Wheels up

We're heading home... Sadness that such a wonderful experience, perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity, is over.



We all have things we are looking forward to. Free refills. AC. Our cars. Family and friends.



But we all have memories we will remember forever. The Garden of Gethsemane. St. Peter's Basilica. The Colosseum. Holy Sepulchre. Bethlehem. Swimming in the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, and the Mediterranian Sea in one trip. This is just the short list.



But the time to board the plane approaches. We didn't have time to make friends with people here, but our friendships and fraternity within our group certainly flourished. We did have time to befriend places and their historical and religious significance. Hopefully these will enliven our personal commitment to God, his Church, and give us another set of tools to increase our fruitfulness as fishers of men and workers in the vinyard of Our Lord.

The Green Mile

Our last full day has come to a close.

For most of us, this consisted of (a long walk to) the basilicas of St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, and St. John Lateran, other churches, and/or the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Others spent time at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, even climbing the stairs to the dome (which provides a phenomenal vantage point for the Eternal City.) Each of the basilicas were breathtaking in their own way. It was definitely worth all the walking to cover the three in the same day. I am amazed at the sheer size (read: number of estimated football fields per basilica) of these edifices. Of note: there are 7 more slots for new popes at St. Paul's outside the walls (which has pictures lining the ceiling of all the popes in history - there is space remaining for 7 more.)

We closed the day with a meal celebrating Fr. Battersby's 10 anniversary of presbyteral ordination at a local Roman meal dispensing establishment. We toasted the Holy Father and Fr. Dan, who led us on this trip, and Fr. Battersby on his special occasion. It was a good Feast of the Sacred Heart, which was fitting, as we are from Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

Only a wakeup and travel remains for us...

Touring Rome

Fr. Trapp toured us around various sites in Rome this morning. It was a very quick overview of the highlights of Rome, ecclesiastically speaking. The Church with St. Agnes' skull. St. Maria Sopra Minerva. Gesu and the Jesuit Headquarters. Church of St. Robert Bellarmine. Castle d'Angelo. The Gregorian. The Pantheon (dedicated to the BVM; Victor Emmanuel II's remains are there as well.) The first Roman university. A building that was formerly a papal palace but is currently Italian state property. Several fountains and obelisks. The vestment and clothing manufacturers Barbiconi and Gammarelli's (we also saw Slabbinck and others.) A few of our group acquired birettas or surplices from Barbiconi (no pectoral crosses though.)

Then it was back to the NAC for a fine lunch and a break before our next gig.

The afternoon saw a meeting with Fr. Dan Gallagher, a priest of the Diocese of Gaylord and former Sacred Heart Seminary professor who currently works for the Vatican's Secretary of State. He gave us a tour through the Apostolic Palace. It was an experience. We had an awesome view of Rome, St. Peter's, and the Apostolic Palace from the roof/porch area. It was an "insider's look" at some places the average tourist doesn't see and it gave us a view of the city that the average photographer doesn't get. I'm a fan of that last part to be sure. As I walked the halls, I considered all the history that those walls have seen and, God willing, will see. I also wondered, who will be the next pope to emerge from those windows and when... Did I walk by the cardinal unsuspecting in the last few days? (I counted a lot of pectoral crosses today.) But then, such privileged places bring on such thoughts.

After the tour, many of us went to Mass at St. Peter's. (I think) an LA auxiliary bishop said Mass. I know he was from CA because he mentioned it when he introduced the choir at the beginning (which came from a college near his archdiocese - it was the only thing in English the entire time. Otherwise, we took in Latin and Italian. Beautiful languages, but I digress.) He was a bishop or an abbot. Pectoral crosses give that sort of thing away. It was nice to attend Mass with such beautiful music in the Church built to honor the Prince of Apostles (in spite of what the inscription on the front of the building might claim.) There was so much to see, I almost missed the Pieta! That's a testament to the size of the building.

Dinner followed at the NAC. American food. Wings, fries, pop/soda/coke (depending on where in the States you are from.) A premonition of our future? Or a welcome change from "the schnitzel" of Israel? Both.

After dinner, some went out for gelato, others prayer or sleep, still others other things - whatever one thought would make the best use of the short precious hours remaining in the Eternal City. It rained on and off a bit, but not nearly enough to keep us in.

Tomorrow is our last full day!

Papal Visit

Our first of 3 full days at the NAC. 6:15am Morning Prayer and Mass. 7am breakfast. We left at 8:15 for the papal audience. We had some good seats to the Holy Father's right (you can check the photo album linked on the left.) He said this and greeted us specifically "From the United States, priests and seminarians of Sacred Heart Seminary.") He even turned for a good photo. As is customary, he blessed religious items. All in all, it was a pretty "standard" audience, but my first, so it was a memorable experience to be sure, if not simply due to the heat (ecclesiastical dress and hot sun for 4 hours made Ryan and his water bottle the most cherished item in the group.) It was awsome to consider all the history that happened below the very spot we were seated and in the very buildings that surrounded us.

