Miracle of St. Spyridon in Corfu

From here.
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Miracle of St. Spyridon in Corfu^[i]

 

recounted by St. Athanasios of Paros (✝1813)

 

After Corfu's deliverance from a siege by the Turks - owing to the protection of St. Spyridon the Wonderworker - on August 11, 1716, Andrea Pisani, the governor and captain-general of Corfu, wished to do something in order to thank the saint for his great benefaction concerning the aforementioned deliverance. He consulted a papist theologian, Francisco Frangipani, as to what he should do, what would be best and well-pleasing to the saint.

 

The theologian said that it would be a very good and holy deed to build a precious marble altar inside the Church of St. Spyridon, so that they could perform a Latin mass inside. And "Your excellency can hear the mass in your own language when you are present there," he said. The theologian's counsel pleased the governor, and he ordered that the materials be prepared at once. However, before the materials were made ready, it seemed appropriate to him to call the priests of that church (where the relics of the divine Spyridon were housed) and find out in what way they could be of assistance. As soon as they heard the unexpected news, they told him bluntly that this was a dangerous innovation, and they wished in no way to help him with his plan. The governor replied angrily that even if they were not willing to help, as the supreme authority he would do as he wished and would command that the materials be gathered outside the saint's church without fail. So there was gathered together asbestos, plaster, marble, and a slab from select marble, superbly crafted for an altar.

 

That night in a dream, the governor saw a man in a monastic habit saying to him, "Why are you bothering me, and why are you upsetting my children (i.e., the priests)? Know that what you are intending to do is not in your interest." At daybreak he called the theologian into his room (that is, the one who gave him the idea) and related to him the dream in detail. The theologian said, "As Christians, we are obliged in no way to believe dreams, nor are we to accept them at all as real. You should certainly consider this, my lord, to be an obvious temptation of the devil, with which the adversary troubles the good, in order to amuse himself and impede such a most-pious deed." The governor calmed down, fully convinced by the theologian's words. That night, the governor again saw the same monk in a dream threatening him harshly saying, "Know, most certainly, that if you bother my holy house, you will regret it, as it is of no profit." The ruler was terrified by this steadfast decree. He did not again wait for daybreak, but straightaway called for the theologian. He told him every detail about the vision, described his faint-heartedness and said that he was overcome by such fear, that he not dare go through with the task. Then the theologian speaking up and poising himself nobly, said, "My lord, know, that if you grow timid from doing this holy deed that you have decided upon, you will appear to people as not being of proper judgement, since you believe in dreams conjured up by the devil." The governor was filled with courage by these words and as day came on, which was the 11th of November 1718, he went to the church of the saint so as to venerate. He was accompanied by those of his court (along with the city's engineer) in order to measure the area according to length, width, and height for the construction of the altar. At that time, the oldest of the priests, Marinos Voulgaris Sakellarios, and the priest in charge, Spyridon Voulgaris (the great protopresbyter), stood before the governor and with humble voices begged him not to go through with such a modification, as it might not seem best to the saint. When he heard them, however, he flew into a rage, threatening that if they did not do as he wished and become silent, he would send them to Venice in chains, to be thrown into prison, never again to see the light of day. "I am not intending to do some unlawful deed," he said, "but to set up an altar, a holy and God-pleasing work!" The priests were cast into despair and terror-stricken by his threats, and with the other orthodox present - who were not few - they ran towards divine assistance. Opening the holy reliquary of our great father, they chanted a paraklesis, shedding abundant tears, hoping to hinder the governor's bad intention.

At around midnight on November 12th, the day on which the craftsmen expected to start their work, there was lightening and thunder - thunderbolts, one after the other. It was then that the guard of the governor's residence saw a monk approaching him holding a lit torch in his hand. The guard, according to procedure, asked him once, and then twice, "Who are you? Where are you going?" And seeing as he did not receive an answer, he lifted his musket in order to kill the visitor. But then the monk answered, "I am Spyridon." As soon as he said this he grabbed the guard by the arm and threw him with great force out into Spianada Square in the city of Corfu, close to the Church of the Crucifixion. There the guard found himself standing upright on both feet holding his gun as he had been before. Immediately following this, the saint lit the store house of the castle on fire. The extreme heat caused the buildings that were inside the governor's palace and everything around it to collapse. The governor was killed inside, his neck having been crushed between two beams in such a way that it was as though they had been placed there for that purpose. The theologian was found outside the walls of the citadel in a ditch, into which all the squalor of the city sewer drained and flowed, holding his private parts in his hand. He received a just foretaste of his reward for his excellent advice, and the grandeur of his polity (as a papist). Many others were also killed, both men and women, some belonging to the court and others not, about nine-hundred souls. Around that time two other fearsome signs also took place.

