Director's Blog

The keynote speaker at the Orthodox Institute this fall will be Dr. Maria Khoury of Palestine. Here she shares about the miracle of Holy Fire in Jerusalem.

Carole

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Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.

April 26, 2008 - Pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem today to witness the greatest of all miracles-the Miracle of the Holy Fire. The miracle has turned into a magnificent cultural event but many simply could not get anywhere near the Holy Sepulchre. The soldiers, the police, the large crowds, the noise, the drums of the Boys Scouts and the Girl Scouts anxiously waiting to receive the Holy Fire from the Life Giving Tomb of Christ is a day long adventure. It was a miracle in itself that Sam and Janet from our Sister Parish, Annunciation Church in Little Rock attended.

It was an exciting celebration with the sound of many languages at the same time where representatives of many churches from all over the Holy Land come to receive the Holy Fire and carry it back in small lanterns to their particular churches for the Midnight Resurrection Service. Special permits were issued for Christians from Gaza to enter Jerusalem but the large crowds meant no entry to the Holy Sepulchre.

It is on this Great and Holy Saturday that the Holy Fire was received by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, His Beatitude Theopilus as it has been done every year, on the same day, in the same manner, at the same time, at the same holy place of Christ's Life Giving Tomb. This is the miracle that allows us to believe that Christ is alive and offers eternal life. This is the miracle that tells us that Christ is truly among us. This powerful miracle is another way that God communicates. As we chant in our Midnight Resurrection Service: "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning Light, and glorify Christ, Who a rose from the dead."

A spectacular parade was also held to receive the Holy Fire entering our village of Taybeh by five in the evening. The priests of all three churches, Fr. Daoud, Fr. Raed and Fr. Jack with the mayor of the village, my husband, David, led the faithful with the choir chanting to meet our cousin Ibrahim with his six year old son Philip who traditionally go to the city of Ramallah to receive the Light from a patriarchate representative who brings it from Jerusalem to Ramallah for all the Palestinian Christian communities that cannot reach the Holy City. Philip made his dad put a sign on the white car this year that read “Light of Christ,” and wanted to ride on top but was forced to patiently sit with the flame until he said “Christ is Risen” and gave it to the adults.

Eight years of violence in the Holy Land, back and forth, surely we have been living in the darkness of all evil where children do not even have a childhood. "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5) The strong Christian message on this holy day is that our hope lies in Christ and the streets were simply filled with faithful who came to witness in Christ’s love.

Thus today we all received the Light that proceeded from the core of the stone that covers Christ's Life Giving Tomb and once again celebrated the oldest unbroken Christian ceremony that exists in the world.

In Luke 16:15 we read that Jesus said: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" We witness the truth and received the Holy Fire today so that all who are not blessed to live in the land of Christ's Holy Resurrection can believe that Christ is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9)

"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:47)

Our Christian community is small and diminishing but with God's help can survive the daily hardships that make life unbearable. Truly the Lord is Risen!

Greetings from Boston, Massachusetts. I’m here for the weekend with my daughter Kyra and her friend Gabi, attending the National Girls Orthodox Retreat at Hellenic College/ Holy Cross Seminary. There are more than 60 girls here and we will be discussing the role of women in the Church. Our event began last evening with icebreakers and continued this morning with Matins in the chapel and breakfast in the cafeteria. They’re treating us now to a tour of Boston and then we will come back and attend the classes, workshops, and sessions. There are 60 girls here from all over the country.

Carole

Today is the feastday of the Three Holy Hierarchs, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom. In graduate school I studied the writings of all three. St. Basil, in order to combat heresy, and present Christianity to the Greek world, used his academic background in Greek philosophy. His writings are dense, but inspiring to the reader who prayerfully and patiently reads his words. I asked St. Basil to be the patron of my studies, and prayed to his icon at my church each Sunday. As I gazed upon him, I knew he was supporting me. Recently I was discussing mentors with a counselor, and when I mentioned being inspired by St. Innocent, she said, “See, you even have a mentor from the past,” as if this was news to me. I explained to her that I have long had mentors who are called “patron saints.” I attempted to describe the very real relationship one has with patron saints, and I mentioned St. Basil and my graduate studies. She seemed somewhat interested. I felt bad for her that she did not have the saints as patrons and intercessors.

I have begun listening to Ancient Faith Radio, the music option. It streams into my speakers as I sit here. Ancient Faith Radio was recently accepted into the Conciliar Press Department of our Archdiocese. What a wise decision Metropolitan PHILIP made. Ancient Faith is now expanding like a seed that has received bountiful sunshine. It is listener-supported and I will make a donation. If you haven’t experienced it, visit Ancient Faith Radio, and choose “music” (there is also a “talk” stream). I just spoke of being connected through time with the saints; listening to the music streaming from Ancient Faith Radio, I feel surrounded by a cloud of fellow Orthodox—those whose voices come from the speakers and those around the globe who are listening with me. How blessed it is to be Orthodox.

Ancient Faith Radio (AFR) has also posted our Antiochian Gospel Program as a podcast.

May you have a blessed day!