Today, Friday, is our last day in Rome and tomorrow morning, Susan and I leave for Krakow, Poland at 6:00 AM, and Johna and Sam leave at noon to fly to Madrid, where they spend the night and then return home on Monday.
Today we had mass with Fr. Gabriel, and mama, and 3 friends from Argentina, one of whom was a priest and con-celebrated the mass. We met them at 7:30 AM in St. Peter’s square at the entrance and Father was already in the Basilica preparing for mass. Lots of hugs and kisses we walked into the square and over to get mama in by two guards close to the security. Now, mama has a cane and is elderly and definitely qualifies as handicapped. You would think that the guards would have cared,….not a chance; they made us walk all the way around the Square like everyone else. So we all went the long way…..Susan and mama arm in arm and made the trek in 15 minutes, only to pass by the gate we tried to get through earlier, 20 ft. away and right at security……… “Italians”……..and I’m one of them.
We went thru security and as we approached the Basilica, they had the ramp closed, so it was either the steps or the elevator. I went ahead and Susan and mama followed and I asked for the elevator rather sternly and the man behind the desk jumped up and with his key took us up. We just made itbefore mass was about to begin.
Fr. Gabriel and his friend were on the altar preparing the host and altar and just before he started, he came down and handed me his camera and asked if I would take some photos. No Problem….. I felt like Marilyn Olsen at an ordination.
There was a guard there the whole time and didn’t say a word until mass was over and Father had left…….I took one more photo of the altar stone and he yelled at me, “no photo’s” Hello! Are you Italian?
Father was as excited to do mass at the altar of St John Paul II as were to be there for mass and it was beautiful. After mass had ended we waited for Father and he and Susan walked with mama down the stairs because you couldn’t get thru to the elevator. Lots of hugs and kisses later we departed allpromising to keep in touch, especially Susan and mama, since she does e-mail and facebook!
We had a car rented today for the day and we took the subway to Termini train station, and after a little struggle found the rental offices, we picked a number and were 10th in the wait line, but divine intervention again came thru and in less than 5 minutes some man came up to me and asked what Ineeded and I said my car, which I had pre-paid. So he took my license and credit cards and asked for my passport which I forgot so he said no problem and sent us to the pickup garage down the street. This guy must have been from another country after the people we ran into today.
Twenty minutes later we were in our brand new MERCEDES, did I tell you yet “I love this car”. We were going to Mentorella, the Sanctuary of Mentorella of in the mountains and then our plan was to go to Genazzano to Our Lady of Good Counsel Shrine, to Our Lady of Divine Love and then to the Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls back in Rome.
Pretty impressive right? Well, we made 2 of 4, after we got lost going to Mentorella and wasted a half hour backing out of dead ends and doing u-turns. Princess (my GPS) is now 10 years old and I think needs an update or retirement.
About 5 miles before the shrine there is a village, where we made a pit stop and had a cappuccino…..we hadn’t even had breakfast, but we were afraid to take too much time, because the church closed at 1:00 PM for 2 hours, so we headed up the final leg.
There was dead silence in the car as we made s-turn after s-turn on the narrow road, some of which had no guard rails. I was in heaven driving, the others were in Purgatory waiting for it to be over.
At the parking lot for the shrine there was a bus and some cars but we didn’t park there. We drove straight to the Shrine, saving a ¼ mile walk, a trick we remembered from our last visit here. We didn’t have to worry about the church closing……..there was a group getting ready to have mass so we spentwhat time we could saying a few prayers before the Statue of Our Lady and at the altar of Saint John Paul II.
As mass was to begin, we left the church and went to the cave of St. Benedict where he lived for many years before starting the Benedictine order. The lights kept going out and we had to keep going up the rock steps to turn it back on. I think the kids were mesmerized being there at this holy place. Johna and Sam both left a copy of their intentions there and on the statue of Saint Benedict there was a Brown Scapular with on side missing, so he took his off and tried to lasso it on the statue. Too funny! On the 3rd try it caught on something so he was happy. (See Photo’s).
We next climbed the Scala Sancta. Steps leading up to a bell for all Christians to ring acknowledging that they were there. We all took a turn. The views from here were incredible for all of us, since the last time Susan and I were here it was raining very hard and the clouds covered the mountain. I still remember that day looking up the steps and the brightness of the sky above.
Time to go, since we were on short time, so we headed down the mountain. Susan hates this part the most……..and I wasn’t sure about the others. We stopped back in the village and had lunch. We were all starving. We had pasta, all homemade of course, and the ravioli’s were huge. Everything was delicious and we shared a liter of house wine that everyone loved.
As we headed toward Genazzano the kids fell asleep in the back of the car, it was a lovely sight! Running short on time and the kids wanted to get a vigil, we turned around and went to St Paul’s Outside the Walls, hoping for a 5:00 PM vigil mass.
We got there in plenty of time and even found another mass in progress. It looked as if the priest was getting the altar ready. When we walked in we were scorned by some people with their looks. Little did we know that it was time for Communion, and the priest was breaking actual bread to serve. When he came around we all stood back as reverent as possible, deciding not to receive, and he passed by us anyway.
The mass at the Basilica was at 6:00 and at 5:00 vespers began in Latin, so we left, since tomorrow the kids had time to go to the Vatican in the morning and we could attend mass in Krakow, so we went home…..with only a few wrong turns. We all finished packing and Sam and I went for some pizza.
After dinner Sam was very sad, he told us he would love to have been able to go to Krakow and maybe we would have another chance. We went to bed at 10 PM, Susan and I had to be up at 5 and out the door at 6. We promised to wake them in the morning before we left to say goodbye. See you tomorrow.
Buona sera……
May the Blessed Mother wrap Her Mantle around all of you.
Love
Susan, Tom and the Kids
Pray to Our Lady of Good Counsel
Most Glorious Virgin, you were chosen by the eternal Counsel to be the
Mother of the Eternal Word made flesh. You are the treasurer of divine graces
and the advocate of sinners. I who am your most unworthy servant have
recourse to thee. Graciously be my guide and counselor in this valley of tears.
