What does the Holy Trinity mean? Trinity: the history and essence of the holiday

17.10.2019

Trinity - great Orthodox holiday, symbolizing the fullness of God's grace, when the third Holy hypostasis appeared to people - the Holy Spirit, in 2019 is celebrated on June 16.

Before His ascension, resurrected and staying with the chosen disciples, the Apostles, Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit descended on them, after which He ascended to heaven.

Biblical Description of Pentecost

Trinity called this holiday in honor of the fullness of God, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with which the Creator baptized the Apostles on the fiftieth day from the Resurrection of the Lord. Hence the second name of this holiday - Pentecost.

The Holy Trinity

In prayer, daily communion were the Apostles and faithful followers of Jesus Christ, among whom were:

pupils;
the women who accompanied the teacher during His earthly life;
Mother Mary;
His brothers.

The Teacher did not say when the Holy Spirit would appear, and how it would be, only said that everyone should be in expectation.

The history of the holiday in Orthodoxy

From that day on, every Sunday every 50 days or seven weeks after the Apostles and the Christians around them celebrated the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The celebrations of the Week ended with the baptism of those added to the Church.

Quintus Tertullian, an early Christian theologian, writer of more than 31 preserved treatises, wrote in 220-230 that the feast of the Trinity eclipsed all pagan rites this time.

The Trinity in Orthodoxy denotes the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Pentecost received official recognition by the Church in 381 during the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, at which a dogma was approved recognizing the equality of all three hypostases of the Holy Trinity.

At the Council, the Symbol of the Christian Faith was adopted - I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Symbol of faith
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty Creator who created heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, the Savior of people, who was born of the Virgin Mary at conception by the Holy Spirit, was tormented during the time of Pontius Pilate, died through crucifixion, was buried and resurrected after descending into hell, ascended to Heaven, sat at the right hand of the Most High, so that with Him to judge people, living and dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Universal Church, eternal life through forgiveness and resurrection. Amen.

Amen in translation means the statement "So be it!"

The difference between the Trinity and other holidays

Easter services end with Pentecost, after which church calendar weeks are numbered weeks after Trinity.

The Monday after the feast of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Day of the Holy Spirit. From it until Easter, the Creed is read, and after the Resurrection of Jesus and until the day of Pentecost, during church and home prayers, the hymn is read: “Christ has risen from the dead, overcame death by death, rose alive from the tomb”, which is not sung after the Day of the Holy Spirit.

Divine service on the Trinity begins with a prayer, it is read before the start at the end of every holiday and deed, when the Holy Spirit is called as a reliable helper.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who dwells everywhere and fills everything, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all sin and save our souls, Good One.

St. John of Damascus and Cosmos of Maium compiled the canons of the holidays as early as the eighth century; they were set forth in the First Complete Byzantine Charter for the Service on the Trinity.

For information! At the evening service, there is no kissing of the icon; the parishioners venerate the Gospel.

At the vigil before the feast, the canon of Pentecost is read. The morning Liturgy is replaced by the feast of the Holy Spirit, on which prayers are read, kneeling.

The festive stichera helps to understand the meaning of this action. The Jewish people, in whose midst God the Son was born, is deprived of God's grace through their unbelief. Christians all over the world, pagans according to the flesh, are filled with Divine light. On our knees, as a symbol of a bowed heart, with deep faith we worship the third Hypostasis of the Divine Trinity - God the Spirit.

Compiled the first prayers:

The first petition is dedicated to the confession before the Creator of sins and the request for mercy in the name of the Sacrifice given to people by Jesus Christ, God the Son.
The second prayer is an appeal for the gift of the Holy Spirit to all people.
The third appeal to Christ, the Mission, God, who descended into hell and took the keys of life from Satan, to have mercy on our deceased relatives.

During the holiday, the Troparion is performed:

Blessed are you, Christ our God, who gave wisdom to the fishermen, making them Apostles, sent them the Holy Spirit and helped them win the whole world, glory to Thee, God is the Lover of mankind.

