A Cloud of Witnesses
May, 2006
Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and
upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
All Saints Orthodox Church
Salina, Kansas
All Saints Orthodox Church
2818 Scanlan Avenue, Salina, KS 67401
Church: 823-3735 Home: 309-0858 Cell: (785) 820-0287
E-mail: [email protected]
Right Rev’d. Fr. Daniel S. Griffith, pastor
(E-mail: [email protected])
Very Rev’d. Fr. Thomas Neustrom, (823-2410)
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The following is an article by a non-Orthodox observer of one of the most unique highlights of the Great & Holy
Week as celebrated on the very site of the events, the Holy Sepulchre of Christ in the Church of the same name in the Holy City of Jerusalem. It is one of the most detailed accounts of this sacred ceremony & is a “must-read” for all faithful Orthodox Christians.
The Miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem
by Niels Christian Hvidt
On Holy Saturday believers gather in great crowds in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For on this day fire comes
down from Heaven & puts fire on lamps in the Church." Thus one reads in 1 of the many Easter itineraries to the Holy
Land.
"The Miracle of the Holy Fire" by Christians from the Orthodox Churches is known as "The greatest of all Christian
miracles". It takes place every single year, on the same time, in the same manner, & on the same spot. No other miracle is
known to occur so regularly & for such an extensive period of time; one can read about it in sources as old as from the 8 th
century. The miracle happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, to
millions of believers the holiest place on earth. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
itself is an enigmatic place. Theologians, historians & archaeologists consider the
church to contain both Golgatha, the little hill on which Jesus Christ was crucified,
as well as the "new tomb" close to Golgatha that received his dead body, as one
reads in the Gospels. It is on this same spot that Christians believe he rose from the
dead.
One can trace the miracle through the centuries in the many itineraries to the
Holy Land. The Russian abbot Daniel, in his itinerary, written in the years 1106-07,
in very detailed manners presents the "Miracle of the Holy Light" & the ceremonies
that frame it. He recalls how the Patriarch goes into the Sepulchre-chapel (the Anastasis) with 2 unlit candles. The Patriarch kneels in front of the stone on which Christ
was laid after His death & says certain prayers, upon which the miracle occurs.
Light proceeds from the core of the stone --a blue, indefinable light which after
some time kindles closed oil lamps as well as the 2 candles of the Patriarch. This
light is "The Holy Fire", & it spreads to all people present in the Church. The ceremony surrounding "The Miracle of the Holy Fire" may be the oldest unbroken Christian ceremony in the world. From the
4th century AD all the way up to our own time, sources recall the awe-awakening potent. From these sources it becomes
clear that the miracle has been celebrated on the same spot, on the same feast day & in the same liturgical frames throughout all these centuries. One can ask, if it would happen also in the year 1998.
In order to find out, I traveled to Jerusalem to be present at the
ceremony in which the Miracle of the Holy Fire occurs, & I can testify
that it did not only happen in the ancient Church & throughout the
Middle Ages but also on the 18th of April 1998. The Greek-Orthodox
Patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodorus I [the current Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is His Beatitude Theophilus III, elected in 2005], is the man who
every year enters the tomb to receive the Holy Fire. He has been the
Patriarch of Jerusalem since 1982 & thereby is the key-witness to the
miracle. Prior to the ceremony of this year the Patriarch received us in
private audience, where I had the opportunity to speak with him about
the miracle in order to know exactly what happens in the tomb & what
the miracle means for him personally in his spiritual life. Furthermore
I was through his intervention admitted to the balconies in the dome
of the Holy Sepulchre Church, from where I had a fine view over the masses that had gathered around the tomb in anticipation of the "Great Miracle of the Holy Fire".
But what exactly happens in the Holy Sepulchre Church on Easter Saturday? Why does it have such an impact on the
Orthodox Tradition? Why does it seem as if nobody has heard anything about the miracle in the Protestant & Catholic
countries?
One of the Most Famous Ceremonies
in the Orthodox Church
The miracle occurs every year on the Orthodox Easter Saturday. There are many types of Orthodox Christians: Copts,
Ethiopians, Syrians & Armenian [Though sharing much in common with Eastern Orthodox, they reject the 4 th & the subsequent 3
Ecumenical Councils, upholding the heretical monophysite position that our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ has but one nature, the divine.
They are not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church.]; Russian & Greek Orthodox. In the Holy Sepulchre Church
alone there are 7 different Christian denominations. The Orthodox Easter-date is fixed according to the Julian Calendar, &
not the usual Western European Gregorian calendar, which means that their Easter normally falls on a different date than
the Protestant & Catholic Easter.
