Where Mary visited Elisabeth

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E is for Ein Kerem, the beautiful village in the hill country of Judea, known as the birthplace of John the Baptist.
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In the photo, Antonio Barluzzi's Church of the Visitation.
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(For ABC Wednesday.)
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Feast at the Church of the Transfiguration

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The festive Mass for the Feast of the Transfiguration was broadcast live as streaming video.

Hundreds ascended to the top of Mount Tabor, believed to be the place of Jesus' transfiguration, and packed the beautiful Franciscan basilica.

Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custodian of the Holy Land, and many other priests conducted Mass in the upper part of the church.
Enlarge the first photo to appreciate the splendid golden mosaic.


Cameras of the Franciscan Media Center were grinding away (including one on a huge long boom).

The view of the Jezreel Valley from the top of Mt. Tabor, the lone rounded mountain in the region, was splendid.
Someone really picked a good place for the transfiguration.
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UPDATE: Archbishop Pizzaballa is no longer the Custos of the Holy Land.  He is now the Apostolic Administrator of Jerusalem.

For more about Mt. Tabor and the Transfiguration please see my posts here.

(Linking to inSPIRED Sunday.)
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Tune in to streaming video from Jerusalem church

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This poster and reflection were on the glass door of the Christian Information Center in the Old City.

You can click on it (and click again on the photo that opens) and read about the " 8th Extraordinary Prayer of all Churches for Reconciliation, Unity and Peace, beginning in and proceeding from Jerusalem,"
being hosted by the Armenian Catholics.

You can watch it in live streaming video
--at 6:00 pm Israel time (4:00 pm GMT or 8:00 am California time).
Check on the handy time zone converter timeanddate.com.
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Let's hope their prayer helps the situation.
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UPDATE: It was a nice broadcast of the ecumenical service.
That same Franciscan Media Center that shared it online is a good source for documentary videos on religious life in the Holy Land.
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A monastery full of animals

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This particular monastery does not have a problem with pigeons; in fact they raise pigeons.
And goats too.
They have some camels and donkeys, as well; oh, and aviaries and a talking parrot.

In short, a good place to find photos for Camera Critters meme.

Hogla is the Hebrew word for partridge, and St. Gerasimus Monastery has many cute ones like this in the photo.
The Arabic name for the monastery is Deir Hajleh [literally, the monastery of the partridge].
The Arabic comes from the Hebrew name of the town that was here back in biblical days, Beth-Hogla [literally, house of the partridge].

The Book of Joshua 18:19-21 says " Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and . . . "

The very old monastery is in the desert near Jericho.

Greek Orthodox Archimandrite Chrysostomos has been abbot of the monastery for some 30 years.
His hard work and vision have turned the place into a beautiful oasis.
The kind monk is known as a holy man and pilgrims come from near and far to seek his blessing.

But why a full sized lion in the courtyard (and a lion on many of the icons)?

He is Yarden, or Jordanes, who became the faithful pet of St. Gerasimus after the monk saved him from injury.
But that story will come soon in a post of its own.
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I think it is unusual for a monastery to have more animals than people.
At last count there were six monks and five novices, plus some volunteers mostly from Greece and Cyprus.

I wish I could live there as a volunteer for a time. It is a very special place.
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Quiet in the crypt!

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Quiet is the key word for today's Q post for ABC Wednesday.

Shhhh, we are descending to the dark crypt beneath the Armenian Catholic church in the Old City.

OK, no talking; the mysteries of faith seldom have an explanation anyway . . . .

A nun in black is behind the glass doors in this unusual chapel.
First read the signs carefully, if you dare to enter.
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(More about the quiet Our Lady of the Spasm Church is here and here, including how it got its rather queer name.)
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This post is also for Our World Tuesday.
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The allegory of the church lamp

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Thanks to Shadow Shot Sunday I am starting to appreciate some shadows more than the "real" thing.

Wonder what Plato would say to that.
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To seek forgiveness

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PsalmChallenge is hosted by Robert of Daily Athens.

Psalm 32

1 A Psalm of David. A Maskil.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I declared not my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. [Selah]
5 I acknowledged my sin to thee, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; then thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. [Selah]

6 Therefore let every one who is godly offer prayer to thee; at a time of distress, in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
7 Thou art a hiding place for me, thou preservest me from trouble; thou dost encompass me with deliverance. [Selah]

8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.


9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not keep with you.

10 Many are the pangs of the wicked; but steadfast love surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
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Revised Standard Version translation. For Hebrew-English see Mechon Mamre. For Rabbi Segal's translation and commentary see A New Psalm.
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Photos:
Ceremonial horse trappings. Brass with turquoise and coral inlay. Bukhara, 19th century. At the Museum of Islamic Art, Jerusalem.
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Confession booth, St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia.
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As a Jew, I sometimes wonder what it is like to make confession to a priest. But I do like how the Catholic church now seems to call it the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

For the early Church, Psalm 32 was considered one of a group of seven Psalms of Atonement.
In Jewish tradition, it is the Psalm recited on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
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Beatitudes for Norway

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For ABC Wednesday B-day --


The Church of the Beatitudes is on the Mount of Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Here Jesus gave his first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.