 

First: That same night, a large silver oil lamp that the governor had hung before the saint's relics as an offering fell to the ground and its base broke into pieces, in spite of having been hung with a very strong chain. None of the numerous other oil lamps fell or suffered anything similar. And what happened to the oil lamp (or rather, the base) is apparent still today, because it was again hung up in the same manner it was found as evidence of the incident.

 

Second: At the exact same moment (as was confirmed later by those who looked into the matter) a flaming arrow - a thunderbolt of lightening to be precise - struck the picture of the governor in Venice and burnt it up, without anything else in the house suffering any harm. His brothers and relatives immediately interpreted this as a bad omen concerning the governor.

 

The rest of the Latin laymen and clergy, or rather the "Prevedore" as they were called, the Latin bishop, other officials and private citizens, as many as lived in the city of Corfu (for it was the home of the bishop's palace and many others), these are who I call the rest, gave the command that the aforementioned building materials be taken from the Saint's church. They made use of the materials elsewhere, save the marble slab which had been cut for the altar. This was reverently taken to their so-called "duomo," that is the cathedral of their own metropolis, into the great altar. It can still be seen there today resting low on its side.

 

The soldier, who had been the guard at the castle on that day, was roused and crying out in a loud voice, declaring, "Saint Spyridon did these great and fearful things." And he would tell the whole story in great detail. Therefore, the Latins, not wanting to bear the shame, sent him away to Italy three days later.

 

This is the story of the frightful and monumental event that took place in the city of Corfu, owing to the most-divine Spyridon - quick to listen and patron of the city and of the whole Church. We must now consider carefully and in detail those circumstances,  which prove the event undeniable, so that the enemies of the truth cannot blather, saying that the arson at the store house was a coincidence, from which the governor and those around him died.

 

Source: Ouranou Crisis (Judgement from Heaven), Archimandrite Nektarios Ziompolas. Athens, 2007.

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^[i] This is the first of four chapters which explain the miracle and are accompanied by comments concerning details and events surrounding the miracle. In the book Ouranou Crisis, it is accompanied by other material concerning Papism, especially in Corfu.

Video of the Holy Fire and a reflection

I believe something has died in Modern Man.  This includes me.  I "believe" in Miracles but I cannot help but want to look for the angle or the mystery revealed behind the scenes that is inevitably in my mind.  And I think my mind steeped in the Mind of our Age is indicative of perhaps *every* mind.  It is very difficult if not impossible to shut down my incredulity at the witnessing of videos such as the one I have posted here.

However,  when my friend George sent me this, I was pleasantly surprised to feel a certain reverence and awe at what transpired on this video.  I do not believe it is because of this particular video specifically(the Lord knows), but perhaps I may find solace in the movement within myself towards a general acceptance towards the great mysteries to be found everywhere.

In fact, in my better contemplative moments, I recognize at some level the Great Mystery that existence itself is including all the seemingly "mundane" and "rote" things that "compose" existence.

The following is the text that accompanies the footage by the one who shot it:

"RECORDED BY ME IN THE CHURCH ABOVE THE HOLY SEPLICHURE (ST. CONSTANTINE). NO ONE INCLUDING MYSELF SAW THIS IN THE CHURCH WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. I ONLY REALIZIED IT ONCE I GOT BACK TO MY ROOM! ONE OF MANY MIRACLES THAT DAY!'

Two miracles proving that the calendar does not save...

From here.
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Two miracles proving that the calendar does not save but repentance does.

"Unpublished letters on the issue of calendar" by Archim. Philotheos Zervakos.

The monks of Loggovarda do not follow calendars, they follow Christ who said "Whoever wishes to follow Me let him deny himself, carry his cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). He did not say he should follow the lifeless calendar and he who believes in it and is baptized will be saved. The believer in Christ and in the Bible will be saved, not by the old calendar.

Many of the fanatical and zealous old calendarists are greatly deceived believing that without the calendar man cannot be saved. All the Saints, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs and the Sanctified were not saved and performed miracles based on the calendar but on faith.

The performed mysteries by the new calendarists are valid, because the calendar does not perform and sanctify them, but they are performed by the Holy Spirit that the new calendarists also invoke to sanctify them and man is saved by the true faith, of love and good works, not by calendars..... Worship which many old calendarists attribute to the old calendar has made them time worshippers, that lack true and sincere love towards God and neighbour, they lack love towards each other and even to those old calendarists, the impiety, the unfaithfulness, the bad polity, the ignoring of the Law of God, the divine commandments and holy traditions of most clerics and lay new calendarists, prolong the division, the schism, increase the passions, the hatred, the bad intentions, the sins, they harden the hearts of both, distance themselves from repentance and we approach, if we do not repent, perdition.

"If you do not repent" said the Lord, "you shall lose yourselves" (Luke 13:3).

All of us, we have become, with the exception of a few, a cunning generation, crooked and perverse; and to the perverse the Lord sends them to perverse ways. The cunning like all sinners He destroys and the Lord keeps all those that love Him. Men will not be judged nor condemned as much for the calendars as for their lack of love and good works. Let us love the Lord, let us keep His commandments and if as humans we commit a sin, let us repent that we may not be excluded from the Bridegroom Christ.

It is needful here to describe two miracles that demonstrate that the mysteries performed by the new calendarists are valid and that man does not live by the calendars but repentance saves him, through confession, faith, love, good works, God.

In the village of Parthenios there was a young man who was convinced by some old calendarists not to go to the Church, nor to go for confession or partake of the holy mysteries because he would be cursed since liturgy or the mysteries cannot be performed under the new calendar. All those who go to the Church are new calendarists, they confess, they commune but they are all cursed. The young man becoming scared distanced himself from the Church and from the holy Communion and to the unfortunate one happened what Saint Kyrill said of those who distance themselves from the Church and the holy mysteries, that they become enemies of God and friends of the devil. The compassionate God however did not leave him to perish because he was naively deceived by the old calendarists, so when he became sick and was approaching death, one day a crowd of demons entered his room and embracing him they told him, "We came to take you, you are ours". At the presence and sight of the vile demons the youth became frightened and loudly cried, "Help! Help! Send away these black ones that came to take me". Frightened the parents and the neighbours came and asked him what happened. He would however scream louder. "Throw out these black ones who came to take me away" The parents and those who run to him could not see anyone and tried to console him but he continued to tremble, to cry and to scream to throw them out.

Seeing that they could not help him at all, he tells his parents. "Bring me Father Philotheos to confess me" but because they told him he was away he told them "Bring me Father Manoli". They told him, "He is a new calendarist and you never went to the church because he was a new calendarist and you wouldn't even greet him, how then do you now seek him? "I was wrong, I was wrong; bring him that I may confess". They called him, the Father came and he confessed. When however the Priest came, the demons went outside and stood by the door. However, when the priest read the prayer of repentance, the black and uncomely demons left crying, while some beautiful youths, very good looking, embraced him and told him, "Because you confessed yourself clean, we came to help you".

The youth stopped crying and being scared, with cries of thanksgiving, with cheerful and joyful face, he invited his parents and neighbours to come and see the brightness and beauty of those young ones but being unworthy they could not see them. Three days later he told his parents, "Call Father Manoli tomorrow at 9:00am to come and commune me because the young ones who keep me company told me that they will take me with them. So it happened and he left happy and with good hope to the Jerusalem above.

At Syros there were two hieromonks who were spiritual fanatics and great zealots of the old calendar, who advised and preached the people, the Christians, not to go to the church, nor to partake of the holy mysteries. Instead of partaking of communion, they would say, it is preferable to fill a glass with wine and dipping a slice of bread in it to eat it. Also, about their babies, instead of new calendarist priests baptizing them, it would be preferable to have a swim in the sea or to fill a container with water and wash them. In fact someone much more fanatical used to say that the communion of the new calendarists, he would place on the floor and step on it, while mouthing a rude word.

They had between them such hatred, envy and maliciousness that they would do nothing else but go to the people, acquaintances and strangers alike and accuse one another, with horrible accusations and slander. There was such a great scandal in the town of Syros.

Some sensible and God fearing people begged me to intervene and pacify them. I tried to convince them as Christians and especially as hieromonks and spiritual people to repent, to discuss, to expel the malice and enmity that they may not die in enmity. But it proved impossible. One of them, after many examples and teachings from the Bible, I managed to convince him that they should forgive each other. The other one proved impossible, so I told him, "if you do not forgive him then do not perform the liturgy, for Christ says: "First make peace with your enemy and then offer your gift or sacrifice". He however told me: "I shall perform the liturgy ....". But instead of performing the liturgy few days later when I told him not to perform the liturgy, he took a knife and went to kill the nephew of the industrialist, for he believed that he stole his money. However, because the policeman locked him up for a few days and warned him not to disturb his nephew anymore otherwise he would punish him, he went, like another Judas took rope tied it to a rock and tried to drown himself. Luckily, at that moment a woman who saw him, called others who then untied him and saved him. But because of his mental state he was locked up in a mental asylum. When he was approaching death, the priest went to commune him but found him eating his waste! Thus he died uncommuned, he who was saying that he would place the communion of the new calendarists on the floor and step on it and plaster it with waste. When he was exhumed his body was incorrupt and black, it stunk foul, his mouth was open and his tongue hung outside his mouth. These were the achievements of fanatical old calendarists, who expelled love while holding tight to the old calendar not to lose it.

If I had to enumerate the deceits and heresies the old calendarists fell into after the introduction of the new ecclesiastic calendar (eortologion), time would not be enough. Short of re-baptism and re-Chrismation, some would not dare enter the churches of new calendar Christians, would not venerate the sacred icons and even while passing outside the churches would not bother to cross themselves, saying that these churches are Latinized and the icons are polluted. And when the bells chimed on the feast of a Saint, some old calendarists would say that it was a feast of Latin Saints. A certain old calendarist nun from a convent in Tinos, while passing by the open doors of the Church of Great Paraskevi and seeing the crucified Christ in the middle of the Church, turned her back to Christ. When another old calendarist nun questioned her why she was not ashamed, she answered with impudence and disrespect saying: "That Christ is not ours, He belongs to the Latin". Enough I do not wish to say any more, but just to add, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do" (nor what they say).

This I write, so that you not be deceived and that you do not believe I say these to defend the new calendar. From the beginning I was, is and shall be against the thoughtless, anti-canonical and illegal introduction of the new calendar. I struggled, struggle and shall struggle to the end for the return of the old calendar, not because I consider that the calendar is what will save me. "I struggle for the solidarity, the unity and peace of the Church" without which both nation and Church will sink.....

Guard that you love God and always be close to Him.
With Pastoral love and wholehearted blessings,
Archimandrite Philotheos

From "Unpublished letters on the issue of Calendar"
+Archim. Philotheos Zervakos
Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Paros
Publication of the Holy Monastery of Loggovarda.

Unbelievable but true the biggest miracle of the century in Romania.

Hat tip to Constantine.

From here.

(translated from the Greek. I have edited it.)
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Translated in English...

Thursday, 15 October 2009

Unbelievable but true the biggest miracle of the century in Romania.

In a small village in Romania no priests existed and the residents went often to the Patriarch and demanded him to fulfill the empty spot. However the Patriarch did not have the means of satisfying the demand for a priest.

The villagers went over and over again but there was nothing their Patriarch said that was any different... "I do not have an extra priest or else I would sent one to the village."

Meanwhile people died unread (no services), others had relationships and children without marriage vows, the children and adults alike were unbaptized.

Then one day, outside of the Church a car pulled up and stopped and out stepped a priest shouting. The village was astonished.

The villagers went to the Church to welcome him and told him: "How did you come to the village after our Patriarch had said that he doesn't have a priest to send us?"

Then the priest said: "Isn't that what you wished for? You wished for a priest? Now he has come."

All the villagers were glad in the presence of the new priest.

The priest began immediately working. He went to all the graves and read the (exodio) prayers. He baptized and wedded everyone in the village and administered Holy Communion.

One day he invites all the villagers to Church and tells them: "I will leave now, my mission work is done."

The villagers were very astonished and shocked at his comment and said: "Now that you came, you are leaving?"

However the priest didn't listen to their comments and proceeded with his decision.

When the villagers realized that there wasn't anything they could do, they thanked him.

