When we reached the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christ's tomb, it had not been possible to hold any form of group worship because of the thousands of pilgrims there. Some were put off by the state of the church itself, with its ugly, rusting girders. In the crush not everyone was near to the guide, so there was some confusion as to what was what and where.

We had to queue a long time to get into the tomb, as there is only room inside for two or three people at a time. This caused problems for people who wanted to devote themselves to spiritual reflection because others were chatting to them.

It was ironic that my disability seems to have been of particular benefit here as, not being affected by the external sights or sounds. I was able to concentrate on the spiritual significance of the site.

Did I find it the experience I had hoped for? I couldn't tell you what the buildings were like, or the people around. I had no idea what was actually in the market place. It didn't matter to me about the appearance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

As I knelt inside the tomb, there was an overpowering, indescribable sense of peace. There, too, in the empty tomb was the promise of hope at the end of suffering.

I was so glad I had come at last to visit the Holy Land and to walk the Way of the Cross. It had been a great spiritual experience for me. It had not been too late after all.

Pat Robins