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Good afternoon father, my question is how do the priests call down the holy Spirit and how come we don't learn about the Ecumenical council?
Answer to Question 207
I’m not sure what you mean by calling down the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and he is everywhere and in all places so we don’t have to call him down. But we do say in prayers to the Father to send down thy Holy Spirit. For example in the Divine Liturgy the prayer of the epiclesis says:
“Moreover we offer unto Thee this reasonable and bloodless service; and we beseech Thee, and we pray and implore Thee: send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here set forth. And make this bread the precious Body of Thy Christ. Amen. And that which is in this cup the precious Blood of Thy Christ. Amen. Transmaking them by Thy Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.”
So in answer to your first question we do not call down the Holy Spirit, but God the Father sends him at our request to sanctify us. We don’t go into some trance or frenzy, we simply ask and believe that what we request is accomplished.
There are seven Ecumenical Councils and many other regional or local councils. If you were in school in Cyprus you would have been taught something on the councils as part of the R.E classes, but in England I suppose the only way to learn of them is to buy a book on the councils or study them on the internet. Sadly you will not find many Orthodox books in local bookshops or libraries. Your best bet is Foyles Bookshop in Charring Cross rd, or specialists bookshops in Oxford and Cambridge.
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