After days, the villagers went to Patriarch and they thanked him for sending them a priest and to let him know that they would kindly appreciate it if he could send them another priest soon, but the Patriarch didn't know anything.

He said to them, "I didn't send a priest because I don't have one, however let me check with the Protocingkelo to see if he had sent a priest to you to serve your needs."

He phoned the Protocingkelo but he too didn't send anyone.

The Patriarch inquired, "What did this priest do for you?"

The villagers said, "He wedded us, baptized us, he performed funerals for our parents. He did what any other priest would have performed for us."

Then the Patriarch asked, "Did he give you any papers or log the mysteries?"

"Of course," said the villagers. "He gave us papers and he wrote them in the Church's books."

"Then did anyone see what he wrote? And with what name did he sign?"

(all the documents were written in Romanian and we are not well educated and the signature he signed in a language we have not seen before)

The Patriarch requested they go bring the books in order to see who was this clergyman.

When they returned with the book the Patriarch remained speechless. He couldn't believe his eyes but indeed all the documents were written in Romanian while his name was written in Greek with the name of his signature "Nektarios, Bishop of Pentapolis."

Source: Demetrios Velaoras

Kyklos Greek Cafe ' Las Vegas

Several years ago a local company, www.TheVegasTVChannel.com , somehow heard about us and came down to do this little bit in this video.

We had a lot of fun making it and thought I'd like to share it with you all.

Enjoy.

Description of the Miracle of Holy Light (Holy Fire) that happens every year in Jerusalem

Holy fire will appear this year on April 26

Where and when does the miracle occur?

The ceremony, which awes the souls of Christians, takes place in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. The date for Pascha is determined anew for every year. It must be a first Sunday after the spring equinox and Jewish Passover. Therefore, most of the time it differs from the date of Catholic and Protestant Easter, which is determined using different criteria. The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy. IIt has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place every single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth[2], where Christ was crucified, entombed, and where He finally rose from the dead.

Ceremony of Holy Light

In order to be as close to the Sepulchre as possible, pilgrims camp next to it. The Sepulchre is located in the small chapel called Holy Ciborium, which is inside the Church of the Resurrection. Typically they wait from the afternoon of Holy Friday in anticipation of the miracle on Holy Saturday. Beginning at around 11:00 in the morning the Christian Arabs chant traditional hymns in a loud voice. These chants date back to the Turkish occupation of Jerusalem in the 13th century, a period in which the Christians were not allowed to chant anywhere but in the churches. "We are the Christians, we have been Christians for centuries, and we shall be forever and ever. Amen!" - they chant at the top of their voices accompanied by the sound of drums. The drummers sit on the shoulders of others who dance vigorously around the Holy Ciborium. But at 1:00 pm the chants fade out, and then there is a silence. A tense silence, charged from the anticipation of the great demonstration of God's power for all to witness.

Shortly thereafter, a delegation from the local authorities elbows its way through the crowd. At the time of the Turkish occupation of Palestine they were Muslim Turks; today they are Israelis. Their function is to represent the Romans at the time of Jesus. The Gospels speak of the Romans that went to seal the tomb of Jesus, so that his disciples would not steal his body and claim he had risen. In the same way the Israeli authorities on this Holy Saturday come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door, they follow a custom to enter the tomb, and to check for any hidden source of fire, which would make a fraud of the miracle.[1,2]

How the miracle occurs

"I enter the tomb and kneel in holy fear in front of the place where Christ lay after His death and where He rose again from the dead... (narrates Orthodox Patriarch Diodor - ed.). 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 and, 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 colour may change and 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 and look into it will see it filled with light. The light does not burn — I have never had my beard burnt in all the sixteen years I have been Patriarch in Jerusalem and 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 and 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 and give the fire first to the Armenian Patriarch and then to the Coptic. Hereafter I give the flame to all people present in the Church."

