This Holy Saturday, at the same place of the Anastasis, there were many faithful waiting for the Easter Vigil, the mother of all vigils.
As tradition, the Franciscans led by the Custodial Vicar Fr. Dobromir Jazstal, accompanied the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from the patriarchate where they all met.
Franciscans, seminarians, Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, all of them stood around the tomb in front of which the altar had been erected.
But it is at the entrance of the basilica, before the stone of unction (doors closed) that the celebration really began with the blessing of the fire.
The fire that relit the extinguished candles of the tomb, the new fire that lights a new Paschal candle. After Exsultet, the readings followed each other. "I do not deny that without the text, it would be difficult to follow or focus, whispered Paulina, a Polish with blue sparkling eyes, there is a lot of noise. To me, she continues, it is important to live the mystery in the very place of the Anastasis ". Around the shrine, some groups of pilgrims and tourists continue to visit the basilica.
The first readings cover the history of Salvation, and then the Gloria resounds and fills the vaulted dome, accompanied by the organ and the bells ringing in full peal.
Then, in front of the empty tomb, the Patriarch proclaims the Gospel of the Resurrection. Nowhere is more striking than here in Jerusalem, in the place itself of resurrection.
"In Arabic the basilica is called the Church of the Resurrection, said Father Raed Abusahlia, we do not want to stay on Golgotha all our lives, hard times are always temporary, the message of Easter is the joy, the victory of life over death, including all our troubles!"
For a whole month the Christians in Jerusalem exchange their vows in all languages. Brother Ayman, OFM, is a native of Nazareth, "al-masihqam" exclaimed he in Arabic, "Christ is risen!" It must be answered "haqanqam". "As a Christian of the Holy Land I believe we must live the mysteries of Christ in the very places of the facts and turn them into a living memory of our everyday life. As a Franciscan friar, he continues, Easter is a special grace. "Here and now" two words always present in my prayers. It is "here" and it is "now" that Jesus Christ is risen. The message of this holy place is to love both friends and enemies, from our birth to our death. We must bear witness of Jesus in our lives, and as the sweet scent we received last night ... it must be worn every day."
And that is why tomorrow, right here, and for eight days we will celebrate that joy: Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
As tradition, the Franciscans led by the Custodial Vicar Fr. Dobromir Jazstal, accompanied the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from the patriarchate where they all met.
Franciscans, seminarians, Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, all of them stood around the tomb in front of which the altar had been erected.
But it is at the entrance of the basilica, before the stone of unction (doors closed) that the celebration really began with the blessing of the fire.
The fire that relit the extinguished candles of the tomb, the new fire that lights a new Paschal candle. After Exsultet, the readings followed each other. "I do not deny that without the text, it would be difficult to follow or focus, whispered Paulina, a Polish with blue sparkling eyes, there is a lot of noise. To me, she continues, it is important to live the mystery in the very place of the Anastasis ". Around the shrine, some groups of pilgrims and tourists continue to visit the basilica.
The first readings cover the history of Salvation, and then the Gloria resounds and fills the vaulted dome, accompanied by the organ and the bells ringing in full peal.
Then, in front of the empty tomb, the Patriarch proclaims the Gospel of the Resurrection. Nowhere is more striking than here in Jerusalem, in the place itself of resurrection.
"In Arabic the basilica is called the Church of the Resurrection, said Father Raed Abusahlia, we do not want to stay on Golgotha all our lives, hard times are always temporary, the message of Easter is the joy, the victory of life over death, including all our troubles!"
For a whole month the Christians in Jerusalem exchange their vows in all languages. Brother Ayman, OFM, is a native of Nazareth, "al-masihqam" exclaimed he in Arabic, "Christ is risen!" It must be answered "haqanqam". "As a Christian of the Holy Land I believe we must live the mysteries of Christ in the very places of the facts and turn them into a living memory of our everyday life. As a Franciscan friar, he continues, Easter is a special grace. "Here and now" two words always present in my prayers. It is "here" and it is "now" that Jesus Christ is risen. The message of this holy place is to love both friends and enemies, from our birth to our death. We must bear witness of Jesus in our lives, and as the sweet scent we received last night ... it must be worn every day."
And that is why tomorrow, right here, and for eight days we will celebrate that joy: Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!