Obtain for me, through the Precious Blood of your Divine Son, the
forgiveness of my sins, the salvation of my soul, and the means necessary to obtain
it. In like manner, obtain for the Holy Church victory over Her enemies
and the spread of Jesus’ kingdom over the whole earth.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Bonjurno,
Yesterday I forgot to mention the Mass we attended at Saint John Lantern, which was a surprise for us………when we walked by a side chapel and the Gospel was being read, and it was in English! We went in and everyone smiled at us, making us feel like part of their group. After mass, the two priests came over to talk to us and find out where we were from. They were English, from Sussex, and everyone in their group shook our hands or gave a gentle hug. It was great because many groups don’t like strangers.
Anyway!!! Another early day to get to the Vatican and get thru the Holy Doors as pilgrims, since we had registered. We didn’t realize that we had to walk almost one mile away from the Vatican and then walk back. We found that out yesterday, so when we got to Saint Peters, I showed our pass and we got in the Pilgrims line. Security was quicker and everyone got to go thru the doors regardless. The same procedure was at the other 3 major Basilicas as well. We did visit them all on different days.
If you have never been to St. Peters, when you enter you immediately are in front of the Pieta created by Michangelo, it never gets old. Sam and Johna were very overwhelmed as we toured the Basilica and when we finally found the tomb of St. John Paul II. It was right past the Pieta, but blocked off for mass when we came in. Another area we came to was blocked off for confessions, so Susan decided to go for all the indulgences we had gotten. We waited for her…..and waited…..and…..waited. Only kidding, but the only the last confessional was for English.
We spent almost 2 hours here until the crowds became impossible to move or even enjoy the moment. The lines for the tombs of the Popes was very long and we were contemplating going when we ran into Mama, or Rachel, the mother of the Priest, Father Gabriel, who allowed us to celebrate with him at Bethlehem in the Manger alcove. Divine intervention, we thought……how unlikely was this?
By the way we were at the toilet doors, waiting for Sam, where we have met other great people at different toilets around the world, who became good friends, Like Fr. Tomasz, Cardinal Dziwisz’ Personal secretary, whom we plan to see next week. Fr. Gabriel came to meet his mother and was also shocked that we had run into each other.
We went for a grandee cappuccino so we could talk and get to know each other better. Mama was so happy to see us again and she and Susan bonded in a special way. We talked to them about their lives and ours and they invited us to Argentina, as we also invited them to Florida, where they will be traveling next year.
Father invited us to mass on Sat. at 8 AM at the shrine Of Saint John Paul II in St. Peters…..of course, we said yes, feeling blessed for the opportunity to receive communion in another very special place for us.
Father was next taking his mom to the Sistine Chapel, where Johna and Sam were going to go; Susan and I were taking the rest of the day off, so we hailed a cab for them and off the 4 of them went.
Susan and I walked back to the apartment, which took about 25 minutes. Along the way, we decided to spend the night in, so we went to the supermarket for food and supplies. Our choice was for Salad, fresh Pasta, Fresh sausage and some cheese and proscuitto and a good Chianti of course.
We figured they could make that, as it was Johna was great in the kitchen and Sam made a wonderful Sauce or gravy as he calls it.
The kids got home around 4:30. Sam was disappointed with the Sistine Chapel, because he couldn’t take photos, but he said it was magnificent. Susan and I had done that before and the crowds were overwhelming, that’s why we opted out. They said the crowds were the same.
The kids dinner was great, and we caught up on a few things especially a trip report since I am 4 days behind. We enjoyed the evening and went to bed all pretty exhausted from the non-stop pace.
Tomorrow we are up early again.
Bueno Serra
May the Grace and peace of Christ be with you always,
Love
Susan, Tom and the Kids
Prayer to the Immaculate Conception
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your
Son,
we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did
preserve her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through
her intercession, to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with
You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
Amen.
Bonjurno;
We got up slowly today…..everyone was tired, so I made eggs for breakfast and we got dressed to go, when the lights went out. Johna had turned on the iron and everything blew. Must have been some water on the plug. We looked at the panel box and didn’t see any tripped breakers so I tried to go outthe front door, but that was locked and the key didn’t work. I called the owner and left a message, in the mean time Sam was yelling down to people to see if they had lights. They all did, so back to the panel box and we found a tripped breaker. Lights!
The owner arrived and she couldn’t get the door open either. There is a round knob on the door, so I tried it again and this time it unlocked and we got the door open. Tourist! No one admitted to turning that lock, but I have a suspect!
It was almost 11:00 so we headed out for today’s adventure. We walked to Saint Peters, and then to Castel Sant’Angelo to find out where we had to go tomorrow, when we walk with cross in hand to the doors of mercy at Saint Peters and get another Plenary Indulgence…..one of many Sam and I were getting on this trip, since we went to confession in Spain.
From there we walked to the subway and caught a train to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. As you approach the Basilica, the doors to Scala Santa, the holy stairs that Jesus walked up to Pilate to be condemned, are located just across the street.
Susan and I have been here twice before and they were closed and I had been here many years ago and it was closed. Susan made the decision not to take a chance by going to Saint John Lantern first and then find them closed when we got out. There are 28 wide marble steps covered with mahogany wood that is very worn from so many people crawling up them on their knees. You are not allowed to walk on them and if you are unable to go up on your knees, there is another staircase that also counts for the Plenary Indulgence you get for going up and meditating on the Passion of Christ as you go.
I made one step and had to back down, the leg and knees were hurting today, the others started their trek u and I walked up and said Divine Mercy on the way. There are three places on the way up to venerate what they believe to be from Jesus. I did manage to get down to venerate the one on the last step.
Everyone was very moved by their experience and we were all quietly reflecting what we just did on our way to Saint John Lateran across the street. Susan and I had been here before and still love the place. Sam and Johna walked around with their mouths open, not knowing what to look at next. We took some pictures for those of you who haven’t been, or have not seen previous photo’s from other trips.
After an hour or so we left and walked to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem (Holy Cross in Jerusalem), about 6 blocks away. This Church has several important relics from the Passion of Christ and no photo’s are allowed………..Right!
The chapel of the Passion houses a nail from the cross, two thorns from Jesus’ crown, the wood that was inscribed above Him proclaiming Him the King of the Jews, actual wood from the cross, stones from Bethlehem, Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher, and the finger of St. Thomas the Apostle. (Thanks, St. Helena.)
We prayed for all of you and lit candles and toured the rest of the church, including a chapel which honors the youngest mystic of the church, Antonietta Meo, who wrote some 160 letters to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother and many miracles happened. She is venerable and up for Sainthood. She died at the age of 7. She was baptized here in the Basilica and a shrine with relics of her life is here. Antonietta’s body was moved inside the church in 1999.[8]
We then visited the chapel of St. Helena here and decided it was time to go.