Small world: We ran into the abbot and abbess from Abu Gosh (the Benedictine monasteries at which we attended Mass on our first Sunday in Israel.) They were on our plane, they were at our audience, and the abbess even sat one row and one seat in front of me. The abbot had a front row seat, which was in fact only a few short rows in front of us.

After a sung Pater Noster and the blessing (in Latin of course), we ate. Lunch was pizza, calzone, or pasta. For me a coke, for others pop/soda or water.

Then we split up to cover parts of the city of our own choosing. I joined up with Jon, Ryan, and Dan. We went to some old Roman sites, including the Colosseum. Dan and I engaged in a lively discussion of the movie Gladiator. We also visited three churches, of which Gesu was one (where the Jesuit headquarters is located.) Some interesting features to each church. Getting out of the sun was nice too.

Dinner at the NAC at 7pm. Pasta, salad, and a cake that was like a cannoli. Good stuff.

Some of us prayed privately, others attended the (optional) praise and worship held at the NAC. Some went out for gelato. Others retired early. It was largely a day of our own design, and we used it to pursue our interests in the Eternal City. For my part, not a moment was wasted.

With only 2 days left, we won't even scratch the surface of Rome on this visit, but thank God for the opportunity to experience anything of it at all...

Roma!

We've landed in Rome, arrived and settled into the NAC (North American College), and we had a good pizza dinner just around the corner at Trattoria Pizzaria. Bene! Now, time to sleep. We've got an audience with the Holy Father in the AM.

Viva Roma!

Good bye Israel

We're in the Tel Aviv airport awaiting or Alitalia flight to Rome. It is hard to believe that our 3 weeks and 2 days in Israel have come to a close. We look forward to continuing our trip in Rome. Jon and Ryan have swapped their Holy Land guide books for Italy/Rome guide books. Fr. Dan and I are experiencing a little stomach discomfort, but the rest of us are healthy and ready to go in Rome. I for one look forward to the best food on earth - Italian. And shortly for dinner even.

But at this point, the reality is setting in: we're going to be home in a few days. This is sad in that we are just becoming acclimated and know our way around. Now it is time to leave. In many ways, it's like making a friend that you must soon part with.

But it is a sweet sorrow. No one can be disappointed with Rome ahead on the itinerary.

Trinity Sunday

Today was a light day. We went out to Taybeh (Biblical Ephraim) for Mass in Arabic at Christ Redeemer Church. The pastor, Fr. Radd, was very welcoming. Fr's Trapp, Byrnes, and Battersby concelebrated. Steve proclaimed the second reading in English, Fr. Trapp added a few intercessions in English to the Arabic general intercessions, and some of the Eucharistic Prayer and the Doxology were in English. Otherwise, including the sign of peace, it was all english. (I particularily enjoyed the Celtic Alleluia before the Gospel, with Arabic refrain.) The choir was nice and it was a unique experience to hear so much Arabic praising Christ (we have been present in the Old City for the Islamic call to prayer, which is done in Arabic.)

After Mass, we went with some of the local teens to the ruins of St. George Church, built by the byzantines and rebuilt by the crusaders. The characteristic cross baptismal font and byzantine tile could be seen at the site. The teens were very helpful and appreciated a chance to practice their English (a few french words fit in, but we are familar with the Spanglish phenomenon ourselves, so were very forgiving.)

Fr. Radd and the parish treated us to juice, coke, and chocolate wafer cookies while Fr. Radd answered our questions. He is a very animated speaker and captured our interest for almost 50 minutes. The meeting ended with the gift of one of their "Peace Lamps," which they are distributing to motivate prayer for peace in the Holy Land. (See their website for details.)

Lunch ensued at a local restarunt (chicken and rice.) Then we returned to the compound for a relaxed afternoon. Some took naps, did laundry, or read. We will gather for EP II of Trinity Sunday at 6:45 followed by dinner and a free evening.

Fr. Battersby is experiencing the lost luggage scenario, in simili modo to our other men at the beginning of our trip. Again, may this be a case for St. Anthony and not St. Jude.

