Second Homily for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Luke of Simferopol)

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered in 1957)

We recognize the powers of material nature by their manifestations with greater or lesser power.

A light breeze caressing our cheeks, and a terrible hurricane destroying entire cities - this is only the movement of air with the weakest and strongest power. The barely noticeable twinkling of the smallest star and the dazzling light of the midday sun are only manifestations of the same light energy in the weakest and strongest degree.

On this great feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, we see that the spiritual energy, which reveals to us the power of God, can manifest itself not only quietly and hardly noticeably, but also with tremendous power and glory.

Reflection for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 By St. Theophan the Recluse

Comforting His disciples, the Lord said that it will be better for them if He rises to heaven, for upon rising, in place of Himself He will send the Comforter — the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has descended and abides in the Church, accomplishing in each believer the work of Christ. Each Christian is a communicant of the Spirit. This is something so necessary, that in fact whoever does not have the Spirit is not of Christ. Look closely at yourself — is the Spirit of grace within you? For it does not remain in everyone; it can depart. Here are the signs of His presence: first He finds a spirit of repentance and teaches a Christian to turn to God and correct his life; the spirit of repentance, accomplishing its work, passes the Christian on to a spirit of holiness and purity, which is succeeded, at last, by a spirit of adoption. The characteristic of the first is a work-loving zeal; the characteristic of the second is warmth and a sweet burning of the heart; the characteristic of the third is a feeling of adoption whereby the heart sighs to God: "Abba, Father!" (Mk. 14:36). Examine which of these levels you are on. If you are not on any of them, take care for yourself. 

An Introduction to "On the Holy Spirit" by Saint Ambrose of Milan

Introduction

 

The three books on the Holy Spirit are, as St. Ambrose says himself, a sequel to those on the Faith, and the two treatises together have been sometimes quoted as if one, with the title, De Trinitate. But we see from Gratian's letter to St. Ambrose, and from the reply, that each treatise is separate, and the De Spiritu Sancto was written some years later, a.d. 381.

In the first book St. Ambrose commences by allegorizing the history of Gideon and the fleece, seeing in the drying of the fleece and the moistening of the threshing-floor a type of the Holy Spirit leaving the Jews and being poured out on the Gentiles. Passing to his more immediate subject, he proves that the Holy Spirit is above the whole Creation and is truly God, alleging as a special argument that the sin against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven, here or hereafter. He shows how the Holy Spirit is in Scripture called the Spirit of God; that He spoke by the prophets and apostles; that He sanctifies men, and is typified by the mystical ointment spoken of in Scripture. Next, St. Ambrose treats of His oneness with the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity, and shows that His mission in no way detracts from this oneness, but that there is in all the Divine Persons a perfect unity of peace, love, and other virtues.

A Summary of "On the Holy Spirit" by Saint Basil the Great

 

St. Basil the Great, the famous 4th century Cappadocian father, best known for developing and perfecting the trinitarian theology of St. Athanasius the Great (c. 295-373), composed On the Holy Spirit in 375.

Reason for Basil’s Treatise

The immediate occasion for this treatise was the accusation that the doxology St. Basil used in public worship, “glory be to the Father with the Son together with the Holy Spirit” was an innovation. His opponents preferred, “glory be to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit“, which was a traditional formula.

Since prayer and theology are inseparable (lex orandi lex est credendi), a debate over proper worship necessarily involved a debate about correct theology.

The Argument from Basil’s Opponents

The second doxology was supposedly superior in that it expressed more precisely what these contenders saw as the distinct levels of glory appropriate to the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

Their apparent contention was that any mention of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as different facilitates the argument that they are different in nature (variation of language = variation of nature).

The preposition from is best used concerning God the Father, through concerning God the Son, and in concerning God the Holy Spirit.

These prepositions indicate distinctions in essence and thus should not be used interchangeably. From supposedly indicates the cause of all things, through indicates instrumentality, whereas in indicates the time and place for such action.

Basil’s Defense

St. Basil answered the pneumatomachoi, or “Spirit fighters,” who denied the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, in several ways.

First, he critiques them for using pagan philosophy in their strict adherence to prepositions for the different persons in the Trinity. St. Basil thus accused his opponents of polluting the clear and simple doctrine of the Holy Spirit with their love of pagan philosophical distinctions.

Second, St. Basil affirmed that the Church knew and used BOTH formulas, each having its own proper context in worship and prayer, each with their unique emphasis. These doxologies are therefore complimentary rather than contradictory.

- With the Holy Spirit = expresses best the communion of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son in essence and in all the relations and activities of the Holy Trinity.

- In the Holy Spirit = emphasizes the relationship between the Holy Spirit and us, namely in the magnitude of blessings we receive from the Holy Spirit.

Third, St. Basil uses both unwritten and written Tradition of the Church Fathers to affirm this truth.

- Unwritten traditions mentioned – signing the Cross, words uttered in invocation over bread & wine, blessing of baptismal water, triple immersion at baptism.

"How then can I be an innovator and creator of new terms, when I adduce as originators and champions of the word whole nations, cities, custom going back beyond the memory of man, men who were pillars of the church and conspicuous for all knowledge and spiritual power?" ~ St. Basil

Fourth and most importantly, St. Basil uses the authority of Holy Scripture to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit was called Lord and thus ranked no less than the Father and the Son. Since he is debating Christians, Scripture becomes Basil’s most powerful defense tool.

- First, their own doxology is NOT found in Scripture.

