May the Lord help us to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, to preserve the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit, to become a temple of God, and for the Spirit of God to dwell within us,” said His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, Shio III, during his sermon.

The Patriarch congratulated the faithful on the feast of Pentecost and spoke about the significance of the day.

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Most reverend bishops, honorable fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

I congratulate you on the feast of Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Trinity. Today is also the feast day of this glorious cathedral.

Today we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Christ, about which the Lord Jesus Christ had spoken many times to His disciples: ‘It is better for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you’ (John 16:7). For the last time, just before His ascension into heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about this, promising the coming of the Holy Spirit; first He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the reception of the Holy Spirit, and said: ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’ (Acts 1:5), and ‘you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:8).

The Lord fulfilled this promise ten days after His ascension into heaven, on this very day, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire and transformed these simple Galilean fishermen into fearless preachers of the Gospel of Christ throughout the world of that time.

Today is the day of the establishment of the Church of Christ on earth. It is also called the ‘birthday of the Church of Christ.’ This day is always especially celebrated, because the Church of Christ is not only the Church of Christ, not only His mystical Body, but also the Church in which the Holy Spirit is active. We are saved, we save our souls, through membership in this Church, through being in the Body of Christ, and through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, which blesses us, purifies us, and saves us.

Where do we receive this grace of the Holy Spirit? — Through the sacraments of the Church, in the temple, through common prayer, participation in worship, and through the blessing and prayer of a bishop or priest.

Many Holy Fathers write that the main purpose of Christian life is precisely the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must always pray to the Lord to grant us the grace of the Holy Spirit, especially, dear brothers and sisters, because this commandment was given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When the holy Apostles asked Him to teach them how to pray, do you remember which prayer the Lord taught them? — The prayer “Our Father.” After He finished teaching about the “Our Father,” He said to them: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7–8). Then He adds: “What man among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:9–11). These words show that it is God’s will that we ask the Lord for the grace of the Holy Spirit.

That is why, dear brothers and sisters, on this day the Holy Church especially prays to the Holy Spirit and says: “Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who are everywhere and fill all things with Your grace, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls. Amen.”

Once again, I congratulate you on today’s feast! I congratulate you on the feast of this magnificent cathedral! Today it is impossible not to remember His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, who left this magnificent cathedral to our entire nation, which he rightly called the “self-portrait of Georgia,” and who accomplished such a feat, was filled with such grace of the Holy Spirit, that his work is truly of apostolic scale. This was shown in the days of his passing and funeral, when almost the whole of Georgia, having come to true faith, gathered to express gratitude and love for him.

Once again, I congratulate you! May God bless you, make you joyful, and strengthen you. May the Lord help us to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, to preserve the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit, to become a temple of God, and for the Spirit of God to dwell within us.

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with you all and with the whole of Georgia. Amen!

God is with us!”, said the Patriarch in his sermon.