The Virtuous Point (Half Way)

At six thirty this morning, a group of us met Yusef, the man who will beour driver for the rest of the trip. Yusef is a nice man who often has a pained look on his face as he tries to understand our English. Anyway, because it's the sabbath, he drove us through mostly empty streets to the New Gate. There were a few people out, mostly ultraorthodox men in their long black coats and large hats. Not bad getup for a cool day, but I would think it would be awful on the hot days here. Jeans and a collared shirt is enough when walking the slanted streets of Jerusalem on a warm day, and we really haven't had "hot" yet. We walked through the quiet streets of the old city and very few shops were open. At a bit after seven, we arrived in plenty of time for the 7:30AM Mass. We found that we arrived at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. I asked the sacristan who replied, "Yes, mass is at 6:30(basilica time) every day, except today. Today, the Greeks have a special mass so we have to be out early." The best laid plans... The sacristan, a priest from Ghana, was very helpful. He managed to squeeze us into the Blessed Sacrament chapel in a half hour slot beforea big German group arrived. Several other people joined us for Mass. Not knowing their languages, we used Latin for some of the Mass parts. Turned out to be a good decision, they joined along in full voice. One woman's voice was so full, she ended up drowning out most of the rest of us on the memorial acclamation. We all have our own gifts.

After Mass, most of us waited in line to go into the Holy Sepulcher. This is one of Fr. Dan's highlights every year. One enters into the small vestibule first, where the meeting of the women and the angel is recorded. Then, you bow down and four people can crowd into the small tomb room and pray before the stone couch or bench where Jesus' body was laid. In the line ahead of us was a group of about 30 neo-catechumenate people from Italy. They come here after they finish their several years long post-baptismal formation. They wear white albs for liturgies and they wore them this morning. They are usually in no hurry at all with liturgical/devotional matters and I thought we'd be in line forever. However, the Greek monk in charge this morning moved us along. He'd get a group in the sepulcher and another in the vestibule. At a certain point, he'd cry out, "Finish!" and those inside would move out and the vestibulites would move in. He'd then come out to the line and wavefour fingers at the head of the line and cry out, "Four!" He posed for pictures with pilgrims in front of the tomb and I'd never seen a guardian have such a good time. God love them, they see everything, and keeping some equilibrium has to involve a good deal of grace. It's like trying to have a good attitude MCing the last Easter Mass in the later hours of the Sunday at the end of a long holy week - every day. Not my idea of an easy task. We all have our own gifts.

A group of us then walked over to the bakery on the Via Dolorosa. The pastries are right out on the street and are delicious. For about $3 ("for you my friend, 15 shekel") we had a cup of coffee and a large pastry. There's a room to sit down and clean restrooms - a feature that we've come to much appreciate - similar to our brethren in Mexico this summer. On the way back, RJ and Fr. Dan decided to get a hair cut since both chairswere empty in the small shop near the Erloese kirche. The barbers here generally don't use electric razors. It's all snip, snip and they do anice job. For $8 and 15 minutes, not bad at all. As they sat there, Fr. Dan was struck once more by the graciousness of the Palestinian people. The door to the shop was open and the chair I was in was probably four feet from the street. Several men walking by popped their heads in the door to wish a quick good morning to the barber, who answered back. Others wished peace to him and again, he responded in kind. In the souk, you hear so much yelling and the sales pitches to the tourists and pilgrimsare shouted out, but there is a whole other level of relating which Ifind admirable and frankly refreshing.

After the haircut, Fr. Dan went back to the Holy Sepulcher (the church, not the edicule, or small chapel which gives its name to the whole church). The Greeks were having a liturgy of some kind in the upper section of Golgotha. One of the realizations of this trip is how little I know about Greek Orthodox liturgies. The seminary's annual trip to an Eastern Catholic rite is nice, but these people are like Romans from Rome - They are Greek or Russian Orthodox from those countries. The real deal, you might say. Fr. Dan and Jon were able to find a bench in the back of the Latin chapel to pray. As is usual, if you're there for a while, half of humanity seems to pass in front of you. There was a large group of Russians and then a good sized group of Indians. Some Israelis strolled through and a Muslim family. A Greek monk scolded a young German for wearing shorts in church. The German looked as if this was totally new news to him. Some people seem very devout and others come up to smirk, point and laugh at the spectacle. All the reactions to Jesus in His earthly life and death are still there, it seems to me. At 11:30, most of us came back to Ein Kerem for lunch. Father Battersby's plane should be arriving in Tel Aviv soon and then he will be driven here by taxi. We are looking forward to seeing him. Father Byrnes will be with us for another full day and then has a very early flight out on Monday. I have especially appreciated Father's homilies over the past two weeks; we'll miss him when he goes.

Those of us that did not come back for lunch amused themselves by walking around in New Jerusalem. Those of us that did not venture into Jerusalem elected for a restful day at the compound and a lunch or dinner out. This next week promises a lot of motion, and it is good to reflect and recollect ourselves for the long haul. We'll be in Jerusalem until Tuesday, then to Tabor, then to the Sea of Galilee on Thusday...