Since St. Constantine the Great built The Holy Sepulchre Church in the middle
of the 4th century it has been destroyed many times. The Crusaders constructed the
Church that we see today. Around Jesus tomb was erected a little chapel with 2
rooms, 1 little room in front of the tomb & the tomb itself, which holds no more than
5 people. This chapel is the centre of the miraculous events, & being present at the
celebration fully justifies the term "event" for on no other day of the year is the Holy
Sepulchre Church so packed than on Easter Saturday. If one wishes to enter it, one
has to reckon with 6 hours of cueing. Each year hundreds of people are not able to
enter due to the crowds. Pilgrims come from all over the world, the majority from
Greece but in recent years increasing numbers from Russia & the former Eastern European Countries.
In order to be as close to the tomb as possible, pilgrims camp around the tombchapel, waiting from Holy Friday afternoon in anticipation of the wonder on Holy
Saturday. The miracle happens at 2:00 PM, but already around 11:00 AM the Church
is a boiling pot.
Festival
From around 11:00 AM till 1:00 PM the Christian Arabs sing traditional songs with loud voices. These songs date
back to the Turkish occupation of Jerusalem in the 13th century, a period in which the Christians were not allowed to sing
their songs anywhere but in the Churches. "We are the Christians, this we have been for centuries & this we shall be for
ever & ever. Amen!" they sing at the top of their voices accompanied by the sound of drums. The drum-players sit on the
shoulders of others who ferociously dance around the Sepulchre Chapel. But at 1:00 PM the songs fade out & after there
is silence, a tense & loaded silence electrified by the anticipation of the great manifestation of the Power of God that all
are about to witness.
At 1:00 PM a delegation of the local authorities elbows through the crowds. Even though these officials are not Christian, they are part of the ceremonies. In the times of the Turkish occupation of Palestine they were Moslem Turks; today
they are Israelis. For centuries the presence of these officials has been an integrated part of the ceremony. Their function
is to represent the Romans in the time of Jesus. The Gospels speak of Romans that went to seal the tomb of Jesus, so His
disciples would not steal His body & claim He had risen. In the same way the Israeli authorities on this Easter Saturday
come & seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door it is customary that they enter the tomb to check for any hidden
source of fire, which could produce the miracle through fraud. Just as the
Romans were to guarantee that there was no manipulation after the death
of Jesus, likewise the Israeli Local Authorities are to guarantee that there
be no trickery in 1998.
The Testimony of the Patriarch
When the tomb has been checked & sealed, the whole Church chants
the Kyrie Eleison. At 1:45 PM the Patriarch enters the scene. In the wake
of a large procession he encircles the Tomb 3 times, whereupon he is
stripped of his royal liturgical vestments, wearing only his white
sticharion, a sign of humility in front of the great power of God, to
which he is about to be the key witness. All the oil lamps have been
blown out the preceding night, & now all remains of artificial light are
extinguished, so that most of the Church is enveloped in darkness. With 2 big candles the patriarch enters the Chapel of
the Holy Sepulchre--first into the small room in front of the tomb & from there into the tomb itself.
It is not possible to follow the events inside the tomb, so I asked the patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodorus, about the center
of the events.
"Your Beatitude, what happens when you enter the Holy Sepulchre?"
"I enter the tomb & kneel in holy fear in front of the place where Christ lay after His death & where He rose again
from the dead. Praying in the Holy Sepulchre in itself is for me always a very holy moment in a very holy place. It is from
here that He rose again in glory, & it is from there that He spread His light to the world. John the Evangelist writes in the
1st chapter of his gospel that Jesus is the Light of the World. Kneeling in front of the place where He rose from the dead,
we are brought within the immediate closeness of His glorious Resurrection. Catholics & Protestants call this Church
"The Church of the Holy Sepulchre". We call it "The Church of the Resurrection". The Resurrection of Christ for us Orthodox is the center of our faith. In His Resurrection Christ has gained the final victory over death, not just His own death
but the death of all those who will stay close to Him.
"I believe it to be no coincidence that the Holy Fire comes on exactly this spot. In Matthew 28:3, it says that when
Christ rose from the dead, an angel came, dressed all in a fearful light. I believe that the striking light that enveloped the
angel at the Lord's Resurrection is the same light that appears miraculously every Easter Saturday. Christ wants to remind
us that His Resurrection is a reality & not just a myth; He really came to the world in order to give the necessary sacrifice
through His death & Resurrection so that man could be re-united with his Creator.