- Second, from the magnitude and glory of the Holy Spirit’s works in our illumination, sanctification and salvation, and in creation as well, he demonstrated the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Works attributed only properly to God can only be performed by God. Since such were the works of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit must be divine.

- Third, Holy Scripture does not abide by these restrictions. Scripture varies its expressions as occasion requires. Holy Scripture and Christians rightly bind the Master of all with all appropriate prepositions.
    
- Fourth, due to the logical equivalence of and with, the baptismal commandment of the Lord does not differ in meaning from St. Basil’s formula, “glory be to the Father with the Son together with the Holy Spirit.” Basil talks about the necessity of baptism for salvation and how perilous it is for the Spirit to be separated from the Father and the Son in the baptismal formula.

Conclusion

Although St. Basil never utters the words, “the Holy Spirit is God” (because Scripture and written Tradition did not say this either), the divinity of the Holy Spirit remains the indisputable logical conclusion of this work.

“In demonstrating the divinity of the Holy Spirit, St. Basil’s treatise, On the Holy Spirit, lays the foundations of Eastern Orthodox trinitarian theology both conceptually and terminologically. Although refined and clarified by the Cappadocian Fathers who survived him, St. Basil’s work laid the foundations of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381. This alone justifies the study of this work since it is fundamental to Orthodox trinitarian theology. Yet its value transcends being a theological source. St. Basil uses and discusses here the sources and methods of Eastern Orthodox theology. His masterful use of Holy Writ, the worship traditions of the Church, the writings of the Church Fathers, of logic, and of precise theological language make this treatise an example of how Orthodox theology is done. On the Holy Spirit is therefore a work which every Orthodox Christian should both read and reread.” ~ Fr. Brian Ephrem Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Source 

 

 

The Fruits of Pentecost in the Life of the Believer (St. Innocent of Alaska)

By St. Innocent, Bishop of Alaska

While walking the path of Christ, you should not rely only on yourself. If Jesus Christ, our Great Benefactor, had not given us help every step of the way, no one could have reached salvation. Even the Apostles, when left to themselves, were unable to follow Jesus and faintheartedly dispersed. But when on Pentecost they received help from above, they joyfully followed His path, and then neither dangers nor difficulties nor death itself could discourage them.

What is this help given by Jesus Christ to Christians? This help is the Grace of the Holy Spirit. God’s grace surrounds us, and with it the Lord draws us to Himself. All who wish can receive this help and become filled with it.

The Holy Spirit, being God, equal to the Father and the Son, is the source of life and strength. He gives to believers wisdom, inner peace and inspiration, not according to their merits but for Jesus Christ’s sake. How the Holy Spirit helps us, what are His gifts, and how one should attract His Grace will now be explained in accordance with the Holy Scriptures.

Through the Church We Inhale the Holy Spirit (St. Theophan the Recluse)

By St. Theophan the Recluse

The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles was mankind’s first inspiration of breath from the Spirit of God. Remember Ezekiel’s prophecy about the valley full of human bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Remember how, by his word, bone joined to bone, how the bones were then covered with sinews, flesh and skin, but how they as yet had no breath in them. And Ezekiel “prophesied unto the wind.” He prophesied, “and the breath came into them, and they lived" (Ezekiel 37:9-10). That valley full of bones is fallen mankind, which, estranged from God, did not have life in it. As the prophet said, it did not have breath in it.

Why the Holy Spirit Descended as a Dove Upon Christ

By St. Cyril of Jerusalem

(Catechetical Lecture 17.9-10)

This Holy Spirit came down when the Lord was baptized, that the dignity of Him who was baptized might not be hidden; as John says, "But He which sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whomsoever you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Spirit" (John. 1:33). But see what says the Gospel: "the heavens were opened;" they were opened because of the dignity of Him who descended; for, "lo," he says, "the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and lighting upon Him" (Matthew 3:16); that is, with voluntary motion in His descent. For it was fit, as some have interpreted, that the primacy and first-fruits of the Holy Spirit promised to the baptized should be conferred upon the manhood of the Savior, who is the giver of such grace. But perhaps He came down in the form of a dove, as some say, to exhibit a figure of that dove who is pure and innocent and undefiled, and also helps the prayers for the children she has begotten, and for forgiveness of sins; even as it was emblematically foretold that Christ should be thus manifested in the appearance of His eyes; for in the Canticles she cries concerning the Bridegroom, and says, "Your eyes are as doves by the rivers of water" (Song of Songs 5:12).

Synaxarion of Saint Amphilochios of Iconium

St. Amphilochios of Iconium (Feast Day - November 23)

Verses

Make ready Amphilochios the vestments of death,
You scatter those lying in wait and dead you perceive with the mind.
On the twenty-third Amphilochios received death.

This Saint, having passed through every stage of ecclesiastical office, and shined in asceticism and divine knowledge, proceeded to become the Bishop of Iconium by the election of God and the common people, during the reigns of Valentinian and Valens. He flourished during the reign of Constantine the Great as well as that of his sons, and became a hierarch in the year 374. Having therefore become a teacher of the Orthodox faith, the renowned one bravely stood against the heresies of Arius and Macedonius and Eunomius. For this reason he endured many persecutions and tribulations from the impious. He was also a fellow-struggler with the one hundred and fifty Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Synod, who assembled together in the year 381 against Macedonius the Pneumatomach.* Since Theodosius the Great gave authority over the western territories of Europe to the young Valentinian, having trampled on the tyrant Maximinus, then the great Amphilochios returned to Constantinople, and approaching the emperor he asked him to banish the Arians. In prevailing upon him with supplications, by this the wondrous Father found a mechanism by which he could persuade the emperor.

On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit (The Conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarov with Nicholas Motovilov)

Introduction

In November of 1831, a pious Orthodox Christian named Nicholas Motovilov met with Saint Seraphim, and recorded his conversation. The notes by Motovilov were transcribed and published by Sergius Nilus, who wrote the following introduction:

This revelation is undoubtedly of worldwide significance. True, there is nothing essentially new in it, for the full revelation was given to the Apostles from the very day of Pentecost. But now that people have forgotten the fundamental truths of Christian life and are immersed in the darkness of materialism or the exterior and routine performance of "ascetic labors," St. Seraphim's revelation is truly extraordinary, as indeed he himself regarded it.

"It is not given to you alone to understand this," said St. Seraphim towards the end of the revelation, "but through you it is for the whole world!" Like a flash of lightning this wonderful conversation illumined the whole world which was already immersed in spiritual lethargy and death less than a century before the struggle against Christianity in Russia and at a time when Christian faith was at a low ebb in the West. Here God's Saint appears before us in no way inferior to the prophets through whom the Holy Spirit Himself spoke.

Monday of the Holy Spirit Resource Page

On this day, the Monday of Pentecost, we celebrate the All-Holy and Life-Creating and Omnipotent Spirit, Who is God, and One of the Trinity, and of one Honor and one Essence and one Glory with the Father and the Son.

Verses

O every breath, glorify the Spirit of the Lord,

Through Whom the impudence of evil spirits is put to flight.

Feast of the Holy Spirit

 

Synaxarion for the Monday of the Holy Spirit 

 

Monday of the Holy Spirit: Epistle and Gospel Reading

 

Monday of the Holy Spirit 

Homily on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (Emperor Leo VI the Wise) - 1 of 3 

Homily on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (Emperor Leo VI the Wise) - 2 of 3

 

Homily on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (Emperor Leo VI the Wise) - 3 of 3

Reflection for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Theophan the Recluse)

 

Post-Pentecost Reflection of St. Theophan the Recluse

 

First Homily for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

Second Homily for the Monday of the Holy Spirit (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

Discourse on the Holy Spirit (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

 

"Heavenly King, Comforter..." (Monday of the Holy Spirit)

A Canon to the All-Holy Spirit (St. Maximos the Greek)

 

Father John Kalaides, the Icon of the Holy Trinity, and How He Blessed and Did Miracles for People

 

History of the Oldest Monastic Settlement of Meteora, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit 

 

The Chapel of the Holy Trinity on the Highest Summit of the Island of Chios

 

A Cave Church Dedicated to the Holy Spirit and Its Miraculous Holy Water in Crete 

 

A Remote Church in Crete Dedicated to the Holy Spirit Dating Back to the Venetian Occupation (1590)

 

Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Kissos of Rethymno, Crete

 

Pentecost Resource Page 

 

Pentecostarion Resource Page

Saint Kori, Wonderworker of Olympus

Agia Kori, the Wonderworker of Olympus

Synaxis of Panagia Faneromeni in Lefkada

The Monastery of Panagia Faneromeni in Lefkada

Synaxis of the Wonderworking Icon of the 

Holy Trinity in Rodopolis

The Wonderworking Icon of the Holy Trinity in Rodopolis

The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology) 

 

Why Did Christ Call the Grace of the Holy Spirit Water? (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) 

 

A Summary of "On the Holy Spirit" by Saint Basil the Great

 

Scriptural and Patristic Conceptions of the Holy Spirit (St. Basil the Great)

 

An Introduction to "On the Holy Spirit" by Saint Ambrose of Milan  

The Beauty of a Soul Illuminated by the Holy Spirit (St. Theodore of Edessa)

 

The Fruits of Pentecost in the Life of the Believer (St. Innocent of Alaska)

 

On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit (The Conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarov with Nicholas Motovilov)

Through the Church We Inhale the Holy Spirit (St. Theophan the Recluse) 

 

On the Words: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

The Holy Spirit As Comforter (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

The Testimony of the Spirit of God (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

Holy Scripture Written By Holy Men of God (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

The Spirit of the World and the Spirit of God (St. Nikolai Velimirovich)  

 

The Holy Spirit Makes Us Children of God (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

"Grieve Not the Holy Spirit of God" (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

That We Ought Not To Grieve the Spirit of God (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

The Love of God Is A Gift of the Holy Spirit (St. Nikolai Velimirovich)  

 

The Responsibility of Being A Temple of the Holy Spirit (St. Nikolai Velimirovich)  

 

Before Papa-Tychon Gave Advice He Would Invoke the Holy Spirit

 

Giver of Life: The Holy Spirit In Our Daily Experience (Metr. Kallistos Ware)  

 

What is the Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit According to the Church Fathers? 

 

When the Holy Spirit Liturgizes in the Heart: A Most-Illuminating Conversation 

 

The Attarouthi Dove and the Byzantine Empire

Pentecost Resource Page

On this day, the eighth Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate Holy Pentecost.

Verses

In a mighty wind doth Christ distribute the Divine Spirit,

In the form of fiery tongues unto the Apostles.

In one great day, the Spirit was poured forth upon the Fishermen.