We found the subway and got off at the wrong stop, my fault, so the walk to the Apartment was a little tedious. We stayed in tonight, all pretty exhausted, not having had much of a break since we started. Sam went for the pizza and Johna prepared some meat and cheese and goodies for our dinner.
To bed early……..for tomorrow is another early one.
Bona Serra
God Bless you all
Love
Susan, Tom and the Kids.
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
O Most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming
grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and
the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion and
awaken in my heart a tender compassion for those suffering, as well as a
sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue
affections for the passing joys of this earth, I may long for the eternal
Jerusalem, and that henceforth all my thoughts and all my actions may be
directed toward this one most desirable object.
Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and
immaculate Mother of God.
Amen.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Bonjourno:
Today is a travel day and we all got up by 5 AM, skipped breakfast, just coffee……we can eat at the airport in the lounge. We were down stairs waiting for our ride, which was late, so I asked this gentleman if I could use his phone and pay him so thatI could call our driver. He dialed the phone forme and as I got Tarek on the phone, he pulled up. We loaded the van and 40 minutes later we were checking in for our flight. It was a beautiful morning for a bus ride to the plane, again and we knew we would be doing the same in Rome.
The highlight of our trip was a beautiful little 7-year-old girl sitting behind Susan and me. Her name was Katia and she was just in Jerusalem with her parents looking for a cure for her. They went thru a barrage of tests, hoping she qualified for a new study for her condition. She couldn’t speak, but her eyes said it all and she stole our hearts. She didn’t like the food they gave, her so Susan gave her her pasta and mom fed her and she ate it all. We joked with her and laughed. She held our hands which, her mom and dad were surprised, because she doesn’t ever do that. Katia understands and her mom says she communicates with her eyes and she knows what she needs. The love that we could see and feel from Katia’s parents for her is hard to describe. The patience and tenderness of their caring for Katia …the calmness in their demeanors … the spirit of their “hopes” for a cure and their dedication to their beautiful daughter was an inspiration to us.
Katia even took our picture with the help of her dad and we got pictures with her. We prayed over her and blessed her and told mom and dad that she was going to be on our intention list forever, praying for a cure and a normal life for this little princess.
We exchanged e-mail addresses and Katia was so happy that we were going to send pictures and write to her. Words cannot describe how Susan and I felt about this little “Angel”. When you meetsomeone like this dear little Katia … I think it is important to always remember her when things are not going the way one would like in life … what could we possibly have to complain about if this little girl who has no control over her body can smile and smile and smile as if she has not a worry in the world … just incredible and a true “lesson in life”!
Please help us to Pray for Little Katia and her parents.
Getting off the plane in Rome was the same, the bus to the terminal and customs which took no time at all. Our driver was waiting for us and in less than an hour we were in our apartment after we found Alessandra, the owner, which took a few phone calls.
The apartment was great and big and belonged to Alessandra’s mother and she rents it out for extra income. The girls unpacked, and Sam and I went shopping for supplies at the large supermarket across the street. It took us 1½ hrs to figure out the store and get everything we would need for dinnertonight and breakfast in the morning and some snacks and wine and water and so on.
We had so many bags we had to stop every 100 ft to rest and we only had a ½ block to go, uphill. UGH!
We relaxed in the evening, said our rosary and prayers for all of you, and made it to bed fairly early for our next day adventure.
May God continue to bless all of you,
Love Susan, Tom and the Kids
Mary, Help of Those in Need
Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God’s people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.
Mary all who seek your help
experience your unfailing protection.
Amen.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Today is our last day in Israel….boy did the time go by fast. We were invited this morning by Father Eamon Kelly, a friend of Deacon John’s, that Susan has been communicating with, to 7:00 AM English mass at the Holy Sepulcher on Calvary and to breakfast after at the Notre Dame Hotel and center. This was perfect since Susan and I had a meeting with the Latin Patriarch, the head of the Knights of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, at 8:15 to receive our Pilgrim Shell as a Knight and Lady of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher (thank you John H. … we are most grateful!).
So we were up again before 6:00 AM to try to find a cab to bring us there. It’s only a 20 minute walk but none of us were really ready for that, especially when it only cost $5 or $ 6 for the 4 of us in a cab. With the invitation, I got out of cooking again, to the delight of all since the tuna and peanut butter were still on the counter. It took awhile to find a cab and we had started walking just in case.
We arrived at the Damascus gate since that was the shortest walk with no steps to the Holy Sepulcher and we got there in time to venerate the unction stone and say a few prayers. The earlier mass finished and we climbed up to Calvary, I can’t imagine carrying a heavy cross up there when I have pull myself up by the rails. We got the seats we had the other day and sat as two Priests entered. Fr. Kelly went right up to Sam, said hello and introduced himself, and went down the line to all of us. Sam look perplexed since he didn’t know that Father was getting the trip reports and photos.
Again, being here in this holy place was overwhelming and was even more special as Father asked if I would read when it came time. We stood together and he showed me the readings and psalm and asked if Susan wanted to do the second reading…..that wasn’t going to happen, so I got to read them all.
Somehow, reading at mass back at the Cathedral will never be the same. Father Kelly walked with us to the Latin Patriarch’s headquarters so we wouldn’t get lost or be late again as we missed our appointment on Friday. Sam and Johna got to come up with us as Father Kelly went to the chapel to pray.
Bishop Williams came to meet us after we were given our capes and were ready for the ceremony. He was wonderful, and as we sat there and talked, coffee was served with some great chocolates. He then got up and blessed Susan and I in the ceremony that several of you may have done.
It was very special and when we were having coffee he explained how important the support of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher was to Jerusalem, not only for the Care of the Holy Sepulcher its self but for all the programs and education that benefit from the money the Knights raise and send here.
When we were done we met Father Kelly, he waited for us because he wanted to make sure we didn’t get lost. (If he only knew how many times we have been lost-but we always manage to get to where we were going.) His schedule was tight and he wanted to spend some time with us so we went to the Notre Dame Center and hotel and had a wonderful breakfast with him. He’s is very funny in dry sense of humor way. When he says something you have to pay attention or you end up scratching your head.
