Saturday 23rd November
Saturday 23rd November
First thing this morning we were off to the Holy Sepulchre. This quite extraordinary church complex marks the place where Jesus was crucified and laid to rest in the tomb.
However because of what this site is – in many ways the most important in Christendom – it has suffered the extravagances of human attention throughout its existence, from savage destruction, lavish restoration, gradual preservation, to over-zealous protection and adornment.
However, there is strong traditional, historical and archaeological evidence that supports this area being the site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. To get to the Holy Sepulchre now involves a winding route across the city and through small gates into a small forecourt. It is most unlike any other church one has been to: it feels as if there is little order on the inside with no recognisable layout or obvious focal point. But after a moment’s pause you start to see the significance of almost everything around you.
The Tomb
"Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
The tomb is a large structure which has large steel braces surrounding it. The whole place felt dark and gloomy, mostly due the lack of light (for many of the windows have been boarded up due to restrictions). It was here that Our Lord was laid to rest and where three days later he rose in glory. Part of the reason for our early start was to get a good spot in the queue to go into the tomb, and already by 8am it was busy. Our turn did come round, though, and the experience of praying at the now empty tomb was an exciting one, albeit a bit rushed due to the crowds waiting behind us. It was a place to re-experience the joy and victory of Easter and a reminder of that reality continuing in our everyday lives.
Mass
We moved quickly to have Mass celebrated by Bishop John in one of the side chapels of the Holy Sepulchre, that of the Apparition. In his homily he preached on the various sites within the Holy Sepulchre (click here to see the video): Calvary, the spot where Mary stood and the tomb.
Beneath Calvary is a small chapel: the Chapel of Adam which is, according to Greek Orthodox tradition, where the first man was buried. In this chapel you can also see the fissure in the original rock face of Calvary, believed to have been the vertical splitting of rock that happened when Christ died. We also saw more of the Church, including where is it believed that the True Cross was found. The whole place is fascinating and one that deserves deeper levels of contemplation, but it did feel busy and pushy.
Pilgrim Mark Alder said of the Holy Sepulchre:
"There was a wonderful atmosphere, very deep and meaningful in a number of ways. All the different denominations from the East and Western Churches all fitting together; very interesting to see the number of doorways to different chapels within the Holy Sepulchre: up to the rock of the Cross, the rock where He was anointed, the place where Mary stood at the foot of the Cross. I could have stayed a couple of days and I would love to come back."
St Anne’s
Leaving the Holy Sepulchre, we travelled towards the Lion’s Gate and Via Dolorosa where we stopped at St Anne’s and the pool of Bethesda. It is mentioned in John’s gospel as the site where Jesus cured the paralysed man on the Sabbath (John 5:2), although now all that remains are very large pits that would have once been filled with water. Here we prayed for all who are in need of healing. Also at this site is the church commemorating the childhood home of Mary with her parents Anne and Joachim. It is devoid of most familiar devotional features; there are no Stations of the Cross, pictures, mosaics, icons or stained glass windows, only a white marble statue at the back of St Anne with Our Lady as a young girl. The effect is beautiful and due to the acoustics of the church, it is common to find groups singing to Our Lady; indeed when we entered a group from Africa was singing, dancing and clapping. It was beautiful to see, and we did our best to follow it up with our Ave Maria - but it was a lot more British than colourful (see Video)!
Ecce Homo
We stopped for lunch at the Convent of Ecce Homo. After delicious food we were treated to some incredible views of the city from the rooftop veranda. It was here that we said our goodbyes to Bishop John Sherrington, due to his having prior commitments back in England. He did say that to join us was a ‘gift of a week’ and he felt very blessed to have been able to come and ‘smell the sheep’, as Pope Francis likes to call it, and journey alongside us. It was a privilege for us to have shared this time with a man so humble and prayerful. We parted with good wishes and promises of prayer. We then went on to discover more about the Convent. It is called Ecce Homo, ‘Behold the man’, after Pilate’s words to the crowds presenting Jesus back to them after the flagellation. The convent is built on what was part of the Roman Antonia barracks and Fortress. This is, by tradition, the place where Jesus was condemned to death by Pilate. Beneath the convent are a series of underground rooms with features that including a large reservoir system, a section of Roman pavement, and even a flagstone with engravings of the Roman game known as ‘King’s game’.
Stations of the Cross
Next to the Ecce Homo Convent is the Franciscan monastery of the Flagellation. It was here that we started our Way of the Cross. The route leads through the narrow, crowded streets and alleyways of the Old City from the monastery close to the site of the Condemnation, through to the Holy Sepulchre. Praying the Stations in this way, stopping on the side of streets, or in little chapels along the way did make the experience more real and intimate, among people buying and selling and pushing past just as they may have been when Jesus was passing with his cross.
Moving on from Jerusalem
All in all the day has been rather intense, following on from yesterday as well; lots has happened both physically in terms of what we have done, but also spiritually in terms of how much of a journey it has been. Jerusalem is a very beautiful and special city. So much has happened and still happens here. It has been a privilege to walk down the streets and to experience the life and the culture of this place. Tomorrow we move to our final stop on this pilgrimage, but really back to where it all begins: Bethlehem.
