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In darkness at 4.40am we began our journey with the Lord on Via Dolorosa for the Stations of the Cross. We weaved our way through the narrow alley ways of the Old City following a large wooden cross that was shared among pilgrims to carry. The streets were mostly empty except for some Jews coming back from the Western Wall, Muslims going to pray, alley cats and women selling sage in the streets.
At station one we reflect that the journey of the fourteen stations we do not take alone - Jesus is with us. Our fourteen steps will only be complete when we have crowned them with out life.
Fr John lead prayer at each station, followed by us praying an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be together.
Our last five stations were prayed in the courtyard outside the Holy Sepulchre. We could hear chanting and smell incense from the church - it was the Armenian's time of prayer in the edicule. Pigeons flew into and out of the doorway.
We were able to go inside and venerate at Station 12 - the place of crucifixion, where you can reach down and touch the rock of Golgotha.
We touched the 13th Station - the stone of Anointment where Jesus' body was prepared for after death.
Then we prepared for Mass at 6.30am in the Jesus' tomb - the edicule of the Holy Sepulchre.
Inside this ornate building is two small rooms. A circular room, called the Chapel of the Angel, where all of us squeezed into for Mass. This contains the stone that covered Jesus' tomb. Then a smaller room that is Jesus' tomb - it has a small doorway and you can only enter by bending low - this has a small altar where Fr John and Fr Peter celebrated Mass and on this altar were placed your prayer intentions. We were able to receive Holy Communion and enter the tomb for a short time.
We were all grateful for this moving experience.
We visited the Wailing Wall before heading back to the hotel for breakfast!
We visited Emmaus. The Emmaus story is well-known: Two disciples downcast by the death of Jesus, and confused by reports that his body is missing, are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They encounter a stranger who listens to their concerns, then gives them a Scripture lesson that makes their “hearts burn within them”. Finally, as they share the evening meal, he breaks bread and they recognise him. By then the risen Christ has disappeared from their sight, and they immediately hurry back to Jerusalem. (Luke 24:13-35)
It's sad to see the beautiful fresco's on the walls have been partly covered and faces removed during the iconoclast period, but it is possible to make out this Crucifixion scene.
On the way back we had a visit by 90 year old man called Gabriel, the owner and founder of the tour company - Guiding Star - that our guide Rami comes from. It is a family owned business from 1961. Gabriel had a very moving talk to us about his desire for pilgrims to really encounter Jesus when they come to the Holy Land. He gave handmade stoles to Fr John and Fr Peter along with a beautiful Jerusalem cross. He gave each pilgrim a beautiful cross featuring the loaves and the fish and a certificate of "graduation" from the Holy Land.
I was very moved especially by the cross with the loaves and fish miracle because it always reminds me that when they gave those loaves and fish ... that they gave the Lord EVERYTHING they had, didn't hold anything back, they gave it all to Jesus. In our own lives it is when we give our EVERYTHING to the Lord that he can work miracles in our lives too. I pray that our hearts may burn within us when hearing you Word and may we recognise Him in our lives.
Tonight we visit the Shroud of Turin exhibition at the Notre Dame Centre. Tomorrow we have a free day in Jerusalem - some of us might be spending some time squeeeezzzzing our souvenirs into our suitcases!