After breakfast we went to the chapel to meet up with him again (very busy as Vicar General). He explained the chapel and we went up to the roof, where you can see almost all of Jerusalem. From one side you face the Old City and as we were there he gave us a 3 minute explanation of the bible……..from before Moses, when he arrived with the chosen people of God to their land of Milk and Honey. It was all within 5 miles of where we stood and was quite interesting.
From there we went to the Shroud of Turin exhibit and he also gave us a quick tour and chronology of the Shroud. (See Photos) Father was pressed for time and we bid farewell. We were going to go back to the Old City but decided to go back to the Apartment to finish packing and getting organized for themorning. Again up at 4:30 to meet Tarek our driver to the airport.
Johna and I went to the mini market for a few things. We ate in, too tired to go out and went to bed early. See you in Rome.
Bona Serra.
May our Lord Jesus answer all your prayers and petitions.
God Bless all of you
Susan & Tom & the Kids
Sub Tuum Praesidum
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;
Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from
all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Before visiting Detroit, I’d heard that the industrial Midwestern city was fighting hard to come back from blight, inspiring both local and imported artists and entrepreneurs to dream up new projects. But I wasn’t expecting the heightened sense of collaboration. During four days in Detroit, I met people who were as interested in uplifting the community as expanding their own wallets. Since I was visiting in a secular capacity, I have no idea what their faiths were. But I met excellent role models for anybody aspiring to act as Catholics are supposed to: loving thy neighbor and easing the lot of poor people.
Here are just a few of the entrepreneurial ventures I encountered who are creating new and wonderful things in Detroit.
The Empowerment Plan: Started as a class project, founder Veronika Scott now employs 20 formerly homeless individuals as seamstresses. They sew coats that convert into sleeping bags for homeless people. Their factory is located inside the Ponyride business incubator, which requires tenants to help each other as well as the wider community.
Detroit Vegan Soul: Two young African American women, Erika Boyd and Kirsten Ussery, loved traditional soul food, but recognized the negative health effects it had on their families. So they developed healthier, plant-based versions of favorite recipes and opened a popular restaurant patronized by customers of all races.
Detroit River Sports: Alex Howbert grew up sailing on the Detroit River, and wondering why hardly anybody else did. Now his business Detroit Water Sports rents kayaks and gives kayak tours, letting him share his love of the river with visitors and residents.
Wheelhouse Detroit: Kelli Kavanaugh gets Motor City residents out of cars and onto bikes. Her guides offer a variety of themed tours, including one focusing on Detroit’s churches.
Beautiful Old Churches
I stayed an extra day to see a bit more. Since that day happened to be a Sunday, it was the perfect day to get inside some churches. Without a car, it’s hard to access many of the city’s more famous churches. I was bummed to miss Saint Anne of Detroit, the city’s oldest church, and Saint Josaphat, which I also heard was fabulous. But it turned out that my walking tour of churches near my hotel was fascinating and provided plenty of religious art and history.
Old Saint Mary’s
Old Saint Mary’s is hard to miss when you’re touring Detroit. As I touristed around town, I kept catching glimpses of its tall, striped towers. Since it was close to where I was staying at Aloft (an excellent hotel), I walked over to Greektown for the 8:30 mass. Saint Mary’s was built in 1884 and provides that lofty, big church experience – high ceilings, grand old wooden confessionals, even three grottoes in the rear. It was the first German Catholic church in Detroit, built long before the neighborhood took a turn for the Greek. After mass, I spoke with two priests. One was from Utah. He said that nothing in the west compares to Detroit’s cathedrals. Nor does he think the city’s bad rep is warranted. “Detroit is wonderful,” he told me.
The other priest described Old Saint Mary’s congregation as traditional. Not that they want to turn the clock back before Vatican Two, but the church has old-style confessions, Eucharist at the communion rail and a traditional choir rather than folk or electronic music. He said it’s a place where people can come and worship with other people but not have to hug everyone. He kindly directed me to two other close-by churches for my self-guided walking tour.
The Towers of Old Saint Marys
Confessionals in Old Saint Marys in Detroit
Holy Family
This small church turned out to be a total gem. Completed in 1910, it’s long served Detroit’s Sicilian and Southern Italian community. I accidentally wandered in during mass. The interior was so gorgeous I wanted to take photos, so I stayed. Holy Family is colorfully painted predominantly in light blue with pink trim. An angel-painted dome surrounds a statue of the holy family. Every alcove seemed to hold a lovelier statue than the last. I especially liked the painted cherubs pouring rose petals down on a statue of Mary. This mass was even more traditional than Old Saint Mary’s. The priest faced the altar and spoke Latin (or was it Italian?) for much of the service. If you happen to be in recovery from alcoholism, the communion wafers are pre-dotted with wine. editors note: not sure how that would apply to recovering alcoholics, but you could perhaps ask the priest in advance to ask for a host that does not have alcohol in it.
I walked outside after mass and found about 40 people preparing for an annual procession through the neighborhood in honor of Saint Fara di Cinisi. With my red hair, I definitely stood out amongst the folks with Italian accents. They were friendly enough when I struck up a conversation and said I was welcome to join the procession. But I opted instead to continue my walking tour.
Practicing for the next stop, ROME. We leave tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM, but I am getting ahead of myself again.
This is Sunday morning and we got up again at 5:30 to get to the 7:30 mass on the Mount of Olives. We weren’t sure how long it would take to get a cab. Everyone passed on breakfast, as I had 2 cans of tuna on the counter as well as the peanut butter. Now I know how to get out of cooking!
We went to the Pater Noster Church, which was closed on Sunday, but the Carmelite Nuns had Mass in their chapel there.
We lit a candle for all your intentions
They are cloistered, so we were in the side section of the chapel with three other people and we made it just in time. We brought our readings with us, so Mass in French was beautiful and meaningful. After we lit candles and prayed for your intentions, we were locked in and finally found our way out.
Lighting candles here at the Dome of the Assumption
We went up the hill to the Dome of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. In the rock there, it is said that the imprint is from the foot of Our Lord. Pretty awesome thought, as we all had the chance to lay our hands upon it in reverence to our Lord.
From there we proceeded down the mountain to the next stop, Dominus Flevit Church, where Jesus wept over the fate and future destruction of Jerusalem. This little teardrop-shaped church (the shape recalls Christ’s grief), offers a panoramic view of Jerusalem and is halfway down the Mount. This event took place on the first Palm Sunday, during Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds threw their cloaks and palms on the road in front of him and shouted “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”. Walking down this Mount was no easy task….at least we were smart enough to start at the top.