Traditions of decorating temples and houses on the day of Pentecost

By folk tradition on the Trinity, churches and houses are decorated with greenery; the people call this holiday green Christmas time.

Decorating the temple with greenery on the feast of the Trinity as a symbol of the flourishing of the Christian soul

On the one hand, this is a historical basis. God appeared to Abraham in the form of three elders who were reclining under an oak tree.

On the fiftieth day after the exit from Egypt, the Almighty on the green Mount Sinai gave the people 10 commandments, which are now the basis of Christianity.

According to custom, in honor of these events, all the temples were decorated before with greenery. Greenery at Pentecost symbolizes the flowering of the Christian soul, which was awakened by the Divine Spirit through the grace of God the Father and the Son.

The birches cut down on the Trinity symbolize the power of grace. While the tree was fed through the roots, grew in the ground, it lived, and as soon as it was cut down, it died. So the human soul lives as long as it eats Divine power, and a person departs from the Church, immediately perishes. Jesus is the Vine, and we are His branches, feeding on mercy, forgiveness through confession and communion.

For information! Next week for bright week modest, it ends with the Week of All Saints, after which Peter's fast comes.

The Almighty showed himself to be triune in the Trinity consubstantial and inseparable, you should not try to understand this dogma with your mind, explain it with the human mind. Each hypostasis of the Trinity has its own face, but these are not three Gods, but a single Divine essence.

Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost

In Orthodoxy The feast of the Trinity falls on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ when, according to the Gospel, the Third Person of the Trinity - The Holy Spirit - descended on the Apostles in the form of flames, after which they were able to preach on different languages Word of God different nations not only to the Jews. That's why another name for the holiday is Pentecost.

In Catholicism and Lutheranism, the holidays of the Trinity and Pentecost do not coincide: Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit is also celebrated on Sunday on the 50th day after Easter; Trinity is celebrated a week later, next Sunday.

In Protestantism, it is Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, that is a great celebration. For example, the Evangelical Pentecostal denomination celebrates this day no less violently than Easter, and usually on this day baptizes the neophytes in the reservoirs with the Holy Spirit.

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost is described in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 2:1-18). On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (the tenth day after the Ascension), the apostles were in the Zion room in Jerusalem, suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind and filled the whole house where they were. And divided tongues appeared to them, as if of fire, and rested one on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with 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 when they heard that inside they were speaking in various dialects, they were amazed. Some of them sneered at the apostles and said, They drank of sweet wine (Acts 2:13). In response to this response:

The holiday got its first name in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which Jesus Christ promised them before His ascension to heaven. The descent of the Holy Spirit pointed to the trinity of God. God the Father creates the world, God the Son redeems people from slavery to the devil, God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the world through the dispensation of the Church source not specified 311 days. On the day of Pentecost, the universal apostolic Church was formed (Acts 2:41-47).

The corresponding text in Catholicism is the Veni Sancte Spiritus prayer. Veni per Mariam.

The New Testament does not directly mention that the Mother of God was with the apostles during the descent of the Holy Spirit. The tradition of its presence on the icon-painting images of this event is based on the indication in the Acts of the Apostles that after the Ascension, the disciples of Jesus were with one accord in prayer and supplication, with some wives and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14). On this occasion, Bishop Innokenty (Borisov) writes: Could she not be present at the moment of the coming of the Holy Spirit who conceived and gave birth through Him?

As a theological term, charisma is 9 special gifts of the Holy Spirit, poured out by him on the apostles in the Jerusalem temple on the feast of Pentecost. These gifts are: wisdom, knowledge and the ability to discern spirits; faith, miracles and healing; prophecy, glossolalia, and the interpretation of tongues.

The Trinity is usually celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter and on the tenth day after the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This day can be found in the Bible. On this day, about two thousand years ago (according to historians in May 30 AD), the apostles were sitting in a room in one of the Jerusalem houses on Mount Zion. And suddenly there was a noise from heaven and filled the whole house, and all the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages that were not previously known. There were many pilgrims in Jerusalem at that time. different countries when they heard the noise, they hurried to the house of the apostles. They were surprised when they heard that the apostles spoke different languages. For each of them, the sermon of the apostles sounded in his native language. The time has come not only for God the Father (who was at the time Old Testament), not only God the Father and the Son (the times of the New Testament), but the time of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, is one of the main Christian holidays, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter.