 

Synaxarion for the Sunday of Pentecost 

 

Holy Pentecost: Epistle and Gospel Reading 

 

On the Feast of Holy Pentecost (Sergei V. Bulgakov) 

  

Ascension and Pentecost in Fourth Century Jerusalem According to Nun Egeria 

 

Oration on Holy Pentecost (St. Gregory the Theologian) 

 

Discourse on Pentecost (St. Gregory of Nyssa) 

 

Homily on Pentecost (St. John Chrysostom) 

 

Why Didn't the Holy Spirit Come Right After the Ascension? (St. John Chrysostom) 

 

Oration on Holy Pentecost (St. Proclus of Constantinople)

First Homily on Pentecost (St. Leo the Great) 

 

Third Homily on Pentecost (St. Leo the Great) 

 

Kontakion on Pentecost (St. Romanos the Melodist) 

 

Homily on Pentecost (St. Gregory the Dialogist)

 

Canon 2 of Holy Pentecost (St. John of Damascus) 

 

Homily on Holy Pentecost (St. Theodore the Studite) 

 

Homily on Pentecost (St. Gregory Palamas) 

 

Meditation On Pentecost by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite (1 of 3) 

 

Meditation On Pentecost by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite (2 of 3) 

 

Meditation On Pentecost by St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite (3 of 3)

 

Homily One on the Day of Pentecost (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 

Homily Two on the Day of Pentecost (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

 

The Economy of our Salvation is Accomplished! (St. Theophan the Recluse) 

 

Homily One for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Two for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Three for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Four for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt) 

 

Homily Five for the Feast of Pentecost (St. John of Kronstadt) 

 

Homily on the Day of Pentecost (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

 

Homily One for the Feast of Pentecost (St. Luke of Simferopol) 

 

Homily Two for the Feast of Pentecost (St. Luke of Simferopol)

Homily Three for the Feast of Pentecost (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 

Homily on Pentecost (St. John Maximovitch)

Pentecost: The Gospel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) 

 

Every Mystery and Every Virtue Is A Small Pentecost (St. Justin Popovich) 

 

The Attributes of the Church (St. Justin Popovich) 

 

From Time to Eternity, the Internal Mission of Our Church (St. Justin Popovich) 

 

"The Holy Spirit Desires to Enter our Souls" (St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva)

 

Divine Grace Drove the Apostles Crazy, in a Good Way, and Excited Them (St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva)

 

The Visitation of the Holy Spirit Through Elder Porphyrios and the Gift to Sense Holy Pentecost

Homily on the Feast of Pentecost (Metr. Augoustinos Kantiotes)

 

The Mystery of Pentecost According to Fr. John Romanides  

 

The Mystery of Pentecost (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

The Origin and Revelation of the Church (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos) 

 

Homily for Pentecost Sunday: Christ and the Holy Spirit (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

Encyclical for Pentecost and the Arrival of the Relic of Saint Polycarp in Nafpaktos

 

"The Heavens Above Have Opened" (Metr. Seraphim of Kastoria) 

 

"The Earth Has Become Heaven Today" (Metr. Seraphim of Kastoria) 

 

The Exodus of the Jews and the Pentecostarion of the Church

 

Is Pentecost the Birthday of the Church? 

 

From the Sacred Ascension To Holy Pentecost  

 

The Confusion of Babel and the Unity of Pentecost 

 

How the Brazen Sea in the Temple of Solomon Symbolizes the Ministry of the Twelve Apostles 

 

The Renewal of the Universe  

 

The Church as the Body of Christ (St. John Maximovitch)

 

The Unity of the Church and the Satanic Trap of Schisms and Heresies 

 

Prophetic Themes in the Orthodox Ecclesiology of Fr John Romanides 

 

When Abba Pachomios Received the Gift of Tongues 

 

Saint Andrew the Fool and the Gift of Tongues 

 

The Gift of Tongues is Repeated in the Lives of the Saints Till This Day (Metr. Athanasios of Limassol)

 

The Depiction of the "Kosmos" in the Pentecost Icon

 

Kneeling In Church On Sundays 

 

Walnut Leaves at Pentecost and the Souls of the Dead 

 

Why Orthodox Churches Are Decorated With Trees, Grass and Flowers on Pentecost 

 

Babylon and the Trees of Pentecost 

 

Russian Patriarch Celebrates Pentecost At Holy Trinity - St. Sergius Lavra 

 

Celebrating Pentecost Between Heaven and Earth In Serbia  

 

Pentecost Vespers At the Holy Sepulchre (video) 

 

Pentecost Celebrated on Holy Zion in Jerusalem 

 

The Church of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki

 

Monday of the Holy Spirit Resource Page 

 

Pentecostarion Resource Page

Why Did Christ Call the Grace of the Holy Spirit "Water"? (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)

By St. Cyril of Jerusalem

"The water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into eternal life" (Jn. 4:14). This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.

"The Earth Has Become Heaven Today"

By His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria

In a famous speech of Saint John Chrysostom, where he speaks of the epidemic of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he says the following:

"The earth has become heaven today, not that the stars have descended from the sky to the earth, but the apostles have been raised to the heavens, because the grace of the Spirit has been poured out."1

From the day of Pentecost the All Holy Spirit, the Comforter, has been with us, "the Spirit of Truth, Who is everywhere present and fills all things, the treaury of good things and giver of life." He is Life and life-giving, Light and light-giving, Goodness and the source of goodness, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of prudence, God and god-maker, Fire and the fire-producer. This is what the hymnographers of the Church chant.