Olive trees on the Mount of Olives
The view from Dominus Flevit Church
After leaving, further down we came to the spot where Jesus had to wake the three Apostles, Peter, James and John, as they fell asleep out of grief while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just a short walk away. The Garden area is still well preserved and the olive trees date back to the12th century, but all eight trees are possible descendants of one that was in the Garden at the time of Christ and that tree would have been 2300 years old. The historian Flavis Josephus reports that all the trees were cut down by the Romans for their siege equipment before they captured and destroyed the city in A.D. 70.
The Rock at the Church of All Nations
We went into the tomb at The Church of all Nations where the rock that Jesus is believed to have prayed on the night before he was crucified where his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. We got to venerate the stone. Surreal and beautiful!!!
Access to the rest of the grotto was closed, but we did get a picture.We back-tracked from there to the Church of the Assumption and the tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Chapel at the Garden of Gethsemane
Off to the right not far from the tomb and next to the closed area of Gethsemane is a chapel where Judas betrayed Jesus and he was taken away. We did that first, since I thought we would spend sometime in the church with Our Blessed Mother.
As we entered the tomb of Mary, I didn’t know how I would feel. I brought an extra handkerchief just in case. We climbed down the 50 steps into the crypt area, which has three altars, all small and with many depictions of the life of Jesus Mary and Joseph. A niche altar half way down is dedicated to Anneand Joachim, Mary’s parents. The large crypt that remains at the bottom, containing the empty tomb, is all that remains of a 5th century church, making it possibly the oldest near-completed religious building in Jerusalem.
The tomb resembles the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was laid to rest. There is a small opening for both entry and exit. Inside the crypt, cut mostly into solid rock, is dark. The smell of incense fills the air and the ceiling is blackened by centuries of candle smoke. To the right of the tomb as you enter is a small alcove seat. (I think it’s for the Angel that protects the holy site). After kneeling and praying I asked him to move and sat there with my right hand on the small edicule and contemplated the life of the Blessed Mother. Like Her Son’s crypt, this was not a sad place, for her body remained there only the same amount time as Jesus laid in the tomb and the body was then assumed into heaven the same hour as the Resurrection of Jesus. (From The Mystical City of God) There was a great peace there and I could have stayed for hours. More people came so we went over to 4 chairs that were waiting for us and prayed the Rosary. What better place than this?
We climbed back up and tried to get a cab for the short ride to Mount Zion, two miles away. Neither of the two taxi’s sitting there wanted to take us. Finally, this one driver got us a cab and as we got in he said 60 shekels for a normal 20 shekel ride. I told the driver 20, he said 50, and I saidI will report you and he said 25. I said OK…..he saiddon’t be so nervous. I saidyou shouldn’t try to rip people off. He saiddon’t be so nervous. He took us to the cenacle and asked if he should wait and we negotiated him waiting and taking us back to the apartment. 100 shekels ($25) not bad, this ain’t New York.
The cenacle is a building outside the Zion gate and is accessed by a neighboring building, up an enclosed staircase and across an open terrace………..and is almost empty of adornment and furnishing. In the cenacle two major events in the history of The Church took place: the last Supper and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. It is close to the Church of Dormition, where the Blessed Mother died or “fell asleep” as the name suggests. The cenacle is not universally accepted as the site of the upper room. Now, I believe that they should be one and the same, since in the Mystical City of God, that is how it is explained by the Blessed mother herself. So we missed the cenacle and went to the church.
Below the main church is the room where the Blessed Mother stayed and used during the last supper and waited for the Resurrection of Her Son. She spent all but 2 years of the 22 years she remained on earth in this place. It was here that Jesus appeared to her after His Resurrection and here where she prepared the Apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit. ( I am sure some of our priest friends may not agree, so I suggest you read the book and decide for yourself.)
Again, this was a special place, and during our visit a woman with an angelic voice sang the “Ave Maria”. Everyone had tears flowing; it was so beautiful and appropriate. We lit candles and prayed for all our intentions and left wondering if our driver had waited for us or gave up without any money. But he was there and got us close to our apartment.
Today was Jerusalem day (national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in the aftermath of the June 1967) and the streets were closing and traffic was impossible but we made it back and for dinner.
Sam and Johna went to our favorite restaurant and got 2 pizzas. We dined in, watched all the youth march by and went to bed early for tomorrow’s adventure.
Soldiers joining the Jerusalem Day parade
Watching the Jerusalem Day parade from the balcony of our apartment
Editor’s note: We have put these photos of the parade in here because of the importance of the Jews re-claiming Jerusalem and its relation to prophecy.
Writing today’s report
Now it’s time to write up my trip report for the day….hope you are enjoying traveling with us.
We are keeping all of you in our prayers.
(Thanks Fr. Eamon for the heads up)
Ciao
May God Bless all of you and the grace and peace of Christ rest in your heart.
Love
Susan & Tom and the Kids
MY FATHER, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME: NEVERTHELESS NOT
AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT.
Matthew 26:39
I say again, because I had this trip report done and lost it, so “play it again Sam”.
I made peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. I am really wowing them with my culinary talent! We were running late and our guide and driver was probably down stairs waiting for us. Rami was our Guide and Tarek our driver. Rami was highly recommended and as our trip progressed we knew we had made a good choice.
We got thru the border without being stopped, while it took Rami almost one hour to come thru to get us. Bethlehem is only 5 miles from our Apartment, in Palestine. Lots of rules here. Tarek pulled into a parking lot right in front of the Church of the Nativity. There weren’t any busses yet and only a few cars, which was unusual.
We had to bend to get in the church which is under renovation and not very impressive at first glance. We stopped at the pillar of intentions, where you put your fingers in the five holes embedded there. We all did (Sam had to get help LOL) and prayed for all of you. Rami got us to the entrance of the grotto almost in front of the Cave entrance where Jesus was born. There were a few people in the line in front of us and a few that started to fill in behind us to enter the Grotto. The steps down into the Grotto are very steep and dark and dangerous. Some people began to try to jockey for a better position to attempt to get closer to the front of the line. As we were led in and proceeded down the stone steps, this big man behind us was trying to push ahead of us and started to fall. If Susan, Sam and I had not caught him … he would have sky-rocketed down the steps and knocked all of us and everyone in front of us down along his way! He wasn’t even apologetic, but he did wait his turn after all!