The Up and the Down

So, we had a very good day, mostly on the Mount of Olives. First, we were dropped off at the top of the mountain. This provided ample view for those of us with cameras (Personally, my shutter has clicked about 2000 times this trip already.) A short walk down the mountain to Dominus Flevit ("the Lord Wept") and again, another great view. We were able to have Mass at the Church of Dominus Flevit, which commemorates the Lord's weeping because Jerusalem had missed her hour of visitation. Well, we had Mass outside the Church in an outdoor chapel area. The air was a bit brisk in the shade at that point in the morning. A few minutes for reflection, thanksgiving, and pictures, and we were off and back up the hill.

We stopped in at a Benedictine monestary where the Filioque ("and the son") controversy started (You can read about the controversy on Wikipedia.) For those of us that just completed our Church History courses, that was a little surreal - that much history just flying off the page. Combined with the fact that I am generally and inexplicably enamoured with Benedictine worship spaces, it was a powerful 5 minutes.

More up the hill and around to the place of the Ascension. This is a little building. Muslims control the site, but they allow the Franciscans to come for Mass every year on the day of the Ascension. They camp out overnight. Kinda interesting. I was amused at Acts 1:10-11 "While they were looking intently at the sky as [Jesus] was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." " It is a small building. Nothing really to talk about except this rock in the floor which they say has a footprint in it. I didn't see it. Of course I took a picture of it. I still don't see it.

The more walking up and down to visit the place where the Lord taught His disciples the Lord's prayer. They have tiles with the Lord's Prayer in I couldn't even guess how many languages (the guidebook says 60). Languages you didn't even know are languages. (No, I didn't photograph them all. Yes, I thought about it.) There is a cave that comemmorates where he actually taught them the prayer. The large structure that was to become the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, begun in 1920, was never finished and the walls stand half constructed. It will remain a courtyard.

We didn't have time to visit the hermitage of St. Pelagia the Harlot (great story). We did get to the chapel at Bethphage by the skin of our teeth and after a Father Trapp death march. This commemorates the place where Jesus mounted the donkey and rode into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday. This is a pretty chapel, but you wouldn't guess it would be so inviting from the fencework. It is near the security wall with the occupied territory. A demolished building stands, well, i guess it stood and the rubble stands, near the chapel. The combination reminded me "I came not to bring peace, but the sword." (Mat 10:34)

We had a nice "peek-neek" lunch, as our hosts at the Compound call it, on the side of the Mount of Olives and then much needed time to pray in the Holy Sepulcher. The Greeks were being nice to me (thanks for Fr. Jorgenson's Greek classes this year, I made a stab at the inscription in the iconostasis and the guy seemed pleased - it occured to me later that his English may not have allowed him to render a better translation than I did. He didn't say much.) But this was to get some great shots of perhaps the most impressive feature of the building - the routunda (the tomb of Christ isn't per-se part of the building in my mind so much as part of the locaiton.)

Steve Pullis gave an introductionto the Church of St. Stephen, where we ended our touring for the day. After EP, Father Mike reviewed New Testament history for us, a good review as we get ready for the Galilee. Tonight, we finish the postcards and I'd better join them.

Gethsemane and the Mount

It's about 8 PM and we just finished dinner. It was supposed to be 90 degrees today and may have been, but there was a good breeze from the west so it wasn't unbearable. We began the day with Morning Prayer (praying for our benefactors, those preparing for ordination, Mr. Hull's nephew and others) in the chapel here at "the compound."


We then drove over to the Mount of Olives and to Gethsemane. For those who were here in the past, the route would be a surprise, some of it highway; it took as long to reach Gethsemane by the highway as it does to reach the Jaffa Gate by surface streets. Eric explained the site of Gethsemane to us and led us in a prayer. We had time for more private prayer in the garden and in the church - The Church of All Nations. This site recalls that Jesus, after completing the Last Supper, went out across the Kidron Valley to Gethsemane - the Garden of Olives. There, Jesus knelt and prayed that the cup may pass by. It is here that Judas betrayed him and he was arrested. Interestingly enough, the Kidron valley isn't very large. If you look across it, you can see the walls of Jerusalem, as the picture shows. So it is very close to Jerusalem, but also clearly on the way to Bethany and out of town. Jesus, therefore, put himself in a position that the cup could easily pass. If he got up and left before Judas arrived, he very easily could have slipped into aninomity. But, as we know, such is not how the story goes.

