Day 25: Living in the Old City of Jerusalem; Walking Jesus’ Way on the Via Dolorosa…
View of the courtyard outside through the window of Room 4 at the Guest House!
Today it was one of those days where you seem like you are in the right place at the right time. The right place being the Old City of Jerusalem and the right time being the right time on my life-long Spiritual Journey. This day I would wake up within the walls of the Old City at the Christ Church Guesthouse and lay my head down on the same pillow at the end of the day. I was a resident of the Old City for the first of three days in my life!
Today is Orthodox Christmas Eve Day and I am planning to go to Midnight Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. But first to start the day is the hearty and nutritious breakfast buffet in the dining room of the Guesthouse! While indulging in a great breakfast one meets several people each morning.
First up today was a couple from Columbia who highly recommended the Memorial of the Holocaust. This is on my list along with the Israel Museum for my next visit. They are both in the new modern city of Jerusalem!
With Father John after breakfast at the Guest House!
Next up was Michele who was a volunteer in her 8th month of a 12-month commitment. Can you say what a lifetime experienced to be in the Old city for one year straight? I listened closely and my take-away tip was to stay in the Word (Scriptures) and let The Holy Spirit lead you! This is an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the Jewish origins of our Christian faith. After all Jesus was a Jew all of his lifetime!
After Michele came Father John whose big suggestion was to periodically throughout the day ask myself “Where am I?” to absorb the historical and spiritual essence of each place visited. He suggested a tour of the Christ Church Museum which I did on Monday. Well fed and spiritually oriented I headed out for my day in the Old City!
I was drawn back to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. When I arrived the bells were ringing! Here is the video:
CLICK HERE for VIDEO of the Bells ringing at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher!
Courtyard entrance to the Church of The Holy Sepulcher.
First, I wanted to find out the schedule and possibilities for Midnight Mass. Secondly I wanted to be present not only where Jesus died on the Cross at Calvary, which is inside the church, but where He was resurrected in the tomb now known as the Holy Sepulcher. I noticed that on this my third visit, the sunshine was bathing the Holy Sepulcher in a soft, lovable way. I watched a blessing take place at the Holy Sepulcher. Here is the video:
CLICK HERE for VIDEO of the Blessing of the Holy Sepulcher in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher!
Pilgrims like me worshiping at the Cross at Calvary…
After going up to Calvary to pay my respects to Jesus on the Cross, I hung around listening to the tour guides give their groups the information about what was around us. There is so much to see and absorb!
I heard a story about while Jesus was on the Cross that a drop of His blood went down through a crevice in the ground into the tomb of Adam (which is physically located below Calvary one floor down) and touched the skull of Adam thereby redeeming all human civilization back to its origin. I have not been able to find any biblical verses that substantiate this story but it is a story that fascinates me!
My favorite spot just like in the Church of the Nativity… Seeking Jesus… Birth, Death, & Resurrection!
I decided to sit down on the main floor on a bench with a view of the Stone of Anointing and the super large mosaic on the wall depicting the Anointing of Jesus, Him being removed from the Cross and His Burial. To my left was the Holy Sepulcher and to my right upstairs was Calvary. There was a lot to take in in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the day that the Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth!
I ended up staying there for four hours reading through the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John on the Passion of Jesus—the Way of the Cross. Although there is no detailed account of the Via Dolorosa in the Bible I wanted to walk the Stations of the Cross, the same route that Jesus did. I had seen some of the Stations on a tour two weeks ago but wanted to find them all and walk them in order.
Oddly enough, here I wanted to experience the worse day of Good Friday in Christianity as others around me celebrated the happiest day! But in my mind it all fit together as I had spent time inside the Holy Sepulcher to witness the Resurrection and celebrated Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity. Jesus’ Passion was the missing piece. Off I went to find the remaining Stations of the Cross and walk the Way of the Cross!
Biblical Moment 93: Good Friday: Jesus’ Way of the Cross; Via Dolorosa; Old City Jerusalem.
This article above details what I found on the Via Dolorosa!
The Crown of Thorns above in the Church of the Flagellation.