Israel guards at the entrance to the Church of the Nativity
When you reach the bottom and enter the Grotto through a small alcove and into a chamber where, immediately on the right, is an Altar with an opening below it with a beautiful star inlayed in the ground floor to mark the spot where Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born. Three people were kneeling down when we arrived. We assumed that they were venerating the stone. Instead, they were just under the Altar talking to each other and taking photos (ugh!). The guard had to finally come and demand them to get up. Another man behind was yelling to the three people and, when they left, he pushed his way in front of us so that he, too, could take some photos. This man departed without even reverencing the site … so much for reverence and Love of Christ.
We then took our turns kneeling under the Altar and venerating this most Sacred Area where Christ was Born. I don’t know about the others, but it was an experience that I cannot explain in words quite yet. It was difficult to leave the area after such a short stay, but the lines had become long and, out of respect for others, we moved on.
We were standing just past the Grotto speaking with our guide Rami as he explained that the area in front of the Grotto of the Birth of Our Lord (about 15 feet away), there was another step-down alcove. This was where Jesus’ Manger had been that Jesus was laid in his Manger and watched over by Our Blessed Mother. By that time, the Shrine was jammed as Sam and I went over to try to take a peak. People were pushing and shoving trying to get in and out of this second Grotto Altar. We decided to stand and wait until a small group of people inside were finished and we just might have a chance to go in and Pray, even though it might have been for a very short period of time.
As we stood there, a guard came and made everyone leave the Alcove of the Manger and this younger Priest with an elderly woman were escorted down the steps and into the Alcove near an Altar. The Priest placed his Chalice on the table and began preparing for Mass. He sat his mother on a rock bench directly next to the Manger where we found out later Our Blessed Mother
sat while watching and caring for the Baby Child, Jesus, after his birth. Since there was no one else in front of us, we asked the Priest if it was at all possible for the four of us to join him for Mass along with his Mother and, in perfect English, he said “of course”. I ran back and told Rami that we were going to attend Mass and I grabbed Susan and Johna to rush them into the Alcove. Rami looked “clueless”.
Johna and Susan sat on a stone wall directly in front of the Manger. Sam and I sat on the entrance in and entrance out steps. There was barely enough room for the Priest to turn around as we all stood and he began Mass. The pushing and shoving began again with people trying to snap photos andenter the Alcove during Mass (with no room left). They were speaking loudly and very irreverent. Unwilling to accept the fact that they could not get in, they got rowdier and rowdier … Sam and I have the footprints on our backs to prove it (LOL). Sam played “Usher” and turned around and scoldedeveryone. The guard came over and finally quelled the crowd and the noise. I saw a small smile on the Priest’s face. Mass continued, giving us an opportunity, now, to realize where we were and the great honor and “gift” we had just received by being able to attend Mass in this Sacred Place of the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Three of the biggest offenders of the bedlam that had ensued actuallystayed on the steps of the Alcove for the remainder of the Mass and very respectfully participated in the Mass. Father accommodated them for Communion by breaking the Hosts to provide enough for them. Father’s Mother did the readings in Spanish (we learned they were from Argentina). I think it was the only time during the Mass that constant tears were not flowing from her eyes as she sat on the rock bench of Our Blessed Mother who had watched over our Lord … as this lovely woman watched her son celebrate Holy Mass in this Sacred Place.
The experience was different for all of us, I am certain, as our minds and hearts could not really grasp what was happening or what had just happened. After Mass was completed, we hugged the Priest and his Mother and took photos (of course). We learned that the Priest’s Mom has been suffering with Parkinson’s Disease for 8 years and we promised her our Prayers on our Special Intention Prayer List. Father was a very “holy man” with a very soft character and we could not thank him enough for the great honor he had bestowed upon us.
Here we are with the mother of the priest who just celebrated Mass
As we departed, we touched the walls of the Grotto knowing that many, many holy people, Popes & Saints had been there before us (hoping some of it might rub off on us!).
We left the Grotto and Rami was there waiting for us. He was amazed that we had been able to attend Mass … telling us that it was very, very unusual for something like that to happen. We felt Blessed.
Rami continued on with our tour. At that point, the four of us were
still “in another world” and just followed his lead to the Cave of St. Jerome. All I could think about was Mass at the Manger and the fact that The Holy Family had been there with Our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph standing and sitting their caring for our Savior … not to mention receiving Communion in this Sacred Site … beyond words of explanation even now.
The Cave of Saint Jerome
The Cave of Saint Jerome was very interesting and we could not imaginesomeone living there as a hermit for 33 years. However, his only job was totranslate the Bible and we thank him for that.
We departed the Shrine and Rami & Tarek took us to Shepherd’s Field. On the way, we stopped to see our friend, Rami’s (of Boca Raton and fellow Holy Sepulchre Knight) father, who lives in Bethlehem. “Boca Rami” is the one who was gracious enough to assist us with all of our plans for the West Bank … and we are grateful.
Meeting the father of our friend, Rami here in Bethlehem
We shared words and laughs with his dad, who also played a key role in arranging this wonderful Palestinian and Ein Karemexperience for us. We promised to see Rami’s dad again in Boca Raton, Florida when he and his wife travel there to visit “Boca Rami” and his family.
Shepherd’s Field (which was just around the corner) is where the Angels announced the Birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to the Shepherds in the Fields. We walked the field and entered a cave to see what it would have been like during that time. After our visit to the Field, we went to the Religious Store to pick up a few mementos.
Elegant dining at Le Train Bleu in Gare du Lyon train station
Typical Street Sign in Paris, giving the address and the Arrondisemont
Magnificent paintings inside the Church here in Shepherd’s field
We took the opportunity to visit the religious store here …lots of great stuff
No need for a menu here, we just took Rami’s advice
We decided that, at that point, it was time for a break and some lunch. Rami walked us around a couple of streets until we reached this huge restaurant with tables the size of king-sized beds (well, maybe not quite that big) and cushioned bench chairs on all four sides. We didn’t look at a menu …at the direction of Rami, the food just started coming. In total, about 20-25 different types of salads, dips and breads that were placed on our table. We said Grace and dug in.
