“Today we celebrate the importance of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre as the centre of the world and of life itself, because life came from the death of Christ on Calvary and his Resurrection from the Empty Tomb.”
With these words, Father Artemio Vitores, Custodial Vicar of the Holy Land, began his homily before the edicule of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica, on Friday July 15th. On July15th, 1149, the Crusaders had celebrated the event, 50 years after taking Jerusalem, with the inauguration of the new Basilica after a complete restoration. Bishop Fulcherio had a Latin inscription carved above the main entrance: “This holy place,” it reads, “was sanctified by the blood of Christ, so our consecration can add nothing to its holiness.” The Constantinian Basilica had already been consecrated on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in 335.
In his homily, Father Artemio also offered other spiritual images, such as that of “delayed love”: “Delayed love in the possession of the loved one is a suffering that purifies the soul of the believer. This delayed love can be seen in relation to the Holy Sepulchre. The path leading to the Empty Tomb has always been united with grief and suffering; it is not easy to reach the object of desire, see, touch and kiss “the place where Jesus lay” (Matt 28,6). However, nothing has taken faith, hope and love away from Christians. The Empty Tomb is the “kilometre zero” from which all the streets in the world start, the “navel of the world,” the centre of our history and of our life. Go out and announce what you have seen and heard.”
Many priests, religious and pilgrims attended the celebration. For the occasion, the altar had been prepared in the vestibule of the edicule of the Sepulchre, known as the “Chapel of the Angel,” where Father Artemio was joined by the main concelebrants, Father Noel Muscat, discreet of the Holy Land and Master of novices, and Father Ibrahim Najib, Guardian of the Convent of the Flagellation.
The friars chanted the Gregorian Communion antiphon which is particularly concise and descriptive of what this liturgy means: “The Lord, who was hung on the cross for us, is risen, leaving this tomb. Hallelujah!”
Today’s celebration, with its strong link to the presence of the Crusaders, reminds us that, thanks to them, for more than a century Christian pilgrims could again visit the holy places in safety. Today too, pilgrims can come to Jerusalem in complete safety: the events of the Arab Spring have had no influence nor caused any social unrest, and after a few weeks when numbers dropped below usual, groups of the faithful are once again thronging the streets of the Holy City.
Brother Riccardo Ceriani
Photos by Mab
With these words, Father Artemio Vitores, Custodial Vicar of the Holy Land, began his homily before the edicule of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica, on Friday July 15th. On July15th, 1149, the Crusaders had celebrated the event, 50 years after taking Jerusalem, with the inauguration of the new Basilica after a complete restoration. Bishop Fulcherio had a Latin inscription carved above the main entrance: “This holy place,” it reads, “was sanctified by the blood of Christ, so our consecration can add nothing to its holiness.” The Constantinian Basilica had already been consecrated on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in 335.
In his homily, Father Artemio also offered other spiritual images, such as that of “delayed love”: “Delayed love in the possession of the loved one is a suffering that purifies the soul of the believer. This delayed love can be seen in relation to the Holy Sepulchre. The path leading to the Empty Tomb has always been united with grief and suffering; it is not easy to reach the object of desire, see, touch and kiss “the place where Jesus lay” (Matt 28,6). However, nothing has taken faith, hope and love away from Christians. The Empty Tomb is the “kilometre zero” from which all the streets in the world start, the “navel of the world,” the centre of our history and of our life. Go out and announce what you have seen and heard.”
Many priests, religious and pilgrims attended the celebration. For the occasion, the altar had been prepared in the vestibule of the edicule of the Sepulchre, known as the “Chapel of the Angel,” where Father Artemio was joined by the main concelebrants, Father Noel Muscat, discreet of the Holy Land and Master of novices, and Father Ibrahim Najib, Guardian of the Convent of the Flagellation.
The friars chanted the Gregorian Communion antiphon which is particularly concise and descriptive of what this liturgy means: “The Lord, who was hung on the cross for us, is risen, leaving this tomb. Hallelujah!”
Today’s celebration, with its strong link to the presence of the Crusaders, reminds us that, thanks to them, for more than a century Christian pilgrims could again visit the holy places in safety. Today too, pilgrims can come to Jerusalem in complete safety: the events of the Arab Spring have had no influence nor caused any social unrest, and after a few weeks when numbers dropped below usual, groups of the faithful are once again thronging the streets of the Holy City.
Brother Riccardo Ceriani
Photos by Mab