I have lost count of how many installments I have written so far; but this is the next to the last. I am saving the final day (2/9/23) for last and to be by itself. There are so many photos that I want to include, and I don't want to deter from the spectacular two days that are described below. I hope you enjoy this one and I look forward to wrapping this up soon.
February 7, 2023
In torrential rain, we visited the town of Ein Kerem, a neighborhood in west Jerusalem. This was the home of Elizabeth and Zeccariah, parents of John the Baptist as well as the place of his birth. It was also where Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, after she was told by the angel Gabriel that her cousin would soon give birth to a son.
(a gift to us from our group)
(also a gift to us from our group)
We walked up a million stone steps (at least it felt like a million) to the Church of the Visitation and were able to have Mass at the Upper Basilica. In the rain - a whole lot of rain. We didn't take many pictures here because it is difficult to hold your phone/camera and hold an umbrella and watch where you are going (I know, sometimes it is hard to walk & chew gum at the same time). The photo below illustrates how it looks in nice weather!
A couple of pilgrims were driven up the million stairs to the Church of the Visitation; however, they still had to navigate a bunch of stone steps to the upper basilica for Mass in the pouring rain (how many times have I said that in this journal?). Whether you rode up the steep steps or walked I think we all felt it was well worth the wet and cold to experience the joy and graces we all received in the upper basilica.
These churches were designed by the famous architect of the Holy Land, Antonio Barluzzi. The upper basilica contained large frescos on the walls. One of the frescos depicted the architect, Antonio Barluzzi among a host of saints. It was cool to see this man with a bowtie hanging out with the saints in their period clothes and Our Blessed Mother.
In the evening we had wine & cheese, courtesy of Catholic Travel Centre, at Notre Dame Jerusalem. Magical. And it rained and rained – a lot – all day long. I think most of us were soaked clear through but no one complained and we all had smiles on our faces and in our hearts all day long.
February 8, 2023
Our last full day in Jerusalem began with a short drive to the Old City in our tour bus. The first hill we had to traverse was indicative of the “uphill” that we had most of the day (or so it seemed). We entered through Lion’s Gate (aka Stephen’s Gate – where St. Stephen was martyred). We visited St. Anne Church just inside the Lion’s Gate and the cave where Mary was born. This compound also included the pools of Bethesada where Jesus healed the paralytic who could not get to the water.
We walked the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Sorrow, aka Stations of the Cross) through the narrow streets of the Old City (see map below).
At the first (or second) station, a Jewish American had, within the past few days, savagely attacked the statue of Jesus (see 4th photo below). He threw it to the ground and was going to set fire to chapel and was stopped by the military before he could cause any further destruction. It was a heartbreaking sight for us all. The hatred shown to our Lord was one of the saddest parts of our journey.
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The walk was difficult – uphill, narrow alleyways paved with stone. We stopped at every station and Father Michael would read from the way that he chose. We ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and had Mass at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel which is very close to Jesus’ tomb.
The maps below are useful to understand where we were and what we were seeing. This actually two maps of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We entered through the south portal (red arrow on right side) and had Mass in the Latin Sacristy (red circle on left map - top). The area marked in red circle on the left map (lower in the map) is the Place of the Holy Women. Hussam placed us in the location where our Blessed Mother Mary stood and watched her son die on the cross—one of the most powerful parts of the day. It was a sobering scene and as a mother & a Christian, I cried.
The area marked as Greek Choir and north were all under construction so we could not see some of this.
Calvary Hill, the place where Jesus’ body was anointed, and His tomb were a tangible reminder of what He did for us all. When Jesus was crucified, Calvary was outside of the city walls, today it is inside the walls.
We waited in line for over an hour to see and touch the place where Jesus’ body was laid. It was breathtaking, emotional, and joyful all at the same time.
This particular commemoration of our Lord’s Passion and Death was unlike anything I’ve ever participated in. We were in actually in the location where Jesus walked, fell, was crucified, and died. We were not just thinking about it but feeling it every step of the way. Seeing what Mary saw as her son died on the cross. Touching the stone where his dead body was laid. Experiencing the emotions that his Mother must have felt. It was an amazing, life changing experience that I would not trade for all the money in the world.
I believe we exited through the Chapel of St. Helena; however, I was feeling pretty emotional by then and I don't recall exactly where Hussam took us. But I do remember he took us to a Jerusalem gift shop that served us delicious Falafels from a nearby sandwich shop. This is also the place where I purchased Ken’s red Jerusalem cross stole.
We then walked to the Western Wall [retaining wall of the temple the location of Jesus’ presentation, where he ran away to (his father’s house), and where he yelled at the moneychangers and made them leave]. It is said that prayers are more powerful at the Wall. I left a piece of paper there in one of the crevices and said a prayer. BTW, men and women pray separately at the Wall (men on the left and women on the right).
Until next time, may God bless you abundantly and give you all you need.
