On this day there is also a Commemoration of St. Henry. And the Paschal Preface is said. With the Commemoration, there are an additional three prayers said by the priest at the altar.
The feast is not found in the Roman Missal. Instead, it is included in the Missale Romano-Seraphicum, the missal of the Franciscan Order. It is also found in the Missale Votivum Terrae Sanctae, compiled by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and published with approbation from the Holy See.
The empty sepulchre of Christ is the most hallowed place of pilgrimage on the planet, located inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This is a church so large it also encompasses Mt. Calvary, the hillock rising from a gully behind. It is the holiest sites in the world: where Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, and rose again from the dead.
Because the site was so holy for the first Christians, the Romans under the Emperor Hadrian had it buried under a temple they built to cover the site, dedicated to Aphrodite. She was the ancient goddess of pleasure, beauty, desire, lust. The Romans called her Venus. It was only in the year 325 when the Emperor Constantine convoked the Nicaean Council, that Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem came to participate in the Council and asked the Emperor to disinter the tomb of Christ.
This was nearly 300 years after the Christian community of Jerusalem had begun. Constantine replied favorably to the request and commanded the razing of the pagan temple, built to hide the tomb. Thus, the holy sepulchre was rediscovered during the reign of Constantine. The story is recorded in the works of Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Life of Constantine. Following is how he recounts the event of the rediscovery of the empty tomb:
"He deemed it necessary to bring to light, in Jerusalem, the blessed place of the Resurrection of the Saviour, so that all might be able to see and venerate it." He goes on, talking of the works of the Emperor Hadrian: "No efforts had been spared to pile up earth brought there from elsewhere; they concealed the landscape by raising the level of the ground and by covering it with flagstones: the Divine Grotto thus became buried under a mass of packed earth." (cf. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, by Charles Couäsnon, OP, p. 13).
On the ground which had been thus prepared, the Temple of Aphrodite had been built by pagan Rome. By order of the Emperor of Christian Rome, it was destroyed and removed along with the earthworks. It was as if the tomb, like its former divine occupant, had risen from the dead, returning to the light of day. The tomb had been buried for some 300 years, helping to keep alive in the Christian memory the exact location. And them came its excavation and rediscovery to the inescapable joy of all:
"And behold!" says Eusebius, "the place which had witnessed the Resurrection of the Saviour reappeared, surpassing all hopes." (cf. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, by Charles Couäsnon, OP, p. 13).
Once the tomb had been unearthed in 326-327, work on the church of the Holy Seplulchre began in earnest. The basilica was later completed in 335 as the major church of Jerusalem. In many ways the basilica is the panegyric of the tomb, praising it and giving glory to God through the centuries. From that time the holy sepulchre and the Roman-style rotunda mausoleum built around it as part of the Constantinian basilica was embellished and decorated in the most sumptuous manner, in order to give glory to God.
In the Life of Constantine (written after 337) we read that the Emperor went as far as concerning himself with the details of the decorations. In this we catch a glimpse of its beauty and importance - the rise of the great sanctuary destined to shelter the tomb of Christ:
"Above all, he embellished the sacred Grotto, the divine monument as the principal point of the whole...The Emperor's magnificence in decorating this centrepiece wit selected columns of abundant ornamentation, made the venerable grotto shrine under a glittering adornment" (cf. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, by Charles Couäsnon, OP, p. 15).
The sepulchre itself, like its feast day, was the result of measures taken to foster devotion. Not only in the tomb, but in its ensemble it was intended to surpass in loveliness all other shrines and churches, with details that would be of such a quality and excellence it would transcend in beauty and greatness and devotion anything that the other cities of the Empire could produce. Arrangements were thus made to make this the holiest shrine in Christendom.
Below are the prayers of the feast day commemorating the tomb.
Introit (Isaias 11:10)
In that day there will stand the Root of Jesse, a signal beckoning to the peoples all around; the
Gentiles will come to pay their homage to Him; and glorious will be His Sepulchre, alleluia, alleluia.
Collect
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who willed to suffer death for us and , having been laid in the Sepulchre, rose again on the third day: grant to Thy servants, that as we recall the memory of Thy Sepulchre, we may also merit to partake in the glory of Thy Resurrection. O Thou Who lives and reignest.
Commemoration (of St. Henry, Emperor and Confessor)
O God, Who on this day didst transfer Blessed Henry, Thy Confessor, from the government of an earthly empire and raise him to the eternal kingdom; we humbly beseech Thee that, even as Thou didst go before Him with the fulness of grace and grant him strength to overcome the enticements of this life, so Thou wouldst, by his example, enable us to shun the allurements of this world and come to Thee with pure hearts. Through our Lord.
Lesson (Acts 13:16, 26-31)
In those days, Paul stood up, and made a gesture with his hand to claim audience. Brethren, he said, you who are sons of Abraham, and you others who fear God, this message of salvation is sent to you. The people at Jerusalem, like their rulers, did not recognize Jesus for Who He was; unwittingly they fulfilled, by condemning Him, those utterances of the prophets which they had heard read, sabbath after sabbath. And although they could find no capital charge against Him, they petitioned Pilate for His death. So, when they had fulfilled all that had been written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. but, on the third day, God raised Him from the dead. He was seen, over a space of many days, by the men who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem; it is they who now bear witness of Him before the people.
Gradual (Psalm 98:5; Genesis 28:17
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool, for it is holy. V. O how fearsome is this place; truly it is nothing other than the House of God, and the gate of heaven.
Gospel (Luke 24:1-12)
And at very early dawn on the first day of the week they came to the tomb, bringing the pices they had prepared: and found the stone already rolled away from the door of the tomb. They went into it, and could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They were still puzzling over this, when two men came and stood by them, in shining garments. These said to them, as they bowed their faces to teh earth in fear, Why are you seeking One Who is alive, here among the dead? He is not here, he has risen again; remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee. The Son of Man is to be given up into the hands of sinners, and to be crucified, and to rise again the third day. T?hen they remembered what He had said, and they returned from the tomb bringing news of all this to the eleven Apostles and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, who told the Apostles this; but to their minds the story seemed madness, and they could not believe it. Only Peter rose up and ran to the tomb, where he stooped down and looked in, and saw the grave-clothes lying by themselves, and went away full of surmise over what had befallen.
Offertory (Psalm 41:5)
I will cross over to the place of the wondrous Tabernacle, even unto the House of God, alleluia.
Secret
O God, who has sanctified the Holy Sepulchre by the laying of They Son's most holy Body within it; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may dwell frequently upon this Sepulchre both in mind and in heart. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ.
Commemoration (of St. Henry, Emperor and Confessor)
We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the sacrifice of praise, in remembrance of Thy saints; through whose intercession we trust to be delivered both from present and future ills. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paschal Preface
It is truly meek and just, right and availing unto our salvation, that we should at all times praised Thee more gloriously O Lord, wen Christ our Pasch is sacrified. For He is the True Lamb, Who hath taken away the sins of the world; Who, by dying hath destroyed our death, and by rising again hath restored our life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, saying without end: Holy, Holy, Holy...
Communion (Proverbs 8:34)
Blessed the man that heareth Me, and that watcheth daily at My gates, and waiteth at the posts of My doors, alleluia.
Postcommunion
O God, Who hast made us to rejoice in honoring Thy Son's Holy Sepulchre: grant, we beseech Thee, that by being buried with Him, we may die to the world, and live for Thee alone. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ.
Commemoration (of St. Henry, Emperor and Confessor)
Refreshed by this heavenly food and drink we humbly beseech Thee, our God, that we may be protected by his prayers, in whose remembrance we have received them. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