Phos Ilaron (Gladsome Light): the Hymn of Athenogenes the Martyr

By John Sanidopoulos

According to tradition, the Holy Martyr Athenogenes was an aged priest, who in the year 196 A.D. was burned alive for his faith in Christ in Pontus of Asia Minor. It is said that as he approached the fire to be burned, he sang the joyful evening hymn Phos Ilaron (Φως Ιλαρόν; Gladsome Light) as his disciples stood by. Many attribute to him authorship of this hymn and it is still said today during the Evening Vespers service.

This tradition is confirmed by Basil the Great in Chapter 29 of his treatise "On the Holy Spirit", where he cites the ancient texts and traditions of the Church that refered to the divinity of the Holy Spirit, among which is the "Hymn of Athenogenes" Phos Ilaron. He wrote:

"I will now adduce another piece of evidence which might perhaps seem insignificant, but because of its antiquity must in nowise be omitted by a defendant who is indicted on a charge of innovation. It seemed fitting to our fathers not to receive the gift of the light at eventide in silence, but, on its appearing, immediately to give thanks. Who was the author of these words of thanksgiving at the lighting of the lamps, we are not able to say. The people, however, utter the ancient form, and no one has ever reckoned guilty of impiety those who say 'We praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God'. And if any one knows the Hymn of Athenogenes, which, as he was hurrying on to his perfecting by fire, he left as a kind of farewell gift to his friends, he knows the mind of the martyrs as to the Spirit."

St. Athenogenes the Martyr is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on July 16th together with another martyr named Athenogenes, who is said to have been martyred in 290 with his ten disciples by beheading. There is no valid reason to confuse the two besides the similarity of name, as many do.

Though Mark of Ephesus and Symeon of Thessaloniki confirm St. Athenogenes to be the author of Phos Ilaron, some attribute its authorship to Sophronios of Jerusalem. Nikodemos the Hagiorite in his Synaxarion argues that this attribution is without foundation, since Sophronios lived in the seventh century, while Basil confirms the hymn was written before his time in the fourth century. He further writes that the hymn was found written on an ancient Alexandrian Codex of the Septuagint from before the time of Sophronios. Nikodemos also notes that Sophronios likely perfected the hymn to its present form, which is why it is often attributed to him.

Thus St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite wrote the following Iambic Verses of Praise for St. Athenogenes: 

"Athenogenes ran towards the fire saying, 

O Gladsome Light Christ the Holy Glory."

Below is the hymn in Greek and English:

Greek

Φώς ιλαρόν αγίας δόξης αθανάτου Πατρός, ουρανίου, αγίου, μάκαρος, Ιησού Χριστέ, ελθόντες επί την ηλίου δύσιν, ιδόντες φώς εσπερινόν, υμνούμεν Πατέρα, Υιόν και Άγιον Πνεύμα, Θεόν. Άξιόν σε εν πάσι καιροίς, υμνείσθαι φωναίς αισίαις, Υιέ Θεού, ζωήν ο διδούς· Διό ο κόσμος σε δοξάζει.

English

O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the Immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ. Now we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the light of evening. We praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God. For it is right at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life, therefore all the world glorifies Thee.

Scriptural and Patristic Conceptions of the Holy Spirit (St. Basil the Great)

By St. Basil the Great

Let us now investigate what are our common conceptions concerning the Spirit, as well those which have been gathered by us from Holy Scripture concerning It as those which we have received from the unwritten tradition of the Fathers. First of all we ask, who on hearing the titles of the Spirit is not lifted up in soul, who does not raise his conception to the supreme nature? It is called Spirit of God, Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, [John 15:26] right Spirit, a leading Spirit. Its proper and peculiar title is Holy Spirit; which is a name specially appropriate to everything that is incorporeal, purely immaterial, and indivisible. So our Lord, when teaching the woman who thought God to be an object of local worship that the incorporeal is incomprehensible, said God is a spirit. [John 4:24] On our hearing, then, of a spirit, it is impossible to form the idea of a nature circumscribed, subject to change and variation, or at all like the creature. We are compelled to advance in our conceptions to the highest, and to think of an intelligent essence, in power infinite, in magnitude unlimited, unmeasured by times or ages, generous of Its good gifts, to whom turn all things needing sanctification, after whom reach all things that live in virtue, as being watered by Its inspiration and helped on toward their natural and proper end; perfecting all other things, but Itself in nothing lacking; living not as needing restoration, but as Supplier of life; not growing by additions; but straightway full, self-established, omnipresent, origin of sanctification, light perceptible to the mind, supplying, as it were, through Itself, illumination to every faculty in the search for truth; by nature unapproachable, apprehended by reason of goodness, filling all things with Its power, but communicated only to the worthy; not shared in one measure, but distributing Its energy according to the proportion of faith; [Romans 12:6] in essence simple, in powers various, wholly present in each and being wholly everywhere; impassively divided, shared without loss of ceasing to be entire, after the likeness of the sunbeam, whose kindly light falls on him who enjoys it as though it shone for him alone, yet illumines land and sea and mingles with the air. So, too, is the Spirit to every one who receives it, as though given to him alone, and yet It sends forth grace sufficient and full for all mankind, and is enjoyed by all who share It, according to the capacity, not of Its power, but of their nature.

