Le jour de l'Esprit-Saint est une fête qui reste souvent dans l'ombre de la Trinité. Pourtant, elle est dédiée à l'Esprit-Saint, le Troisième Personne de la Trinité. Dans l'histoire du christianisme, ce jour est apparu après la Trinité, mais il est devenu une étape importante. Nous vous racontons comment le jour de l'Esprit-Saint s'est détaché en une fête distincte, ce qui a changé au fil des siècles et pourquoi il est important aujourd'hui.

Le christianisme primitif

During the first centuries, the Christians did not distinguish the day of the Holy Spirit separately. The Trinity (Pentecost) was celebrated as a single festival of the descent of the Holy Spirit. On this day, both the Trinity and the Holy Spirit were glorified. There was no division. But with the development of theology, the need arose to emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit. After all, in the Symbol of Faith it is said: "Je crois en l'Esprit Saint, Seigneur vivifiant." But there was no separate festival.

In the fourth century, after disputes about the Trinity (Arian heresy), the church strengthened its doctrine. And the tradition of celebrating the Holy Spirit the day after the Trinity was established.

VIe siècle: consolidation de la fête

Under Emperor Justinian I (6th century) in the Byzantine Empire, the day of the Holy Spirit was established to be celebrated the day after the Trinity. This was legally established. At the same time, special prayers and hymns for this day appeared. Theologians explained: the Trinity is a remembrance of an event (the descent of the Spirit). The day of the Holy Spirit is the glorification of the Person (the Holy Spirit).

The division helped avoid confusion in the minds of believers.

Moyen Âge

In the Western church, the day of the Holy Spirit (Monday after the Trinity) was not mandatory. In some places it was celebrated, in some places not. In the Eastern church (Orthodoxy), the festival was consolidated. In Russia, it was considered the "continuation of the Trinity". Churches were decorated with birches, the liturgy was served. In the people, the day of the Holy Spirit was called "names of the earth" — the earth could not be disturbed (plow, dig). They believed that the earth was pregnant with harvest.

This is a echo of paganism, but it has been preserved for centuries.

Réforme et temps modernes

The Protestants rejected the veneration of saints, but did they leave the Trinity and the day of the Holy Spirit? In Lutheranism, the day of the Holy Spirit (Pfingstmontag) is an official day off in Germany, Switzerland. In England (Anglicanism), Whit Monday was celebrated until 1971, then replaced by Spring Bank Holiday. In Russia after the revolution, festivals were banned, the tradition was interrupted. It was revived in the 1990s.

In modern Russia, the day of the Holy Spirit is not a day off, but many believers try to visit the church.

Le jour de l'Esprit-Saint aujourd'hui

In Orthodoxy, it is considered a great feast (not a double, but a great one). The clothing of priests is green. The prayer "Seigneur céleste" is read. In the people, the tradition still exists of not working on the land (especially in rural areas). In some regions, the ritual of "kumlenie" (girls kiss through a birch wreath) is held.

Important: The day of the Holy Spirit is not a "second-class" Trinity. It is a separate celebration. The Holy Spirit is not an abstract force, but a Person. He is the Comforter, the Guide, the Vivifier. On the day of the Holy Spirit, believers ask for the gifts of wisdom, chastity, love. They remember that God is nearby, in every breath.

Permanent link to this publication: