- Feb 5, 2002
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I was tired. I didn’t sleep on the plane from Newark to Israel. I didn’t sleep the first night in Jerusalem. At about 3:30 a.m., I wondered what would happen if I took one of those “emergency” Advil PMs. I’d oversleep on my first day in Jerusalem!
Seven years ago, I had been here, around the same time of year. And one of the things I most treasured was walking to the New Gate to the Old City and praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre early in the morning. Last time, during my first day on my own, I got yelled at by a Franciscan priest guarding Christ’s tomb there. I tried to pray there too early, evidently. But this time, the Coptic priest behind the tomb was more than welcoming. Perhaps persecution tenderizes the heart in the everyday.
The Copts were there again my first morning and after. Their chants are soothing. They somehow bring you closer to heaven.
I needed that melodic respite after the intensity of my welcome.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Seven years ago, I had been here, around the same time of year. And one of the things I most treasured was walking to the New Gate to the Old City and praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre early in the morning. Last time, during my first day on my own, I got yelled at by a Franciscan priest guarding Christ’s tomb there. I tried to pray there too early, evidently. But this time, the Coptic priest behind the tomb was more than welcoming. Perhaps persecution tenderizes the heart in the everyday.
The Copts were there again my first morning and after. Their chants are soothing. They somehow bring you closer to heaven.
I needed that melodic respite after the intensity of my welcome.
Continued below.
Praying at Calvary
Columnist Kathryn Jean Lopez writes about her recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land: “The first thing I did this time, that first morning, was climb the deep steps to Calvary. I encountered some pilgrims from Spain, as best I could tell, with their priest for Mass. I tagged along, trusting the...
www.oursundayvisitor.com
