Patriarch Elijah’s message for the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
We heard in the Gospel that Jesus cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus was speaking about the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive. Notice the words: “…whom those believing in Him would receive.” So the condition for the receiving of the Holy Spirit is to believe in Jesus.
“He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
God’s Word uses the word believe twice: he who believes and those believing. So it confirms doubly that the condition for us to receive the Holy Spirit is to believe in Jesus: “He who believes in Me…”. The condition is to believe in Him and in His Word given to us. Jesus has given us His Word in the Gospel, and He calls us to receive Him and His programme. His Word is not a mere letter but the Spirit of God speaks through it. The Scripture says that the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, and the same is true about the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul, when speaking about the armour of God, mentions the sword of the Spirit – the word of God. It is a weapon for both defence and attack. It has been given to us for the fight against the spirit of the world.
The spiritual resurrection of each of us individually, as well as of Ukraine and of the Church requires that every day, again and again, we should wholly receive Christ as our Saviour and Lord, and ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on every one of us. We need to put this programme into practice every day and in every situation. It is not enough to receive Jesus as our Saviour or open ourselves to the Holy Spirit just once in our life. It is necessary to repeat the act of faith and to return to it time and again, to walk in the truth. We need to receive the Holy Spirit in particular situations in order to know what and how to speak: “The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” He will also give us the strength in time of persecution.
On the day of His ascension, Jesus said to the apostles: “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall be witnesses to Me.” So we need the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to Jesus. A witness means a martyr. There have been not thousands but millions of martyrs all over the world. About 50 million martyrs have laid down their lives for the sake of Christ throughout the world over the past 100 years. The times we live in are the times of the antichrist. The times when the spirit of lies destroys Christianity both from within and without. We can see mass apostasy from Christianity in America, Europe, up to Australia. It is the fruit of the curse for accepting heresies, the spirit of paganism and the spirit of New Age. People have embraced various psychologies or philosophies, just to avoid repentance. However, repentance is the essential condition for the receiving of the Holy Spirit. Repentance means to enter into the truth, to become aware of our sins before ourselves and before God, and to turn to Jesus Christ, to turn our eyes to His cross with faith.
The Church without the Holy Spirit is like an electric locomotive which is not connected to electric power. Similarly, the Church structure cannot work without God’s Spirit. When the prophet Ezekiel prophesied, the dry bones came together but they did not come to life until the Spirit of God entered them, and they stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. It is the Spirit who gives life. Without Him there is no life. We can work and prepare the ground for an awakening but we cannot give life. Therefore we have to ask the Holy Spirit to come: “Come, Holy Spirit, and breathe on these slain, that they may live!” May the Holy Spirit descend on all Ukraine and raise it to life! The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us. And He can also raise to life the whole territory. So we need to ask with faith: “Come, Holy Spirit, and breathe on these slain, that they may live!”
Today we celebrate a great feast – Descent of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask the Holy Spirit with faith to descend on us in fullness like on the apostles. Chapter 37 of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel emphasizes the responsibility for the nation, for the valley of dry bones. It is our task too to pray for a miracle of God – for spiritual resurrection – through the word of prophecy spoken with authority. Let us pray for the dry bones to come together and to make a noise, for the Church to be raised to life, for the Spirit of God to come in fullness and to turn this cemetery into a great army of God’s warriors. How can this be? The Archangel Gabriel said to the Blessed Virgin: “The Holy Spirit will do it!” And she answered: “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Amen.
Download: Patriarch Elijah’s message for the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit
