THE POWER OF HOLY SPIRIT

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters!

Holy Trinity Russo-Orthodox Church, Wostok. May 27, 2018

In the first chapter of the book of Acts of the Apostles saint Luke wrote the last instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ at His Ascension: «wait for the promise of the Father, which He said ‘you have heard from me’ but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem… and even to the end of the earth» ( Acts 1: 4-9).

Let us recall the situation, in which the apostles found themselves in: their beloved teacher ascended. The Jews hate them. There are very few followers of Christ, around 120 people. They are unarmed, have no political or economic power; and were at a loss as to what to do or even where to begin. At any moment anything could happen to them. And in this situation they did not scatter. They precisely followed the instructions of the Teacher, and remained in Jerusalem waiting for something which they could not comprehend. This obedience to Christ’s words, end in a great miracle. ‘They were all filled with the Holy Spirit’. The Holy Spirit made them ‘whole’; such as they had never been before. The Apostles became new and better people. Weak, poor and uneducated followers become stronger than all politicians and army, wiser than phylosiphers and wealthier than world bankers. The source of this power was the descent of the Holy Spirit from God the Father, into their hearts. Here are some examples of this power:

The power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost inserted into a previously weak spirited apostle Peter words of uncompromising witness about the redeeming sacrifice of the Son of God. It melted the hearts of three thousand cruel jews, whom after having heard Peter’s preaching became beleivers of the Ressurected Christ. This power made the apostles able to preach God’s Word with odacity. God’s power stopped Saul when he was filled with threats and murder on the way to Damascus and turned him into Paul the great preacher of the Holy Scriptures. This is the power which liberated apostle Peter from bondage in chains and opened the gates of the jail. The Spirit of God’s power spread Christ’s Church begining in Judea to the end of the earth. This power escorted the apostles everywhere, creating miracles and signs through them, and remained with them during their end as martyrs. This power gave manhood, bravery and victory to christians, weak women and children, against lions sent by unbeleivers in the arenas of the Roman Empire. This power turned monks and ascetics into saints resembling angels when they ventured into the desert and other uninhabited places in order to live with Christ and love Him. This power resounded in the prayers of thousands of incarcerated people for their faith in Christ, persecuted priests and lay people in Soviet prisons and camps. This power today strengthens christians in China, Africa, and islamic countries. This power of the Holy Spirit shows itself more in great christian heroes than in regular faithful, because Saints give the Lord more opportunity to function. This power of the Holy Spirit is a witness to our Lord Jesus, it glorifies Him and reminds us of what He said. It helps us to live by the spiritual commandments from His Holy Scriptures. Today, it mysteriously heals our hearts from wounds of sin and makes us able to accept ‘truth’. Thanks to this power siners become Saints.

This is the power by which your grandparents sucessfully arrived in Canada, worked over the wild prairies, and built on this spot the first temple didicated to the Holy Trinity. The power of the Holy Spirit guided to Canada the first priest Fr. Jacob Korchynsky and Saint Bishop Tikhon (Bellavin), and made them fiery preachers of Holy Scriptures, and became the foundation of Orthodoxy in Canada.

It appears to be the wings of our priests, wich serve God and His people in the Church. The power of the Holy Spirit today, can be found in the Orthodox Church. This power coming from mutual decisions of the Church (Holy Councils) protects ‘Truth’ from mistaken opinions (Acts 15:28).

In order for us to become strong in the Holy Spirit, we must be living members of our Church, participate in her services, partake of the Holy Mysteries, live according to its teachings. At every liturgy we pray «O Lord, Who didst send down Thy Most Holy Spirit at the third hour upon Thine apostles: take Him not from us, O Good One, but renew Him in us who pray unto Thee. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me». If we wish to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and become strong in faith, it is imperative for us to unite each Sunday in the temple to this short prayer. Amen!

Holy Trinity Russo-Orthodox Church, Wostok. May 27, 2018