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, and the atmosphere is very tense. When the Patriarch comes out with the two candles lit and shining brightly in the darkness, a roar of jubilee resounds in the Church.[2]
The Holy Light is not only distributed by the Archbishop, but operates also by itself. It is emitted from the Holy Sepulchre with a hue completely different from that of natural light. It sparkles, it flashes like lightning, it flies like a dove around the tabernacle of the Holy Sepulchre, and lights up the 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 the church, as for instance the chapel of the Calvery (at a higher level than the Holy Sepulchre) and lights up the little lamps. It lights up also the candles of certain pilgrims. In fact there are some very pious pilgrims who, every time they attended this ceremony, noticed that their candles lit up on their own accord! his divine light also presents some peculiarities: As soon as it appears it has a bluish hue and does not burn. At the first moments of its appearance, if it touches the face, or the mouth, or the hands, it does not burn. This is proof of its divine and supernatural origin. We must also take into consideration that the Holy Light appears only by the invocation of an Orthodox Archbishop.[1]

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 and 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. OOften unlit oil lamps catch light 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 close up by having the fire on the candle or seeing the blue light usually leaves Jerusalem changed, and for everyone having attended the ceremony, there is always a "before and after" the miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem.

How old is the wonder?

The first writtenaccount of the Holy Fire (Holy Light) dates from the fourth century, but authors write about events that occurred in the first century. So Ss. John Damascene and Gregory of Nissa narrate how the Apostle Peter saw the Holy Light in the Holy Sepulchre after Christ's resurrection. "One can trace the miracle throughout the centuries in the many itineraries of the Holy Land." The Russian abbot Daniel, in his itinerary written in the years 1106-07, presents the "Miracle of the Holy Light" and the ceremonies that frame it in a very detailed manner. He recalls how the Patriarch goes into the Sepulchre-chapel (the Anastasis) with two candles. The Patriarch kneels in front of the stone on which Christ was laid after his death and says certain prayers, at which point the miracle occurs. Light proceeds from the core of the stone - a blue, indefinable light which after some time kindles unlit oil lamps as well as the Patriarch's two candles. This light is "The Holy Fire", and 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 fourth century A.D. all the way up to our own time, sources recall this awe-inspiring event. From these sources it becomes clear that the miracle has been celebrated on the same spot, on the same feast day, and in the same liturgical frame throughout all these centuries.[2]
Every time heterodox have tried to obtain the Holy Fire they have failed. Three such attempts are known. Two occured in the twelfth century when priests of the Roman church tried to force out the Orthodox church but by their own confession these ended with God's punishment. [3,4] But the most miraculous event occured in the year 1579, the year when God clearly testified to whom alone may be given His miracle.

"Once the Armenians (monophysites - ed.) paid the Turks, who then occupied the Holy Land, in order to obtain permission for their Patriarch to enter the Holy Sepulchre, the Orthodox Patriarch was standing sorrowfully with his flock at the exit of the church, near the left column, when the Holy Light split this column vertically and flashed near the Orthodox Patriarch.

A Muslim Muezzin, called Tounom, who saw the miraculous event from an adjacent mosque, immediately abandoned the Muslim religion and became an Orthodox Christian. This event took place in 1579 under Sultan Mourad IV, when the Patriarch of Jerusalem was Sophrony IV.(The above mentioned split column still exists. It dates from the twelfth century. The Orthodox pilgrims embrace it at the "place of the split" as they enter the church).[2, date and name are corrected]

Turkish warriors stood on the wall of a building close to the gate and lightning-struck column . When he saw this striking miracle he cried that Christ is truly God and leaped down from a height of about ten meters. But he was not killed-the stones under him became as soft as wax and his footprint was left upon them. The Turks tried to scrape away these prints but they could not destroy them; so they remain as witnesses [5].

He was burned by the Turks near the Church. His remains, gathered by the Greeks, lay in the monastery of Panagia until the 19th century shedding chrism.

Muslims, who deny the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, tried to put obstacles in the way of the miracle. Well known Muslim historian Al Biruni wrote: "… a (note: Muslim) governor brought a copper wire instead of a wick (note: for the self lighting oil lamps), in order that it wouldn't ignite and the whole thing would fail to occur. But as the fire descended, the copper burned."[6]

This was not the only attempt. The report written by the English chronicler, Gautier Vinisauf, describes what happened in the year 1192.

