Golden-mouth. Homily 77. On Pentecost Sunday, a Teaching of St. John Chrysostom

For those who love God, there is no weariness in keeping feast. Behold, as we now keep festival, the angels rejoice with us, the archangels are glad, and all the heavenly powers celebrate together with us.

Let us then keep festival, not like the unbelievers, nor like the children of the Jews, but being filled with spiritual joy, as the children of Zion—not as Pharaoh, who ate like an ox. Let us, therefore, keep festival, O faithful, just as the Apostle Paul says, “not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Today we celebrate spiritually the coming of the Holy Ghost, “for the Lord is that Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17), who dwelleth in the hearts of those who love Him.

Our feast today is the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ—the day on which the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles. Just as golden threads are woven into a radiant garment one after another, so does the Holy Church celebrate one feast following another. Not long ago we celebrated the Passion of the Lord, and then His Resurrection, and the touching of His side, and His Ascension into heaven. And today we have come to the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise: “For if I go away,” said the Lord, “I will send you another Comforter, and I will not leave you comfortless” (John 14:18, 16:7).

Do you see the Lord’s compassion? Just ten days ago He ascended into heaven, to receive the royal throne and sit at the right hand of the Father; and today He has sent the Holy Ghost, dispelling the cloud of sorrow from His disciples. For they had heard the Lord say: “Go ye and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19), but they did not know where or how to go. That is why the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles in the form of fire, dividing unto them the various parts of the world, giving them the gift of tongues—thus indicating, as though by writing, which land each one was to go to and the boundaries of the teachings—so that the divided world might be united once more.

For just as the tongues at the Tower of Babel once divided the nations through their wickedness, so now the apostles, by the gift of diverse tongues, gathered the scattered nations into one faith.

O marvelous wisdom of the Holy Ghost, who swiftly bestowed knowledge upon the apostles! Do you see the twelve rays shining from one Sun? The twelve lamps lit by one Flame? The twelve branches growing from the true Vine? The twelve baskets filled from one Table? The twelve rivers flowing from one Source? The twelve tongues speaking through one and the same grace?

Let us therefore bow down in faith to the Holy Ghost, who is of one essence with the Father and the Son, having been enlightened by His goodness—not with drunkenness or evil—but so that we too may receive the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, just as the apostles did. For the Lord said to them: “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

Therefore, let us have love, O faithful, and keep the feast with love. For where love is, all evils come to an end. “Love,” it is written, “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, envieth not, doth no evil to its neighbor” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5). He who has love in God “worketh no ill to his neighbor, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:6–7).

Let us then put away envy, strip off all malice, extinguish the hatred of the devil, cast off lawless drunkenness, turn away from robbery, flee from theft and injustice. Let us shun fornication and adultery and every unrighteous deed—that we may be saved.

To our God be glory. Amen.