First Visit - December, 2003
Legend has it that after the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea wiped blood from the body of Christ and preserved the cloth. This relic was placed in a chapel built on Burg Square in the 12th century. The basilica houses this relic and many other relics of saints. The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a very popular cathedral and there was a long line to get in, which started forming even before the doors opened. As I moved slowly on the line, just as we got to the door I could feel that familiar buzzing energy I could only describe as the energy of divine blessings, we hadn’t even walked through the door yet. I remember it clearly, because I was staring at this big black nondescript door, feeling the energy, and thinking, “Wow, what’s in there!?” The energy was pouring down from my head through my whole body. After we entered, I could almost follow the feeling through the basilica, strangely, the energy disappeared in the upper chapel where the “holy blood” relic was, but it was very strong in the lower chapel. The lower chapel housed the relics of Saint Basil.
Update: July, 2011
I went back to Brugge this summer and had to go back to this basilica, how could I miss out on that wonderful energy? This time the first place we went to was the chapel under ground, where I first felt that incredible buzz. Here is my travel story I shared with my friends and family, I’ll share it here with you:
7/8/11
Friday we were in Brugge seeing the sights. It was a rainy day, spotty showers here and there, so we planned to try to stay inside and go to some museums. We went to a museum first and saw some amazing Flemish paintings of Jon Van Eck. Then my husband had a change of plans, (he makes the trip schedule) and he said instead of going to the Memling museum let's go to the Basilica of the Holy Blood today instead of Sunday (Saturday was reserved for Tournai). The Basilica of the Holy Blood was one of the places that I really wanted to go back to see since we saw it in 2003. I had the most wonderful feelings from the rush of energy there then, and to me that meant it was a really sacred place. Back then I felt the energies more down stairs in the chapel than upstairs where the Holy Blood was, so I was interested in going back to see if I still felt the same way.
It was about 2:00pm when we headed there. The good thing about Brugge is everything is in short walking distance. As we got there it started to rain. We went downstairs to the chapel I was speaking about. To my surprise I didn't feel anything. A couple of altars were there for praying, and we sat there. I did feel the energy at a statue of Jesus, but it wasn't as strong as I remembered it last time. Very curious....
This is the statue of Jesus in the chapel downstairs.
As the chapel started to fill with tourists there was an announcement about inviting people to come venerate the Holy Blood. We couldn't quite make it out, but we went upstairs to the main sanctuary where the Holy Blood was anyway. We had to exit the building and enter again to go upstairs, outside there was a sign that said that you could venerate the relic of the Holy Blood only on Fridays between 2 and 4pm! Wow.
The Basilica houses the relic of the Holy Blood, which is said to be the actual blood of Jesus that was wiped from him at crucifixion. People travel far and wide to visit it, not always for religious reasons.
The last time we were there, the inside of the sanctuary was dark and dimly lit. The altar that held the relic is ornately carved in marble, and the relic is kept in a silver box. This time, an altar that was next to the altar with the box was open. It looked like an altar up on a stage, you walked up a few steps to the right, and a priest dressed in robes that were green, white and gold sat behind the altar where the Holy Blood was kept in front of here. As you come up to the relic, she removes a cloth that is covering it. (See the video below.) You may touch the relic. You may give your offering (of money) and can venerate the relic (veneration is respect very much like darshan). My husband said to my son, go stand in front of it and make the sign of the cross. My husband went first and gave our offering, then my son, then I went. As I stood in front of the blood and said a short prayer, which seemed to say itself in my head, something about praying for peace for the whole world (that's odd I usually just pray for my family and friends), I then felt a huge rush of energy, just like our visit in 2003. It was very strong, it felt like the crown of my head was being squeezed with a buzzy energy. Most of the energy swirled around and through my upper body and my head. That was cool. I didn't touch the relic, it felt somewhat disrespectful, though others did.
Lots of people went up to just look, sort of like a museum exhibit. Others seemed to truly venerate it with a prayer and a touch of the relic then placing their hand to their heart.
....now if my husband hadn't had an urge to go just then, Friday....at 2pm...we would have missed it.
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In my mind, it’s not really the relic that we are ‘worshiping’, in fact, we don’t really know if the relic is real. If you understand that it is a representation of the presence of Jesus within you, and therefore God, that is what it is about. The holy places that are visited by thousands to stand in peace and love with their hearts turned to God in prayer is what creates the sacred energy of a spot. That is why we have altars, to connect us, remind us of God and the divinity that is with us. The Basilica of the Holy Blood allows us to feel that Oneness through the energy that has accumulated there, and give us a chance to experience more tangibly God’s grace.
Please look at the video below, it was taken on this latest trip to the Basilica. They were even playing my favorite sacred music piece, Sicut Cervus by Palestrina! Now isn’t that heaven?
copyright © 2011 Lisa K.