A solemn liturgy like Christmas is a complex event with its sections, its footnotes and its sacred actions, each of which requires the appropriate gestures and movements by celebrants and altar servers. A complicated production under the responsibility of a friar, the Custody’s master of ceremonies who this year is the young Argentinean Marcello Cichinelli. Brother Marcello revises the ceremony; he knows why and when every detail of the rite is to be performed and the meanings of the liturgy, but he would not like them to get around too much, almost like a chef who has no intention of revealing his recipe for the success of his cuisine.
On the other hand, he is not at all reluctant to share with us his experience, when we tell him that we do not want to show the technical aspects which the experts find appetizing but rather the preparation leading up to an important and complex event. What has Brother Marcello done to prepare himself? Brother Marcello has thought of a path to approach the celebrations that was not metaphorical but real, considering that the most appropriate way to go from St. Saviour’s Convent in Jerusalem, where he lives, to that of St. Catherine “ad Nativitatem” in Bethlehem was on a pilgrimage. He was accompanied by the Deputy Master of Ceremonies of the Custody, Brother Carlos Thomas and by the undersigned.
The departure was at 3.45 p.m. on 23rd December. After going through the Jaffa Gate, we reached the main road for Bethlehem, deviating from the busier road and going into the heart of the lovely neighbourhood of Yemin Moshe. After passing the Lions’ Fountain, we reached Hebron Road. We passed by a wide variety of people, especially Jews, most of whom were indifferent to the sight of three religious in brown habits. When we passed, one boy spat on the ground, but I could not say whether this was due to excess saliva or out of contempt and to ward off bad luck. Brother Carlos and Brother Marcello, on the other hand, noticed a scene that was definitely more unusual: as we passed, a soldier on a bus surreptitiously made the sign of the cross on his chest. After a few kilometres, we reached the place where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary wanted to stop, called “kathisma” in Greek, and where an octagonal Byzantine church was built. It was very popular with pilgrims and often features in their accounts, but now there are only ruins left and it is not enclosed, with a few chapters and broken columns; but the design and the plan of the church are very clear, with the rock where the Virgin Mary is believed to have sat in the centre. We stop here for a spiritual halt and Brother Carlos reads the Gospel of Luke on the birth of Jesus.
We also present our intentions to the Lord; a special prayer was offered for all those people, including religious, who experience Christmas in sadness, because they have become incapable of seeing and experiencing the signs of hope that the Christmas of the Lord brings with it. Before setting off again, Brother Marcello shows us that just by moving the reddish earth that covers some parts of the site, mosaics immediately appear. There is also a Roman road that is more visible and fairly intact. In this account, however, we cannot guarantee the exactness of the archaeological information but only want to report the amazement of the encounter between present moments and traces of the past whilst – so to speak - “on our way to work”. We set off on our way. A young Jewish lady, walking faster than us, wishes us happy holidays as she overtakes us: “Hag sameach!” In the distance we can now see Bethlehem and so we begin to sing some carols. A taxi has stopped ahead of us and an elderly man gets out, saying he is a journalist with the CBS; he would like to interview us about Christmas, there and then on the spot. A little because it is now getting late and a little because we are suspicious of the use of a cassette tape-recorder from the early 1980s which also sticks, we ask the elderly gentleman to come and see us in Bethlehem and we set off again straight away.
We have reached the Bethlehem check-point, which we pass quickly. On the other side of the fence, the taxi-drivers cannot believe that we intend to cover the four kilometres (but they say six) that separate us from the basilica on foot. They do not know that we have already walked eight kilometres and, when Brother Marcello answers them in Arabic, they stop insisting.
At last the first Christmas decorations appear, both in the streets and in private homes and shops. A craftsman invites us to visit his workshop; we cannot stop, but we readily take his business card. Before going up Star Street, the old road that led to the basilica and that official delegations and processions still use, three or four Father Christmases are advertising something. The light traffic in this street is only slightly slowed down by some workmen putting the finishing touches to the decorations before the festivity.
Here we are in Manager Square, the main square of Bethlehem, which opens up before us with its bustle of people, its joyous animation and the Christmas lights, on which we would never take the liberty of passing judgement. I expected to meet more foreigners, but most of the arrivals are scheduled for tomorrow. A friend takes a photo of all three of us together in front of the Door of Humility of the basilica. It is twenty past six in the evening and we have arrived, in time to celebrate vespers and the novena with our brothers. Today we have walked, but tomorrow it will be a race!
