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Show S " 'V : 1 mrni 1 and after 7" J f.WW ,n,;i Huge dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Mt. Calvary, Jerusalem, as it was before its last fire. IV" 4 i i 4.il: -- I ne . id t - inkill iiiiil' o ,. - .- L. " .., r. .Jsir aea, .o faith-heali- ng t - 1 ... Con-stanti- 1 Til - (the crucifixion), Joseph of being a disciple of Jesus . . . besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: andPilate gave him leave. He . came, therefore, and took the body of Jesus. "Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. for the sepulchre "There laid they Jesus hand." was near at The burying place of Jesus, described by St John, is now the site of an aged church which, despite its outward shabbiness, reflects the most glorious moments of Christianity. Within the area of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried; on the third day, He arose again as a sign of His divinity. For some 200 years, the place of Golgotha was undetermined except by tradition. Then theGreat ordered Bishop Macarius to locate the skullshaped hill exactly. Using scripture and tradition, the bishop ordered a temple to Venus north of Jerusalem to be leveled and excavation begun. Below the pagan edifice, historians say, church authorities found a tomb hewn from rock and about 100 yards eastward three crosses which appeared to have qualities. Satisfied that this was Golgotha, Constantine erected several magnificent structures covering Ari-Amath- -. r,- -l i- '' it 0 Monastery pupils pray before the Stabat Mater, the small altar which commemorates the sorrows of Mary. rT,u, Entrance to Holy Sepulchre (left), marble tomb in small chapel directly under dome. - ,1 1 i i 1 The marble slab in tomb is polished and worn by lips of - Chosroes II of Persia. When the Crusades captured Jerusalem in 1099, the first of "the present buildings was erected. Through the centuries, Jerusalem, was a battleground for Christian, Jew, and Moslem, but the church was relatively unscathed until 1808 when fire again claimed most of the structure. Once more the house of worship was restored but in such a slipshod manner that few archi-tec- ts expected it to last the century. Yet this awkward basilica survived an earthquake and more fires, although beams must prop it up. Despite efforts at rehabilitation, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre still is dingy and, to some observers, a "scandal to Christendom." But in Holy Week observances, mortar and stone become unimportant. The vast church is filled with sacred chants and the flickering light of candles at solemn rites. Most of all, it is filled with a deep spirituality that makes this truly a glorious monument to the Resurrection. Pilgrims entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre this Easter will worship in a shrine beneath the great rotunda. The shrine, 24 by 15 feet, is divided into two chapels. Pilgrims first enter the Chapel of the Angels, then proceed to the mortuary chamber. chamber is Christ's Within the marble-line- d tomb on a raised dais A marble slab covering the tomb is worn by the kisses of pilgrims through the ages. This is the empty resting place which Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James, beheld in terror on the first Easter morn. "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ; "And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. "And the angel answered and said unto the women, 'Fear not ye: for He is risen as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.'" pilSeeing this sacred place, Matthew of much what St. grims experience says the two Marys felt "fear and great joy." The mourning of Good Friday has ended for them and for the world, and in the time-woChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, novices chant the eternal Alleluia. pink-limesto- Monks and choir boys (right) kneeling on steps leading up to tomb on Easter Sunday. the sites of the crucifixion and the entombment In 614 A. D., however, they were set aflame by - " ' . r pilgrims from all countries. 4 ne 20th-centu- ry rn 4 Family Weekly, March 29, 1959 i 1 |