Holy Fire burns strong

The miracle of the Holy Fire, a ceremony that bewilders the souls of Christians, takes place in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. 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, every single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Christ was crucified, entombed and rose from the dead.

The sepulcher is in the small chapel called Holy Ciborium, which is inside the Church of the Resurrection. 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 possible fraud.

The authorities, on this Holy Saturday, come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door, they follow a custom to enter the tomb and check for any hidden source of fire, which would defraud the miracle.

People of all faiths from the world over flock every year to the Holy City to witness this living connection between earthly and heavenly realms.

The patriarch enters the tomb and kneels in front of the place where Christ lay after his death and where he rose from the dead.

Here, he says certain prayers that have been handed down to us through the centuries. 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 is hard to describe in human terms.

The light does not burn hot for a while. It has a different consistency than normal fire that burns in an oil lamp.

When the Holy Fire descends, it lights the lamp of the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem. The patriarch then distributes the Holy Fire to all present.

When the patriarch comes out with the candles lighted by the Holy Fire, a roar of jubilee resounds in the church.

The holy light emits from the Holy Sepulcher and has a gleam different from natural light. 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 “today,” “now,” “this day,” “a sacred Pascha hath been shown forth to us today,” “now all things are filled with light,” “this chosen and holy day” and “this is the day which the Lord hath made.”

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.

As with any miracle, there are people who believe it is a fraud. They suspect the patriarch has a lighter within the tomb.

Critics are confronted with problems. Matches and other means of ignition are relatively 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 testimonials of the patriarchs but the thousands of independent testimonies by pilgrims whose candles were lighted spontaneously without possible explanation.

A person who has experienced this can’t ignore it. This is 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 follow to enter the paradise of God. Since then, he has 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 resurrected in order to prepare the way for you to come.

Rev. Andrew Gall is pastor of St. John Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Sharon, Pa.