Year 5 2015: Day 8

Today I walked where Jesus walked and prayed where he prayed.

Words fail me today Year Five. We moved from one uplifting moment to another. I cannot believe I walked in the Garden of Gethsemane today and felt the Lord’s presence, walking alongside of me. It was the most powerful day I have yet to experience. Today was all about asking and receiving forgiveness of our sins.

Church of the Pater Noster (Our Father)

We started the day at the Mount of Olives, where we visited the Church of ‘Our Father’. This church commemorates the site where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer. The main lesson of today for me was the importance of the opening line – Our Father. It shows us how much Jesus loves us every time we utter these words because he was willing to allow us to refer to his Father as if he is our own. The prayer will mean so much more to me now.

The Our Father in Hebrew and Aramaic

The Our father in Latin

Jerusalem as seen today

Dominus Flevit

A short walk from the Church of the Pater Noster was Dominus Flevit. It is a Franciscan church and is situated on the upper slope of the Mount of Olives. Dominus Flevit means ‘the cry of the Lord’ and it believed to be the site where Jesus wept over the destruction of Jerusalem. The reading associated with this is Luke 19:41-44. Father Chris celebrated Mass with us today and reminded us to allow Jesus to save us. This is a harder task then anticipated. Rather than tell us how this should be done Father Chris left us with questions and some statements worth pondering over; Can we allow Jesus to be our Saviour?, The Garden isn’t a sorrowful event it is a victorious one. Our King was not a beautiful king he was one covered in bruises, he was not adorned in ornate garments, his clothing was ripped and stained, Am I still trying to tell God what to do?

These are things I am still grappling with and just make me realise how much I still need to let go and allow God to save me.

The dome of the church is in the shape of a teardrop and at the edge of the roof are decorated jars. Wives of men who went away to war used these jars. When the men were away the women would cry into the jars so upon the men’s return they would show the men how much they wept for them. The architect used the symbol of the teardrop and jars as how much we weep for Jesus.

Part of the roof shaped like a tear drop


Walking along the way Jesus walked.

Garden of Gethsemane

As we made our way down the hill it seemed as of Jesus was walking alongside of me. I cannot explain the feeling that overcame me as I walked into the private area of the garden of Gethsemane. It was as if I was walking along side Jesus and experiencing his agony. We were given time for silent reflection during the visit to the garden and all I could think was ‘Today I walked where you walked, prayed where you prayed’. It was such a powerful site and still now words cannot do it justice.

Church of the Agony

Across from the garden was ‘Church of the Agony’. This church was funded y 12 countries and was originally called the church of ‘All nations’. The atmosphere of the church appropriately fitted the feeling of the area as the only light source came through violet and blue windows.

Matthew 26:36-39 refers to Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas, within the church in front of the altar is the ‘Rock of Agony’ where Jesus prayed in the garden before he was arrested. The mosaics in the church represent the following moments, The kiss of Judas, Christ in Agony being consoled by an angel and the arrest of Jesus. The front of the church has the most beautiful mosaic.

Church of St Peter In Gallicantu

Within this church it was the first time I can truly say I thought about what happened to Jesus between his arrest and his crucifixion. Outside the church Rami was telling us how usually when people were arrested during Jesus’ time they were given twenty four hours to defend themselves. However due to Jesus being arrested on Thursday night he was not given the same amount of time because it was the day before the Sabbath and no work is done on the Sabbath. Leaving it to the Saturday night was not acceptable because that would give him 48 hours so they rushed his arrest through. We all recall he was taken to the high priests house but toady I was informed and shown the prison in which Jesus would have been kept. During this time the prisoner’s hands and feet were bound together and a harness was tied around their body and they were lowered into a hole in the ground. The hole was completely black and whenever the priest wanted you, you were pulled back up through the hole. During this time you were beaten. Even as I write this down the image of how dreadful this must have been for Jesus comes flooding back into my mind. Yet again I am reminded of the great LOVE Jesus has for all.