We started our last full day in the Holy Land with a trip to the spot where our Lord ascended into heaven. Unlike the rest of the sites, which are chapels, churches or basilicas, this one is on the site of a mosque. Instead of entering into a large space decorated with beautiful stained glass windows and statues telling the story related to the site, it was a barren spot of land on the outside and cement walls around the inside of the small circular buildings. Since Jesus is seen as a prophet by the Muslims, they do maintained and venerate the site, but it lacked the feeling of the ones maintained by the Christians.
Inside, on the ground is a rock that used to have two footprints imbedded into it. One is now located in the Vatican but this one is at the site that was venerated since the first century as the spot where Jesus was taken up into heaven on a cloud. Tony shared that some tour guides state that Jesus' feet sunk into the rock leaving the impression, but that in reality it is apparent that someone carved them into the rock to mark it. He also shared that Christians are allowed to "take over" the site on the feast of the ascension. They set up tents and celebrate the occasion in peace.
We headed next to the grotto of the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus taught the disciples to pray. It was a much nicer spot with the prayer printed in every language imaginable, including Mayan and Nahuatl, on large plaques. The site is a French Carmelite monastery so Maria tried unsuccessfully to enter and talk with the nuns.
While giving his explanation of the site which included a recitation in Hebrew, Tony also shared that a mountain was actually removed from the site by someone. The parable of the mustard seed ("with faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains,") refers to an actual event.
We headed next to the path that Jesus took on Palm Sunday. It is actually a path down a steep hill where we had to walk slowly so as not to slip. Some of us had palm branches (symbolic for revolution) and we all were singing "hosanna to the king of kings."
We passed what is the most expensive cemetery in the world. People pay $35,000 to rent a space for 25 years. It is that expensive as it looks directly over where the temple used to be. Jewish tradition states that from there will be the first that are resurrected where the messiah appears. On each grave there were a bunch of rocks. Tony shared that the Jews leave a stone to mark the number of times during a lunar month the grave is prayed over. So, the more rocks meant more family members had gone to pray for the deceased.
We then ended up walking to the church where Jesus had wept over Jerusalem. Before entering, Tony shared some more very interesting information that I doubt a non-archeologist would have know. He pointed out some tombs from the first century. They tended to be closed with a block and, if containing a married man, a cylindrical shaped container that held a liquid. It has been determined that the container held the tear of the man's wife from before she was married. A young girl would keep the container and capture all of her tears, whether from joy or from sorrow. Once chosen by the Mr. Right's family, she would present him the container and he would be eventually buried with it.
The amazing thing about the containers and how it ties in with our pilgrimage is that we have all read and/or heard the story of how Mary, Martha and Lazarus' sister, had "washed the Lord's feet with her tears." We all imagine that she cried right then and there. But, there is no way that there would be enough liquid to wash his feet. If she had used her tear container instead, thereby giving up all potential of ever getting married and also consecrating herself to Him, she would have had enough.
Mass was quite beautiful with the church having one of the best views of the site where of the Temple Mount. We were able to look straight across the Kidron Valley as Father Mark presided over mass. The shape of the church was very interesting as well, with the inside forming a tear drop, which was quite appropriate because of what had happened there.
We walked next to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to be able to view it during the day. We were able to see much more clearly the actual garden and olive trees, but were not able to go into it, as people had been taking pieces of the trees, which non-knowledgeable guides claim are the same one from Jesus' time (in spite of the fact that olive trees can live only 1,000 years). The babies of the original trees do grow from the inside of the mother plants, so the root system are actually from 2,000 before Christ, but the trees themselves, no.
