Day Six......

Our second to last day of touring began early...as usual.  

It was not too hard to crawl out before dawn when you began with an amazing breakfast buffet and chatter about what was on the agenda for the day.

We boarded the bus and headed to the Pater Noster Church.

It was on this sight that Jesus taught the Apostles to pray.  It was the intimate prayer, The Our Father, that they learned here.  

This prayer was done in mosaic tiles in many different languages on the interior of the courtyard.  

The most difficult part was absorbing how many different languages the actually were here.

It was a simple, beautiful place.  So many of the sights were so ornate that you were distracted from the meaning of the sight by so much that was overdone.  Not here.  

This was as it should be.  I was....as I was with most places, touched by the fact that all the things I had learned in church had meaning now by the fact that I was in the place it happened.

They say that once you visit the Holy Land your faith will take on a whole new meaning...I get it now.

Outside the sight of the Pater Noster was a Jewish cemetery.  It was just hillside after hillside of above ground crypts.  I do not know how far back the burials go but there are thousands of stone markers here.  I am not sure how you go about locating your loved one in this massive cemetery. 

Next spot was the Sanctuary of Dominus Flevit...the Lord Wept.

This is another of the calmest and most peaceful of all the holy places.

The extensive and well kept ground give a sense of prayer and reflection.

Mass was celebrated in the beautiful chapel on the sight and though my picture does not reflect it, the golden dome of the City of Jerusalem was visible through the beautiful window of the church.  

What an amazing place to worship with the friends on this journey

Outside of this chapel is the tree of thorns.  The thorns on this tree are immense.  They are thick and sharp and the thought that they made a crown of theses branches and placed it on the head of Jesus is just horrific.  This  brings true reality of the suffering that took place at the crucifixion.  Reality truly sets in as you view these sights.

We spent some time viewing the Garden of Gethsemane.  The garden was sadly surrounded by rod iron fencing so we could only view from outside the fence.

This is the garden full of olive trees where Jesus prayed after the Last Supper with his Apostles.

Eleven of these men fell asleep during his time of prayer and one betrayed him....so he prayed alone.

These trees go back 2000 years.  It is said it is impossible to kill an olive tree.  You can cut down the tree but the roots will not die, and a new tree will shoot forth.  The branches of an olive tree are a symbol of peace.  

It was here that "He bore the suffering that makes us whole"

Isaiah 53:5

Before we left the garden we visited the Church of All Nations....

so named because all nations contributed to building this beautiful church.  

It was here the actual stone where Jesus prayed in the garden if=s believed to be.  

It was packed with tourist making it almost impossible to walk around and explore.

It was definitely the busiest of all of the sights we visited.

The next stop was the Upper Room where Christ celebrated the last Supper with his disciples.  This is one of the sights that is debatable as to it's authenticity.  t was beautiful....as I imagined it would be.

It was also crowded with tourist so our visit was quick.  Authentic or not, it was easy to imagine Jesus instituting the Euchariast in a sight much like this.

Another part of the bible come to life.

Next we visited the Tomb of David.  

This tomb is a national monument in the State of Israel and is open to all.

Since the original tomb has been lost, this provides an opportunity to honor David who contributed many of the prayers that nourished the spiritual life of those that worship here.

Last stop of the day was the Dormition Abbey.  

This beautiful mosaic depicts Mary with Jeus as a child.

In the crypt under the church is an amazing stone sculpture of the Virgin Mary in repose.  

This sight is said to be the sight of the home of Mary.  The sight is simple but beautiful....another incredible place to stand.

On the way back to our hotel at the end of the day we passed the Temple where Jesus was said to be left by Joseph and Mary when he was 12 years old.  We did not get to stop but seeing the sight again lends reality to the biblical stories.  

Back to reflect, share stories, reorganize, and get ready for our last day in this Holy City.