Pentecost message 2017 of His Eminence Archbishop John of Charioupolis, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch

To the clergy, monks, nuns and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, beloved in Christ,

« 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 hast drawn the world into the net. O Lover of man, glory to Thee ! »

The fifty days of Easter have come to an end and on this feast of Pentecost we now celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the “simple fishermen”, who by their evangelisation brought to the whole of the human race the grace of the resurrection and the true knowledge of God through Jesus Christ.

Christ, ascended to the right hand of the Father, from where he waits to return to the earth to “judge the whole world as the good judge” has by His ascension to the right hand of the Father reconciled humanity, brought down by Adam, with the Father.

The Church exults with joy on this day because the Spirit, sent down on all mankind purifies and transforms them in the image of the only begotten and risen Son. All the services of this day rejoice with this trinitarian joy in the adoration due to God in Three Persons. It is the very heart of our faith. Everyone must learn to know the mysterious Host who dwells in him. At Baptism each one of us received the "Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit". All our being has been sanctified so that we become the place of the kingdom of God.

So let us invoke the Holy Spirit every day, at every moment of the day that God gives us, so that every action may be accomplished in the name of Him who "dwells in us and fills all things"

You are "temples of the Holy Spirit," says the apostle Paul. Let us acquire it and clothe ourselves with the joy and light of the Spirit, as Saint Seraphim of Sarov reminds us, and we will be grafted onto Christ and by Him be called to Life, which is Life in God.

To all the priests, deacons, monks and nuns and to all the faithful of our Exarchate-Archdiocese of the parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe I wish a holy feast of Pentecost.

Fathers, brothers and sisters, in the Joy and Love of the risen Christ receive my blessing.

† JOHN, Archbishop of Charioupolis, Patriarchal Exarch of Orthodox parishes of Russian tradition in Western Europe

Paris, 4 Jun 2017