Faithful Christians yearn to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at least once in their lifetime. That’s why millions travel to Jerusalem every year and kneel in before the Grave of Jesus. The fear of eternal annihilation leads them to the source of hope, there where Christ managed to defeat death.

The atmosphere is electrified

There is no man, even non-religious, who can remain untouched before the Holy Grave, as the scene of countless worshipers tearfully and humbly electrifies the atmosphere. It is impossible for someone to be there and not get engulfed by the aura. There are people who go to Jerusalem several times in their life, just so that they can faith “pulsating” through the air.

Mrs Metaxot from Athens, is one of these people and we met her outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "I've visited the Holy Land almost 25 times, most of them with my husband and children. Inside the Church, my thoughts cease and I can't speak a word. I forget all my problems and lose my memory, as if there's an absolute void in my head. My body feels void and thoughts are free from any burden, real or imaginable. This feeling of emptiness is unimaginably relieving and something I seek for every time I travel to Jerusalem. Before each journey, I get conceived by a sweet longing. When I arrive there the only thing I can think about is when I will go there again and when I leave I feel like I'm leaving a part of myself behind".

Pure and non-pretentious faith in God relieves people, even though it requires personal deprivations and exhaustive participation in deaconships. It's a mysterious burden that doesn’t cumber but rather lightens the human soul.

Beams

Many worshipers claim to have seen metaphysical optical phenomenon in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, especially on Holy Saturday, just before the "Come receive the light". Among the numerous witnesses are non-religious persons. In Jerusalem we met Mrs Maria from Kozani of Northern Greece, who asked us not to mention her last name, so as not to be considered fanatic and whimsical.

She showed us the cross on the top of the Church's dome and told us: "I've seen a coloured ball of light moving next to the cross with my own eyes. It wasn’t my imagination; hundreds of people saw it too. The same thing happens inside the Church just before the Resurrection of Christ. Beams of light pass over the people's heads at high speed and light the candles they are holding".

Reporting on the events in such an emotional place, we are obliged to write about this theologically and psychologically "explosive". Jerusalem “vibrates” during Easter and this is felt by everyone, even to those who don't believe in miracles.
TEXT-PHOTOS: GEORGE ZAFEIROPOULOS
SOURCE: www.greecewithin.com

MORE PHOTOS

Worship at the place of Pieta.

Christians from all over the world create endless queues in order to worship the Holy Grave.

The dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The golden cross on the top of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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