Bishop ANTHONY'S Pastoral Letter for Pentecost, 2018

May 27, 2018
Great Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost

Beloved Clergy and Laity of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest:

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Today we proclaim with immense joy we have seen the True Light and have received the Heavenly Spirit for with the presence of the Spirit is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise and the completion of hope. For, the Holy Spirit provides all things. 

As we meditate upon the mystery of this Great Feast, let us focus on the intimacy of the union of the three-person Godhead in the undivided Holy Trinity. As the hymnographer explains, “the Father timelessly hath begotten the Son, equal to Him in eternity and the throne; and the Holy Spirit was in the Father, glorified with the Son, one Might, one Substance, one Godhead.” The Church Fathers speak of this intimacy in terms of a joyous dance of love of three persons around each other. It is this intimate communion and relationship that Christ himself prayed would prevail among His disciples and the Church when he asked, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21). 

At the intersection of the horizontal communion amongst all humanity, and the vertical communion between united humanity and the united three-person Godhead, we find the Life-Giving Cross ~ through which joy has come into all the world! Let us work to nourish the love of one another so we too may join in the dance of love among the persons of the Holy Trinity.

We are reminded, too, of the Apostles’ mission to the nations and recall that the Holy Spirit, who descended upon the Apostles 50 days after our Lord’s resurrection, remains with the Church to this day. Our Lord’s instruction to “preach to all of the nations” has not been withdrawn and is as urgent as ever. Therefore, on this Great Feast, I am once again asking all parishes in the diocese to take up a special collection in support of our local mission fund.

May the Comforter and Spirit of Truth abide in your hearts that we may all abide with the Holy Trinity until the ages of ages. Amen!

Yours in Christ,

+Bishop ANTHONY
Bishop of Toledo
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

P.S. Checks may be made payable to the “Diocese of Toledo Mission Fund” and sent in care of Nicholas Ayoub, 1251 Franklin St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. Thank you for your generosity.