"In 1187, the Saracens under the direction of Sultan Salah ad-Din took Jerusalem. In that year, the Sultan desired to be present at the celebration, even though he was not a Christian. Gautier Vinisauf tells us what happened: "On his arrival, the celestial fire descended suddenly, and the assistants were deeply moved...the Saracens... said that the fire which they had seen to come down was produced by fraudulent means. Salah ad-Din, wishing to expose the imposter, caused the lamp, which the fire from Heaven had lighted, to be extinguished, but the lamp relit immediately. He caused it to be extinguished a second time and a third time, but it relit as of itself. Thereupon, the Sultan, confounded, cried out in prophetic transport: 'Yes, soon shall I die, or I shall lose Jerusalem.'"[7]

A miracle that is unknown in the West

One can ask the question of why the miracle of the Holy Fire is almost unknown in Western Europe. In Protestant areas it may, to a certain extent, be explained by the fact that there is no real tradition of miracles; people don't really know in which box to place the miracles, and they rarely feature in newspapers. But in the Catholic tradition there is vast interest in miracles. Thus, why is it not more well known? For this only one explanation suffices: Church politics. Only the Orthodox Churches attend the ceremony which is centered on the miracle. It only occurs on the Orthodox date of Easter and without the presence of any Catholic authorities.[2]
The question of the authenticity of the miracle

As with any other miracle there are people who believe it is a fraud and 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 and 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 confirmed that they had checked the tomb and found no light inside it.

The best 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 and four 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 and receive the Holy Fire. While he is still inside the tomb one suddenly hears a scream of surprise and 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 commotion. A big candle, held in the hand of the Russian nun, takes fire in front of all the people present before the patriarch comes out of the tomb. She holds the candle with shaking hands while making the sign of the Cross over and over again in awe of the miracle she has witnessed. This video appears to be the closest one gets to an actual filming of the miracle.

SOURCE:

Pictures Worth Looking at and Discussing

I received the following e-mail, with the four above posted pictures, several weeks ago from Costa and of course I found it very interesting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Many of you may have already seen one or more of these amazing photos over the past year or so.

What is even more amazing is that, from what I have been told, the man on the newly illumine's right was Chrismated on the very same day that she was BOTH Baptized and Chrismated.

No other comments are needed, as you will see from the pictures.

In Christ,

+Fr. Demetrios

Costa just last week looked at this picture on the left which he states in the text here he had taken at St. Paul's Church here in Las Vegas on Pascha Night. I was there next to him that evening and the reason he took the picture in the first place was that the guy in the blue tanktop standing in front of the camera had walked into the Church this particular evening drunk and making a general nuisance of himself. So Costa took a picture of him, sort of in jest and then forgot about it.

He was quite surprised upon seeing the bright light above the Altar.

These are his words:

"I took this picture from my cell phone camera on Pascha 2005 or 2006 at Saint Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Las Vegas. I transfered it to my computer and kind of forgot about it. I was looking through pictures on my computer and I came across this one and it seemed kind of interesting and peculiar. It's a picture of the altar, but I am not sure what the bright light over the top is."

I believe that the quality of the light appears identical in both that above the Altar and that with which the newly baptized woman is suffused in and with.

The following New Testament texts came to mind:

From the Gospel according to Saint Mark, chapter 9 verses 2 and 3:

2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.

3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no lauderer on earth can whiten them.

and

From the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 28 verses 1 through 4:

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

Also I recall the story of Moses after he was on the mountain with the Lord receiving the Ten Commandments and how he had to veil his face from his brethren for it shone.

A story about Saint Vlassios

A little story on this particular Saint.

I spoke with my Grandmother, or Yia Yia as the Greeks call grandmothers, who lives in Montreal(my home town) today. I call her every Sunday. She often reminds me of the major Feasts of the Church, and today she told me it was the day we commemorate Saint Haralambos and that Monday is the Day of Saint Vlassios.

She is a native of Greece, specifically in the Peloponeese in Corinth but even moreso her village is Panariti, set in the mountains in this beautiful place.

Somewhere not far from her village is a monastery founded in the following manner. I can not give exact details as to the date, where exactly in Corinth this happened but I do know some of the story as she told me today in our phone conversation.

In some deep gorge an icon of Saint Vlassios was discovered and the desire of the finders of this icon was to found a monastery named after the Saint.

They set off to find the appropriate locale for the monastery traveling with the icon. They discovered the icon missing and when searching for it they found it where it was before, in the seemingly remote and relatively inaccessible spot it was found originally.

They once again took it with them and it disappeared again, only to be discovered once again in the exact spot it had been discovered in the first time.

They began to understand that the Saint desired the monastery to be built on this spot rather than elsewhere so today a monastery does indeed exist, dedicated to the Saint on this very spot.

I do apologize, I do not recall all the details but I can always ask Yia Yia.