Stepping into the church you meet the text of the Beatitudes with the square notes of Gregorian chant.
If you'd like to read them in side-by-side Latin, Greek, and English, go here.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10
At the base of the lectern is a basket, a reminder to be generous.
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As I read the Beatitudes now, again, they seem to speak of the young Norwegians who were taken from us.
May their memory be for a blessing.
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The world behind the gate

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A rare photo of the gate open. ( A car had just driven out and the automatic gate was sliding shut.)
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The people door is to the right.
You must press the button on the pillar and hope a Sister will answer on the intercom.
Then you must hope that the Russian-speaking nun will understand that you want to come in and walk around.
If you are answered with a buzzer, lean on that heavy door fast!
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Suddenly you will be quite alone in another world that feels like a 19th century Russian village.
But it is the huge monastic grounds of the Russian Orthodox Gornensky Convent on the edge of Ein Kerem.
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At Louis la Vache's new Monday Doorways meme you can see all kinds of entrances, and you are welcome to contribute a photo of a favorite door of yours too.
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A semi-secret passageway

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Outside, on the Old City's Christian Quarter Road, are the souvenir T-shirts and all the hustle and bustle of the Arab bazaar and of passing tourist groups.
But if you pay attention to this door within a gate, and if you have the courage to step through, you will be entering a secret other world.
The quiet courtyard feels ancient, quiet, and mysterious.
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It is the Greek Orthodox monastery and Church of Prodromos [the Forerunner], also called the Church of St. John the Baptist.
Its 5th century crypt is the oldest surviving church building in Jerusalem.
.The upper story was destroyed by the Persians in 614.
It was rebuilt by St. John the Almoner, Patriarch of Alexandria, and later, in the 11th century, by Italian merchants from Amalfi.
Only the the small bell tower and the present facade of the upper story are modern.
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In 1099 many Crusader knights who were wounded during the siege of Jerusalem were cared for in this church.
After their recovery some of the grateful knights dedicated themselves to helping the sick and protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Calling themselves the Knights of the Hospital of St. John, they later developed into the military order of the Hospitallers.
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More information at Sacred Destinations.
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This post is for inSPIREd Sunday and That's MyWorld.
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I'm glad you came through the doorway!
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Two kinds of Orthodox on Shivtei Yisrael St.

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A pretty church in a pretty blue sky, for SkyWatch Friday.
That's the flag of Romania flying.
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Let's let Aviva Bar-Am tell the story:

"You may find Mea She'arim a strange location for an Orthodox Patriarchate. However, by 1927 when the Romanian Church was anxious to gain a foothold in Jerusalem, the choicest sites inside the Old City walls had already been taken.

Instead, it bought property on Rehov Shivtei Yisrael, which was close to the Old City and nearly empty; only later did the street fill up with haredim.

Stand back to look at the reddish tint of the Patriarchate's beautiful stone structure and to note its stately lines. The entrance to the church is hidden around the corner behind the gas station, a gesture to the area's religious residents."

Haredim refers to ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The Toledot Aharon group are among the most zealous of the haredim.
In the 1970s they built a yeshiva right across the street from the Romanian church. Oi veh!
In order not to see the two crosses, they built a windowless wall right in front of the facade of the yeshiva.
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At least that is what an older guidebook says.
When I walked there last week (for the first time), the Toledot Aharon yeshiva was undergoing some new construction.
Maybe things are changing . . .
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A world turned on its head

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The Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in the Old City yielded two photos for James' Weekend Reflections.
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Floor tiles are reflected by the special glass protecting the sides of this ancient stone structure.
If you look into the glass on top of it, you see this:

Two tiers, up to the ceiling, of paintings, winding all around the sanctuary and then some!
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Some are life-sized depictions of Russian Orthodox saints.
The others are illustrations starting at the Mount of Olives, followed by the Stations of the Cross, and ending with the Resurrection. The famous 19th century artist N. Koshelev painted them.
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I have the feeling that the upside down cross reflects the suddenly topsy turvy inner world of the disciples on this Holy Saturday long ago. Yesterday they had lost their Master, today he was in the grave, and they did not realize that the next day would bring resurrection. They thought they had lost everything.
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The Alexander Nevsky church was built in 1896 over important archaeological discoveries found in 1858, including what is believed to be the Judgment Gate.
Christians believe that Jesus passed through this city gate on the way to Calvary.
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For decades this building was decaying because of a lack of money and was not often open.
Now it has been restored and is open all day. But not many pilgrims or tourists seem to know this, and this very special church is mostly empty.
Next time you are in the Holy City, do pay it a visit.
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Sprucing up for the holidays

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A friend and I walked down to the Kidron Valley and up to the Mount of Olives this morning.
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One stop was the Russian Orthodox Convent and Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
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On the rails and benches outside the church, rugs were hanging, just waiting for a good beating.
And an airing-out.
A mop stood at attention.
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And I thought only we Jews were frantically trying to get the houses and yards clean before Pesach. It looks like Christians too are busy with pre-Holy Week spring cleaning.
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A Russian Orthodox nun was carefully re-painting a tiny white spot where the paint had chipped off the wall.
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Such devotion to details and to cleanliness.
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The Maronites