My journey through the Old City led me down to the Church of the Flagellation near the Lions Gate. I walked outside of the Lions Gate and could see the Mount of Olives. This is the closest side of the Old City to the Mount of Olives. I made up my mind that tomorrow I would walk down the Mount of Olives as Jesus surely had done many times.
Right there where Jesus started His Way of the Cross, I watched the Via Dolorosa, a 15-minute multi-media presentation, which was a journey back to the time of Jesus. This was well complemented by The Terra Sancta Museum which had all sorts of artifacts from the time of Jesus. And for authenticity sake I toured the nearby archaeological site of Bethesda which is extensive and amazingly well preserved!
Stations 3 & 4 on the Via Dolorosa, The Way of the Cross…
Then I did what I set out to do and that was to walk the way of the Cross as Jesus did on Good Friday.
I was no longer a tourist but officially a pilgrim now. But my spiritual day was not over!
With father Saliba and son George at their Lebanese Restaurant in the Old City!
I had diner on the way back to Christ Church for the 7 pm Service at the Lebanese Restaurant. I met the owners son George and his father Saliba. The lamb kabab was excellent! An Orthodox priest brought in a young man, sat him down, signaled to George to not charge him and then left. There is charity in the Old City as well as around the world!
The 7 pm Service at Christ Church was beautiful and intriguing to say the least. Here is a community of Christians as I had known all my life along with converted Jews and Muslims. Talk about diversity of life experiences and unity of that diversity. All I could think and say was Amen and Alleluia!
After church I went back to my room to freshen up a bit and journal about all that I experienced this day.
Rainy night as I headed back to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Orthodox Midnight Christmas Eve Mass!
It was a rainy night but not so wet as I walked through the Old City to attend Orthodox Christmas Eve mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I imagined that there were services in Bethlehem as well. The Old City was deserted. I saw maybe one or two people and a cat on my 10-minute walk. The door to the Church was opened a jar. Inside there was only a sparse turnout maybe 30-40 people. It was all Greek or Russian to me so I made one last tour around the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Up and down and around and around I went taking pictures. I put my hand in the hole designating the location of the Cross on Calvary. I ventured downward to caverns turned into altars. I pretty much had the whole place to myself for one last walk through on an amazing historical and religious place.
Merry Orthodox Christmas from the Old City of Jerusalem!
Totally depleted of energy but nit tired I took the walk back to the Christ Church Guesthouse to find my bed. No camel ride for me as I hoofed it on my own. My heart and soul were spiritually filled and my mind peacefully tranquil as my body fell asleep before my head hit the pillow in Room 4 at the Christ Church Guest House.
My picture count for the day was 1,566. Probably the highest of any day on the Spiritual Journey to Israel & Palestine. My spiritual experiences, thoughts and prayers for the day far exceeded that picture total. What a glorious day in the Old City celebrating the birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Alleluia!
Home Sweet Home at the Christ Church Guest House in the Old City of Jerusalem!
Merry Orthodox Christmas Everyone! Staying at the Christ Church Guesthouse inside the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem! Unbelievable experience! Going to Midnight Orthodox Christmas Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus died on the Cross, was placed in a sepulcher, and rose from the dead on Easter morning! Today I visited there for about four hours praying & meditating on the Stations of the Cross and then walked the 14 stations on the Via Dolorosa. Visits to the Chapel of the Condemnation/Church of the Flagellation (Station 1) near the Lions Gate; Terra Sancta Museum (Holy Land Museum about the life & times of Jesus); and Bethesda (birthplace of Mary, the Mother of Jesus; site of one of Jesus’ miracles and an amazing archaeological site). The Christ Church Guesthouse is located right inside the Jaffa Gate on property of the Palace of King Herod. Right across the street is the Tower of David Museum which is on the agenda for tomorrow along with a walk down the Mount of Olives (visit Church of the Ascension, the Garden of Gesethamine, etc.) and the nearby City of David featuring the oldest archaeological site in Jerusalem! Merry Orthodox Christmas!
(Facebook Post; 1-6-19; Andy Reistetter with 40 Pics)
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