Pentecost...

THIS IS THE WEEKEND of Pentecost... What a glorious feast of the church! One of the ways I help to make this feast more significant to the children is to put the emphasis of celebrating the "birthday" of the church. We make a cake and talk about the Gospel reading for the day. Years ago when my oldest was six or seven a group of ladies and children from our church decided to make a special plate for the feasts of the church. I'm sorry to say the only two I completed were the "Liturgical year" and Pentecost. However, I now can not find the one made for Pentecost.

The Liturgical Year plate shows in colors and symbols all of the seasons of the church year. It's a wonderful visual to show the fasting and celebration seasons of the year. I should find a ceramic shop and make the other feast day plates so I could have a special plate for each feast. Hmmmm... have to think about that. Anyway when we make our "Pentecost Birthday" cake we use this special plate for the feast. We also go out and find greenery and flowers to decorate to signify "that God’s divine Breath comes to renew all creation as the “lifeÄcreating Spirit.”  Just another way to make the feast more meaningful for the children.

So after the wonderful services of Pentecost Sunday the children will help to prepare our special meal with a special dessert, usually a cake. What's a birthday without a cake, right? Then on Spirit Monday, the following day, we would usually travel to our historical Holy Trinity Church for Spirit Monday to continue the celebration of the feast. This year, however we will be home, due to a lacking of transportation. There's a lovely picnic lunch afterwards and another day of celebration. I'm sad to be missing it.

On this weekend of Pentecost I wish you a blessed feast and pray that we all honor the visitation of the Holy Spirit upon us throughout the year.

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise

by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit:

through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net.

O Lover of Man, Glory to Thee (Troparion).

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! (Kontakion)