In the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade last night, before the midnight Easter liturgy, the flame of the Holy and Holy Fire from Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem was distributed to the faithful.
At the beginning of the Easter Matins, Bishop Petar of Toplica, who led the midnight liturgy, lit the first candle with the Holy Fire, so that all present believers could light their candles with that holy flame.
A large number of believers gathered last night in the Temple of Saint Sava and on the plateau in front, to receive the Holy Fire from Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem and attend the midnight liturgy.
The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, after the Israeli authorities lifted the ban on visiting holy sites in Jerusalem, gave his blessing for the competent church services to take appropriate measures so that this year, too, the Holy and Holy Fire from Christ’s tomb would arrive in Belgrade, the Serbian Orthodox Church announced.
Every year on Holy Saturday, the day between the crucifixion on Good Friday and Christ’s resurrection on Sunday, the Holy Fire descends from heaven to earth in Jerusalem.
Every year, on the Saturday before Easter, when the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos, serves in the Edicule, the chapel at the Tomb of Christ, one of the greatest miracles that has been repeated since ancient times occurs – the Holy Fire descends from heaven, miraculously lighting the candles of the patriarch, and then of the other believers.
On Holy Saturday, pilgrims, people of different nationalities and representatives of different churches, come to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and wait for a special God’s blessing, the descent of the Holy Fire.
In the temple, all lamps are extinguished as early as Friday evening, the doors of the Edicule remain sealed, and around two o’clock in the afternoon, a procession led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem arrives at the Edicule.
The Patriarch remains only in a sticharion and, with 33 candles in his hands, according to the number of Christ’s years lived on earth, enters toward the tomb, while people await the miracle with earnest prayer.
At one point, light illuminates the Edicule, the patriarch comes out with lit candles, and the faithful light theirs with the flame of those candles.
During the first minutes, the Holy Fire does not burn or singe, and later it becomes ordinary.
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Source: Telegraf, Photo: Ata images