Jane  Dobric
Today, thanks to our dear friend, Father Tomasz, we had our Private Audience with Cardinal Dzwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow.  The Cardinal was the Episcopal and Personal Secretary and confidante to Saint John Paul II The Great for about 40 years!  We love being with him even if only for a short time.  He is very warm and kind and has the demeanor of the Saint.

We walked over from our apartment to The Archbishop’s Residence, also known locally as 3 Franceska Street, and had some time before our meeting, so we went into St. Francis Basilica and started our rosary in the second to the last pew on the left of the Franciscan Basilica … the very pew that Saint John Paul II sat in every day when he was here in Krakow and would pray his rosary.  You can’t get any closer than that, except in the  chapel where he was ordained in secret……and we will attend Mass on Saturday morning with the Cardinal, Father Tomasz and the nuns who take care of the Cardinal.

Since I was diagnosed with liver cancer last November, they have all been praying for me, so this is going to be very special.   We Prayed two Decades of  our Rosary and then had to depart for our visitwith the Cardinal across the  street.

The  guard welcomed us and allowed us access to the stairway leading to the  Cardinal’s Offices.  Father Tomasz came out to the foyer area to greet  us.  There was a Polish woman sitting at the table waiting  to see the Cardinal (without an appointment) … she told us that she was from  Alaska and when she saw Father Tomasz warmly greet us, she told us to tell him that she wanted to see the Cardinal (which we did).

As  Father led us to the Cardinal’s Chambers, the woman followed us and sat outside until we were finished with our visit. The Cardinal opened the door to his private office and Susan stood there with a big smile and began waving at him before approaching the doorway.  We went in and His Eminence invited us to sit with him and Father Tomasz (after Susan greeted him  with the Three Polish Kisses).

We had a gift that we had purchased at Prado Nuevo in El Escorial … a photo of our Blessed Mother as she appeared to the visionary during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Madrid in 1982.  We also  had a small cross made by the Sisters at Prado:  the wood had been carved  from the Ash Tree where Our Lady appeared to Luz Amparo … thanks to our friend,  Consuelo, we had this gift to present to the Cardinal.  Susan and I felt strongly that the Cardinal recognized the photo immediately and that he was touched by our gift.
He looked at me with big questioning  eyes and said … “Is this for me?”.  I said, “Of Course … we brought this  especially for you.” He immediately took the small Cross and placed it directly on the framed photo of Our Lady … it was a touching moment.

Father Tomasz then explained things to the Cardinal in Polish which saved a lot of time in translations.We also extended greetings, love & prayers from many who care very much for the Cardinal.  We  had written down the names so that His Eminence would know of your greetings.  He said and read the names of each and every one of you (you know who you are) and smiled and shook his head yes as he acknowledged each name.   

The Cardinal then looked  at us and softly asked how long we had been married.  I told him 27 years, but then explained that because Susan and I work 24/7 together all of these years, I calculate our marriage at 45 years.

Father  Tomasz explained in Polish and the Cardinal laughed. Then he  asked … “Do you fight?” and I expressed the sign “A Little Bit”!  Then he  looked at Susan and said “Do you get silent with him?” and Susan quickly  responded … “Oh yes, Cardinal … I am very good at that!”.  Tom  quickly gesturedagain with “A Little Bit” and we all shared a  laugh.

We were very touched when His Eminence, two different times, looked at us and said “You are a very special  couple … we will Pray for you both and we ask that you Pray for me and for Father Tomasz.”.  We assured him of our continued prayers for both of them.

Father  Tomasz then explained my health condition (cancer) to the Cardinal, who has been praying for me.  His Eminence told us to beseech the intercession of Saint John Paul II, and that numerous miracles are constantly being reported to his office and to the Vatican of cures through the intercession of the Saint. Susan told the Cardinal that she has been keeping  Saint John Paul II very, very busy for my healing. He  smiled!

He then got up and so did we, but he went to get us 3 Rosaries that bear his crest and the crest of Saint John Paul II.  It was  time for a photo op, so we did and it was time to leave……so the 3 Polish kisses and hand shakes and each of us after blessing the other we departed.

Out in the anteroom the Polish lady was still there, and he graciously saw her, as Fr. Tomasz stayed with  us.  She didn’t  last long, but we thought that it was nice he took the time, as other people  waited for him, to accommodate her.

We made plans with Little Tom to have dinner on Friday at 8:00 p.m. We always let him pick the place because he knows the best restaurants.

Having no major plans, we decided to see some of the churches and Basilicas that we missed last year and to finish our Rosary and divine in a different one as we went.

We prayed for all of  you and lit candles along the way.  We saw some very beautiful places and  some very old ones.

We were hungry, so along the way we stopped to eat at a restaurant off the beaten path and had a delightful meal, half of which went home in a doggie bag, because there was so much  food.  Only $25 poorer, we continued our trek.  Did I tell you I love  Krakow?

After we had seen enough and finished our Prayers we went back to the apartment and settled in for the night, with plenty to eat if we got hungry.

Trip reports to write and e-mails to  answer we never got to turn on the TV until late.  We got ten new intentions that we added to the list for tomorrows prayers.

Just as we turned on the  TV there was a knock at the door and I asked who it was and got no response.  Peeking through the peep hole I saw two policemen, so I cautiously opened  the door and checked them out.  You know the shoes, badges and guns and  other things a real cop would carry.  They had some documents and showed me they were looking for a man who lived here.  I tried to communicate to them that we were just tourist renting so I motioned to wait and went to get our booking document to bring to them when Susan, my trusting  wife invited them in.

Now I’m thinking,  I have these 2 big men in the  apartment and what if they are not cops?  I eye  balled a few defensive weapons in case, like the iron, a wine bottle and the  knife on the sink.  I think I watch too many cop  shows!

