Getting to know our neighborhood.

This morning we got up early and went to the 6.30am Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Mass was said and sung in Latin and was celebrated just outside the tomb where Jesus was buried and where He rose again. Even though we couldn't understand much at all, the singing by the Franciscan monks was lovely and it was very moving. Afterwards we got to spend a few moments in quiet prayer both in the tomb itself and at the site of the crucifixion - Golgotha. We also found an ancient tomb carved into the rock, as well as a lovely side chapel that had the most beautiful stations of the cross done in small statues.
We went back to Ecce Homo for breakfast then headed to the Mount of Olives. We stumbled on an interesting church which we discovered later was the tomb of Mary. We walked down stairs into the church which was very old and decorated with hanging lamps. There was an orthodox mass being said by a Bishop and there were lots of people involved including an amazing all male choir whose singing was haunting.

Next door, we found the grotto of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and near that was the Garden of Gethsemane which contained some ancient olive trees.
We then walked up the hill past the Jewish cemetery which contains the remains of 180,000 Jews who believed that all mankind would be resurrected on the Day of Judgment from this spot.
We continued further up the hill to the Dominus Flevit Chapel which had an amazing view out of its window across to the Dome of the rock and the Old City. We got to the top of the mount of Olives and had a picnic lunch while enjoying the stunning view across the city.

In the afternoon we went on a very informative tour of the four quarters of the city - the Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters. We learnt how these different cultures and religions live side by side in this tiny city which is only one square kilometer in size. Some of the interesting facts we learnt included:
• of the 37,000 people living in the old city, 27,000 are Muslim, 5,000 are Christian, 2,000 are Armenian and only 2,500 are Jewish
• the Armenian Quarter is walled in by a double wall and they do not mix much with the other people
• many of the Christian holy sites are in the Muslim quarter.
This tour taught us the importance of looking beyond the historical and religious sites to see and get to know the people in this special place.

Even though this was a tiring day, it was one of the best days of our stay so far for me! I saw, learnt and experienced so much! And there is still so much more to come!

A Desert Experience

We got off to an early start this morning with a packed lunch and plenty of water as we headed 20 kilometers out of Jerusalem to the Judean desert with our lovely Jewish guide Jared. The first lookout we stopped at gave us a lovely panoramic view of the rocky limestone hills and cliffs - no sandy dunes here! We then headed down the valley where we began our walk. It was amazing to think that this was the area where Jesus spent forty days and where Moses led the Israelites to the Promised land. The other amazing thing was that there was a fast flowing spring in the middle of the desert - which created a beautiful river with fish and lush green vegetation. I even went for a swim- something I never thought I would do in a desert!
The morning was quite challenging with rocks to climb up, water to wade through, thistles to avoid and steep hills to conquer- a symbolic reflection on life itself with all its ups and downs, obstacles and blessings, like the refreshing water of the river!
Our guide told us about how the Jews see the desert as hefker - a state of ownerless. He asked us to think about the burdens, commitments and distractions in our life- work, technology etc and asked us, in the silence of the desert to try to make ourselves hefker - a person who is free and not owned by anyone or anything.
The desert experience was a tiring yet moving one for me - out there all you have is yourself - money, statusetc mean nothing. You are there in the midst of God's creation and vulnerable to the elements especially the intense heat. I learnt so much from this experience about myself, others and God.
After a recovery afternoon, we walked down to the western Wall - the most sacred place for Jews as it is the last remaining wall of the temple and the Jews believe it is the closest place to God - to see the Jewish people praying just before the Shabbat - Sabbath. There is a separate section of the wall for the men and another for the women. We went down to the women's section where we could go right up to and touch the wall. I placed a prayer in the cracks of the wall and said a prayer. We noticed the ladies coming back from the wall were walking in reverse so they did not turn their back to the wall. The women were very emotional and prayed from a prayer book and rocked as they prayed. The men did the same. It was very interesting to observe these people as they worshipped and prayed to their God.

