Day 9

Day 9: Jan 19,  Jerusalem: Via Dolorosa - Holy Sepulchre  
Theme: The Way of the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection
This morning we start the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. From there He was taken through the city to be crucified. The Stations of the Cross lead, through the markets of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here is the site of Calvary and the Tomb of Christ. Mass will be in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After breakfast visit the Church of St Anne’s, the Pool of Bethesda and the Sisters of Zion. This afternoon there will be time to revisit the Old City. Dinner and Overnight.

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

I could switch to Hebrew, if you want.  Sababa (awesome).  This has been an amazing pilgrimage, and I a) don't want to leave, b) I already want to come back, c) am overwhelmed with all of the experiences.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers on my journey.  

Today began early as we walked the Stations of the Cross before we celebrated Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at 7AM.  We entered the Old City at the Damascus Gate (called that because it faces in the direction of Damascus in Syria).  We began at the Antonio Fortress where Jesus was condemned.  Stations 1-9 are noted on the sides of buildings, because some of the sites would be inside places that pilgrims can't access i.e. a Muslim school building.  It was impactful to be out in the dark and mostly quiet streets, praying the stations, singing, and meditating on the journey of Jesus.  Because of the tensions between the major denominations, the last stations can't be prayed in the church, so we did 9-14 at the 9th station before heading to the church.

When we entered the church, we immediately climbed a very steep, circular staircase to our right, which took us to the top of Calvary.  As our guide explained to us, we tend to think of Calvary as a steep mountain, but it wasn't.  The Catholic Chapel is at the spot where Jesus was nailed to the cross, and directly next to it is the spot where Jesus' cross stood, which is in the Greek Orthodox chapel.  Under the altar of the Greek Orthodox chapel, there is a small hole, and you can put your hand inside and touch the top of Calvary.  Lots of words to describe the experience, but I'll start with spectacular.  We celebrated Mass, and I got to proclaim the 2nd reading - what a gift!  Going to be hard to top that. Then, we went into a room under the chapels where there is a crack in the rock, which archeologists believe was caused by the earthquake when Jesus died.  We could see it, but couldn't touch it.  Next we went into St. Helena's Chapel.  She is the one who searched for and found Jesus' cross and tomb.    There were many beautiful things to see in the church, and lots of chapels and altars.  Because today was a feast for the Greek Orthodox Church, we couldn't get in to see the tomb of Jesus, so we came back later to do that.  We exited out the Jaffa gate, which is where the Tower of David is located.  It acted as the military headquarters for many leaders.  Back to hotel for breakfast.

Pater Noster - Our Father Church.  We were unable to stop at this church yesterday, so it got added to today's roster.  This is where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer.  It is a lovely area with ceramic tiles stating the Our Father in many, many languages.  They even continue to add languages as funds and time permit.  This church was also built by St. Helena, as it was believed that Jesus could have stayed in the caves there.

Bethesda Pool and St. Anne's was very neat.  We could see the ruins of the pools, which is where Jesus healed the paralyzed man.  Very close to this was a church dedicated to Mary's mother, St. Anne.  There was a lovely statue inside showing St. Anne with Mary as a small child.  St. Anne is holding a scroll in her hand which quotes from the Torah, specifically Dueteronomy 6:4-5:

"Hear, O Israel!* The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!  Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength."

This church is also known for its amazing acoustics.  We slowly sang the beginning of 'Hail Mary, Gentle Woman' and it was marvelous to hear our voices echo back.  Then I got to sing a verse of Amazing Grace - my voice was not my own.  Powerful stuff.

Once again, too much for one post, so I'll pause here.  Good night!