Death and birth
May 23 2011
It’s THE day. The climb of Mt Calvary, along the Via Dolorosa (the Path of Tears) to Golgotha, carrying the cross. We started out early to beat the crowds to the Lion Gate (which is adorned with leopards, placed there by the Ottomans) and began at the Franciscan monastery, after having been accosted by only 5 vendors. It was the most unique Stations of the Cross that I’ve ever done, and that includes the years when I dramatized them. The Stations are laid out in the streets, which are narrow and walled, paved with cobblestones, worn slick by the passage of millions of feet and cars. As we walked (and occasionally knelt on these stones) the shops opened for business, cars would sometimes try to pass each other (on streets barely wide enough for one) and the prayers would be interrupted with a shout of “Car!” or “Van!” and a mad rush to line the sides in single file. The eighth and ninth stations are in a cavern below street level, then the tenth is behind the church (and smells like it’s near a dump) but all pales when one enters the huge church of the Holy Sepulchre which crowns the mountain.
I can’t write of my reaction yet to the thirteenth station (Jesus dies on the Cross) which is at the top of a steep staircase, and where the actual crucifixion is to have taken place. I can tell you, though, that it was a visceral blow to my psyche when I walked up the stairs and looked at the wonderfully frescoed and heavily decorated ceiling. The person behind me had to push me aside to clear the stairs. I have no clear idea of how I got down from there. I remember blue and gold and stars and the most glorious Madonna.
We went from there to the tomb, which one enters singly (very tiny space) bent almost double, and from there to Mass in one of the many chapels in the massive church. The holding cell was easily 3 times the size of the tomb, interesting point to note!
To reinforce the fact that death does not have the last word, our next place to visit was Bethlehem, on the Palestinian side of the border (or as was described “in Palestinian-controlled area”) Oh joy, Arabic food again!! Now, if someone could please explain how it is that the SAME ingredients, prepared in strikingly similar ways (I refer here to pita, hummus and falafel) can have such difference in taste, I would be very grateful? With an Arabic cook in charge, there was again FOOD on the plate. But I digress… this is not the food commentary (in which case, the Jordan entry would be a lot longer LOL)
We went to the Shepherds’ field (where shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground…) and visited this beautiful church (tiny, but exquisite) dedicated to the shepherds. Our guide, a Palestinian, assigned just for Bethlehem and an absolute gem, gave the historical info on the sites and the likely info on the shepherds (Bedouin) and why this field, etc. Then we went to the Church of the Nativity, from which the Christmas mass is televised every year. We saw the original Byzantine mosaic floors installed by St Helena in the 4th century, some of the Crusader work, the workspace of St Jerome (who did the original translation of the Bible into Latin and Greek, which is still used today. He worked in the 4th century) Finally, some shopping for olive wood souvenirs handmade in Bethlehem, and the major highlight – Fr. Brennan singing “O Holy Night” for the Christian community there.
It’s my last night in Jerusalem. I’m glad I came, and I’ve enjoyed it, as you can tell. It’s time to get packed, and ensure that my Jordan purchases are safe so they can make it home to Ottawa intact. (Above all else, they need to get home intact!!!) Between now and when I get home, I’ll summarize what I think I got out of this pilgrimage; because I think I did get something out of it. Whether it sticks, and whether it’s good, remain to be seen!
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