The Church of All Nations recieved this name because of the large number of countries that donated for its construction. Personally, it is one of my favorite churches in the holy land. The outside rises from the hillside in a stately manner. The mosaic on the front demands attention. Inside, the translucent glass gives an awsome hue to the building, as you can see. There is no impressive stain glass display. The architect left the real art of the mosaics. Nevertheless, the windows are beautiful and definitly add to the ambiance. The sanctuary is gated, protecting a piece of rock that may have seen Christ's prayer. The mosaics on the sanctuary wall depict the kiss of Judas (left), the agony in the garden (center), and the arrest of Jesus. The relevant scripture is quoted at the bottom of the mosaic in Latin. The Franciscans care for the place. It is a site in which silence is enforced. Explainations are given outside the church. So, unlike the church at the site of the crucifixion, which is just a chaos of noise, this site is reflective and prayerful. Many of us were moved by the Mass at this site. One of the peculiar things about the site is the rock formation in the center of the sanctuary. This rock very easily could have seen Christ's prayers, his sweat, which scripture records fell like drops of blood (this scripture is quoted in the latin at the top of the center), or the arrest. Any of those spots could have seen Malchus' ear, or the departing/fleeing of the apostles after the arrest. The site is thick with scripture and one of the more anxious moments in all of the Book. The bottom line is that I could spend a long, long, long time on that site just on "Angelus de coelo confortans eum" and that's just one. Simply a beautiful church.




While we were still in the church, a Korean group had Mass - their praying was full throated and a joy to witness. During our Mass, Father Mike preached about the disciples needing to depend on Jesus and called us to allow Him to be our strength. During Mass, Fr. Dan remembered what a few of the men have mentioned from previous years: that the Masses have really been a high point of their prayer; they certainly have for me this year. At noon, we began our walk through the Kidron valley
past the tombs of the prophets, as they are known.
Some of us went into one of the tombs
and saw human bones - so verified by Dr. Joseph. (We didn't take any for souvenirs.)
We went back to the garden area near the gate to the Wailing Wall and had our lunches. A couple of the men went to the schwarma restaurant across the street, a restaurant that Anthony gave his thumbs up to. After lunch, we gave Fr. Mike and Fr. Dan our bibles, breviaries and rosaries and went up on the Temple Mount. (Since 2001, the Waqf, the Muslim authority which controls the Islamic holy sites, has not allowed Christians to bring such articles. One of the security guards was very interested in a guide book, thinking it was scripture. Nope. Just some turist ramble; sorry boss.) The picture is a few of us in front of the Dome of the Rock (a mosque). Then all went to the Damascus Gate where we met our driver, Hassen, or where we eventually met him since traffic held him up for a while. We had our TR on the priesthood this afternoon once we got back. Tomorrow, we head for the Negev Desert.

Magnificat...

anima mea Dominum... or so goes the Lain "Magnificat." In English, "My soul magnifies the Lord," often translated "my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" or "glorifies the Lord." This, according to Luke 1:46-55, is what Mary exclaimed after arriving at Elizabeth's house and Elizabeth exclaimed, "Most blessed are you among women... the infant in my womb leaped for joy..." The event, the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is commemorated by the Church in the Holy Land by the Church of the Visitation. We had the privilege of having Mass at their outdoor chapel today. They have an indoor structure with a main chapel upstairs and a small chapel beneath that. Another group was having Mass in the upper chapel, but we had a few moments in the lower.

Opposite the small chapel is a wall. On this wall is the Magnificat in many, many languages.

All in all, a nice out-of-the-way place to pray.

After this, we returned to "the compound," got a quick breakfast and packed a lunch, and we were again on the move. This time to Nicopolis. This site holds some interesting history. An original chapel, a later structure,
and now a modern structure, which is home to the Catholic Community of the Beatitudes (for all you Canon Law buffs out there, they are an Association of the Faithful.)
The ruins have been excavated to show some pretty interesting albeit very old mosaics. Many have been preserved in the on-site museum. Of particular note is the following inscription. None of us with some facility in biblical Greek could make anything of this... Then I found some information in the on-site museum. Turns out this is a list of names that helped the Church be realized. That's right: a doner list inscribed in the wall. Modern fundraising techniques have a long and venerable tradition. So, head to your local parish and find out what they need - maybe you too can have your family name scribed in the archway of a new edifice and generations of people will see your name... and generations later wonder if perhaps that word means tulip or tomb or mother or kingdom...

Speaking of tombs, this site did not disappoint.

And in case you want to die to sin be born into new life in Christ before your bodily death, we have a convenient immersion pool available for your usage...

Afterward, a visit to a local Trappist Abby: Latroun (Tower).
Here, we took a brief walk upon the grounds, visited the chapel for a few minutes, and talked US politics with the monk who was kind enough to keep the doors open a few extra minutes for us. We, of course, made our subsequent and obligatory visit to the chotch shop. Yet, this was a worthy dispensing of time, for they had some very fine products, including some fig jam, which is a favorite of some in the group. Many of us gladly made purchases and were pleased we could support their abbey.

We rounded out the day with a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial/Museum.

