Advent Reflection Series: Part Five - Christmas Day
Jerusalem- ‘Via Dolorosa’ at Christmas time
The Candle at Christmas- One Direction – Via Dolorosa
British Boy Band ‘One Direction’ has a name that rings a few bells of faith for me. First of all there are five young lads remind me of the Five precious wounds of Christ. One Direction, reminds me of the One Direction to fulfilment- life in Christ. Finally, legend has it that Britain is the dowry of Our Lady. Through her intercession, may the British people be converted back to the love of Christ. Amen
Jesus light of the world, Emmanuel, (God is with us) is the full revelation of the human potential.
(Gaudium et Spes 24) In the Incarnation he takes on human flesh to live and teach us the one
direction to His father’s love and light. May we follow HIM, the One Perfect Direction. Amen
Several candles lit and left burning in the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem was remarkable. Each candle, reminded me of a pilgrim, created and noticed by Jesus, the Light of The World. This candle, this prayer, began with a walk, a Via Dolorosa, in the ‘footsteps’ of Christ, light of the World.
As we begun the Way of the Cross, I subconsciously expected it to be in the reverent reflective way I experienced as a cradle catholic. In Jerusalem, the reality was different, starkly so.
Thankful to be asked to read the 2nd station, I began to struggle to reflect on Jesus carrying his Cross. Other pilgrims and local residents walked by, occasionally brushing past hurriedly, talking ,
sometimes laughing. Some hawkers sometimes, tried to catch our attention and ushered us to come into their stalls which lined either side of our walk. I felt hot, slightly bothered and internally cross. I felt like shouting ‘shut up everyone and focus, pay attention you locals, we have travelled all the way to come and walk the Way of the Cross, can’t you see…don’t you believe what we believe?’. Not very charitable but such was the nature of the internal stewing.
‘Why doesn’t everyone think of you Lord and just reflect on you’, I pined. I vowed not to buy anything. I was lead to: ‘although many lamented and wailed not many reflected on Jesus on that
Good Friday, whilst He walked for me, for you and for the whole world. Even worse, He was spat at, jeered at, kicked, lashed and carried that heavy cross for us all. It was simply business as usual , for others too. Yet here I was, without such a cross yet moaning for silence? I was quickly humbled.
Perhaps this is how Christ is born again in our world? In the very mundane: talking, laughing,
praying, and walking, He slips in. Hopefully, we bear witness somehow…not ‘confined in some dark building some light years away but here in this place’ as that hymn rightly says, He ‘gathers us in, the poor and the lame, rich and haughty’
Eventually, I was less wound up. My sister Jane bought me an ice cream before which my sister
Helen helped me bargain for a beautiful Bedouin dress, both oblivious of my ‘inner journey’ and
carrying the ‘cross’ of humble pie!
Via Dolorosa at Christmas? Indeed…it’s all about The Light, who came into the world, walked the
One direction of perfect Love through the ‘Via Dolorosa’ . He now lives and now intercedes for you and for me!
Wishing you a Holy Christmas and a happy new year for 2015.
(Aba and her husband David are parishioners of St Maria. Her reflections are fruits of their pilgrimage to the holy land in October 2014. It is hoped that they inspire prayer. Aba is a theology student of Maryvale Institute-Birmingham, UK.)
