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Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Yad Vashem
Today, January 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and this was the day that we visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. Two years ago I was deeply moved here. This day was no different.
On the grounds there is a memorial to the 1,500,000 children who were killed in the Holocaust. This memorial does an incredible job of representing the souls of these children. Even before I stepped in to the memorial, I started thinking of the children in my life; my nieces and nephews, my children, friends from church, work and school. The pain would be tremendous to have just one die, but to lose half of them because of hatred would be unbearable.
Christina Taylor Green, the 9 year old, recently shot and killed in Arizona gives me a glimpse at this hurt. A needless death that is oh so difficult to understand. How difficult it must be for the neighbor that took her to this event. Even though this neighbor is guilty of nothing more than being a friend, I am afraid that they could be blaming themselves. I so empathize with their pain.
Remember that life is precious and every day is a once-in-lifetime event. There is no rewind on our lives.
On the grounds there is a memorial to the 1,500,000 children who were killed in the Holocaust. This memorial does an incredible job of representing the souls of these children. Even before I stepped in to the memorial, I started thinking of the children in my life; my nieces and nephews, my children, friends from church, work and school. The pain would be tremendous to have just one die, but to lose half of them because of hatred would be unbearable.
Christina Taylor Green, the 9 year old, recently shot and killed in Arizona gives me a glimpse at this hurt. A needless death that is oh so difficult to understand. How difficult it must be for the neighbor that took her to this event. Even though this neighbor is guilty of nothing more than being a friend, I am afraid that they could be blaming themselves. I so empathize with their pain.
Remember that life is precious and every day is a once-in-lifetime event. There is no rewind on our lives.
Working for Falafel
Mohommed at the Old City Fast Food Stand
If you are short on cash you can always help him out
Try making your own falafel with this great recipe from DeDeMed.
Good news and bad news
We are having a great time, and it gets to continue. Flights are cancelled in Philly so we are staying a day longer. We will be getting back on Saturday morning.
One Last Mission
We just spent the morning in the Old City. Some of us walked on the ramparts from the Jaffa Gate to the Damascus Gate. It was fun to be out on our own without the tour guide. We started recognizing places we had visited and didn't feel so lost.
Mary Jicha saw Donna knitting socks on the plane and told her about a friend who buys yarn on her travels and makes socks from them. So we had a mission this morning. Find sock yarn in Jerusalem. We went to the textile section of shops in the Old City and they directed us to go outside the Damascus gate and ask for Abu Abdulla (sic). We started heading that way, but got distracted at a falafel stand and even got to make our own falafel. We ate the lamb and falafel pitas in a hooka bar across the alley as the old men smoked and drank coffee and young children ran around. It was really nice.
When we got outside the gate and crossed the street we ask a grocery store owner where Abu Abdulla was at. He didn't understand English or the name, but when I pantomimed knitting he told be to take a left and go 3. Three what I didn't know, but we headed that way. We found a tailor and went in and there was a beautiful lady who spoke better English then me ;-). She told us to keep on going down the street and it would be next to a sweet shop. As we were walking Donna saw ribbon in the back of a store. We went back and I was certain she was back in the stock room, but no one said anything to her. There she found some beautiful St. Mary blue sock yarn.
Mission Accomplished.
Mary Jicha saw Donna knitting socks on the plane and told her about a friend who buys yarn on her travels and makes socks from them. So we had a mission this morning. Find sock yarn in Jerusalem. We went to the textile section of shops in the Old City and they directed us to go outside the Damascus gate and ask for Abu Abdulla (sic). We started heading that way, but got distracted at a falafel stand and even got to make our own falafel. We ate the lamb and falafel pitas in a hooka bar across the alley as the old men smoked and drank coffee and young children ran around. It was really nice.
