Holy Week 2018 has ended. It was, as it is each year, a time when Christians relived Jesus`s last hours and days on earth. During those sacred days, my thoughts often wandered back to the Holy Land pilgrimage I made in 2016 with a group of 11 fellow travelers, three priests, and one scholastic who was studying to become a priest. The final days of our journey were in Jerusalem.
For Christians, Jerusalem is not just another ancient city. It is the place where Jesus`s life on earth ended. It was there he completed the mission he was born to fulfill: he gave himself as a sacrifice, a substitute for us and our sins. His gift required enduring a betrayal by one of his own disciples; a wrongful trial; abandonment by some closest to him; mockery, ridicule, and torture; and a crucifixion combined with bearing the sins of the world—for us, in place of us.
We saw the sites involved in the final days of his humanity: the way of the palms where he rode the donkey into the city; the upper room; the Garden of Gethsemane; the places of his interrogation and imprisonment; and the Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross. All were deeply moving and meaningful; but it was the Via Dolorosa—the way of suffering, his last human walk—that lingers poignantly in my heart.
The Via, located within the walls of the old city, was an uphill walk that ended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where, it is believed, Calvary was located. There were 14 stops or stations along this way that remind the world of events which happened from the time Jesus was sentenced through his burial. Nine of the 14 were recorded in the Bible with the other five belonging to tradition.
Most of the stations from one through nine were marked by round metal medallions attached to outside walls of churches and other buildings within the old city. As we moved from one site to the next, our walk took us along narrow stone streets that required careful attention. Some sections of the Via were quiet and empty of activity; other parts were filled with shops, restaurants, residences, churches, and outdoor spaces on both sides. We stopped at each station along the way to recall what happened to Jesus.
At Station I, Jesus was condemned to death (John 19:16); Station II, Jesus carried the cross; (John19:17); Station III, Jesus fell (Tradition); Station IV, Jesus met his Mother (Tradition); Station V, Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry his cross (Luke 23:26); Station VI, Veronica wiped the face of Jesus (Tradition); Station VII, Jesus fell (Tradition); Station VIII, Jesus spoke to the mourning women following him (Luke 23:28-31); and Station IX, Jesus fell (Tradition).
The remaining five stations were at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As with most places in the Holy Land, there is not absolute certainty that this church sits on the site that once was Calvary; but, traditionally, it has long been accepted by many as the location of the crucifixion. Here, as with all of the stations, we knew we were close by even if the site was not exact.
At Station X, Jesus`s clothes were taken (John 19:23). This station was located in the courtyard before entering the church.
Stations XI and XII were located upstairs inside the church on what is considered to be the Rock of Calvary. At Station XI, Jesus was nailed to the cross (John 19:18); and Station XII, Jesus died (John 19:30).
Stations XIII and XIV were downstairs. At Station XIII, Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus down from the cross and prepared it for burial (Matthew 27: 57-59). A rectangular stone slab on the floor just inside the entrance of the church marked the spot of preparation.
At Station XIV, Jesus was laid in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23: 50-56). The Tomb of Jesus, the Holy Sepulchre, was located in the rotunda of the main floor in a chapel called the Aedicule. It was there the Via ended.
We celebrated mass within this enormous church in a small chapel named the Blessed Sacrament. This was our last daily mass and our last day together.
To travel the way of Jesus from condemnation to crucifixion defies description. It was a personal, spiritual journey, beyond words and not to be reduced to pen and paper. My photos have provided vivid reminders of the steps we made along the Via Dolorosa, steps I wish I could take again. I would go alone in the early morning or late afternoon before or after the crowds; I would not have to strain to hear the guide nor rush to keep up with the group. I would take no camera, no purse. I would have no schedule and no time frame. I would linger at each place and pray with gratitude for what this via means—this last walk of Jesus as man. I would keep my hand longer on the stone of Calvary. I would stay and pray longer at the Tomb of Jesus. I would try to absorb this holy place in the very core of my being.
Our last pilgrim`s supper together was filled with good food and drinks, lots of laughter, and jolly conversations about the experiences we had shared. I knew I had been part of an experience that only God could have provided. It was as though He had handpicked each person. There were no egos, no unkind words, no loss of patience. My fellow travelers lived the Golden Rule. They were gentle and kind. Each one touched my life with godly love. We talked about another trip together. It seemed as if we were trying to hold on to what we had shared, not wanting to say goodbye. We had walked together in the footsteps of Jesus. We shared an unbreakable, forever bond.
Edrie Royals is a Northsider.