This place brought back a lot of memories of Schindler's List , for those of you that saw it. It was an impressive, huge, detailed, and excellent presentation. (Granted, I'm not sure that I agree with their presentation of the Church's position and involvement or lack thereof, but that is a matter for historians to debate and is out of scope for here and now.) Frankly, it reminded me of exactly how sick society can be and the reality of sin, original sin, and what power fear really has, if we let it go. In a word: powerful. A quote I'll remember: "I would not like to be a Jew in Germany." - Hermann Göring, Hitler's second in command who called for the "final solution to the Jewish question." Wow.

But, lest we end on that depressing note, here's a picture of a flower...

Pentecost Sunday

We began today with Morning Prayer in "the compound" chapel and once more, we didn't sound half bad. David is our cantor this week and he managed to keep us in tow as he led us in the last day of the Easter season.

At 9:15, we met our bus and Dan led us in the rosary as we swung our way west to Abu Ghosh. Abu Ghosh is currently a nice drive from Jerusalem with very good restaurants and a lot of Israelis come to them if they want good Arabic food and a sense of being a bit out in the country. Historically, it is the place of Kirjath Jearim, where the ark of the covenant rested on its way back from its captivity by the Philistines. The village is crowned by a large statue of Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, as she holds up a statue of the Christ child.

The Crusaders believed it was the site of Emmaus and they built a beautiful early Gothic chapel here in the center of town. As you can see from the photo, it is currently framed by a beautiful landscape. The remains of the frescoes which once covered the walls are clearly visible, as you can see from the photos of the inside of the chapel. Current restoration guidelines call for showing only the original preserved pieces, but there is enough there to give you a sense of how splendid they must have been. I was most amused by the modern light fixtures in the midst of the ancient decor and edifice. It foreshadowed what was to come: a splendid infusion of a magnificent Novus Ordo Mass.

Benedictines care for the chapel. Here, a double community, men and women living in separate houses, come together to pray. And, as some have come to expect from Benedictines, they did not disappoint. The Liturgy was chanted in Latin and French and the monks were hospitable to us, as in other years. The abbott thought we were Germans, since a German group came in also, and the Gospel was proclaimed in German as well as in French. Later, in our review of life, one of our group suggested that the liturgy we experienced must have been something like the ideal hoped for by the Fathers of Vatican II. It was really lovely - perfectly executed, and in a prayerful, deliberate, flowing manner, yet nothing sloppy or stiff about it. I especially enjoyed the communion meditation, a vigorous hymn sung by a schola of the nuns and monks. The readings were canted. The Sequence was marvelous. Almost 2 hours passed, yet it felt only slightly longer than an average Sunday Mass (including the Homily in French, which I do not speak.)

After Mass and some visiting of the gift shop (after all, what visit to a monastery would be complete without at least considering a purchase of their products) and site, we walked over to one of the local restaurants where we ate very well. There were probably six different kinds of salads or spreads before the main dish, which was chicken, roasted with onions and garlic in a fresh bread wrap. Desert was fresh watermelon, the fruit of the season. Coke, in a glass bottle, featured in many of our meals.

We had a quiet afternoon and finished with Evening Prayer and the Review of life. It was a good Pentecost.

The Long Walk

Today is the day of the Detroit presbyteral ordinations and we prayed for the men last night at Night Prayer and again, today at Mass. Since it's the sabbath, the guest house here has a good number of Israeli visitors. So, the place is more active, but still pretty quiet.

After breakfast, we began our walk down the hill towards St. John of the Desert. It's the place where the local Christian community remembers St. John the Baptist's time when he was a young man, before his public ministry. Some of the men mentioned that this area doesn't look like any desert they've ever seen. The guide book clarifies that Luke's allusion to the desert can mean an uninhabited place. On our way, we past the spring which gives the village its name, Ein Kerem (Spring of the vineyard). It's now covered by a mosque (restored, but unused) and goes by the name of Mary's spring.

We began our ascent up the other side of the wadi and passed the entrance to the church of the Annunciation, where we will have Mass on Monday. We continued up the narrow road, which became a rocky path. After a while, we came to Hadassah Hospital and because it's an orthodox hospital, there were no cars in the lot today. It was almost spooky. They provide care, but because it's the sabbath, no one visits until it's sundown. So, because the gate at the end of the lot was locked, we had to crawl under it. Since I was likewise crawling, I missed the obvious photo op. Sorry. But we got through without getting stuck - our group tends to be physically fit.

We crossed the road and entered the park through which you pass before you arrive at St. John of the Desert. The chickens from the neighboring moshav - thousands of them - make quite a racket.

After 20 more minutes of walking, we arrived at the monastery.

I made a friend almost immediately - she came up and said "Hi!"...

We saw the spring there and it was running very low. Usually, I'm told, the lower pool which collects the water is full, but it was dry today - no gold fish or water lilies. (They were cleaning.)