Celebrating sisterhood

Yesterday began with an introduction to Judaism with a wonderful and engaging Jewish lady called Debbie. She shared four main points about Judaism:
• It is important to remember that Jesus, Mary the early disciples and gospel writers were all Jews- so it is important for Christians to learn about the roots of our faith to be found in Judaism
• Ancient and modern Judaism are connected so today's Jews are a link in the chain to the past
• Jews are not exclusively and primarily a religious group - they are a people hood.
• Jews are a people who argue a lot - there is very little they agree on.
I thoroughly enjoyed her lectures and learnt some much about the Jewish culture of the past and today.

After lunch we got on a bus and headed to Ein Karem, a small village where it is believed that Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. We first visited the Church of the Visitation - dedicated to this special encounter. There was a beautiful statue of this meeting out the front together with tiles bearing the magnificat prayer in many different languages. We then went to the church of John the Baptist which had similar tiles bearing Zechariah's prayer for his son John in different languages.

From here we walked up to the Sisters of Sion convent - a haven and place of retreat and reflection- where we had some quiet time then shared a meal together. The highlight of this day was our Mass in honour of Mary in the sisters' chapel- Fr Richard Ross said the Mass which included a beautiful Taize chant of the Magnificat, special prayers and the final hymn - Gentle Woman. It was very moving and I really felt united with all other women both past and present - it was a wonderful celebration of the blessings of womanhood.

The Shema and the Tower of David

"Shema Israel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Ehad"- " Listen, Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is One"
Yesterday we began our first set of lectures about the Bible, with a special focus on the Shema - a key text in Judaism from the book of Deuteronomy which is recited twice a day by male Jews. It is like a creed.The printed text is also kept in plaques on all doorways in Jewish houses. We also had a short introduction to the Old Testament and some background on Matthew's Gospel.
After lunch we walked through the Old city with its maze of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways full of merchants trying to sell you their wares, up to the Tower of David, where in two and a half hours, we were given a summary of the 6000 year history of this ancient land. From the top of the Tower we had a great view over the city out to the Mount of Olives, the Dome of the Rock, where the old temple used to be, and many other significant sites of the city.
The heat of the day got to us so after the tour we went and had a cool drink before making our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - the sight of Calvary. This was the highlight of the day for me - actually visiting Golgotha, the place where it is believed Jesus was crucified. After climbing up the stairs, you can kneel down under an altar and touch the rocks of Calvary. We also went into the tomb where Jesus was buried and where the resurrection occurred. It was very moving to be in this holiest of places and to be silent, still and pray.

We have arrived!

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Deuteronomy.
After another day of waiting in queues at airports, we have finally arrived in Jerusalem. I can't quite believe I am here in the land where Jesus lived and died. Last night we went to a special Mass in the Basilica with all the other pilgrims who are doing this course - it was very special. This morning I have woken up to a glorious day. Here is the view from the Balcony of our accommodation! I feel so blessed and so privileged to be in this most sacred place and I look forward to all that lies ahead for me here over the coming month!

Are we there yet?

After a long 13 and a half hour flight from Melbourne, we landed in Dubai this morning but our flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flights to Tel Aviv.
It has taken us more than 6 hours to arrange new flights and find a hotel to stay the night. We are all exhausted but happy to have somewhere to lay our heads tonight. We fly out tomorrow afternoon and will arrive in Jerusalem in the late afternoon, God willing!
We will miss our welcome and a trip to the Mount of Olives, but hope to catch up on this excursion another time.  We hope the wait will be worth it when we finally arrive in Jerusalem!

Companions on the Journey

Well the big day has arrived! I am all packed and will be heading off to the airport shortly to begin this big adventure.
Together with my companions who are joining me on this pilgrimage, I hold close to my heart my family, friends, members of the St. Aloysius Catholic college community and the Kingston-Channel Parish community as well as some very special people - you are all my co-companions on this journey.
I am both excited and nervous about all that lies ahead for me in The Holy Land, and I look forward to all that it may offer me both spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.