Blue Light
"I find my way through the darkness towards the inner chamber in which I fall on my knees. Here I say certain prayers that have been handed down to us through the centuries &, having said them, I wait. Sometimes I may wait a few
minutes, but normally the miracle happens immediately after I have said the prayers. 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 & take many different
hues. It cannot be described in human terms. The light rises out of the stone as mist may rise out of a lake--it almost looks
as if the stone is covered by a moist cloud, but it is light. This light each year
behaves differently. Sometimes it covers just the stone, while other times it
gives light to the whole sepulchre, so that people who stand outside the tomb &
look into it will see it filled with light. The light does not burn--I have never
had my beard burnt in all the 16 years I have been Patriarch in Jerusalem &
have received the Holy Fire. The light is of a different consistency than normal
fire that burns in an oil lamp.
"At a certain point the light rises & forms a column in which the fire is of a
different nature, so that I am able to light my candles from it. When I thus have
received the flame on my candles, I go out & give the fire 1st to the Armenian
Patriarch & then to the Coptic. Thereafter I give the flame to all people present
in the Church."
The Symbolic Meaning of the Miracle
"How do you yourself experience the miracle & what does it mean to your spiritual life?"
"The miracle touches me just as deeply every single year. Every time it is another step towards conversion for me. For
me personally it is of great comfort to consider Christ's faithfulness towards us, which He displays by giving us the holy
flame every year in spite of our human frailties & failures. We experience many wonders in our Churches, & miracles are
nothing strange to us. It happens often that icons cry, when Heaven wants to display its closeness to us; also we have
saints, to whom God gives many spiritual gifts. But none of these miracles have such a penetrating & symbolic meaning
for us as the miracle of the Holy Fire. The miracle is almost like a sacrament. It makes the Resurrection of Christ present
to us as if He had died only a few years ago."
While the patriarch is inside the chapel kneeling in front of the stone, there is darkness but far from silence outside.
One hears a rather loud mumbling, & the atmosphere is very tense. When the Patriarch comes out with the 2 candles lit &
shinning brightly in the darkness, a roar of jubilee resounds in the Church, comparable
only to a goal at a soccer-match.
The Miracle Leads to Faith
The miracle is not confined to what actually happens inside the little tomb, where
the Patriarch prays. What may be even more significant, is that the blue light is reported to appear & be active outside the tomb. Every year many believers claim that this
miraculous light ignites candles, which they hold in their hands, of its own initiative.
All in the church wait with candles in the hope that they may ignite spontaneously.
Often closed oil lamps take fire by themselves before the eyes of the pilgrims. The
blue flame is seen to move in different places in the Church. 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 a close distance 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 & after" the Miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem.
Unknown in the West
One can ask the question why the Miracle of the Holy Fire is hardly known in Western Europe. In the Protestant areas
it may to a certain extent be explained by the fact that there is no real tradition for miracles; people don't really know in
which box to place the miracles, & they don't take up much space in newspapers. But in the Catholic tradition there is vast
interest for miracles. Thus, why is it not more known? For this it only 1 explanation suffices: Church politics. Only the
Orthodox Churches attend the ceremony framing the miracle. It only occurs on the Orthodox Easter date & without the
presence of any Catholic authorities. By certain Orthodox this evidence proves the notion that the Orthodox Church is the
only legitimate Church of Christ in the world, & this assertion obviously may cause certain apprehensions in Catholic circles.
The Question of the Authenticity of the Miracle
As with any other miracle there are people who believe it is fraud & nothing but a masterpiece of Orthodox propaganda. They believe the Patriarch has a lighter inside of the tomb. These critics, however, are confronted with a number of
problems. Matches & 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. One then could
perhaps say, he had an oil lamp burning inside, from which he kindled the candles, but the local authorities confirm to
have checked the tomb & found no light inside it.
The biggest arguments against a fraud, however, are not the testimonies of the shifting
patriarchs. The biggest challenges confronting the critics are the thousands of independent
testimonies by pilgrims whose candles were lit spontaneously in front of their eyes without any possible explanation. According to our investigations, it has never been possible
to film any of the candles or oil lamps igniting by themselves. However, I am in the possession of a video filmed by a young engineer from Bethlehem, Souhel Nabdiel. Mr. Nabdiel has been present at the ceremony of the Holy Fire since his early childhood. In 1996
he was asked to film the ceremony from the balcony of the dome of the Church. Present
with him on the balcony were a nun & 4 other believers. The nun stood at the right hand
of Nabdiel. On the video one can see how he films down on the crowds. At a certain point
all lights are turned off--it is time for the Patriarch to enter the tomb & take the Holy Fire.