When we got outside the gate and crossed the street we ask a grocery store owner where Abu Abdulla was at. He didn't understand English or the name, but when I pantomimed knitting he told be to take a left and go 3. Three what I didn't know, but we headed that way. We found a tailor and went in and there was a beautiful lady who spoke better English then me ;-). She told us to keep on going down the street and it would be next to a sweet shop. As we were walking Donna saw ribbon in the back of a store. We went back and I was certain she was back in the stock room, but no one said anything to her. There she found some beautiful St. Mary blue sock yarn.
Mission Accomplished.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
And then we road Charlie the Camel
I was insistent on getting a camel ride and it was fun. Turns out that 11 of us went for a ride. It was a good day for Mohommed the camel jockey.
Challenging Us at the Garden
Fr. Steve gave a very powerful homily in a very powerful place. The Garden of Gethsemane is one of my favorite places in Jerusalem, and that was where we headed to first thing this morning. Its ancient olive trees, an incredible church, and its location across the valley from the Eastern gate on the Mount of Olives make it quite an experience.
This is the place where the disciples could not stay awake for even an hour after Jesus had asked them to do that while he went and prayed. Each time he found them asleep he told them to awake and pray. He could of told them go away, but he stuck with them, even in their weakness.
Fr. Steve ask us if there has there been a time when we have stood by someone in their time of need, even when are head is telling us that they have brought this on themselves, but we know in our heart that we need to support them? This made me think what I have done and haven't done for the homeless that live less then a mile from my house under a bridge in Wooster. My office has taken them food, but they need more support. Physical, spiritual, mental. Maybe I just need to stop and spend time listening to them. Maybe it is breaking bread with them.
Above all, I can't harden my heart to my fellow man. I don't want to be the one that just drives by and points them out. I want them to know that same love that I have received from our community. Please pray that I will find the strength and wisdom to treat my neighbor as myself.
A sign on a church we visited said:
"If you enter here as a tourist we hope you leave a pilgrim.
If you enter here as a pilgrim we hope you leave holier."
Amen!
I pray that each of my fellow pilgrims and others following along have grown holier through our experiences.
This is the place where the disciples could not stay awake for even an hour after Jesus had asked them to do that while he went and prayed. Each time he found them asleep he told them to awake and pray. He could of told them go away, but he stuck with them, even in their weakness.
Fr. Steve ask us if there has there been a time when we have stood by someone in their time of need, even when are head is telling us that they have brought this on themselves, but we know in our heart that we need to support them? This made me think what I have done and haven't done for the homeless that live less then a mile from my house under a bridge in Wooster. My office has taken them food, but they need more support. Physical, spiritual, mental. Maybe I just need to stop and spend time listening to them. Maybe it is breaking bread with them.
Above all, I can't harden my heart to my fellow man. I don't want to be the one that just drives by and points them out. I want them to know that same love that I have received from our community. Please pray that I will find the strength and wisdom to treat my neighbor as myself.
A sign on a church we visited said:
"If you enter here as a tourist we hope you leave a pilgrim.
If you enter here as a pilgrim we hope you leave holier."
Amen!
I pray that each of my fellow pilgrims and others following along have grown holier through our experiences.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Emotion, Excitement and Exercise
When Yair, our beloved tour guide, told us our wake-up call for today would be 4:30am I groaned inside, however I didn't hear anyone on the bus groan out loud which made me very pleased.
We left the hotel at 5:30am to head for the Jaffa Gate. Five minutes later we were entering the Old City with the stars still in the sky. What a treat. It was so quiet, with all of the shops shuttered. A few cats were running around and a lady was locking up a mosque as she was leaving. Past experiences of the Old City had been so busy, hectic, and confusing that it seemed like this morning we were sneaking in before it was opening.
We walked into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre around 5:50am and again it was quiet. We went straight to the tomb and it was then I realized we were having mass INSIDE the tomb. I had thought we were going to have it in a chapel next to the tomb, but thanks be to God, we celebrated mass in a most sacred spot. A spot where we have commemorated the resurrection for over a thousand years. Millions of pilgrims have come to this spot and you feel the universality of our faith here.