We also learned how close we were to Bethany from where Jesus had walked after raising Lazarus. It had seemed like a very long drive from Bethany to Jerusalem, but Tony pointed out that in reality it is only right over the hill, a matter of a view miles. It is only because of the Israeli occupation of Palestine that the drive is extended. It is only one other example of how little we who live here know about Palestine and the life of the Palestinians. We had heard multiple examples of how difficult their situation is, especially for the Palestinian Christians, who we hear NOTHING about. It will be difficult to go back to thinking about the Holy Land without recalling some of the realities that we either heard or saw with our own eyes: mosques paid for by large economic investment from Saudi Arabia and Qatan built right next to churches, no work in the always separated Palestinian control territories, the massive decrease in the Christian communities in the sites where Christianity itself began. I am actually tempted to see what we can do as a parish to better support the ever diminishing Christian community there.
We ended up saying our goodbyes to Tony at that point. After leaving us at the hotel, he was headed to start a new group and we were having a free afternoon. It was sad to see him leave after spending so much time with him and learning SO much from him. Many of us believe that our entire experience there was greatly enhanced by having a Catholic guide that had done archeological work there. The afternoon was spent doing different things. Some went for one more shopping trip. Father Mark, Maria and a few others took advantage to walk on the walls of Old Jerusalem and do some shopping. I on the other hand took advantage of the free time to actually relax after so much walking and late evening watching the World Cup. I tried, to no avail, to get caught up with this blog; read a little; and actually took a little nap. It was all exactly what I needed.
Our evening ended at a different hotel with a lovely fancy dinner. Instead of the self-serve buffet dinners (quite good, but nothing compares to being served at a restaurant) with as much good wine as we wanted included. As it was our "last supper" there were multiple speeches and thank yous all around. Maria, in her free time had located a statue of St. Joseph, which we ended up purchasing as a group to give Father Mark for having been our spiritual guide. Father Mark, not to be outdone, thanked Maria and I for being the logistical guides. He said that since he didn't have any funds left, he could only give us a penny, but the penny he gave was actually a "widow's mite." Mites are the coins used 2,000 years ago by the window in the temple, which Jesus stated had given more than any of the rich, as it was all that she had. So, it was worth a penny in the time of Christ, but, being that they are 2,000 years old, they are worth just a little bit more now.
I know that all of the pilgrims had greatly enjoyed our pilgrimage, but after 10 days, we were all anxious to go home to our own beds, homes, and routines. There is only so much time spent away from home before you start missing it. We did still have a long day of travel ahead of us, but we were all finally ready for it.
Inside, on the ground is a rock that used to have two footprints imbedded into it. One is now located in the Vatican but this one is at the site that was venerated since the first century as the spot where Jesus was taken up into heaven on a cloud. Tony shared that some tour guides state that Jesus' feet sunk into the rock leaving the impression, but that in reality it is apparent that someone carved them into the rock to mark it. He also shared that Christians are allowed to "take over" the site on the feast of the ascension. They set up tents and celebrate the occasion in peace.
We headed next to the grotto of the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus taught the disciples to pray. It was a much nicer spot with the prayer printed in every language imaginable, including Mayan and Nahuatl, on large plaques. The site is a French Carmelite monastery so Maria tried unsuccessfully to enter and talk with the nuns.
While giving his explanation of the site which included a recitation in Hebrew, Tony also shared that a mountain was actually removed from the site by someone. The parable of the mustard seed ("with faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains,") refers to an actual event.
We headed next to the path that Jesus took on Palm Sunday. It is actually a path down a steep hill where we had to walk slowly so as not to slip. Some of us had palm branches (symbolic for revolution) and we all were singing "hosanna to the king of kings."
We passed what is the most expensive cemetery in the world. People pay $35,000 to rent a space for 25 years. It is that expensive as it looks directly over where the temple used to be. Jewish tradition states that from there will be the first that are resurrected where the messiah appears. On each grave there were a bunch of rocks. Tony shared that the Jews leave a stone to mark the number of times during a lunar month the grave is prayed over. So, the more rocks meant more family members had gone to pray for the deceased.