We prayed in the cave where it is believed St. John lived (I saw this same fresco on wikipedia last night. For some reason, I was really surprised to find that it was actually there. In fact, it was the most surprising thing about the trip so far. I don't know why it did, since everything you read online is true...)

And then went up for Mass in the small chapel. It was quaint. I liked the color balance - a sort of desert motif. (My class will raz me about this, but it reminds me of freeway overpasses in Arizona. Desert. Paint to fit in. See the connection? Well, anyway, this is what it looked like...)

The acoustics in these stone churches make us sound like a gifted choir. We then had time for quiet prayer and some of us continued our climb to the hermitage where the tomb of St. Elizabeth is a small chapel. Even with an empty tomb, the place felt sacred to me. I was also struck by the view from the hillside and the array of flowers. (I'm collecting such photos for another entry...)
I said goodbye to my new friend and we began our trek back to civilization. I found more evidence that some of us need to get in better shape. There's a long uphill climb and we took our time getting back. We all made it back in time for lunch and we all seemed to have good appetites.


An afternoon of relaxation followed; we chanted Evening Prayer I of Pentecost; we had dinner; a lot of us crashed. It was a good day.

First Full Day

After our short walk through the Old City yesterday, and of course the traveling, we crashed pretty effectively. But the sleep was welcome.





We arose to a breakfast of cereal, toast, fruit and cheese. We were told to pack a lunch that frankly didn't look all that much different from my breakfast, especially since I opted to refrain from the cereal for "personal" reasons. I engaged the flatbread we were provided for lunch as a suitable alternative. Who knew that all those cheese sandwiches with grandma would pay off. Additionally, tomatoes (good ones too), more cheese, fruit (apples, oranges, and bananas - some of us were missing the Papaya so prevalent during our Mexico trip two years ago.) Water, potato chips, and a wafer cookie bar that reminded me of a take-off of a kit-kat rounded out the meal.




So off we went. This time to the Jaffa Gate. Spirits were high, especially after a full night's sleep in a bed. Modern construction was clearly evident on the drive to the Old City.



So into the city we went. Streets were, as we experienced yesterday, cramped and lined with shopkeepers, many of whom are selling the same wares as the next. Personally, i was surprised with the amount of "western" clothing available in the midst of what is otherwise an area dedicated to the "needs" of tourists. The butcher shop and pastry shop caught my attention each time we passed too.





Our first stop was the pool of Bethesda. John 5:1-9 speaks of this location. Around 150BC - 70AD, it was a popular healing center used for medicinal by those who were "unclean" and therefore barred from the temple. Jesus visited there, asking, "Do you want to be well?" (John 5:6) Don't we all? I considered how many don't even know how, who, or what to ask to become well. I couldn't shake Tori Amos' song Baker Baker, "...make me whole again..."



The site itself has, like many other sites in the holy land, a colored history. First, a Jewish tradition as mentioned above. Then, between 200-400AD, a pagan temple was located on the site. Post Edict of Milan, ~422-458, a large Byzantine church, dedicated to "St. Mary of the Probatic" was built on the site - like over the pools themselves. The ruins can been seen still today, over the ruins of the pools. You can climb down some precarious stairs and look out into the pools. Water still collects there after rain. The church was damaged, repaird, and then completely destroyed around 1100AD.



Around 1130, a romanesque church was built; it fell into disrepair; it was entrusted to the French by the Ottoman Turks as a "thank you" for help in the Crimean War. This current church, St. Ann, commemorates the BVM's parents, Sts Ann and Joachim (memorial July 26th), and is the site where the memory of the birth of the BVM is kept - the site has had the caracter of this double memorial since the Christians built the aforementioned St. Mary church in the 5th century. Frs. Trapp and Byrnes offered Mass at the main altar and we had time to pray without the distraction of other pilgrims. We ate our aforementioned and verbosely described lunch in the courtyard. Both were thanks to the hospitality of the priests who maintain the site. The cats at the site were likewise hospitable, seeking to make friends with us, and investigate the nature of our foodstuffs.





We left and exited the city by the nearby Lion's Gate. From there, it was a short walk down the hill to see the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives.





We ascended the hill and re-entered the city through the Lion's gate and made our way to the Holy Sepulcher. Fr. Trapp read some of the history of the site. I noticed the disrepair. The facade has certainly seen better days. On the inside, we can compare the areas maintained by the various churches. The latter was simply depressing, as you can see. However, it did have a highlight for me: a tomb, which according to Assyrian tradition could be the tomb of Christ. Granted, archaeological evidence suggests that the tomb area would have been in another area of the site. These tombs are granite, not limestone. I was happy to investigate the tomb. No angels or wrappings through.





