Joseph Patterson, over at Mind in the Heart, posted this.
These photos of an Orthodox Chrismation have been going around the net. The photos were taken a few years ago at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Santa Fe, NM where we attended when we lived in Santa Fe. We know everyone in the photo including the one illumined with light. The light was not noticed by the naked eye but showed up in all the pictures. If you are ever in Santa Fe you have got to visit Fr. John and Holy Trinity. One of my favorite places in all the world. Glory to God for all Things!
7 comments:
Wow.
Amazing.
I didn't know you know Fr. John. He and I were campus minsters at Arizona State in the early 80's for different Churches. We found out we used to hang out at the same "Jesus People" places and his English teacher married my ceramics teacher from different high schools in Phoenix. Small world!
s-p, I don't know Fr. John, unfortunately! The text is a quote from Joseph Patterson, from his blog, Mind in the Heart.
This is very amazing, but what about those who don't have this experience? What if you don't glow with uncreated light when you receive chrismation? Does it still count? Is it as good of a christmation? Was there something about this individual that God saw that was better than others? What is the purpose of God working in this way with this individual? What does it mean?
I hope and pray I haven't come off as another snarky, meany-butt Lutheran. I really do want to know if there are any answers to my questions in the previous comment in Orthodox theology. What do you do with this person? Are they special? What about others who do not receive such a sign? Are they somehow less than special?
Sincere questions from a humble asker.
Dear Jim,
Sorry it wasn't as clear as it ought to be: I copied this post from Joseph Patterson's blog, "Mind in the Heart." He knows the people in these photos; I do not.
My impression, from his position, is that the luminous figure is actually godfather to one of those being chrismated.
Such a manifestation generally means (though it doesn't always) that this person has become exceptionally pure, so that the Uncreated Light, which indeed shines in every Christian, becomes visible. Or, put another way, such a person has rendered himself very open to God, so that the life being lived in his/her flesh is actually Christ's. ("I live, yet not I, but Christ...")
I myself have seen a similar phenomenon only once, in a grace-filled moment of someone definitely not yet a saint -- who, however, later did become extraordinarily Christ-like. In that case, I suppose (without knowing for sure) God was simply providing a (much-needed and transforming!) manifestation of His grace, His love, His presence.
Sorry your first comment somehow slipped throuh the cracks and I never noticed it there. Didn't mean to ignore you. No, you didn't come off as snarky.
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