The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Friday, February 12, 2010

Today began like most other days here at the Notre Dame Center – Breakfast, Morning Prayer, Mass. However, unlike most other days, there were no classes. All of us were finished with Father Peter Damian’s examination (and none of us were skinned alive!), and some of us were even done with Father Baima’s paper. This left us today to relax and enjoy ourselves, affording us the possibility to do some last minute shopping, as well as one last round to the holy sites in Jerusalem.

During the day, I made rounds to some of my favorite places to pray. I returned to Dormition Abbey, where Mary “fell asleep” before being assumed into heaven. The church, and especially the crypt, can be one of the quietest places to pray in all of Jerusalem.

After spending some time here, I began a quick walk to the opposite corner of the old city in order to participate in the Franciscan-led stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa). Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to expect. I arrived at the site of the first station, where Jesus was condemned to death, and found myself at the back of an immense sea of people, all who were there to follow Jesus to Calvary and the tomb.

There isn’t much like trying to do the stations of the cross during the day in Jerusalem. Even being part of such a large group, the shopkeepers still didn’t hesitate to try and get us into their shops to make a deal. I have wondered what the path was like for Jesus; was it business as usual in Jerusalem as the Messiah was being led to his death?

After a while, we arrived in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in which stations 10-14 occurred. I didn’t climb to Golgotha due to the crowd being so large, but I could still hear the friars leading the group. It is amazing how quiet people can be in front of so great a mystery.

Calvary

After the stations concluded at the tomb, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from this very spot, another procession began in the Church. This time, the Franciscans venerated the various altars within the Church and all the things they commemorate – from the finding of the true Cross by St. Helen, the pillar at which Christ was scourged, to Calvary, the stone he was laid upon to prepare him for burial, the burial in the tomb, the Resurrection (at which point the music became as Easter Sunday morning), and the appearance to Mary Magdalene. So many things, all of which happened here, and nowhere else.

 
The Sepulchre

For me, it was a long day. I had plenty of other work to do, but nothing compares to this experience, which is so precious in a person’s life. Other work can wait.

Christ is truly Risen, alleluia

Let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia!