Jerusalem! Jerusalem! – Fr. Leo's Benevolent Blog!

Hi there, cyber-pilgrims! Jerusalem is a busy place and we have been busy pilgrims. Most of our time has been spent in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and on the Via Dolorosa. There are tons of other things going on here, but these are the biggies.

As I mentioned before, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre is built over the site of Golgotha, where the Crucifixion took place and the empty tomb of Christ. It’s a big place with many levels. This is because the area was originally a quarry near Jerusalem, just outside the city walls. Once the quarry was exhausted, they filled parts of it in and put in a garden. Given the location and its former use, it also made a good spot for a cemetery. This is a seven-arrow site. There is no doubt this is the place. Because of the significance of the place and the accidents of history, six different branches of Christianity share the church. The main three are the Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, and the Armenian Oriental Orthodox. The others are the Coptics, the Syriac and the Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox.

We made three trips into the Basilica. The first was for Mass in the place where Mary Magdalen met Jesus outside the tomb after the Resurrection. That part of the Church is run by the Franciscans.

The Entrant to the Holy Sepulchre. Not that one set of doors has been walled in. The Sultan did that. He didn’t think the Christians needed two doors.

Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Magdalena Chapel.

The Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross – this starts at St. Ann’s Church, one of the few churches that survived from the Crusader period. The acoustics in here are amazing. The pools of Bethesda are nearby.

The nave of St. Ann’s. Looks like just about every other Gothic church. The acoustics are great. Better than singing in the shower even! Here a Spanish bishop is chatting with his pilgrims.

The Holy Sepulchre – At the end of the Stations, Fr. Anthony said, “Let me check to see what the situation is.” Thirty seconds later, he came back and motioned into the church. There was almost no line to get into the Empty Tomb itself. Amazing. This is my third time into this church and it’s always been at least a four-hour wait. Since I was with the right friar, I was fortunate to get to go in by myself to spend a few minutes venerating the tomb. This was the very spot where Jesus rose from the dead. Our group made it in shortly thereafter.

Side view of the chapel enclosing the Holy Sepulchre, the empty tomb of Jesus.

The Empty Tomb of Christ. This is where the Resurrection happened. Really.

The next morning we came back to tour the rest of the basilica. Low and behold, there was no line again! Bonus! We made another visit to the tomb. Can’t get too much resurrection, you know. Then we went around the rest of the basilica.

Golgotha – You can see life size icons of Mary and the Beloved Disciple. The icon of Christ on the Cross is obscured by all the vigil lamps. The Orthodox LOVE their vigil lamps. As they say, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing! This is one of the few places where the noble simplicity of the Roman Rite is juxtaposed with the noble excess of the Byzantine Rites. It’s all part of being Church.

Sometimes during the day, a pilgrim needs to rest. Why not stop in for a holy bagel at the local Holy Bagel franchise. It’s a tasty treat. You can get it lochs or locks on the side.

At the end of the day, what better way to relax than at the Franciscan Bar. Oddly enough, they did not have any Frangelico on the shelf. What’s up with that?

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