Now the Spirit is not brought into intimate association with the soul by local approximation. How indeed could there be a corporeal approach to the incorporeal? This association results from the withdrawal of the passions which, coming afterwards gradually on the soul from its friendship to the flesh, have alienated it from its close relationship with God. Only then after a man is purified from the shame whose stain he took through his wickedness, and has come back again to his natural beauty, and as it were cleaning the Royal Image and restoring its ancient form, only thus is it possible for him to draw near to the Paraclete. And He, like the sun, will by the aid of your purified eye show you in Himself the image of the invisible, and in the blessed spectacle of the image you shall behold the unspeakable beauty of the archetype. Through His aid hearts are lifted up, the weak are held by the hand, and they who are advancing are brought to perfection. Shining upon those that are cleansed from every spot, He makes them spiritual by fellowship with Himself. Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they themselves become brilliant too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others. Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God. Such, then, to instance a few out of many, are the conceptions concerning the Holy Spirit, which we have been taught to hold concerning His greatness, His dignity, and His operations, by the oracles of the Spirit themselves.

Source: From On the Holy Spirit, Ch. 9.

A Canon to the All-Holy Spirit (St. Maximos the Greek)

St. Maximos the Greek (+ 21 January 1556) was imprisoned in Russia, banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he suffered from hunger, bitter cold and all kinds of torments. There he was bereft of everything, even being deprived of Holy Communion and books, yet prayer alone sustained him. The Lord did not abandon him, but one day an angel appeared to him and said: "Have patience! You will be delivered from eternal torment by the sufferings here below." To thank God for this heavenly consolation, St. Maximos composed a poetical canon in honor of the Holy Spirit. Deprived of paper and pen, he wrote it on the walls of his cell in charcoal. This canon is sung on the Monday of the Holy Spirit in certain Russian and Serbian monasteries.

A Canon to the Divine, Worshipful & All-Holy Spirit, the Paraclete

By Saint Maximos the Greek

In Tone IV

Ode 1

lrmos: He who was slow of speech, having been covered with divine darkness, gave utterance unto the divinely written law; for, having shaken off the mire from his noetic eyes, he beheld the One Who Is and learned the understanding of the Spirit, uttering praise with hymns divine.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

O Master, Who of old didst feed Israel with manna in the desert, fill Thou my soul with the most Holy Spirit, that for such I may continually serve Thee in God-pleasing manner.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Making bold, with Thine incorporeal ministers I sing to Thee the hymn of the thrice-holy cry, though I am earth and ashes, O true Trinity and allgood Unity.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Ever assailed in my soul by the storms of destructive passions and spirits, I set my hope of salvation on Thee, the most good Paraclete, in that Thou art God.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Wretchedly drowning in the depths of ignorance and the slumber of grievous negligence, I cry out to Thee, Who art wholly all-pure: Deliver me from this corruption of soul!

Glory.. .:  

O thou who didst conceive in Thy virgin womb Him Whom the Father begat from within before time began, by thy mighty power free me who am enslaved by the pleasures of the belly.

Now and ever.. .: 

Thou alone art truly the holy ground, in that thou gavest birth to the divine Life of all. O Theotokos, unto thy Son show my soul forth as fertile ground.

Ode 3

Irmos: Of old, the mere prayer to the mighty God of understandings by Hannah the Prophetess, who bore a contrite spirit, broke the bonds of her barren womb and the reproach of the childbearing, which was hard to bear.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Great is the knowledge of Thy goodness, O Holy Trinity: it is the restoration of that which was created according to Thy divine image, which Thou didst ineffably show forth by the all-wondrous incarnation of One of Thee, as a divine habitation.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

0 Master, adorn my mind with Thy holy gifts and thoughts of sacred reverence, that in tranquility and holy disposition of soul I also may glorify Thee, 0 divine Paraclete.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

I pray Thee, O Master: Let not the hidden movements of the flesh destroy me, which are produced within me by the passion of pride, for they most vilely defile my wretched soul.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

With the bit and bridle of the fear of God curb Thou the onrushings of my shameless soul, that I may hymn and glorify Thee with great reverence and sober thought, 0 divine Comforter.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Utterly corrupted by many lusts, I hasten with faith to Thee, the all-radiant Sun. With Thy divine light deign Thou to enlighten the eyes of my soul, O divine Paraclete.

Glory...: 

As the one who fed the Life of all, O pure Mistress, with thy divine visitation deign thou to give life to my soul, which hath been slain by vile passions.

Now and ever...: 

O all-pure one, show me to be an eager and speedy doer of the life-creating commandments of thy Son, ridding my soul of grievous division and deep slumber.

Then say these verses:

Save Thy servant from misfortunes, O good Comforter, for the unclean demons greatly and constantly assail me with vile thoughts and illusions.

In thy compassion look down upon the grievous hardness of my heart, O most hymned Theotokos, and enlighten the darkness of my soul.

Kontakion in Tone I

In hymns let us reverently praise and magnify the Life of all, the ever-flowing Well-spring of divine gifts, the most Holy Spirit, as of one essence with the Father and equally eternal with the Son; and with faith let us worship Him as God.

Another verse:

I worship Thee, O Master, Comforter and God. Have mercy and save those who worship Thee, confessing Thee to be God!

Ode 4

Irmos: O Word, Thou King of kings, Who alone issued forth from such a One as Thou wast Thyself - from the Father Who is without cause and Thy Spirit, Who is equal to Thee in might: As our Benefactor, Thou didst truly send forth the apostles, who chant: Glory to Thy dominion, O Lord!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

0 Lord, vouchsafe that I may hear Thy much desired invitation, which will then summon all Thy saints to the heavenly bridal-chamber.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Man who was condemned through the deception of the author of evil didst Thou seek out and save, O Holy Trinity, and Thou hast glorified him. My heart, which hast grown weak through grief, do thou strengthen with Thy might from on high, and rouse Thou my thoughts.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Pierce Thou mine accursed carnal-mindedness with the fear of God, as with a nail, and afright Thou my soul with the thought of the torments which are to come.

Refrain: 0 most holy Theotokos, save us! O most hymned Theotokos, enrich thou my lowly soul with divine gifts, bringing low the height of greatness.

Glory...: 

O Theotokos, show thou my soul to be the sacred dwelling-place of thy Son, dispelling its countless defilements.

Now and ever.. .: 

By thy supplications, O most hymned one, make me steadfast in the fear of God and love, for I am grievously perishing in confusion of soul.

Ode 5

Irmos: O radiant children of the Church, receive ye the fiery dew of the Spirit, the cleansing of sins which bringeth deliverance; for now from Sion hath the law gone forth: the grace of the Spirit in tongues of fire.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Direct my life to Thy saving commandments, O transcendent Trinity, and enlighten my soul with Thy life, I pray Thee.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Be Thou well-pleased to loose me from the bonds of grievous transgressions which gird me about, O All-good One, and furnish me with wings through love of chastity.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

With Thy divine grace, O Paraclete, enlighten my soul, which hath been darkened by the passions, and drive away from it the deep darkness of ignorance.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Utterly undaunted, all the days of my life I anger Thee with vile deeds and words, O All-good One. Deliver me from this ungodliness.

Glory... : 

O most hymned one who alone gavest birth to the Well-spring of all wisdom, recall to reason my soul which hath become foolish through violating the divine commandments.

Now & ever.. .: 

O pure one, repel from my soul the evil thoughts which continually afflict it, and enrich me with God-pleasing instructions.

Ode 6

lrmos: O Christ Master, our purification and salvation, Thou didst shine forth from the Virgin, that Thou mightest rescue from corruption Adam, in whose fall our whole race fell, as Thou didst save the Prophet Jonah from the belly of the sea monster.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Embittered in mine accursed soul by bitter carnal passions, and drowning in them as in the uttermost depths, I pray to Thee, O Savior: Through the streams of the fountain which is in Thee impart life unto me!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

All Thy mysteries are truly worthy of great silence, for Thou art three Persons in one Essence, and, united, Thou remainest without confusion. O unoriginate Trinity, save me, the creature of day [fashioned by] Thy hands!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

The Son is believed to be wholly, completely and essentially in the Father, as is the Spirit; for from [the Father], as from a single principle, are they both emitted co-eternally, yet they remain themselves, in their life-creating hypostases.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Having armed himself against me in every way with the abominable goads of youth, the vile one hath thereby defiled my soul and my whole life. O all-good Paraclete, heal me with the fruits of repentance!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

In mind have I fallen into grievous perils, and I am wholly beset by perplexity, and am falling into divers misfortunes; and like a boat upon the waves of the sea am I bestormed. O all-good Comforter, quickly rescue me from this grievous battering, I pray Thee!

Glory.. .: 

I have stumbled into a grievous fall, breaking my vows to thy Son; yet do I entreat thee, O immaculate one, as the well-spring of compassions and the abyss of loving kindness: Render Him merciful unto me!

Now & ever...:

With thine invincible and divine power ever repel from my soul the destructive assaults made against me by mine invisible enemies, O Virgin, and grant me spiritual weaponry and a strategy [to use] against them.

Kontakion in Tone 2

O Most Holy Spirit, Thou life, light and consolation, hope and delight of all:Vouchsafe Thy gifts unto those who acknowledge Thee to be God, equally enthroned with the Father and the Son; and grant them remission of sins.

Ode 7

lrmos: The melodious music of instruments sounded forth, calling men to worship the inanimate idol wrought of gold; but the radiant grace of the Comforter preferreth that they cry: O Holy Trinity, Who art equal in power and equally without beginning, blessed art Thou!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Having rid me of all wickedness and evil morals, O Savior, with the most holy gifts of the divine Paraclete enrich me who chant: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Soften my heart, which is harder than any iron or stone, O Savior, that, saved, I may cry out with true compunction: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Theologizing, let us hymn the Son, the Spirit and the unoriginate Father in a single Essence and three Persons, [crying]: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Slavishly overcome by wicked and sinful habits, I pray, falling down before Thee, the Master of all: Deliver me from this vile bondage!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

With Thy mighty power be Thou well-pleased to make steadfast my soul, which hath been weakened by sin, that, saved, I may cry out: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!

Glory.. .: 

With divine reason and fervent repentance deign thou to enlighten my mind and my soul, which hast been grievously darkened by sin, O thou who art full of the grace of God, that with the archangel I may sing unto thee: Rejoice, 0 Mistress!

Now & ever...: 

Since the iniquitous and passion-fraught movements of my flesh have utterly done me to death, O Theotokos, plant thou the grace of the Paraclete in my soul, that in sacred manner I may ever glorify thee, the All-holy One.

Ode 8

Irmos: The thrice-radiant image of the - Godhead looseth bonds and bedeweth the flame; and all of fashioned creation blesseth as is Benefactor the one Savior and Accomplisher of all.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Release me from the destructive burning of iniquitous thoughts, O my Jesus, that I may glorify Thee with a pure heart.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

With Thine incorporeal ministers we hymn Thee, the most high and all-accomplishing Trinity; and we, Thy servants [made] of dust, exalt Thee supremely.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Staving off from my soul the destructive assaults of mine invisible foes, 0 Paraclete, be Thou well-pleased for Thy grace to dwell therein.