While he is still inside the tomb one suddenly hears a scream of surprise & wonder originating from the nun standing next to Nabdiel. The camera begins to shake, as one hears
the excited voices of the other people present on the balcony. The camera now turns to the
right, whereby it is possible to contemplate the cause of the emotion. A big candle, held in
the hand of the Russian nun, takes fire in front of all people present before the patriarch
comes out of the tomb. With shaking hands she holds the candle while over & over making the sign of the Cross in awe of
the potent she has witnessed. This video appears to be the closest one gets to an actual filming of the miracle.
Miracles cannot be proved
The miracle is, as most miracles are, surrounded by unexplainable factors. As Archbishop of Tiberias Alexios said
when I met him in Jerusalem:
"The miracle has never been filmed & most probably never will be. Miracles cannot be proved. Faith is required for a
miracle to bear fruit in the life of a person & without this act of faith there is no miracle in the strict sense. The true miracle in the Christian tradition has only 1 purpose: to extend the Grace of God in creation, & God cannot extend his Grace
without the faith on behalf of His creatures. Therefore there can be no miracle without faith."
[All fires in Christian homes throughout Palestine are extinguished on Holy Saturday. As soon as the patriarch comes forth from
the Tomb with the Holy Fire, runners carry it to those same homes. The Holy Fire is even taken by plane to the ancient Patriarchates
of the Mediterranean, Greece, Cyprus, etc. so that the priests in the major cities, when they emerge from the sanctuary at midnight,
may convey to their people this very tangible blessing from the very Tomb of our Savior.]
News from All Saints
Holy Week & Pascha
Our celebration of the holiest season of the year began with Lazarus Sat. As in previous years, His Grace Bishop Basil
hosted a reception on the lawn of the Chancery. It was particularly well attended, with a large representation from All
Saints this year. The Liturgy on Palm Sun. began with the 2nd exorcism (their admission as catechumens & 1st exorcism were
on Sun., April 2nd) of Chase & Madison Livengood, grandchildren of reader John Lambert. Throughout Holy Week we, as a
parish walked attentively in the footsteps of our Lord as He approached His voluntary Passion. On Holy & Great Wed.,
with the celebration of the Mystery of the Holy Prayer-Oil (Unction), we were cleansed & healed as a single united Body of
Christ. And on Holy & Great Thurs. we began our walk with the Lord in earnest with the celebration of the Liturgy for the
institution of the Holy Eucharist, followed by the washing of the feet. That same evening, we venerated the holy Cross in
the midst of the reading of the 12 Passion Gospels. At the end of the Vespers of the Un-nailing of Christ from the Cross,
on Holy & Great Fri., Chase & Madison were exorcized for the last time, renounced the devil & all his ways & professed
their faith in Christ as King & God. At 9:00am we began the Vigil Liturgy of St. Basil. At the end of the 3 Old Testament
readings, all gathered around the baptismal font in the narthex where Chase & Madison were born again of water & the
Spirit as Ezekiel & Magdalena. After being sealed & anointed with the Holy Myron (Chrism) of the all-holy Spirit, they
were clothed &, to the chant of “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia”, they, their sponsors, the reader John & Monica Lambert & all in attendance re-entered the nave & the Liturgy proceeded from the reading
of the Apostle. The Midnight Paschal Liturgy was a loving & joyous celebration. Following Agape Vespers on Pascha
afternoon, we all shared in the regular Lamb dinner, prepared as always by our own Bill Fekas.
The Big Fat Greek Dinner: As in previous years the reader John Lambert served as chairperson, Bill Fekas offered his culinary skills & parishioners rolled up their sleeves & assisted with food preparation & serving. We served a total of 132
dinners & our profits were $1,815.00. This was a very successful event.
Camp St. Raphael: Noah & Maximus McCallum & Stefan Nagy from St. Mary Magdalene & Addison & Alissa Houchin
from All Saints will be campers this July. They will each receive a full scholarship from the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Ashley Houchin will be a counselor again.
Congratulations: to Jeremy Mai, who will graduate from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree on Sat.,
May 13th.
from St. Mary Magdalene Mission
The following was received on Bright Mon. from the reader Gabriel Nagy:
Dear Father Daniel bless,
CHRIST IS RISEN!
With the occasion of the Holy Pascha, please receive our best wishes of good health & joy, & many happy years.