We then ended up walking to the church where Jesus had wept over Jerusalem. Before entering, Tony shared some more very interesting information that I doubt a non-archeologist would have know. He pointed out some tombs from the first century. They tended to be closed with a block and, if containing a married man, a cylindrical shaped container that held a liquid. It has been determined that the container held the tear of the man's wife from before she was married. A young girl would keep the container and capture all of her tears, whether from joy or from sorrow. Once chosen by the Mr. Right's family, she would present him the container and he would be eventually buried with it.
The amazing thing about the containers and how it ties in with our pilgrimage is that we have all read and/or heard the story of how Mary, Martha and Lazarus' sister, had "washed the Lord's feet with her tears." We all imagine that she cried right then and there. But, there is no way that there would be enough liquid to wash his feet. If she had used her tear container instead, thereby giving up all potential of ever getting married and also consecrating herself to Him, she would have had enough.
Mass was quite beautiful with the church having one of the best views of the site where of the Temple Mount. We were able to look straight across the Kidron Valley as Father Mark presided over mass. The shape of the church was very interesting as well, with the inside forming a tear drop, which was quite appropriate because of what had happened there.
We walked next to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to be able to view it during the day. We were able to see much more clearly the actual garden and olive trees, but were not able to go into it, as people had been taking pieces of the trees, which non-knowledgeable guides claim are the same one from Jesus' time (in spite of the fact that olive trees can live only 1,000 years). The babies of the original trees do grow from the inside of the mother plants, so the root system are actually from 2,000 before Christ, but the trees themselves, no.
We also learned how close we were to Bethany from where Jesus had walked after raising Lazarus. It had seemed like a very long drive from Bethany to Jerusalem, but Tony pointed out that in reality it is only right over the hill, a matter of a view miles. It is only because of the Israeli occupation of Palestine that the drive is extended. It is only one other example of how little we who live here know about Palestine and the life of the Palestinians. We had heard multiple examples of how difficult their situation is, especially for the Palestinian Christians, who we hear NOTHING about. It will be difficult to go back to thinking about the Holy Land without recalling some of the realities that we either heard or saw with our own eyes: mosques paid for by large economic investment from Saudi Arabia and Qatan built right next to churches, no work in the always separated Palestinian control territories, the massive decrease in the Christian communities in the sites where Christianity itself began. I am actually tempted to see what we can do as a parish to better support the ever diminishing Christian community there.
We ended up saying our goodbyes to Tony at that point. After leaving us at the hotel, he was headed to start a new group and we were having a free afternoon. It was sad to see him leave after spending so much time with him and learning SO much from him. Many of us believe that our entire experience there was greatly enhanced by having a Catholic guide that had done archeological work there. The afternoon was spent doing different things. Some went for one more shopping trip. Father Mark, Maria and a few others took advantage to walk on the walls of Old Jerusalem and do some shopping. I on the other hand took advantage of the free time to actually relax after so much walking and late evening watching the World Cup. I tried, to no avail, to get caught up with this blog; read a little; and actually took a little nap. It was all exactly what I needed.
Our evening ended at a different hotel with a lovely fancy dinner. Instead of the self-serve buffet dinners (quite good, but nothing compares to being served at a restaurant) with as much good wine as we wanted included. As it was our "last supper" there were multiple speeches and thank yous all around. Maria, in her free time had located a statue of St. Joseph, which we ended up purchasing as a group to give Father Mark for having been our spiritual guide. Father Mark, not to be outdone, thanked Maria and I for being the logistical guides. He said that since he didn't have any funds left, he could only give us a penny, but the penny he gave was actually a "widow's mite." Mites are the coins used 2,000 years ago by the window in the temple, which Jesus stated had given more than any of the rich, as it was all that she had. So, it was worth a penny in the time of Christ, but, being that they are 2,000 years old, they are worth just a little bit more now.
I know that all of the pilgrims had greatly enjoyed our pilgrimage, but after 10 days, we were all anxious to go home to our own beds, homes, and routines. There is only so much time spent away from home before you start missing it. We did still have a long day of travel ahead of us, but we were all finally ready for it.