January 27, 2010 – Day Eleven

ISRAEL

Enter Old City of Jerusalem thru St. Stephen’s gate – into the Islamic quarter. Kidron Valley separates Mt. Scopus from Mt. Zion. Some call it the Lion’s gate and gate of Grandma Mary. At Feast of the Assumption, go to Kidron valley to venerate the holy tomb, but she is sleeping, God took her back. Most of 15 physical stations is in Islamic section.

Turks built wall around Old City in 1534. Herod’s gate – 1 st and 2 nd stations of way of cross. Eastern Gate used during Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement – let go a scapegoat. Garden of Gethsemane faces the gate, no need for a scapegoat. Jesus says, I am here to take away sins of the world. One can draw a straight line from the rock (where Jesus sweated blood) on Mt of Olives, thru the eastern gate( where the scapegoat was let thru), to Golgotha (Jewish altar of sacrifice). That gate, the eastern gate, so sensitive to the Jews is wooden gate. One the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, Sep 14, Christians enter thru this gate. The Muslims block it with stores – connected to waiting for Messiah to come thru that gate and redeem them. They believe the Messiah will come back to the rock with foot print where Jesus ascended into heaven. He will come to the Mount of Olives and enter merciful gate.

Streets are 10 feet higher than when it was at Jesus’ time. No one would ever be crucified in the city, only outside the city. Calvary and tomb are in one church, a basilica.

Not every miracle done by Jesus is mentioned. St. John’s gospel – 5,11, and 9. Read the miracles performed in and around Jerusalem, saying, here I am, come get me. Jesus sending message to high priests trying to speed up end of His ministry.

Pool of Bethesda – John 9 , Pool of mercy. Hezekiah made water sources in city. Pool of Bethesda in North and Pool of Siloam in South. The pools of water were for 1000’s of pilgrims and water is essential. The pilgrims would camp out here in hot weather during Jewish holidays. Gihon Spring is only water system for city. Hezekiah built a 1700ft tunnel for the water. 2 Kings 20:20. Here Greeks had god of healing- Serapis. They practiced putting people in pool when water moved. Hasmoneans stopped this practice. It was perceived if you were sick, you had demons and they would come to god of healing. Healed on the Sabbath.

There was a man sick 38 years. Jesus told him to take your mat and walk. In midst of the holiday Jesus heals him. Symbolized Baptism

John 9 – man born blind. God created Adam with dirt and breath. Jesus put dirt and water in the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash in Siloam. The man walked thru the city with mud, attracting attention from pilgrims. They wanted to know what happened. He washed in Siloam and could see again. Sabbath Miracle

John 11 centurions servant sick and died. Four days he was dead. Jesus raised Lazarus from dead. If they recognize Jesus, there is no need for temple sacrifice because they decided it would be better for one man to die. Sanhedrin said after Lazarus’ resurrection, Jesus is what He is, but let’s kill Him or we will lose money. Sabbath miracle.

Triangle – Bethesda, Siloam, Bethany – Trinity, all miracles of Jesus were Trinitarian

Church of St. Anne – tradition was Blessed Virgin Mary was born here. On Mother of God and O Mother of Compassion – St. Anne’s Church

Way of Cross – focus on heart in walking with Jesus

1 st station – Jesus is Condemned to Death   In Islamic section was place where Pilate asked who do you want me to release to you?   All torture took place in area where we are.  There is a playground of kids behind the walls.   Condemnation /Flagellation – is place of 1 st station

(Father Pinto’s comments)  Each moment look for self in the way of the cross.  I journey because I love and want to walk the way of love.  Jesus took different path than one shown, look for it.

2 nd station – Jesus takes up his Cross

3 rd station – Jesus falls the first time

4 th station – Jesus meets His mother

5 th station – Simon helps Jesus carry His cross

6 th station – Veronica wipes face of Jesus

7 th station – Jesus falls the second time

8 th station -  Daughters of Jerusalem meet Jesus

9 th station – Jesus falls the third time

10 th station – Jesus stripped of His garments

(Father’s comments:) Pick up 1 gem from each station.  Most struggle in our life is our weakness, patience, suffering, humiliations.  There is a reason for all this.  This is beginning of journey in holiness.  Each day we make a habit of stripping ourselves.   (Loud noises in courtyard where we were standing. Father got quiet, the birds got loud, the people making noises left and all was quiet again.)  Everyone believed the priests that if they said He was condemned, then He was condemned.  The taunting I heard (i.e. loud noises) was the same.  In my life there will be people who try to make me angry.  Problem is how much am I wearing? How much clothes? – Pride, stubbornness, selfishness, we will be stripped of these.  No one can strip virtues from me.  “To the wise and learned, I have hidden these things.”   Humble and little – if I am this, I will understand gift to journey and place in my heart what He did.

