In Jerusalem as in Rome, the feast of Corpus Christi is still celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. On June 14th, then, the feast began with the solemn entry of Mgr. Kamal Bathish, representing His Beatitude Mgr. Michel Sabbah, and First Vespers solemnly chanted by those Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land who were present in the Holy City.
During the night, the doors of the Basilica of the Resurrection were re-opened, as they are on all solemnities, and Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, presided over the Office of Vigils before the local faithful and the pilgrims who were present despite the late hour (from half-past midnight to two o’clock in the morning). It was, as always, an opportunity to rediscover the Holy Sepulcher as what it truly is: a place of intense, fervent prayer.
The next day, Thursday June 15th, Mgr. Fouad Twal, the co-adjudator bishop, was the presiding concelebrant among some thirty priests, most of them Franciscans; there was a like number of Custody friars and about 150 of the faithful. For all, even though the Easter Season is officially over, the feast was the opportunity to prolong their Pascal joy in this unique Basilica, with the proclamation of the Gospel of the pilgrims of Emmaus during the night and, at the conclusion of the daytime Mass, a Eucharistic procession around the tomb of Christ.
During these processions the crowd entirely surrounds the very tomb that was found empty, winding its way lovingly around it as around a treasure, as though to caress it.
The treasure of the Blessed Sacrament, the memorial of the Passion, made its way around the treasure of the memorial of the Resurrection. There, where the disciples ran, only to find that “he is not here”, the Lord allows us to contemplate Him in the sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Zion, to thy Savior sing,
to Thy Shepherd and Thy King!
Let the air with praises ring!
All thou canst, proclaim with mirth,
far higher is His worth than the glory words may wing.
Lauda Sion Sequence.
Praising Him, singing to Him is certainly one of the roles of the Franciscans of the Holy Land.
MAB
During the night, the doors of the Basilica of the Resurrection were re-opened, as they are on all solemnities, and Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, presided over the Office of Vigils before the local faithful and the pilgrims who were present despite the late hour (from half-past midnight to two o’clock in the morning). It was, as always, an opportunity to rediscover the Holy Sepulcher as what it truly is: a place of intense, fervent prayer.
The next day, Thursday June 15th, Mgr. Fouad Twal, the co-adjudator bishop, was the presiding concelebrant among some thirty priests, most of them Franciscans; there was a like number of Custody friars and about 150 of the faithful. For all, even though the Easter Season is officially over, the feast was the opportunity to prolong their Pascal joy in this unique Basilica, with the proclamation of the Gospel of the pilgrims of Emmaus during the night and, at the conclusion of the daytime Mass, a Eucharistic procession around the tomb of Christ.
During these processions the crowd entirely surrounds the very tomb that was found empty, winding its way lovingly around it as around a treasure, as though to caress it.
The treasure of the Blessed Sacrament, the memorial of the Passion, made its way around the treasure of the memorial of the Resurrection. There, where the disciples ran, only to find that “he is not here”, the Lord allows us to contemplate Him in the sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Zion, to thy Savior sing,
to Thy Shepherd and Thy King!
Let the air with praises ring!
All thou canst, proclaim with mirth,
far higher is His worth than the glory words may wing.
Lauda Sion Sequence.
Praising Him, singing to Him is certainly one of the roles of the Franciscans of the Holy Land.
MAB