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Shalom! Want to visit the Maronites today for That's My World?
Mighty nice place for ABC Wednesday's M-Day too.
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Just ring the bell.
Well, OK, not THIS bell.
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Look for the doorbell near this sign in the Old City, not far from Jaffa Gate.
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Foyer Mar Maroun is a beautiful old (1895) guest house for pilgrims.
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Their nice website says it has 27 rooms and that "The house is managed by Maronite Nuns from the congregation of St. Therese of the Child Jesus [Therese of Lisieux], who are also responsible for other parochial activities concerning the Maronite Parish in Jerusalem."
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"The Maronite church is an Eastern Catholic Church on the seat of Antioch, in full communion with the Holy See of Rome.

Historically, the origins of the Maronite Church are to be found amongst those monastic and lay people who gathered around the saintly hermit Maron, an early 5th-century Syriac monk venerated as a saint. These Christians who accepted his way of life and worship were soon identified as 'those of St. Maron - the Maronites.' "
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This is the only Maronite church in Jerusalem.
The local community is small.
Most Maronites live in Lebanon (see the Cedar of Lebanon on the altar?).
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The liturgical language is Syriac (Christian Aramaic).
Hear some hymns in this ancient language at YouTube.
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The roof of the Maronite monastery and guest house has a panoramic view.
Here we are looking east over the Old City and the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives.
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Would you like to book an overnight here? I would!
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A tireless and devoted Italian architect

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Antonio Barluzzi (1884-1960) was an Italian architect, a fervent Christian, and a tireless traveler.
He certainly left his mark in the Holy Land.
Between 1912 and 1955 he built or restored 24 churches, hospitals, and schools in Israel and Jordan.

The Christian Information Center in Jerusalem is currently showing an exhibition about his life and works.
The posters, like the one above that you can enlarge and read, are in English and Italian.
Look at the Arab stonemasons at work on the stones to build the Basilica of the Agony on the Mount of Olives.
Look at the arches in the ceiling of the church!

Here is how the arches looked from above while being constructed in the early 1920s!
Please enlarge the picture and feast your eyes!

The church is over Crusader and even earlier foundations.
Right next to it is the Garden of Gethsemane.

The altar is built next to the Rock of the Apostles (where some of them fell asleep instead of watching with Jesus).

What is the Great Seal of the United States of America doing on the ceiling?
Well, the church is also called The Church of All Nations and the symbols of each country that contributed money are incorporated into the inlaid gold ceilings of each of 12 cupolas.

The Franciscans' worship there on Maundy Thursday, April 21, will be broadcast live to the world.

With thanks to Antonio Barluzzi for our That's My World tour today.
Find my other posts about his works here.

UPDATE Oct. 3, 2013:  See how Italian tinsmiths are doing restoration work on the roof of the church.

(Linking to inSPIREd Sunday.)
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Light entering, shadow moving

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Recently I showed you the inside of the cathedral of the Latin [i.e. Roman Catholic] Patriarchate in the Old City.
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Here's an outside shot.
The late afternoon shadows (for Shadow Shot Sunday) were creeping upward, about to envelop the stained glass window.
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Inside the church, the round window showed its colors.
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St. Thérèse's relics on pilgrimage in Israel

. In her life as a cloistered Carmelite nun, St. Theresa never went out from her convent in Lisieux.
But in death, parts of her are making a world tour.
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On the poster you can see the long list of cities in Israel her relics will visit in a 2-week period.
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This Catholic custom of veneration of relics is strange to Jews, so of course I was curious and went to the Old City to find Theresa, The Little Flower.

Alas, the guard at the Latin Patriarchate told me I was two hours too late, that "she" had just left and was on the way to Haifa.

To console me, he showed me in to the empty cathedral.

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I had the whole place to myself! Blessed silence and solitude.

The stained-glass-filtered sunlight gave some pews and the pulpit a rainbow touch.

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I found one remaining copy of the welcoming ceremony at Jaffa Gate, the procession, and the Solemn Vespers at the church.

I sat on a multi-colored pew and read the pages, pretending to understand the Latin.

I thought about young (dead at 24) Theresa and her Little Way which teaches us to do little things with great love.

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So this post was a tour of something I did not see, for That's My World Tuesday

However, the Latin Patriarchate website has short videos of the welcomes given to the reliquary at Ben-Gurion Airport and in Jerusalem (and also articles about the saint).

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"Understanding Theresa's Relics" helps, e.g. "It is a fact that when people stand in the presence of her mortal remains or have some contact with her poor relics, . . . God, who received through her humanity so many signs of love, is pleased in turn to manifest his love through her bodily remains."

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This newspaper includes the fact that one set of her relics was taken into space in the Discovery.

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And Wikipedia has the whole story of Theresa, from 1873 to 1897.

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