We had some free time, and many of us went looking at the aforementioned tourist catering souvenir shops. "Tourist traps" or "chotch shops" are other names for these heavens for bargain-hunters. For instance, our commercial business-wise Anthony negotiated 36 rosaries for 100 shekels (~$35). And they weren't plastic specials, but rather a simple wooden rosary I would be happy to own. Jewish, Islamic, and Christian religious items are often juxtaposed and intermingled. Potential chalices line the cupboards forlorn among the printed icons and hot glued Jerusalem crosses. Rosaries and crucifixes advertising dirt or rocks from the holy land attract the eye's attention, and perhaps the occasional cynical remark, "if the holy land is a quarry 1000 miles from here." This extravaganza reminds me of the oft attributed to P.T. Barnum quote, "There's a sucker born every minute, and two to take him." Nevertheless, there are diamonds in the rough - and certainly something for every brand, style, and preference. While Barnum may never have uttered the quote above, he did say "there's a customer born every minute," and these shopkeepers are keenly aware of that. So venture in, you'll find what you are looking for. Just don't forget to bargain. Fiercely.






To finish the day's visit: A group photo outside the Jaffa Gate with the Old City in the background, starkly contrasted with the 14 construction cranes visible at first glace in the other directions. An uneventful return to "the compound," prayer, and dinner completed the day. Dinner was a carrot-squash soup, potatoes, peas and carrots, and some processed beef or chicken product. I was really missing the coke machine.





Our men with lost luggage have yet to receive their belongings. That makes for the completion of day 4 with the same clothes. But, recalling that at some points in history, 90% of the pilgrims to the Holy Land did not make it home due to the rigors of travel have steeled these men against the expected and usual complaints. Thanks be to God for showers and other niceties of modern life that we are more than happy to share with our brethren. But we all welcome St. Anthony's work on this one, and hope it doesn't come to St. Jude.

Arrival

So we left the airport and bussed for an hour to a hotel in Jerusalem. The country looks so peaceful at night. We arrived at our hotel which turns out to be just a few blocks walk from the Damascus Gate. I think we all slept well, but for not enough time.
At 11, we began our walking tour of the Old City, ending up at the Holy Sepulcher (as in the site where Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, and therefore also the site of the resurrection.) We'd heard that there were many pilgrims in town, but the church was as packed as Fr. Trapp had ever seen it (and he's been here like ~20 times). We were crushed inbehind a group of Greek old ladies in black. While waiting, a Russian group outsmarted us by a wedge formation which we didn't see coming -they had half their group through before we got into the groove and didn't let them elbow and squirm their way ahead of us. Fr. Trapp was only thinking charitable thoughts. Of course I did likewise....
It was a beautiful introduction. We walked a portion of the Via Dolorosa (ie, stations of the cross). I was struck immediatly with the sounds, the crowds, and the uphill nature of the trip. "No joke he fell," I thought. We ended up having pizza near the third station.
Afterwards, to keep from falling asleep, we walked to the Western wall, and finally were met by our driver, who took us here to Ein Kerem. The welcome by the Chemin Noef volunteers and the sisters was very warm. We were happy to check in. So far, so good. Well, with one exception: our three men with lost luggage are as yet using their clothes from Friday.

Traveling...

Traveling was a "grueling" experience. 2 hours on the runway in Detroit waiting for the windy city to calm down. In to O'Hare. Layover. Connection from O'Hare to Rome. Layover. Rome to Tel Aviv. In at 3AM local time. Luggage, customs, etc, etc, and a bus to Jerusalem put us at just shy of 2 days of travel. A shower, nap, breakfast, and we were ready to go...

We thought about the crusaders and pilgrims of years past. We had a "grueling" 3 hour flight and 1 hour bus ride. They had weeks of travel on foot. We complain about jet lag. They went hungry. We complained about rain holding up the flight, while we sat in the warmth, drank the beverage provided us, and watched TV. They walked in it. Or they didn't get there. Perspective is everything...

The Alitalia flights from OHare to Rome to Tel Aviv were interesting. Wine and beer gratis, as opposed to the usual "beer, wine, and cocktails are available for $5. please have exact change" rhetoric on our domestic flights that gets lost after "you may now use your laptop computers and other electronic devices." The food was (with caveat that it is yet still an airline) good. And seeing the sun come up over the Atlantic was memorable... especially since it happened around midnight EDT.

The flights also featured riveting movies. The teen drama that finished the series to Rome was a riveting elucidation of the trauma a young woman experiences during her first year of college while joining a sorority. Exactly the kind of thing that speaks to a seminarian's experience...

The airport in Tel Aviv is new, and it shows. They had a model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period by the money exchange counter. It reminded me of the model of the Parthenon in the Royal Ontario Museum. Discussion was had regarding which way was north - evidence of travel fatigue.

But the bottom line: We are in Jerusalem. Safe. With the exception of a few luggage issues and a slight delay at DTW, all went according to plan. Thanks be to God.

We look forward to the Old City tomorrow...