DATELINE: Old City, Jerusalem. We are still walking along the path of our Lord, and we find ourselves here entering the Lion's Gate to the Old City. Some sixty meters to our right, we behold this beautiful 12th century crusader church, known as the CHURCH OF SAINT ANNE, in honor of Hannah the mother of the Virgin Mary. It is built immediately next to the biblically famous Bethesda Pool, where Jesus cured a paralytic and made him walk on Sabbath Day. The pool was used by pilgrims to cleanse themselves before entering the Holy Temple Mount. The Church of Saint Anne is just a few feet away from the sanctuaries of condemnation and Flagellation where Christ suffered physical torture in the hands of the centurions, prior to the Crucifixion.
This was also the starting point of the VIA DOLOROSA where we walk through to follow the fourteen stations of the Cross. We are now walking along the same path where Jesus walked, while carrying the cross, and started from the Praetorium or the Judgment Hall to the Calvary. The sanctuary of the Condemnation where Christ was judged and scourged gives us a certain feeling of sadness as we recollect the sufferings of our Lord and Savior in the hands of the Jews. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was founded when Queen Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine visited the Holy Land and identified the spot where Jesus was buried.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is divided into six sections as memorials for the six earliest Christian sects: Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian and Syrian Orthodox. Each denomination has its own space inside the Church. They have their own schedules of rites and activities so as to avoid conflicts of spaces and times. There is no Protestant section, although their members are welcome to pray inside. Then outside and nearby, there is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. It is a protestant church which is usually the venue of concerts and performances featuring organ music. Tonight, we are watching one concert of classic European and American pieces, interspersed with Middle Eastern composition,
This afternoon, we are entering the Damascus gate, the largest and the most magnificent of all the entrances to the Old City from east Jerusalem. Inside, we shall see the long array of cafes, shops, and bazaars. These are authentic markets that are being patronized by both locals and the endless flow of pilgrims and tourists. The old SUQ ALTARIN, or the Bazaar of the spices is now mostly a clothing bazaar. Our tourist guide tells us that this used to be the markets for spices and coffees, cocoa, sesame, pepper, beans, and dried herbs. Then we are proceeding to the OLD CITY RAMPARTS, entering the Jaffa gate. We were told to be very careful and never to walk alone. We know what our guide meant. We are aware of the long running conflicts.
We are passing through the Street of the Chain which is perpendicular to the Suq El Atarin-Cardo Market. The Gate of the Chain is the most important entrance into the Temple Mount, which used to be a Muslim settlement. Then, later, entering the walls of the Old City from the west or the south, we see Mount Zion. Nearby, we see the Dormition Abbey and the famous King David's Tomb. Then we climb to the Coenaculum or the Upper room, where Jesus sat with his disciples to celebrate the passover seder or the LAST SUPPER. We felt some feelings of being very blessed upon entering the room where Christ himself partook His last supper. We also feel sad thinking how could Judas ever betray such a loving Master.
As we rest from the very long and tiring day of walking, strolling and sometimes running to catch up with our younger group mates, we say a prayer of thanksgiving for the grace bestowed upon us. Being able to come here alone is equivalent to all Muslims' dream to go to Mecca for the Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam. We wonder what is happening at home, there in the Philippines, especially in Cebu. We start to feel some nostalgia as Christmas is just a week onward. Being able to walk along the path of our Savior and Lord is the best Christmas gift that I received. I will never forget this Yuletide when my wife and my whole family are here where it all began. This, to us, is what matters most.