When there were enough dishes to remove, a large (extra large) platter of grilled lamb, beef, chicken, onions, tomatoes and French Fries arrived. Johna stuck with the salads since she does not eat meat on Fridays. We saved her a “doggie bag” but Sam made a sandwich with it that night so poor Johna “lost out”. Rami ordered the local drink … lemon juice, sugar, water and mint leaves…..it was delicious and we managed to finish the pitcher. The bill for the five of us, with tip, was $300 Shekels (about $15.00 US per person). Incredible and everything was just outstanding. (Not quite as good as our last trip to Krakow, but placed a close second!).
We decided to have Rami take us to Ein Karem and headed out of Bethlehem for the 30 minute drive. Again, we cross over the Palestinian/Israeli border, but we were not stopped at the checkpoint.Tarek (our driver) pulled up to a side street and we hopped out. We had to walk to the stairs of the walkway to the Church Shrine of the Visitation (Mary visits her cousin, Elizabeth). Rami then informed us that we had 133 steps to climb if we were “up to the task” and, of course, we said “let’s go”. Undaunted by the 95 degree weather and the sun beating down up us, we began our ascent to the Shrine. I must say that it wasn’t easy but it was well worth it!
The Lower Church of the Shrine of the Visitation is where Saint Elizabeth took St. John the Baptist during the Slaughter of the Innocents and it is believed that the large enclosed rock in this Shrine which shows the indentation of a young baby is where the Angels placed St. John to protect him. The Upper Church of the Shrine is where Our Blessed Mother proclaimed the Magnificat, as the Sanctification of St. John the Baptist was conferred through the unborn Jesus Christ in Mary’s womb.
The four of us Prayed four decades of the Rosary in the Lower Church until a large group of pilgrims came in, so we went to the Upper Church to complete our Rosaries. Today, the word “Sacred” took on a whole new meaning for each of the four of us. As we Prayed the Rosary, each decade became alivein our minds, our hearts and our souls!
Altar at the Church of the Visitation
When we exited this Shrine, our faithful Rami was sitting there waiting for us and suggested that we walk to the Church of Saint John the Baptist, where he was born, and where Zachariah proclaimed his Canticle at the circumcision of Saint John the Baptist. As we departed, going down the steps was a lot easier. I had not realized that Rami was going to make us walk to this second Shrine. He had told us that there were not a lot of steps. I told him that if there were 10 or more, his tip for the day was gone … magically, there were 9 steps up and down into and out of the Shrine so the tip was safe … he lucked out!
editor’s note: Tom is not really that mean….he would have given him the tip if turned out to be a hundred steps.
While in the Shrine, we were Blessed to be able to venerate the spot where St. John the Baptist was born … again with another symbol imbedded into the floor of the Shrine. After spending some time in Prayer, we all felt it was time to return to our apartment … after a full and emotionally charged day.
A plaque here showing the birthplace of John the Baptist
On the way home, we asked Tarek to stop at an ATM because we didn’t have enough Shekels to pay them (LOL). If you ever come to The Holy Land … be sure to bring US Dollars … they love our dollars here instead of Shekels … wish I had known that. Tarek stopped at a Bank and I quickly crossed the street with no fighting of traffic because it was the Shabbat (Sabbath) and everything was closed (except for ATM machines). Mission accomplished, we were safely returned to our apartment. We shared words, hugged, thanks and said our good-byes. We hired Tarek to return to pick us up on Tuesday very early in the morning to take us back to Tel Aviv Airport.
We “floated” up the stairs to our apartment … well, I actually “floated” taking the very small elevator since my leg was killing me from all of the walking and climbing. Needless to say, it wasn’t over yet !!!!
After drinking a lot of water, Susan and I headed out to try to find a supermarket, if possible, to pick up some supplies of food and drinks. It was still the Shabbat and everything was closed, no cars on the streets and very, very few people walking. We walked and walked and finally found a very small (and very expensive) mini-market but at that point we didn’t care. We had to buy enough supplies for the evening and get home and in our jammies with our shoes off!
We had a delightful meal of “we don’t remember since I am writing this two days later”. All I do remember is that we had purchased a microwave package of Raman Noodles with Vegetables for Johna to eat, Sam ate the leftovers from lunch and Susan and I finished Susan’s left-overs from dinner the night before … a true “pilgrim’s gourmet extravaganza”! At that point … and after I told Sam and Johna that we needed to leave for our destinations the next day before 6:00 A.M. in order to get to Mass … I thought that they were going to erupt and make the 6-Day War look calm! However, when we told them we wanted to get to the Holy Sepulchre Mass for 7:00 A.M. morning Mass, and what we were going to see, they calmed down and everyone got to bed early in anticipation of the next day … Saturday. Since Johna is always the first to awake in the mornings for her shower, I gave her the alarm clock with instructions to get us all up by 5:00 A.M. (She told us the next day that at 2:30 A.M., she began waking up every hour on the hour to be sure she did not fail in her appointed duty to get us all up for fear of missing Mass … thanks, Johna!).
Layla Tov!
P.S. Now you might understand how I felt this morning…….after having written this Trip Report, tried to finish this morning (Sunday) to get it out to all of you and all of a sudden IT DISAPPEARED OFF OF MY SCREEN! So after our return today, I began to re-write this Trip Report and Susan finally took over the typing as I dictated. enjoy!
God Bless all of you
Love
Susan, Tom and the Kids
The Magnificat (Canticle of Mary)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my
savior; for he has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to
come shall call me blessed. God who is mighty has done great things for me,
holy is His name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear Him. He
has shown might with His arm; He has confused the proud in their inmost
thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to
high places. The hungry He has given every good thing, while the rich He has
sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of His
mercy; Even as He promised our fathers, promised Abraham and His descendants
forever. Amen.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Just back from Bethlehem and a great story, but you have to wait, because today I will tell you about The sea of Galilee.
I made fried eggs for breakfast before we headed out for the day. Our first stop was the Mount of Beatitudes, site of The Sermon of the Mount, located just above Capernaum, Jesus’s home for a period of time. The weather was beautiful and driving was easy.
Signs on the Mount of Beatitudes
The Mount of Beatitudes
We arrived at the mount and not many tourists were around. This is slow season over here. As we approached we were surprised at the size of the complex, which is a retreat center. What a beautiful setting for that. There is not much to see here but it was worth the trip. The chapel was small andbeautiful and I got to kneel on the kneeler St. John Paul II knelt on when he was here. You could very easily picture Jesus sitting on a rock and delivering the Sermon in these surroundings. The peacefulness was extraordinary.
