Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Palm Sunday donkey on the Mt. of Olives

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Tomorrow being Palm Sunday, the animal of choice for Camera-Critter Sunday can only be the donkey.
My favorite donkey story happened a few years ago, so permit me to repost it.
A funny thing happened on the way to Bethphage . . .
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My two nun friends were taking me to see, for my first time, the Palm Sunday procession.
The walk up the Mount of Olives to the pilgrims' starting point at Bethphage is very steep.
Near the Garden of Gethsemane the sisters and I stopped to rest and admire the wildflowers.
We were quite alone among the olive trees and the goats.
Silence and peace all around.
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Then I caught sight of a sleeping donkey (!) and could not help but be reminded of the story in Mark 11:
"And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he [Jesus] sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find an ass tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and he will send it back here immediately.' "
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Suddenly the donkey awoke, as if out of a dream. He stood up quickly. He began walking.
And he was headed straight toward the double arches in the city wall!
This is none other than the Gate of Mercy, which Christians call the Golden Gate, the Gate Beautiful.
In Jewish tradition this is the gate by which the messiah, mounted on a white donkey, will enter Jerusalem. To prevent this, the Turkish Sultan Suleiman blocked up the gate five centuries ago.
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But sealed gate or not, our donkey must have heard his marching orders, perhaps from a much earlier time, and nothing was going to stop him.
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24 comments:

  1. These are amazing photos...especially this time of year...I love Easter!

    Here's MINE --White Winged Dove sittin' in a tree C O O I N G!!
    [scroll down a bit in my Saturday post]

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  2. I always love seeing and reading what you post. This was no exception. thanks for sharing how you do with such excellence.

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  3. I really like that third shot. Thanks for posting.

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  4. Wonderful photos, Dina, and very appropriate for the Easter season.

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  5. Enjoyed your story very much, your donkey looks very much at home in a sea of red flowers. My post is also of donkeys too, it's the first time I've seen them in the field on my favorite weekend walk.

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  6. Ee aw! Ee aw!

    I somehow fell behind on your blog! Oy vey! Now I'm caught up - phew! Great postings as always! Blog on, Dina, blog on!
    Happy Palm Sunday tomorrow!
    Happy Passover!

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  7. I sure like your story about the Donkey and pictures.
    The story about Jersalem Syndrome is very interesting. Also about the people's insurance.
    Patsy

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  8. He looks frisky! I bet he can feel springtime in his bones too.

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  9. I love this story, who knows what or who the donkey heard that day....

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  10. Those photos reminds me the storie that my mom was told me when I was a small girl...

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  11. Lovely shots Dina, they are such sad animals aren't they and so gentle. Thanks for sharing:)

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  12. He reminds me a bit of Ferdinand the Bull. :)

    I, too, have caught up on your posts for the week and enjoyed them all as usual. Wish I could visit every day.

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  13. That's an incredible story. Thank you for sharing the narration, complete with illustrations.

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  14. What a wonderful story. Thank you Dina. I have a special photo for you as well on Monday. How nice that we can learn from each other and honor and respect the other's beliefs.
    V

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  15. I like your story very much. The picture of the donkey as he awoke and started galloping is full of movement and is my favorite. I have been reading many of your great posts that I missed.

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  16. Wondrous!
    And thanks for the Simpsons tip, Dina.


    Aloha from Hawaii my Friend!


    Comfort Spiral

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  17. What a lovely story! That donkey is adorable...

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  18. What beautiful surroundings. This is a lovely post and donkeys always seem so wise.

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  19. Very nice story, on can see thing in this. If I remember well a graveyard was dug in front of the Golden Gate for the same reason.

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  20. This is a marvelous post, Dina. I just posted something about Life and Death and our belief systems. This post fit in perfectly with that post on my Pick a Peck of Pixels blog. Who knows what the donkey was thinking? It could be he heard a whistle or something the owner uses to call him in.

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  21. Cute picture and great text to accompany it!

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  22. The donkey looks so cute on that poppy field!

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  23. Are those red anemones growing wild? I think I read somewhere that they grow wild in your part of the world

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