His mother was encouraging Him to carry the cross. In my life, I can carry my cross everyday and follow Jesus.  I am a disciple.  Hopefully, I am not someone else’s cross!  The cross He gives me is what I need to carry each day.  Ask the Lord for strength to go thru my journey.  May we find the strength He had.  That is why Mary is with me.

For Father, each Mass is the way of the cross.  Bring Mary because she is Mother, she is a gift.  All these stations are types to remind us of people we will meet in our lives:  children, fears of people.  In that, I practice wiping the face of Jesus.

If I seek Him, I will find Him!  Herod sought Him and Jesus came to him, but he did not understand.  Only in my heart can I write this.

How many times did Jesus fall?  Father said he quit counting after he reached 1000.  He fell to show us strength to get up.  The love of God is calling me to the next station. 

11 th station – Jesus nailed to the cross

Nails, as we go to Resurrection, Jesus still has marks. 

One purpose is to come on pilgrimage.  Plenary indulgence is given, I should claim this indulgence.  His wounds – the passage way to His Heart!  Nail us to our cross, our self pity, grumbling, fears, attachments, sins, our own understanding, weakness to want to run away from cross.  Ask Jesus to fasten us with love to cross. 

12 th station – Jesus dies on Cross

7 last words.  This place is the real place Jesus died.  Bring people who hurt me to that place.  Bring them with me to foot of cross.  Bring everyone there; my family.  Jesus consummates.  According to ritual, there were 4 cups.  Three He drank at Passover meal, 4 th He drank on the cross.

13 th station – Jesus is taken down from Cross

Important when we go to stone where Jesus was laid, wipe my hand! On the stone, His blood is on there!

14 th Laid in the Tomb

They could not complete total embalming process (because it was getting to be evening).  Sunday was first day of the week.  Mary Magdalene went to anoint Jesus with spices.  In 1987, Father Pinto offered his first Mass on the tomb of Jesus.  Nobody is allowed to do Mass there. 

Jesus is waiting for us to rise! While Father felt sorrow, Jesus said to keep his eyes on the glory to have the strength to go on.  Will I find strength to journey my way of the cross?

Homily Blessed Sacrament Chapel

Venerated the tomb of Christ, the Stone of Anointing, and Calvary

Visited the Western Wall

Left Old City

Read Joshua Chapter 9 when the sun stood still.

St Peter of Gallicantu – the dungeon where Jesus was kept. This was the court where Jesus was brought before 70 member of the Sanhedrin. Slapped, kicked, spit, scourged. In the pit they would soak the three strands of leather in salt. 39 scourges time 3 people. Vinegar and olive oil to the wounds to stop the bleeding. Sit them on a bench and tie them to the wall. Jeremiah was also put into this cistern. The hole in the walls were for the light lamps. This is also the prison where St Peter and St John were when the angel of the Lord released them.

Holy Steps of Zion. Steps where Jesus walked up from the valley to Chiapas house.

At the time of Christ 2 courts. The high priest and the Romans.

1/10 of income paid to the Jews. If you didn’t ‘t it mean the downfall of their society.

The Church of the Assumption. Dominion Abbey. Sleeping place of the Blessed Mother. This church was built by the Germans in 1908.

Two traditions of Assumption of our Blessed Mother. 1. Greek tradition- she fell asleep and the Lord came and took her body. 2. Catholic tradition – she died, the apostles gathered around her and the Lord brought her soul back to her body and took her to heaven.

The Room of the Last Supper. On Mt Zion of the New Testament. Mt Zion of the old Testament was the temple where the ark was. 2 BC Sadducees were living in mansions and very rich. 80 % of people were very poor. 20 % rich. Jesus chose this poor neighborhood for his last supper. Was a humble home with 2 stories . Place where the church grew from70 -120- 3000 people. 2AD Christians wanted to die for Jesus. They came to pray secretly. There was no defined liturgy at that time. They broke bread together and prayed the Psalms. When the Byzantines came, they built churches over all the compounds where they thought the last supper had taken place. It was called Haiga Zion.. Because there were seven choice of places. This is a crusader building 900 years old. 1534 Turks decided to build walls around this. Franciscan could not pay to have this done. The Muslims then kicked the Christians out, turned it into a mosque. Jews later turned it into a synagogue.

Things that took place in the room of the last supper

Institution of the Eucharist

Priesthood established

Pentecost

Confirmation on the faith

First church established

Read John 17 and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your heart. - Priestly prayer of Jesus.