(A News and Sentinel Op-Ed - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, and in the same place every single year for centuries. The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. It only occurs on the Orthodox Easter (Pascha) date. The Church of The Holy Sepulchre is known as the most sacred and revered site in the world.

This Church, which is located in Jerusalem, is the place where Jesus Christ was crucified, and the place where He was buried (entombed), and where He arose from the dead. The Holy Light appears only by the prayers of the Orthodox Christian Archbishop, (usually the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Holy Light (or Holy Fire) is not only distributed by the Patriarch, but operates also by itself. The Divine Light is emitted from the Holy Sepulchre and appears as a bluish hue and is completely different from that of natural light. It doesn’t burn at the first moments of its appearance, and even if one were to touch their own face, or mouth, or their hands, it doesn’t burn them at all. This Divine blue flame has been seen to move in different places in the Church. It sparkles, it flashes like lightning, it flies like a dove around the Tabernacle of the Holy Sepulchre, and lights up unlit lamps of olive oil hanging in front of it. It whirls from one side of the Church to the other. It enters some of the Chapels inside of the Church, as for the Chapel of the Calvary (at a higher level than the Holy Sepulchre) and lights up the little lamps. It also lights up the candles of certain pilgrims. A number of signed testimonies by pilgrims, whose candles lit spontaneously, attest to the validity of these ignitions.

The person who experiences the miracle from close up by having the Fire on the candle, or seeing the blue light usually leaves Jerusalem changed. For everyone, having attended the ceremony, there is always a “before and after” with the miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem. This is proof of its Divine and supernatural origin.

Every time the heterodox (non Orthodox Christians) have tried to obtain the Holy Fire they have failed. In 1000AD, a well known Muslim historian AL Bruni wrote. “A Muslim governor brought a copper wire instead of a wick (for the self lighting oil lamps), in order that the whole thing would fail to occur. But as the Holy Fire descended, the copper burned.”

After the Great Schism in 1054, The Crusaders took Jerusalem, and in 1101 The Roman Catholic Archbishop didn’t allow the Orthodox to go in to pray. But instead they went in themselves, and prayed, but they failed to replicate the miracle of the Holy Light. Then they left, and the Orthodox Patriarch went in and after praying, the Holy Fire came.

In 1187AD, Gautier Vinisaul (English Chronicler) wrote. “Salah AD-Din, wishing to expose that the Holy Fire was fake, caused the lamp, lighted from Heaven, to be extinguished, but the lamp relit immediately. He had it extinguished again and a third time also, but it relit again both times. Therupon, the Sultan cried out in prophetic outburst:”Yes, soon shall I die, or I shall lose Jerusalem.”

The most miraculous event occurred in the year 1579, the year when God clearly testified to whom alone may be given His miracle. The Armenians(monophysites) paid the Turks, who then occupied the Holy Land, in order to obtain permission for their Armenian Patriarch to enter the Holy Sepulchre instead of the Orthodox Patriarch. The Orthodox Patriarch was made to stand outside and was sorrowful with his flock at the entrance of the Church, near the left column, when suddenly a big noise and wind was heard, and the Holy Light came and split this column vertically, and flashed near the Orthodox Patriarch and was lit for the Orthodox Christians only.

The above mentioned split still exists. The Orthodox pilgrims embrace it at the “place of the split” as they enter the Church

However another miracle happened as well, when a Muslim Muezzin called Tunom, stood in the Church courtyard, which was close to the gate of the lightning struck column. When he saw this lightning struck miracle he cried “Great is the faith of the Christians! There is only one true God, that’s the God of the Christians! I believe in Christ who has resurrected from the dead. I worship Him as God truly.” He was immediately killed by the Turks near the Church for his confession. This new martyrs relics were gathered by the Greeks and located to the Holy Monastery of Megali Panagia (Great Theotokos).

Glory be to our thrice Holy God for this yearly wonderful Miracle!

TRULY HE IS RISEN

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Eric Brant is a lay member of St. James Greek Orthodox Mission Church, 120 Maple St., in Belpre.