They were satisfied when I gave them the owners number and left thanking us for the information.  Whew!!!  I later  tried to explain to Susan what occurred and she flipped out at how trusting and stupid it was to invite them in.  I was hoping she would not have nightmares and I was glad that she did not ask if she could take a picture.

Dobre nov,  (I take a shot at  this one)

“Dear Lord,  I do not know what will happen to me today.  I only know that nothing will  happen that was not foreseen by You, and directed to my greater good from all  eternity.  I adore Your holy and unfathomable plans, and submit to them  with all my heart for love of You, the Pope, and theImmaculate Heart of Mary.  Amen.”

May the  Lord hear all your prayers.
Love
Susan &  Tom

Act of  Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O  Most Holy Virgin Mother, we listen with grief to the complaints of your
Immaculate Heart surrounded with the thorns placed therein at every moment
by  the blasphemies and ingratitude of ungrateful humanity. We are moved by
the  ardent desire of loving you as Our Mother and of promoting a true
devotion to  your Immaculate Heart.

We therefore  kneel before you to manifest the sorrow we feel for the
grievances that people  cause you, and to atone by our prayers and sacrifices for
the offenses with  which they return return your love. Obtain for them and
for us the pardon of so  many sins. Hasten the conversion of sinners that
they may love Jesus and cease  to offend the Lord, already so much offended.
Turn your eyes of mercy toward us,  that we may love God with all our heart
on earth and enjoy Him forever in  heaven.
Amen.

 

In the morning we ate a leisurely breakfast and at 9:30 the apartment owner came to get our passport info and see if we needed anything.  I TOLD HIM A BIGGER BED; THE BED WAS QUEEN AND NOT KING LIKE HE ADVERTISED.  He said it was a European king; I  smiled and said no more.

Editors note:  Most European King size beds are about 4″ shorter than the U.S. King size that Tom was expecting; however, they are also about 4″ wider than the U.S. versions.

We left and drove to the St. John Paul II Shrine for the noon mass and arrived in plenty of time to re-explore the center and its chapels.  Most everything  inside was complete.  This amazed us since a year ago they had so much to  do.  The place is amazing; as you will see in the 100 +  photos wetook…….not kidding this time.

Mass at noon included First Holy Communion children and was in the lower Church of the Shrine.  Even though the Saint had never been there, his presence was evident.  The children received communion just like every other one we have seen, all crowding up at once in total disorder, just as the adults do it in every church.  The need ushers bad, and although at times we think we do a bad  job at it……..never again!

At the end of mass they say a litany of prayers to St. John Paul II and read the intentions that were put into the box that day.  My wife is smart, because she did this and I didn’t even know about it and she condensed 300 + intentions on 5 sheets of paper.  We laughed afterwards that we should  have put a copy of the written sheets with all your individual intentions in the box; we would have been there for an hour.

After mass we had a cappuccino and went to the upper church and the international chapels.  The American chapel has the clothes Saint John Paul II wore when he was shot………and it still gives us shivers each time we see it.  Our  Lady of Guadeloupe hangs on the wall right above it.  We wiped many tears from our eyes, mostly happy ones, as we were back to a city we loved and he loved.

We finished by exploring the rest of the areas that were almost complete, since our last visit, including a massive statue to the Saint in the upper courtyard, and left for the Divine Mercy Shrine to Saint Faustina.

Our first stop was at the convent where Saint Faustina lived and died. There is a replica of her room and audio head phones that you can listen to about her life with Christ and how it began and Divine Mercy came to be.  Susan  had tears in her eyes and later told me I had to listen the next time we  come.  In the meantime I shopped, not like me, and purchase some rosaries and other memento’s to bring home.  If anyone wants a divine mercy rosary, let us know before it’s too late.

Off to the Chapel of Divine Mercy where there were several tour groups coming and going but all were reverent and only stayed for a few minutes.  We sat in the back and prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet before the hoards of people would arrive for  the 3:00 PM hour of prayer.  We did that on a Friday lastyear and it was very difficult to concentrate, especially since everything was in Polish.

We finished our prayer and went up to venerate the relic of Saint Faustina and asked her to bless and intercede for all of you and left.

We stopped for some water and a few things at the big supermarket and hardly needed princess to get back and we spent the next 2 hours in the apartment organizing and answering as many e-mails as we could that you have sent especially for prayer intentions.

At 6:30 we were out the door to meet Father Tomasz, the Episcopal and personal secretary to Cardinal  Dziwisz, for dinner. We made a wrong turn, walking, and ended up being 2 minutes  late, not tooworried, because Little Tom, Fr Tomasz, was always late.  Wrong! He was waiting patiently for his, as he puts  it, crazy American friends.

We hugged and did the 3 polish kisses…..well Susan did, I hugged him and we gave each other the manly single kiss and hand shake.  It has been a year since we have seen him but it  seemed like yesterday.

Little Tom was still a little tense from work but  after a nice glass of wine or two and some laughs he relaxed and we spent a  great evening together.  They are all so busy here, with World Youth Day being just a month away.

With dinner over and him having to work early in the AM we left and  walked a little way together and departed, until we would see him Wednesday with the Cardinal.  When we got back to the apartment, we didn’t take long to get ready for bed and get in it.

Night, Night See you tomorrow.
Dobranoc:  (how’s that?)

Tom &  Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)

E-Mail:

_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)

 

 

Bonjurno for the last time:

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)

E-Mail:
_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)

 

 

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)

E-Mail:

_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)

 

 

Shalom:

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)

E-Mail:

_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com

 

 

Bonjurno……..I’m out of here (but not yet).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 said I will report you and he said 25. I said OK…..he said don’t be so nervous.  I  said you shouldn’t try to rip people off. He said don’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.

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.

 

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