The Orthodox Church commemorates today, on Monday of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. “[I believe] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified […]”
In the Holy Trinity, there are three Persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father beyond the limits of time. It descended to the world on the day of Pentecost, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son and Word of God. According to the Credo, these three Persons are united indivisibly and without confusion. We thus worship the Holy Spirit in the same way we worship the Father and the Son.
St. John Chrysostom said: “The gifts of the Holy Spirit go beyond human reason. So, let us all rejoice together and worship our Lord. It is a holiday and a celebration for us today. We recently commemorated the Cross, the Passion, the Resurrection, and then the Ascension of Jesus Christ. It is the feast of the feasts today; The fulfilment of the Lord’s promises.
Thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, we washed out the sin and our souls have become pure. We were human beings, but now we are angels. Our nature has not altered, we have maintained our human nature through which we were able to obtain characteristics of an angel.
This week is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, and, therefore, we do not have to fast on Wednesday and Friday.
Thus, the faithful are taught that fasting is not a goal that they have to achieve, but a way to live an ascetic life, to be self-restrained, and to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Source: Church of Cyprus
