THOUGHTS ALONG THE JOURNEY

This place is just amazing. East meets West and North meets South in a place called The Church of Holy Sepulchre, and neither direction gives way for the other.

The Church is built on the site where Jesus died, was buried and rose from the dead. And I have had a front row seat to this years celebrations. I am going to blow my own trumpet now; I had the honour of reading one of the Gospels in English on Holy Thursday night in the Church of All Nations, which is built on top the place where it is said Peter denied Jesus. It was an absolute thrill, just a pity no one there could understand English.

Fergus, an Irish Franciscan who looks after the first year students, desribes the Holy Sepulchre as being like “a family with six kids all of whom are throwing seperate parties on the same day and wanting to use the one kitchen”. Can any of you name the ’six kids’, I’ll give you a few of their names, Latins (that’s most us Roman Catholics), Greek Orthodox, Coptics, Ethiopean, Armenians …. 1 more …. which (to be honest) I have forgotten - Syrian?. These six groups all have a claim to this incredible church begun by St Helena, Emporer Constantines mum, in the mid 300’s.

I have had an amazing two days,  I should be blogging a whole lot more, but I simply can’t take it all in. I was going to upload a mountain of pirated pictures but, for some reason, my blog pictures are failing to register. If you want to get a taste of what is happening here go to www.cutsodia.org , click on ‘English’ and then go to ‘Latest’ and check out the amazing scenes I have been enjoying.