The Glorious “Holy Fire” Miracle of Easter

The Glorious “Holy Fire” Miracle of Easter

By E. Stanley Ukeni

As I write this post thousands of Christian faithful—from diverse denominations, are gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israel, where the Tomb of Christ is located. They are there to witness the miracle of the Holy Fire that heralds the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Eastern Orthodox Christians, particularly, believe that on the eve of the resurrection, Holy Fire spontaneously emanates inside the Edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—the small chamber marking the location of the Christ’s tomb. The divine fire is believed to represent the triumph of the divine nature—the spirit-man, over the flesh, our physical nature. I am convinced that this mystic-flame re-energizes the resurrection power of the spirit-nature of humankind.

Since the early hours of the morning, crowds of worshipers, numbering in the thousands, have been converging at the ancient holy site—where Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected, but only the earlier arrivals at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will be able to enter and witness the event.

During the annual religious ceremony, which dates back at least 1,200 years, a select group of top Eastern Orthodox Christian clerics would enter the small chamber marking the site of Jesus’ tomb, called the Edicule. After a little while, they then emerge from the chamber with two votive beewax candles lit by ‘holy fire’ that miraculously kindled inside the chamber.

I consider the mystic flame as a message from heaven, symbolizing that the light of Christ’s love remains with us, even during dark time, when the light of hope seems extinguished by terror and evil.

Here is how the sacred ceremony typically unfolds. Prior to the commencement of the sacred ritual, the Edicule is thoroughly searched by pious attendants to ensure that there are no lit flames, or any physical means of creating fire, stashed inside the hallowed chamber.

At about 1:00pm, the Patriarch of the Christian Orthodox Church would enter the Edicule—after circling the sacred structure three times, followed by monks and priests, as they prayerfully implore God to manifest the holy fire of divine resurrection. He is followed into the chamber by the Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church. The doors to the chamber are then symbolically sealed with a 2-3 kilo block of beewax—an allegorical depiction of how Christ’s tomb was sealed and then guarded by Roman soldiers.

The mystery of how the holy fire is miraculously kindled is a closely guarded secret. However, according to Orthodox Christian lore, it is believed that mystical fire spontaneously kindles on the sacred stone-slab on which the body of Jesus Christ laid, in the tomb, after His crucifixion. The mystic flame is said to be cool to touch initially, before turning scalding hot.

According to Orthodox tradition, the Patriarch of the Christian Orthodox Church is said to kneel before the Holy Fire and then lights the candles he brought with him into the Edicule from the kindled Holy Fire on the sacred stone-slab.

After the candles have been lit, Patriarch Orthodox Church—still inside the Edicule, continues the sacred ritual by taking the votive candles that have been miraculously lit by the Lord and distributes the Holy Fire.  

He passes the sacred flame out of the Chapel of the Angels—the vestibule of the tomb, 

through two side openings. The thousands of expectant pilgrims greet the appearance of the Holy Fire with shouts of elation and revelry.

The worshipers then share the mystic fire among themselves. Before long, thousands of candles are lit-up inside the Church, in a spectacular display of faith and devotion. The candles are then extinguished a few minutes afterwards, as tradition dictates.

It is well understood by the faithful that the tapers must be lit with the sacred flame, but then the fire extinguished soon after—with the candle preserved as a testimony to one’s participation in the sacred ceremony. While the candle is still alight, the faithful pass their hands through the flame, and then touch their faces with their hand—in a symbolic transference of the divine grace and power infused in the Holy Fire to themselves.

Accounts detailed on the website, holyfire.org, traces the first manifestation of the Holy Fire back to the day of the resurrection of Christ. The site cites Church fathers, Gregory of Nyssa and John Damascene, who themselves went to Jerusalem. Gregory of Nyssa, in his Second Homily on the Resurrection of Christ, writes: ‘Peter saw with his own eyes, but also through the elevation of the apostolic spirit, that the Tomb was illuminated even though it was night—he saw it with his senses and spiritually’. John Damascene, in his liturgical hymns, scribes: ‘Peter, having rapidly approached the Tomb and having seen the light inside the sepulcher was frightened’.

My research reveals that the first known account of the miracle of Holy Fire dates all the way back to the Carolingian period, around 810 A.D., the Latin monk Bernard, in his writings, describes how, ‘On Holy Saturday, the eve of Easter, at the morning service in the church in the Temple of the Tomb of the Lord, the Patriarch transmits the fire to the Bishop and then to all the people, so that each can light this fire in his home’.

The miracle of the Holy Fire marks the resurrection of the Christ. Let our hearts be gladdened for it is true that Christ had indeed risen. He has truly risen—and with Him is our hope in righteousness. Happy Easter to all...be blessed!

Authored by E. Stanley Ukeni, © 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material and other articles or stories posted on this blog site may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed, in whole or in part, without prior expressed written permission from the author, E. Stanley Ukeni.

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 Photo Credits: Wikipedia; rt.com