Order of the Holy Sepulchre: Vigil Service and Promotions
Cathedral of the Incarnation
Nashville, TN
October 27, 2023
Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
Our investiture weekend takes place against the backdrop of the heartbreaking violence and terrorism in the Holy Land. We mourn for those who lost their lives and for those held hostage, and with Pope Francis and the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pizzaballa, we have observed a day of prayer for peace in the Middle East.
The mission of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is clearly more important than ever. For in the midst of violence and war, many innocent civilians are in harm’s way, and the Christian community is in danger of dwindling still further. How ironic, that the land where the Prince of Peace walked the earth remains the scene of terrorism, bloodletting, and seemingly perpetual conflict. A. May the Lord bestow upon this land the peace the worldHere we think of Cardinal Filoni’s timely reminder that belonging to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is not a mere personal honor, nor is it joining an organization separate from the Church’s ordinary life. Rather, he speaks of the “ecclesiological dimension” of the Order, that is to say, it is part of the Church that Jesus founded upon the Apostles, and belonging to Order of the Holy Sepulchre is a way of deepening our membership in and commitment to God’s household, as we seek to build up the Church in the very place where it was founded. Thus are we ‘spurred on’ to holiness of life and missionary discipleship.
Here we think of Cardinal Filoni’s timely reminder that belonging to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre is not a mere personal honor, nor is it joining an organization separate from the Church’s ordinary life. Rather, he speaks of the “ecclesiological dimension” of the Order, that is to say, it is part of the Church that Jesus founded upon the Apostles, and belonging to Order of the Holy Sepulchre is a way of deepening our membership in and commitment to God’s household, as we seek to build up the Church in the very place where it was founded. Thus are we ‘spurred on’ to holiness of life and missionary discipleship. cannot give.
A Land Precious in God’s Sight and Ours
Let us be convinced that the Holy Land remains precious in the sight of the Lord, and therefore must be precious in our sight as well. In this evening’s reading from Isaiah, the Lord himself speaks of Zion. This land is for him “a glorious crown”; it is his “delight”; to it he is “espoused”. Even if, in the present moment, it seems to be “forsaken” and “desolate”, it remains the object of the Lord’s unfailing promise and the place where his mysterious plan for the world’s redemption unfolded. Even when vindication seems to be out of reach, this remains the place where Christ achieved the definitive victory over sin and death, once for all, the place where God manifested his matchless fidelity and powerful love for the people of Israel and indeed for the all the peoples of the world.
Being promoted in the Order, then, can only signal an ever deeper love for the land we call holy, an ever deeper concern for those who live in this war-torn land, and indeed a more ardent desire to aid and abet the Church’s mission there. Indeed, you have been promoted because of your demonstrated love for the Order and for its mission, and for the people and ministries we support.
Increase in Chivalric Virtues
Our reading from Ephesians takes us in a somewhat different direction. It reminds us that our Order, founded nearly a thousand years ago, remains an Order of Chivalry, an Order of chivalrous virtue. Recall the imagery which St. Paul employs in this passage: “Put on the armor of God.” Be “girded in truth.” “Clothed in righteousness as a breastplate.” Have “faith as a shield.” Carry “the sword of the Spirit” … well, you get the idea.
This Scripture passage sheds light on the importance of our chivalrous roots and reminds us of the chivalric virtues for which we must pray and strive. Our Grand Master, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, identifies these virtues for us. Of course, the principal and all-embracing virtue must always be charity, especially for the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable, along with the virtue of religion, prudence, loyalty, solidarity, honor and nobility of mind, irreproachable conduct, self-abnegation, prowess, gratitude, and dedication to loved ones … quite the list! These virtues are woven into the spirituality of the Order.
Promotion in the Order signals, not merely longevity in the Order, but a growth in these chivalric virtues, virtues by which we embrace Christ courageously and loyally, virtues by which we nobly engage in the struggle to overcome evil with goodness, whether in our daily lives or across the globe in the Holy Land.
The Tomb
This brings to the Gospel where we encounter the Crucified One, breathing his last, experiencing the full force of human betrayal of his Father, pouring out his life for the salvation of the world. Witnessing this scene, we say with St. Paul, “He loves me! And he gave his life for me!”
As we know, Jesus’ lifeless body was placed in a tomb, the Holy Sepulchre, provided by Joseph of Arimathea in a garden not far from Calvary. After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other holy women hastened to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ lifeless body with spices, as was the custom – only to find an empty tomb, for their Lord and Master had been raised from the dead.
This prompts us to reflect on what happened in the Holy Sepulchre. Cardinal Filoni writes that, “The Sepulchre represents that site where the body of the Lord found a home, where the power of God transformed a place of putrefaction into a source of life and grace…” It became, in spite of itself, a place of hope and joy.
This points to the truth that every promotion challenges us to grow in holiness, not simply in private piety or gritty moral striving, or God-forbid spiritual gloominess. On the contrary, when we were baptized we were buried with Christ. In entering that watery sepulchre, we entered that place where the Spirit transforms weakness into strength, sinfulness into holiness, our sorrow into joy and hope.
Mary at the Foot of the Cross
No one experienced the life, death, and resurrection of Christ more fully than Mary, Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, Mary who grieved as he Son was buried, Mary who rejoiced like no other as he rose from the dead. Through her intercession, may our love for the Holy Land increase, and chivalric virtues flourish in our hearts, as we are transformed by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.