From here we drove down to Capernaum and the home of St. Peter. This is the place where Jesus cured the invalid and St. Peter’s mother. The scriptures each day just become more alive with each place we go. Again the place was hard to explain, a mixture of ruins of the house of St. Peter and an old temple, which was rebuilt twice, but you knew the whole place was very special.
We went down to the shore and found some beautiful stones to bring home, who knows……….Jesus could have walked on one! We sat under the trees, where the temperature was about15 degrees cooler, and just contemplated the life of Our Lord.
Ten minutes away, we stopped at the church of St. Peter’s Primacy, called The Church of Mensa Christi, where Jesus appeared to the Apostles after His resurrection and had a fire and fish cooking for breakfast. The stone in the church is believed to be the one that Our Lord sat on. It was to overwhelming to venerate it. We lit a candle for all of you.
Venerating the rock at the Church of Mensa Christi (primacy of Peter)
Just a hundred meters away, we walked to the scene of the multiplication of the loves and fishes: there is a monastery there but poor signage. It is shaped like an amphitheater with plenty of room for over 5000 people that Jesus fed.
Our next stop was the Magdala Center where Mary Magdalene had her home. They are building a huge hotel welcome center for spiritual retreats. As they were digging to prepare the land they discovered ruins of a very old synagogue, where Jesus more than likely preached. I reached over into the ruins and got another stone that was buried for almost 2000 years since the destruction of the building.
We went to 1:30 mass at the center’s chapel and the priest offered up the mass for all of our intentions. Afterward we spent some time with Jennifer, from Chicago, who lives in the area and is the lay apostolate of Regnum Christi and works at the center. Susan and she had communicated before we got there and she had set up a tour for us. In the main part of the church the altar was made like a boat and I told Sam that it was pieces of wood and recreated from the time of Jesus. He went to the altar and took pictures and stood there asking the Lord how they all 12 fit with the nets and the fish. Too funny.
This sounds like a whirlwind tour but we didn’t leave our house until 9:30 AM. and we went at a nice pace. Everything is so close and parking is not a problem. It was around 3:00 p.m. and we were hungry so we went to a restaurant and had an early dinner and shopped for a few things to pick on that night and food for breakfast. Home we went, finished laundry and packed and then relaxed for the evening, anticipating tomorrow.
Layla tov:
God bless you all;
Love Susan, Tom and the Kids
Mary’s Peace Prayer
Mary, Mother of God my mother, Queen of Peace, ask your Son Jesus to
give me the gift of peace. Pray for me for peace; peace in my heart, peace
of mind and of soul, peace in my family, peace with all whom I meet, the
peace of Jesus.
Jesus, my Lord and Savior, my Brother, King of Peace, I come to you
with Mary, Queen of Peace, to ask you humbly for a new outpouring of the
gift of peace. Pour out on me your Holy Spirit of Peace.
Give me peace, Jesus, peace within myself, peace in my family, peace in
my everyday life. Give peace to my nation, and to all nations, peace among
all peoples, peace in the world.
Jesus, my mediator with the Father, take me to the Father to pray for
peace.
Father, Father of Jesus, our Father, my Father, I come to you with your
Son Jesus. In Him and with Him and through Him I pray for peace.
May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!
Tom & Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)
Boker tov:
I made everyone a large pepper ham and cheese omelette, hoping that would get us thru the day until we got to Jerusalem. Our first destination was Mount Tabor, the place of the transfiguration. We planned to stop at Ein Karem the home of St. John, the Baptist and the site of the Visitation, if time permitted, but after we got lost because of road construction we were almost an hour off schedule.
There is a reason for everything……..as we approached the mountain entrance to the shrine, we stopped for coffee and to stretch our legs. The place was filled with tour busses that had just come off the mountain. It was divine intervention for sure because when you see the first few photos you willwonder, as we did, how we could have gotten buy a bus as it came down and we went up.
These roads are narrow, glad we did not meet any buses
Johna was more scared than Susan but she wouldn’t admit it. I kepthearing sighs and other noises from the back seat. Sam may have chimed in once or twice too. Susan was just white knuckled as we ascended. I was in my glory at each S-turn, until we got behind Grandma Moses, going 5 MPH and stopping at each turn, no one else seemed to mind.
Driving up to the Church of the Transfiguration atop Mount Tabor
The Church of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor is beautiful, and Mass was going on at one of the outside chapels, as well as in the church. It was too late to ask thegroup if we could join so we quietly prayed for a while and did the tourist thing, albeit quietly.
Mass was being celebrated inside the Church of the Transfiguration and outside at Mount Tabor
The Church of the Transfiguration at the top of Mount Tabor
Looking out from the top of Mount Tabor
The views from here were spectacular, if you had something to look at. The countryside is a lot different from Europe, although very hilly. We spent a little more time in this truly holy place and made our way back down the mountain and to Jerusalem. About 2 hours away depending on traffic, which didn’t get heavy until the city. You really don’t want to drive here unless you can be reckless and ruthless…….and I thought I was a nice guy!
We arrived at our apartment and I parked just like an Israeli………blocking one lane on a 2-lane street, so we could unload the luggage and get it in. Susan guarded the car and programmed the GPS so we could get the car returned and the three of us did the rest. Ten minutes later, Sam and I were off for the return. We got right there, but after they checked us out, they told us we had take the car to the parking garage. I never heard of anything like that and I almost left the car, but being that nice person (again) we took it back the way we came and dropped it off.
Our cab driver gave us a great place to go for dinner
The girls were almost settled when we got back and we relaxed for a bit before going to this great restaurant that our cab driver suggested. We had a wonderful dinner, but then we had to walk back up the steep hill to our apartment. UGH!
Making plans for tomorrow
I finalized arrangements for the driver and guide we hired for Friday to take us to Bethlehem. Looking forward to the day coming we went to bed and slept gloriously.
Layla tov;
God bless all of you
Love
Susan, Tom and the Kids
Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Immaculate Heart of Mary,
full of goodness,
show your love towards us.
Let the flame of your heart,
O Mary, descend on all people.
We love you immensely.
Impress true love in our hearts
so that we have a continuous desire for you.
O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we are in sin.
You know that all men sin.
Give us, by means of your Immaculate Heart, spiritual health.
Let us always see the goodness of your motherly heart
and may we be converted by means of the flame of your heart.
Amen.