The Orthodox Church refers it to the so-called Twelve Feasts, the meaning of which is to glorify Holy Trinity.

Second name Pentecost received this day because the Holy Spirit descended to the Apostles on the 50th day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the form of fiery tongues. By this sign, the Holy Spirit made it clear that the apostles had the power and ability to preach the teachings of Christ to other peoples. On that day, many people believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized.

On this holiday, it is customary for Orthodox Christians to decorate their homes with fresh green birch twigs and fragrant flowers.

There is such an icon - the Holy Trinity, and everyone, probably, has looked at it more than once, trying to understand its meaning.

This icon depicts God the Father himself, God the Son- Jesus Christ and God - the Holy Spirit, the same Comforter, the descent of which Jesus Christ promised his disciples when he ascended into heaven. The Holy Trinity means that God exists in three persons, or hypostases. Why this is so, perhaps, is not worth understanding yet, you just need to believe and admit that this is so and that the image of God in three hypostases on icons is called the Holy Trinity.

The Holy Trinity is dedicated to the great religious holiday- the feast of the Holy Trinity, or simply the Trinity. It is also associated with Easter and Ascension, therefore it does not have a permanent day, but is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, on the tenth after Ascension. That is why it is also called Pentecost. This holiday is dedicated to the memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles-disciples of Christ. This day is called the Trinity, because on this day we glorify all the faces of the Triune God: God the Father, who created the world, God the Son, who suffered in the name of human salvation and delivered people from enslavement to the devil, and God the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies peace through the founding of the church, therefore the Day of the Holy Trinity is also called the birthday of the Christian church.

On the tenth day after the Ascension, all the apostles, as always, were together in the house, and suddenly there was a loud noise, as if a gust of strong wind had burst into the room. The noise filled the whole house, and then a fiery tongue stopped over each apostle (as the first disciples of Christ were called), and suddenly they began to speak in different languages that they did not know before: in Latin, and in Greek, and in Arabic, and in -Persian, and in other languages that were in the world.

The apostles realized that the Holy Spirit had come upon them. Then they went out to the square and began to tell the people who came to Jerusalem from all sides to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, about Jesus Christ, about how he died, then resurrected and ascended into heaven. And despite the fact that people were from different places and spoke different languages, they perfectly understood everything and asked the apostles:

What are we to do, brothers?

The apostles answered them:

- Repent of your sins, be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins will be forgiven, and you will receive forgiveness.

And then the apostles went to different lands: and to the north, and to the south, and to the west, and to the east, to tell all people about Jesus Christ and his good works.

It is known from Holy Scripture that about 3 thousand people were baptized at that time, and the apostles went further along the earth and introduced more and more people to their faith.

Holy Trinity Day is a very beautiful holiday. On this day, churches are decorated from the inside with birch twigs, freshly cut grass and wild flowers are spread on the floor. All believers with green birch branches in their hands go to church, where during the service these branches are consecrated, and they are kept in everyone's house, bringing happiness, prosperity and health.

Who are the apostles?

Apostles (from Greek word"apolstolos" - sent) in the Bible are called those who accompanied Jesus Christ in his wanderings, and then were sent to preach Christianity throughout the world.

According to the books. Bible, Jesus Christ had twelve disciples. However, in the subsequent time to them. added a few more saints.

What do priests wear during worship?

You, of course, have seen the beautiful clothes embroidered with gold, in which the priest is dressed during worship. These magnificent and colorful clothes help to give everything that happens in the church, solemnity and majesty. They look especially beautiful in the light of flickering candles. Priests are very smart and educated people, they know history well, many languages.

The main book for all priests and believers is the Bible, the most famous book in the world the globe. It has been translated into 1800 languages of the peoples of the world, and if a person knows only one of his native language he can still read the Bible.