Reftain: Glory to Thee, O our God, gloryto Thee! The petitions which in prayer I vigilantly ask of Thee in deed and with fear and love, O Comforter, do Thou vouchsafe unto me.

Reftain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

O Master, in ways that Thou knowest, heal Thou my soul, which is ever bedeviled by prideful satanic thoughts.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Having sinned more than the harlot and Esau, I flee to Thy compassions: Turn not Thy grace away from me, O All-holy Paraclete!

We bless the Father, the Son and the Spirit: the Lord. Loving sin far more than all other men, O most hymned one, I flee unto thee. Save me, thine unworthy servant!

Now and ever. . .: 

O most hymned one, show me to be a lover of the divine philosophy of the Truth, setting me aright with fear and love.

Ode 9

Irmos: Rejoice, O Queen, thou glory of mothers and virgins! For even the most skillful and divinely eloquent mouth is able to hymn thee as is meet; and every mind is at a loss to understand thy birth-giving. Wherefore, together we glorify thee.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

O my Savior, Enlightenment and Defender: At the holy supplications of Thine all-pure Mother turn me not away from Thy divine joy.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Falling prostrate with fear, I who am dust worship Thee with the heavenly hosts, and cry out to Thee with love: 0 Most Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Save me who hymn, worship and glorify the dominion of Thine unapproachable glory.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Teach me goodly morals, the instruction of the law and the understanding of the divine dogmas, that I may hymn thee in pleasing manner, O divine Paraclete.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Deign Thou to vouchsafe unto me the joyful festivity of all the righteous who have been well-pleasing to Thee, that with them I may hymn Thee, O all-holy Comforter.

Refrain: Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee!

Blotting out the terror of my soul and all its diverse evils and badness, O holy Paraclete, adorn it with the crown of the virtues.

Glory.. .: 

O most immaculate Virgin, by thy holy supplications heal my wretched soul, which hath been corrupted by all manner of fornication.

Now and ever.. .: 

O divine Mediatress between God and man, convey this, my poor supplication, to the divine Paraclete, I pray thee, O most holy Theotokos.

Then again: 

Save Thy servant from misfortunes, O good Comforter, for the unclean demons greatly and constantly assail me with vile thoughts and illusions.

In thy compassion look down upon the grievous hardness of my heart, O most hymned Theotokos, and enlighten the darkness of my soul.

And these troparia:

It is truly meet to magnify Thee, the Word of God, before Whom the cherubim tremble and are filled with awe, and Whom the hosts of heaven glorify: Christ the Bestower of life, Who without change became incarnate of the Virgin.

It is truly meet to magnify with glorifications and to glorify with fear Thee, the most Good and Most Holy One, the Preserver of our life, the Great and Awesome One, Who with the Father and the Son dost reign as God over all things visible and invisible, the Spirit of God Who proceedest from the Father.

Glory.. .: 

With divine hymns we all hymn Thee as God: the Father, the Son and the divine Spirit, the tripartite Might, the single Kingship and Dominion.

Now & ever...: 

0 Mistress, Mother of the Deliverer, accept the supplications of thine unprofitable servants, and thereby grant deliverance of sins and the acceptable correction of a God-pleasing life.

PRAYER TO THE ALL-HOLY SPIRIT

O Master, all-good Paraclete, Who art One of the holy and worshipful, consubstantial and indivisible Trinity, accept this poor entreaty which Thou hast allowed to be offered unto Thee by a man sinful and condemned; and forgive me mine offenses, voluntary and involuntary. Cleanse me of my hidden [sins], and take pity on Thy servant [in the face of the sins] of others. Extend Thy favor to me, the sinful and unworthy, visit the infirmity of my soul with Thy grace, and heal its broken state.

Have mercy on me, O Master, Paraclete and God! Have mercy on me, sanctify my soul and body, enlighten my mind and reason, and cleanse the conscience of my soul from all defilement. And from impure thoughts, from the plottings of the wicked and the intentions of the bad, from all vainglory, pride and self-aggrandizement, from arrogance and audacity, from satanic insolence, and from all pharisaical hypocrisy and mine every evil habit, do Thou utterly deliver me for the sake of the glory of Thy name. And grant me sincere repentance, contrition and humility of heart, meekness and serenity, and all Christian reverence, understanding and spiritual skill, with all nobility, thankfulness and perfect patience.

Yea, O God, for the sake of the glory of Thy name hearken unto me, the sinful one who prayeth to Thee, and vouchsafe that for the remainder of my wretched life I may sincerely repent of mine iniquities with all humbleness of mind, chastity and true temperance, having put away all doubt, double-mindedness and insensitivity; and fully preserve me in a pious and Orthodox confession of the Christian Faith, O Master, that I may be vouchsafed all the days of my life to hymn thee without doubting, to bless and glorify Thee, and to say: O holy God, unoriginate Father! O holy Mighty One, His Son Who is equally without beginning! O holy Immortal One, Holy Spirit Who proceedest from the Father and abidest and restest in the Son! O most Holy Trinity, glory be to Thee! Glory to Thee, O Holy Trinity, Who art consubstantial, life-creating and indivisible!

Glory to Thee for all things!

Glory to thee, O Mother of God, refuge of the faithful, deliverance for those beset by evils, and divine consolation of my soul! O thou who art full of the grace of God, my most wretched soul, which hast been wounded by the arrows of the enemy, do I entrust to thine almighty intercession; and protect and save it unharmed by the wiles of the demons, that I may cry out to thee: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!