As you may have noticed, we were not with our Salina brothers & sisters Sat. night, & we were sorry for missing you. We
went to Wichita with Stan Ehler & the bus trip which he organized for a group, & we only made it back home around 5:45
a.m. It was exhausting, but very nice. Fr. James estimated the crowd to about 600, which obviously made it less intimate
than Salina. We were able to chat a bit with His Grace & Dr. George Farha (a major donor toward the down-payment on our
present facilities ), & I extended the invitation to visit us (again) in Manhattan. Bishop Basil told me he would take care of
bringing Dr. Farha next time he comes. David & I even brought up July 22 (feast of St. Mary Magdalene), which falls on a
Sat. this year.
On Pascha we had the Agape Readers’ Vespers here, & all went very well. Our gathering consisted of the Mais, Marian
Morre, Stan Ehler & family, the Romanoschis (with their grandma), Oana (with her husband & baby), the Kazaglis (with Leah's
parents & the girls), & us (with Grandma, of course). It was very nice: we got to read in many languages: English (John), Italian (Leah's mother pointed with beautiful singing), French (Leah), German (Leah's father), Spanish (Jan Mai), Arabic (Oana),
Romanian (Lidia Magy) & Greek (Leah's father). Afterwards we had dinner, highlighted by Greek-style roasted spring lamb
brought by Leah's parents.
HELP!
Your assistance is needed. Fr. Daniel is due to be arrested as part of the 2006 Salina Lock-Up for muscular dystrophy.
This is an annual event, which this year will be at noon on Thurs., May 18 th. Your contribution toward Fr. Daniel’s bail,
set at $600.00, will be used to help send a child with muscular dystrophy to MDA Summer Camp.
Breaking News
On Sat., May 27th, Fr. Christopher Morris will graduate from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canon,
PA. On Aug. 1st he will assumed the pastorate of St. George Orthodox Church, Kearney, NE. Congratulations may be sent
to: 98 Washington St., Carbondale, PA 18407 (until the end of May). His e-mail address is [email protected].
News of the Parish & Diocese
Thurs., June 1st: Feast of the Glorious Ascension of the Lord.
Sun., June 11th: Feast of Pentecost
Sun., June 18th: Feast of All Saints
June 15th-18th: 2nd Annual Parish Life Conference of the Diocese of Wichita & Mid-America, hosted by St. George parish,
El Paso, TX.
June 25th-July 1st: Camp St. Raphael: Session 1
July 2nd-July 8th: Camp St. Raphael: Session 2
July 17th-21st: Bienniel Clergy Symposium (Antiochian Village)
Sat., July 22nd: Feast of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene.
Sat., Aug. 26th: Blessing of the Vineyard
Prayer Requests:
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Fr. Thomas Neustrom, whose health continues to weaken.
Fr. Anthony Bell, pastor of St. Mary Orthodox Church, Topeka, Indiana, who is suffering from cancer.
Kh. Joanne (wife of Fr. John Abdullah, editor of The Word), who is suffering from ovarian cancer.
Our shut-ins. Sophia Osborn (now residing at the Bethany Home, 321 N. Chestnut, Lindsborg, Ks 67456 Room
Phone: [785] 227-2669; Office Phone: [785] 227-2721), Catherine Stavropoulos & Richard (James) & Rikki (JosephMary) Hale.
Our seminarians:
1. Fr. Elia Larson & his family,
2. Fr. Christopher Morris. For a slide presentation of his ordination to the holy priesthood :
http://www.stots.edu/news_060222_3.html ).
3. Reader Paul Sidebottom, instructor at St. Herman's Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska
Cindy Foster, daughter of Eleanor Smith, suffering from a non-cancerous brain tumor.
For the repose of the soul of Mary Lucille Hatfield, who reposed on Tues., Jan. 31st
Names' Days
Jerry Houchin (Holy Prophet Jeremiah, May 1),
Laura Baxter (Venerable Mother Pelagia, May 4),
Paula Lambert (Holy Mother Monica, May 6),
Helen Russin & Helen Yetter (Holy Empress Helen, May 21)
Layne Lloyd (Holy Martyr John the Russian, May 27)
& Lynda Innes, Eleanor Smith & Sara Osborn (Martha, Sister of St. Mary
& St. Lazarus of Bethany, June 4).
Birthdays
Michael Klapp (May 3), Donna Baxter (May 7),
Christopher Klapp & Dick Hale (May 9),
Nicolas Yetter (May 10), Joanne Muchow (May 15), Robert Lindgren (May 19),
Cindy Osborn (May 23) & George Stavropoulos (May 24).
Wedding Anniversaries
David & Christina Litchman (May 2) & Jack & Paula Lambert (May 12).
All Saints Orthodox Church
2818 Scanlan Avenue
Salina, KS 67401
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