especially the dove descending.
This dove above a picture of Mary is in the stairway to the Ethiopian chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
And if you can get past the reflection, you can see two angels adjusting Mary's crown. (One of her names is Queen of Heaven.)
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Now we get to the best part!
The Book of Acts says

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

This tall painting in the Latin Patriarchate church actually shows these tongues of fire!
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And here, in Notre Dame de Jerusalem, is a picture of the famous icon of the Feast.
It is known as "The Descent of the Holy Spirit."
Again the tongues of fire, and even their source!

But who is that king below the Apostles and Mary?
The website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America offers the interpretation of the icon and a good explanation of Pentecost (recommended!):

Below the Apostles, a royal figure is seen against a dark background. This is a symbolic figure, Cosmos, representing the people of the world living in darkness and sin, and involved in pagan worship. However, the figure carries in his hands a cloth containing scrolls which represent the teaching of the Apostles. The tradition of the Church holds that the Apostles carried the message of the Gospel to all parts of the world.

If you are one of the millions who celebrate this day, Happy Pentecost!
Thanks to the readers who responded to yesterday's photo with such very touching comments.
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A foretaste of Pentecost

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In the dim recesses of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a priest and his reflection.

Enlarge the photo and you will even see the light reflected in his eyeglasses as well.
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What almost looks like a flame above his head reminds us that this Sunday is Pentecost for some Christians.
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The Book of Acts says that the Apostles were gathered together in one place [the Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.
Then tongues of fire appeared and one sat upon each one of Apostles!
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Spirit.

The glass in which the priest was reflected shields a mosaic above the glittery bench.
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The large mosaic of the Crucifixion was made in 1970.
It is next to the arched door of the Armenians' sacristy.
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I hope James and the growing group at Weekend Reflections enjoy this dim reflection of inner brightness.
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Κύριε ἐλέησον

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At the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands this edicule, and inside is the tomb where Jesus was buried (according to Catholic and Orthodox tradition).

This is a rare photo of the edicule with no crowds standing in line to enter it. Early morning today.

But yesterday this same place was much more colorful, with red vestments bringing to mind the red tongues of fire.
The Orthodox churches were celebrating Pentecost.

The prostration is because of the liturgy of the day.

The Greek Orthodox have three sets of kneeling prayers for Pentecost.
The first is a prayer of great repentance; the second prayer is a call to the Holy Spirit to help the faithful follow the right path during their life; and the third prayer is to remember those who have gone before.

Some selected lines from the liturgy:

DEACON: For those who incline their hearts as well as the knee before the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy.

DEACON: That He will accept our act of kneeling as incense before Him, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy.

. . .

DEACON: Again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.
CANTOR: Lord, have mercy. Kyrie eleison.

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(For views of other worlds by other bloggers please visit That's My World Tuesday.)
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Pentecost

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Jerusalem will have yet another celebration tomorrow.
The Christians who celebrated Easter on March 23 will now, 50 days later, mark the Feast of Pentecost.
The second chapter of Acts says that the Apostles were gathered together in one place [the Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.
Then tongues of fire appeared and one sat upon each one of Apostles.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Spirit.
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This is one reason my pastor friend in Arkansas says that the Acts of the Apostles should really be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
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I wondered how to post a photo illustrating the Holy Spirit!
Then I remembered this parament in the Church of the Redeemer in the Old City.
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"Veni Creator Spiritus," from the 9th century, is considered the most famous of hymns and is normally sung in Gregorian chant on Pentecost or whenever the Holy Spirit is solemnly invoked.
Click here to hear the beautiful Gregorian chant (with notes and words).
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I wish all Christians in the Holy Land and abroad a joyous and Spirit-filled Pentecost!
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