It was an emotional mass, especially during the reading of the Gospel, and included many special prayer intentions. The sun had risen when we came out of the tomb and it was a glorious day. The group was excited from this experience, which was good because we had quite a day ahead of us.
We headed for the Western Wall to pray. Some had written prayers to put in the cracks of the walls, as is the tradition. Of all of the places we visit this is the most powerful for me. I don't need to try to pray here, the prayer comes to me. It was awesome.
We then walked through a recently excavated tunnel which goes along the length of the Western Wall below the Muslim Quarter. There are stones that are larger then stones used to build the pyramids. When we came above ground we were near the Damascus gate and walked back to our hotel for a satisfying breakfast. It was a whole day in just a morning. We didn't need any more exercise, but after a rest we ventured out for more, but those stories will have to wait for another day.
We left the hotel at 5:30am to head for the Jaffa Gate. Five minutes later we were entering the Old City with the stars still in the sky. What a treat. It was so quiet, with all of the shops shuttered. A few cats were running around and a lady was locking up a mosque as she was leaving. Past experiences of the Old City had been so busy, hectic, and confusing that it seemed like this morning we were sneaking in before it was opening.
We walked into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre around 5:50am and again it was quiet. We went straight to the tomb and it was then I realized we were having mass INSIDE the tomb. I had thought we were going to have it in a chapel next to the tomb, but thanks be to God, we celebrated mass in a most sacred spot. A spot where we have commemorated the resurrection for over a thousand years. Millions of pilgrims have come to this spot and you feel the universality of our faith here.
It was an emotional mass, especially during the reading of the Gospel, and included many special prayer intentions. The sun had risen when we came out of the tomb and it was a glorious day. The group was excited from this experience, which was good because we had quite a day ahead of us.
We headed for the Western Wall to pray. Some had written prayers to put in the cracks of the walls, as is the tradition. Of all of the places we visit this is the most powerful for me. I don't need to try to pray here, the prayer comes to me. It was awesome.
We then walked through a recently excavated tunnel which goes along the length of the Western Wall below the Muslim Quarter. There are stones that are larger then stones used to build the pyramids. When we came above ground we were near the Damascus gate and walked back to our hotel for a satisfying breakfast. It was a whole day in just a morning. We didn't need any more exercise, but after a rest we ventured out for more, but those stories will have to wait for another day.
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Shepherd's Fields in Bethleham
Mike Houghtaling, our birthday boy today, read from the Gospel of Luke the account of the angels visiting the shepherds. When I first suggested he read the gospel because we were at a quiet spot, he balked saying he wanted to do it in a more authentic spot. Once I realized that we were on the edge of the Judean Desert, but the grass was lush and green and drip irrigation pipes were running everywhere I started to understand. We ventured closer to the actual fields and he read the account.
He then shared a reflection with us on how the fields in Israel are not like what we think of as a pasture in the US. The fields are mainly rocks with sparse vegetation in between. The shepherd doesn't herd the flock, but leads it along well worn paths in the fields. Much how Jesus lights the way along the path of righteousness.
We are pretty tired and going to hit the hay early. We have mass at 6am in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the we are going to tour the tunnel along the Western Wall, and then walk back to the hotel for breakfast. What a start to the day.
Thanks to all who are praying for us. We are raising you up in our prayers and everything is going well.
He then shared a reflection with us on how the fields in Israel are not like what we think of as a pasture in the US. The fields are mainly rocks with sparse vegetation in between. The shepherd doesn't herd the flock, but leads it along well worn paths in the fields. Much how Jesus lights the way along the path of righteousness.
We are pretty tired and going to hit the hay early. We have mass at 6am in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the we are going to tour the tunnel along the Western Wall, and then walk back to the hotel for breakfast. What a start to the day.
Thanks to all who are praying for us. We are raising you up in our prayers and everything is going well.
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