Day 1: Western Wall to Bethany in Palestine

I was awoken by a beautifully delicious sunrise. I felt the gentle rays of light penetrating the curtains of my room.

 

 

The view from the roof of my whereabouts arranged for an instant panoramic experience.

 

I went for a quick job down some of the neighboring streets intent on getting lost and finding my way back. The shops were still closed and it seemed that the Holy City was still asleep.

 

I ran into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and went waltzing in. I walked right past a priest I recognized from my seminary days and feeling skimpy in my jogging gear I decided not to greet him just yet. I headed upstairs to see him begin Mass at the altar of the Crucifixion.

 

 

I headed downstairs and I found the sacristy to inquire about mass times at the Mount of Olives. This ended up with mass inside the Holy Sepulchre. There were just 6 or 7 of us inside the tiny cave of a Tomb where Jesus rose from the Dead.

 

 

I witnessed one of the pilgims pass out and fall over onto the altar. She awoke to my thinking: "We just witnessed a Resurrection…"

 

I visited the Western Wall - in Hebrew, "Ko-tel". I had brought a prayer with me from there and so I prayed it along with psalms from the Psalter.

 

 

After a long period with friends along the Eastern ramparts of Jerusalem we headed to the Last Supper Cenacle where Jesus celebrated the Feast of His Body and Blood. A flood of memories deluged my mind. A lot happened upstairs:

 

1. Jesus instituted the Eucharist
2. Jesus instituted the Priesthood
3. Jesus instituted the Apostolic Forgiveness of Sins
4. Pentecost: The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and the Church was born.
5. The Apostles hid from the world.
6. Jesus showed up after his Resurrection and said, "Be not Afraid!"

 

I'm sure those were just a few of the things that happened.

 

 

 Later that day after having a Falafel from Heaven I had the chance to do some of my own traveling. I went on to Bethany in Palestinian Territory. It is a very difficult neighborhood and not easy to get to on your own. I prayed at Martha and Mary's Home and grieved the death of a friend along with Jesus. That was the place where it is said of Jesus, "And Jesus wept" (John 11:35). I had been able to make it to the Mount of Olives and to pray in the Garden of Gethsemani. This beautiful place moved me also to tears to think of a friend who was to offer his own life for ours. I'm speaking of Jesus.

 

 

I was able to make it back into Jerusalem and Israeli territory by the help of Spanish Pilgrims but otherwise things were looking not all so easy.

 

After a quick swing through the Muslim Market and getting my daily dosage of fresh bread (for my hummus) it was back to Jerusalem.

 

 

All in all a beautiful day.