Israel Celebrates Holy Fire Ceremony To Mark The Orthodox Easter At The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre In Jerusalem
Israel is celebrating the Holy Fire ceremony today Saturday, May 4, 2024. In a statement from Israel via their official social media platform on X (formerly Twitter), it shared photos of the Holy Fire ceremony which was held at the Holy Sepulchres in Jerusalem.
The ceremony of the Holy Fire is led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and is usually attended by priests and believers of different Christian denominations. After the fire is lit, it is distributed to various national churches and transported to their seat.
According to Orthodox tradition, at midday on the Saturday before the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, a blue light glows from the stone slab (the Stone of Anointing) where Jesus’ body was said to have been placed after being taken down from the cross. The light reportedly behaves differently from year to year, but there is one constant—it will not burn one’s clothes or skin. The Holy Fire rises and forms a column, perhaps similar to the pillar of fire noted in Exodus 13:21. Two candles are lit from this fire, which are in turn used to light the candles of the many who gathered inside and outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There are reports of the Holy Fire moving about the area before departing.
The statement from the Israeli official X account reads;
“The Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem:
Thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians from around the world participated in the Holy Fire Ceremony in Jerusalem
We wish all those celebrating Orthodox Easter a meaningful and peaceful holiday”.
See the tweet below:
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