Holy Light: The journey to the depths of history, the miracle and the challenge

 "It unites us and gives us a perspective of hope and salvation." There is of course the opposite view. That of exaggeration or even of the "fabricated" behind the phenomenon. The Holy Light divides into the depths of the centuries, believers, unbelievers, and skeptics. In any case, its "history" goes to the depths of the centuries and reaches today. An event that is one of the highlights of the Orthodox faith.

With the help of the Theologian, Dr. Virtue Demosthenes we try to catch the thread of the Holy Light in its birth. The importance that the faithful attach to it, as well as the arguments with which the Church refutes the denial of the miracle.

The Holy Light at the beginning of the story

According to Mrs. Demosthenes, everything starts from the very moment of the Crucifixion of Christ. And it is related to the later (52 AD), Bishop of Athens, Saint Dionysios Areopagitic.

According to Mrs. Demosthenes, "Saint Dionysios the Areopagite was nine years younger than Christ. At a young age he was found in Ilioupoli, Egypt (near present-day Cairo) just at the time of the Crucifixion of the Lord. On that Good Friday at the time of the crucifixion of Christ at 15:00 the time, although noon, the sun was darkened "ὲπὸ δὲ ἕκτής ὥρας σκότος ἐγένετο ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γὴν ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης" (Matt. 27, 45 ) ".

According to tradition, Dionysius was shocked by this paradoxical phenomenon and exclaimed: "Either God suffers or everything is dismissed" ("Either God suffers or everything is lost"). He diligently marked the day and time of this supernatural event of the eclipse of the Sun ".

"When he returned to Athens, he heard the Apostle Paul preach in the Holy See talking about that supernatural darkness at the Crucifixion of the Lord, dispelling any doubts about the validity of his new faith," said Mrs. Demosthenous


. Because on Holy Saturday

The Holy Light comes out on Holy Saturday around noon in the great Temple in the tomb of Christ.

According to Ms. Demosthenes, "the Holy Light comes out after the fast and prayer of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem on Holy Saturday around noon and foretells the Resurrection of Christ which took place after 36 hours, ie three 12 hours, hence three days, from the

time that cooled down on the Cross at 15:00 on Friday time ".

He also mentions that "in the rest of the churches on Saturday morning they announce the Resurrection with the so-called first Resurrection, throws myrrh-bearers - flowers, laurels, ring the bells and the bells and shout: πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι ».


Why the Greek Patriarch

As mentioned above, the Holy Light comes out after the fast and prayer of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem on Holy Saturday around noon. But why was this privilege granted to a Greek?

According to Ms. Demosthenes, this decision has its roots in 1118 AD, and is directly related to an event that took place on Golgotha, several centuries earlier.

As Mrs. Demosthenes records, "after the Crucifixion of Christ, the then Jews (Jews) made Golgotha a garbage dump. Agia Eleni at the beginning of the 4th century went and cleaned the garbage dump - mountain and found the Holy Cross. He built the first temple in the middle of the 4th century. But soon in 614, the area was conquered by the Muslim Persians as well as Jerusalem and the Temple was set on fire. It was being restored and they were destroying it again ". The passage of

our history leads to 1118 AD when the Arab Salah El-Din granted the Orthodox monks the pilgrimages to the Holy Land. El Dean stipulated that "the patriarch of the Greeks will be the lord of Kamare (church of the Holy Sepulcher) and he will take from his tomb and the Holy Light to distribute it to the Nazarenes (Christians)".

Practice applied to date.


Why the Holy Light comes out

Asking this question to Mrs. Demosthenes, her answer was clear and concise. "To strengthen our faith. To remind us that God is Light and we must imitate him, to be bright, people of light and not of darkness ". 

He even claims that " it comes out only with the Orthodox as a reward for the correctness of our Doctrine. Holy Saturday comes out, declaring the victory of Christ over the darkness of hell and sin. It unites us and gives us a perspective of Hope and Salvation. What more beautiful thing?


Miracle or something else?

"I personally believe in miracles. I have experienced some. Our life is a miracle. So why not believe in the Holy Light?

With this proposal, Ms. Demosthenous attempts to deconstruct theories and claims to the contrary. For an issue that, as has been said, is constantly and intensely divisive.

She recounts that "twice when I went to the ceremony of the Holy Light, the flame did not burn for 45 minutes. I lit candles that I got from Cyprus because someone said that they put a substance in the candles they sell there, which makes the flame of the candles not burn ".

He also notes that the Great Church of the Resurrection until the end of the British occupation was wooden. "With such diffusion of Light that takes place at the touch of the Holy Light, if it were natural light, the Temple would be burned several times. And yet it was never burned. "

It also refers to an incident in 1101. Then, according to Mrs. Demosthenes, Franciscan monks performed liturgies but the Light did not come out. "They called the Orthodox and he came out with three processions," he says characteristically.

Wanting to further strengthen her claims, she referred to another event of 1549 AD.  He states that "according to historical records, the Armenians bribed Sultan Murad to give them permission to enter the Temple of the Resurrection and to take the Holy Light out of the Holy Sepulcher. Indeed, the sultan gave them permission and the Armenians entered the Temple and locked it. Full of despair, the Orthodox Patriarch, when he saw the Armenians inside the Holy Sepulcher, knelt outside at the entrance of the Temple near one of the pillars. Suddenly the pillar tore and the Holy Light came out, lighting the candles of the Patriarch. This column and slit are clearly visible to this day. It is the pillar on our left as we enter the Temple. Agarinos Emir was watching the events from the minaret of the mosque that was opposite the Temple. He then exclaimed: "Christianity is the true religion."

While at the same time as Mrs. Demosthenous notes, during the touching ceremony there is an Armenian Bishop observer.  "If there was any computerization, he would say so immediately."


The roots of the controversy

According to Ms. Demosthenes, the controversy finds its roots in the 20th century. And this is found for two reasons.

He characteristically states, "first to increased atheism and second to a substantive cause. If God is Light then it is not love and peace. People prefer God to be love, in this way we get easier forgiveness for the many transgressions and sins we commit. But if God is Light, things get difficult. The light shines and shows shortcomings and vices ".


"Faith is based on experience"

"Faith is based on experience", said my late father, the elder Emilianos in Kellaki. It is not only theory and teaching, notes Ms. Demosthenous regarding the power of faith.

It also sends the message of humility on the part of Christians during these Holy Days. "Let us be humble to ourselves and forgiving to others. Let us forgive and accept the Light of the Resurrection of the Godman in our lives. Only in this way will the world become a war of Peace, of conflict Reconciliation, of misunderstanding Understanding, of hell Paradise "