The Christian holiday Trinity is one of the Orthodox twelfth holidays, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, on Sunday. Churches Western tradition celebrate on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Pentecost, and the Trinity itself on the following Sunday.

The meaning of the feast of the 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 - the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From that day on, the message has been preached throughout the earth. In general, the meaning of the Trinity as a holiday is that God is revealed to people in stages, and not immediately. In modern Christianity, the Trinity means that the Father, who created all life, sent the Son, Jesus Christ, and then the Holy Spirit to people. For believers, the meaning of the Holy Trinity is reduced to the praise of God in all his hypostases.

Trinity traditions

The Holy Trinity, whose history of celebration dates back thousands of years, is also widely celebrated today. The people celebrate Trinity for three days. The first day is Klechalnoe or Green Sunday, when people had to be extremely careful because of the aggressiveness of mermaids, mawks, will lose and other mythical evil spirits. In the villages, the holiday of the Russian Trinity is celebrated in compliance with traditions and certain rituals. The floor of churches and houses was decorated with grass, icons 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 on Green Sunday tell fortunes with the help of wicker wreaths. If the wreaths floated on the water converge, then this year the young woman will be betrothed. On this day, deceased relatives were commemorated in cemeteries, leaving treats on the graves. And in the evenings buffoons and mummers entertained the villagers.

In the morning comes Klechalny Monday. After the service in the church, the clergy went to the fields and read prayers, asking the Lord for protection for the future harvest. Children at this time participated in interesting games-amusements.

On the third day, Bogodukh's day, the girls "led Poplar". Her role was played by the most beautiful unmarried girl. She was unrecognizably decorated with wreaths, ribbons, and taken around rural yards so that the owners would generously treat her. The water in the wells on this day was sanctified, getting rid of the unclean spirit.

Christian Western tradition

Lutheranism and Catholicism share the feasts of Trinity and Pentecost. The cycle opens with Pentecost, a week later the Trinity is celebrated, 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 Russian churches these days are decorated with birch twigs. public holiday considered the Trinity in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Latvia, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Norway and France.

Trinity and Modernity

Today, Trinity is especially celebrated in rural areas. Before this day, housewives usually put things in order both in the house and in the courtyard, cook festive dishes. Flowers and grass collected early in the morning decorate rooms, doors and windows, believing that they are in the house evil spirit won't let.

In the morning, festive services are held in churches, and in the evening you can attend concerts, festivities take part in fun competitions. Most of Traditions, unfortunately, have been lost, but the holiday still remains one of the most important for believers.

Keeps the memory of many great events. In order to make it easier to navigate in them and not miss an important day, many believers use orthodox calendar. However, there are only a few major holidays, and one of them is the Holiday. How much do we know about it? If you ask the first person you meet about what the Trinity holiday is celebrated in the Christian world, he will most likely say that this day is of the divine essence: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. While this is true, it is by no means all there is to know about this great day.

How did Trinity come about?

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 going to the temple for prayer and sacrifice, a noise arose over 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 fiery tongues appeared above their heads, which slowly descended on each of them. This flame had an extraordinary property: it shone, but did not burn. But even more amazing were those 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 did not speak their native Jewish, but other languages they did not understand. Thus, an ancient prophecy was fulfilled, which was still foretold (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 Trinity

Some people consider this event just a fantasy of the writers of the Bible. Since most often this unbelief is explained by ignorance of the Holy Scriptures, we will tell you what happened next. Seeing what was happening with the apostles, people began to gather around them. And even then there were skeptics who laughed and attributed everything that happened to the influence of wine. Other people were perplexed, and seeing this, he stepped forward and explained to the audience that the descent of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, including predictions 2:28-32), which is aimed at saving people. This first sermon was very short and at the same time simple, but since the heart of Peter was filled with Divine grace, many decided to repent that day, and by the evening the number of those baptized and received Christian faith grew from 120 to 3000 people.

No wonder this date Orthodox Church considers 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 own true path and find the right direction in life. Knowing all the details of this grandiose event, it is difficult to remain a skeptic and 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, next year's Easter falls on April 20th.