The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had
come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from
heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and
resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When we look at an ‘icon’ to assist us in our prayers. It is
very important to remember that the picture before us is not a ‘capture’ of a
past moment like a photograph. Nor is it an attempt to give a picture of what
happened.
Rather: it a PRESENT REALITY arising from a past action. For
proper icons of FAITH this will be a present reality of the place of the CHURCH
(and our part in the Church, as baptised and confirmed) arising from an ACTION
OF GOD FOR OUR SALVATION. And so…..the Feast of Pentecost is not only the
commemoration of an historical event, but a celebration of a present reality:
the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
Likewise, the Icon
for Pentecost is much more than the depiction of a past event.
Beginning at the top of the icon, we see from what appears
as a blue semi-circle the ‘mandorla’
twelve rays coming down. The ‘mandorla’ is an indication of the glory of God (see:
Exodus 33:11 and Ezekiel 11:23). A full depiction is shown in the icon of the
Transfiguration for example:
From the ’mandorla’, each of these ‘rays of light’ are
directed to one of the men present. Those men are gathered in unity. Each in a
different pose but no sign of confusion or disruption – almost serene. These poses
are an indication of the different gifts that the Holy Spirit brings to the
Church. (see: 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11).
At the head of this semi-circle of the Apostles are St. Peter and St. Paul. As
if we needed again to be reminded that
this is NOT an historical picture – Paul had not yet had his conversion on
the road to Damascus.
Next on both sides are the FOUR EVANGELISTS, each holding a book – a book of their GOSPEL. Another reminder that this is not a portrait
of an historical event. Unlike icons of saintly Bishops who hold the book
through their vestment, the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, hold the
Gospel with their bare hands. A reminder to us of the esteem and reverence we
should hold the truths of the Holy Gospel and a reminder to all who preach the
Holy Gospel that it is NOT their word but the WORD OF GOD. A reminder that what
we have received, we are to pass on.
The remaining six Apostles hold scrolls. A Scroll indicates holy Wisdom, and so is often shown in
the hands of the Old Testament prophets, but is also seen in the hands of the
Apostles. Both were given wisdom from
God – the prophets through visions, the Apostles through meeting and knowing
Jesus Christ. Having the wisdom of God comes as a result of knowing Jesus
Christ, the Word made Flesh: it is precisely because these Apostles’ writing/wisdom/prophecy
comes from God, not their own reasoning, that they are glorified. (see Matthew
28:20).
Perhaps, unnoticed is the EMPTY SEAT -a striking aspect of the Pentecost Icon is the empty
space at the centre, between the Apostles Peter and Paul. This central seat is
a place of honour, the “Teacher’s Seat” around which the Apostles are gathered.
Why is it empty?
Because it is the seat Christ should be sitting in, who has
ascended physically into Heaven. Yet Jesus promised many times that though He
would leave them physically, He would instead give to them the Holy Spirit as a
Comforter, Advocate, and Guide. This promise was first realized at Pentecost,
and is still true today. Therefore, the Icon, which is also an Icon of the
Church, shows the Apostles gathered in unity, sustained by the power of the Holy
Spirit, surrounding Christ who is invisibly present.
At the bottom of the Icon is another semi-circle, showing an
old king against a dark background. He is often named as Kosmos and represents the world. He is crowned as a symbol of earthly authority – i.e. he represents
all the peoples of the world, rather than the whole of creation. He is sat “in
darkness and the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79), and is aged to show the
corruptibility of the world. Yet he also holds a blanket containing scrolls
representing Apostolic teaching (compare with the scrolls held by the Apostles
in the Icon itself). Though in darkness, the descent of the Holy Spirit has not
only reached the Apostles, but also all corners of the world into which the
Apostles will preach the Gospel. As Kosmos stands representing ‘earthly wisdom
and earthly power’: his open hands remind us that the Holy Spirit can and does
bring a FULL meaning to earthly ideas only if those ideas are brought into the ‘light
of the Holy Spirit’. A final reminder:
as our eyes drift from top to bottom, from ‘mandorla’ to ‘Kosmos’, a true
judgement relies on holding matters before the light of the Truth which the Holy
Spirit brings. All too often, people try to justify things the other way round –
offering the wisdom of the world to ask God to make it his !!
From about the Seventeenth century onwards, some icons
incorporated a depiction of Our Lady. Possibly, this was because Western Art
did so. Or because Our Lady was indeed present at the Coming of the Holy
Spirit. The presence of the Mother of God (the Theotokos) in the centre is not
problematic though, as she is the ultimate exemplar of a Christian. With Jesus
Christ ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit acts within people, and through
the Saints Christ is manifested in the world. Mary is therefore shown in the
“teacher’s seat” as the best example we have, and the person on earth who most
resembled Jesus Christ (both physically, as His mother, and spiritually as His
disciple). Mary in these icons encapsulates all that is shown in the more
ancient images. She stands in her own right as the person of Mother of God, and
first disciple as Mother of the Church : Maria-Ecclesia. (see John 2:5 and Luke
8:21)
O God, who by the mystery of today’s great feast
sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation,
pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit
across the face of the earth
and, with the divine grace that was at work
when the Gospel was first proclaimed,
fill now once more the hearts of believers.
Through Christ our Lord.
