FATHER ANDREW GALL Jesus talks to us through the miracle of the Holy Fire

The miracle of the Holy Fire, a ceremony that bewilders the souls of Christians, takes place in the church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.
The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy. It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place, very single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the church that is the location were Christ was crucified, entombed, and rose from the dead. The sepulcher is inside the church in the small chapel called the Holy Ciborium.
This supernatural phenomenon occurs only on the eve of Orthodox Pascha. Before the ceremony, a thorough public search of the sepulcher and of the patriarch are conducted by the Israeli police to guard against any fraud. The authorities, today, on Holy Saturday, come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door, they follow a custom and enter the tomb to check for any hidden source of fire, which would defraud the miracle.
People of all faiths from the world over -- Jews, Copts, Armenians, Muslims and Protestants flock every year to the holy city to witness this living connection between the earthly and the heavenly realms.
The Orthodox patriarch enters the tomb and kneels in holy fear in front of the place where Christ lay after his death and where he rose from the dead.
Indescribable light
From the core of the very stone on which Jesus lay, an indefinable light pours forth. It usually has a blue tint but the color may change and take many different hues. It cannot be described in human terms.
This light does not burn hot. It has a different consistency than a normal fire that burns in an oil lamp. When the Holy Fire descends, it lights the lamp of the Orthodox patriarch.
The patriarch then distributes the Holy Fire to all present. When the Patriarch comes out with candles that were lighted by the Holy Fire and are shining brightly, a roar of jubilee resounds in the church.
The person who experiences the miracle usually leaves Jerusalem changed.
Orthodoxy has sealed the feast of feasts, the Pascha of the Lord, in her divine services with the words "Now are all things filled with light."
It is manifest that the holy Scriptures, the holy canons, and the divine services with one accord show that this day cannot be celebrated on any other date than that appointed by the Orthodox Church.
Answering skeptics
As with any other miracle, there are people who believe it is a fraud and nothing but a masterpiece of Orthodox propaganda. They suspect the patriarch has a lighter inside of the tomb.
These critics, however, are confronted with a number of problems. Matches and other means of ignition are recent inventions. Only a few hundred years ago, lighting a fire was an undertaking that lasted much longer than the few minutes during which the patriarch is inside the tomb.
The biggest arguments against fraud are not the testimonies of the patriarchs, but the thousands of independent testimonies by pilgrims whose candles were lighted spontaneously without any possible explanation. A person who has experienced this just cannot ignore it. This is truly an awe-inspiring event.
Two thousand years ago, Christ appeared on Earth. He did not write down what he wants from us. He showed us by example what to do to enter the paradise of God. Since then, Jesus established his church in order to preserve the mysteries leading to our salvation. Today, he continues to talk to us, by means of the Holy Light: "Here is my tomb! Here is where they crucified me and where I was resurrected in order to prepare the way for you to come."
XFather Andrew Gall of Liberty is a supply priest with the Ukrainian Church U.S.A.