Brother Riccardo Ceriani
On the other hand, he is not at all reluctant to share with us his experience, when we tell him that we do not want to show the technical aspects which the experts find appetizing but rather the preparation leading up to an important and complex event. What has Brother Marcello done to prepare himself? Brother Marcello has thought of a path to approach the celebrations that was not metaphorical but real, considering that the most appropriate way to go from St. Saviour’s Convent in Jerusalem, where he lives, to that of St. Catherine “ad Nativitatem” in Bethlehem was on a pilgrimage. He was accompanied by the Deputy Master of Ceremonies of the Custody, Brother Carlos Thomas and by the undersigned.
The departure was at 3.45 p.m. on 23rd December. After going through the Jaffa Gate, we reached the main road for Bethlehem, deviating from the busier road and going into the heart of the lovely neighbourhood of Yemin Moshe. After passing the Lions’ Fountain, we reached Hebron Road. We passed by a wide variety of people, especially Jews, most of whom were indifferent to the sight of three religious in brown habits. When we passed, one boy spat on the ground, but I could not say whether this was due to excess saliva or out of contempt and to ward off bad luck. Brother Carlos and Brother Marcello, on the other hand, noticed a scene that was definitely more unusual: as we passed, a soldier on a bus surreptitiously made the sign of the cross on his chest. After a few kilometres, we reached the place where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary wanted to stop, called “kathisma” in Greek, and where an octagonal Byzantine church was built. It was very popular with pilgrims and often features in their accounts, but now there are only ruins left and it is not enclosed, with a few chapters and broken columns; but the design and the plan of the church are very clear, with the rock where the Virgin Mary is believed to have sat in the centre. We stop here for a spiritual halt and Brother Carlos reads the Gospel of Luke on the birth of Jesus.
We also present our intentions to the Lord; a special prayer was offered for all those people, including religious, who experience Christmas in sadness, because they have become incapable of seeing and experiencing the signs of hope that the Christmas of the Lord brings with it. Before setting off again, Brother Marcello shows us that just by moving the reddish earth that covers some parts of the site, mosaics immediately appear. There is also a Roman road that is more visible and fairly intact. In this account, however, we cannot guarantee the exactness of the archaeological information but only want to report the amazement of the encounter between present moments and traces of the past whilst – so to speak - “on our way to work”. We set off on our way. A young Jewish lady, walking faster than us, wishes us happy holidays as she overtakes us: “Hag sameach!” In the distance we can now see Bethlehem and so we begin to sing some carols. A taxi has stopped ahead of us and an elderly man gets out, saying he is a journalist with the CBS; he would like to interview us about Christmas, there and then on the spot. A little because it is now getting late and a little because we are suspicious of the use of a cassette tape-recorder from the early 1980s which also sticks, we ask the elderly gentleman to come and see us in Bethlehem and we set off again straight away.
We have reached the Bethlehem check-point, which we pass quickly. On the other side of the fence, the taxi-drivers cannot believe that we intend to cover the four kilometres (but they say six) that separate us from the basilica on foot. They do not know that we have already walked eight kilometres and, when Brother Marcello answers them in Arabic, they stop insisting.
At last the first Christmas decorations appear, both in the streets and in private homes and shops. A craftsman invites us to visit his workshop; we cannot stop, but we readily take his business card. Before going up Star Street, the old road that led to the basilica and that official delegations and processions still use, three or four Father Christmases are advertising something. The light traffic in this street is only slightly slowed down by some workmen putting the finishing touches to the decorations before the festivity.
Here we are in Manager Square, the main square of Bethlehem, which opens up before us with its bustle of people, its joyous animation and the Christmas lights, on which we would never take the liberty of passing judgement. I expected to meet more foreigners, but most of the arrivals are scheduled for tomorrow. A friend takes a photo of all three of us together in front of the Door of Humility of the basilica. It is twenty past six in the evening and we have arrived, in time to celebrate vespers and the novena with our brothers. Today we have walked, but tomorrow it will be a race!
Brother Riccardo Ceriani