Holy Fire has come through the ages as one way to talk about the Resurrection of Jesus. It involves lighting candles from the Paschal Candle1 celebrating the moment of the empty tomb. The fire spreads in the church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This large church, constructed over many years, holds within the building Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus Christ. The church was constructed under order of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. It was built in honor of his mother, Queen Helena marking her spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is said that she discovered the true cross upon which Jesus was crucified at this site. This story is celebrated and remembered to this day.
The story of Helena is interesting; she had an experience of the resurrected Jesus on her pilgrimage. She felt his presence. She experienced his story anew. Helena thought about her life in the context of his life. Helena’s experience transformed her own spiritual journey and changed her life.
Luke’s message of the Resurrection to his church is just like what Helena experienced. He makes the claim that we come to faith through experience. It happened for the women at the tomb, it happened to Peter and it can happen to us.
Easter Sunday is about giving voice to our experience of Jesus in our lives and allowing it to deepen our faith, impact our lives and enrich our souls. I have a set of Holy Fire Candles in my office and plan to bring them to the pulpit on Sunday to show you. Every time I touch them, I am transported back to an experience of faith in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem with my fellow pilgrims basking in a moment of faith completed in human experience.
Happy Easter!