Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Georges

Afterwards, we went to Wadi Qelt national park, which contains a spring and river in the middle of the desert. We hiked to find the best spot, then decided just to go back to the beginning, where there was a pool at the source. We swam for a bit, Fr. Juan and Fr. Michael joined us, and then picnicked in the ruins of a Byzantine basilica – you could tell because of the intricate mosaic flooring . We then returned, I took a nap, watched the US lose to Ghana at the cafe patio, then went to sleep.

These are pictures of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George.

Fr. Julian

This is Fr. Julian. Whenever I first arrived at Notre Dame, they sent him to greet me. The first thing that strikes you about Fr. Julian is his height: he's six foot eight. But, what I've learned to admire in him is his immense desire for spiritual simplicity.

View of the Wadi Qelt

Yesterday, I went with Fr. Julian, Fr. Christopher, and Javier to the Wadi Qelt, between Jerusalem and Jericho. We first missed the road to the Wadi and ended up offroading on a dirt path through a Bedouin village and through the Judean hills. The first pic is a view from the hilltop that we made it to right before we decided to turn around. We found the path and made it to this long and winding path through the hills to the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. George, which has been there for over 1500 years. We were followed by Bedouins who wanted us to ride their donkeys to the monastery (for a hefty fee of course). We made it to the monastery. Absolutely beautiful. One bit kind of creeped me out. To the side of the chapel that commemorated the hundreds of monks that were martyred in the 6th century by the Persians, there was a glass box that contained the corpse of one of those martyrs. It was a little shrivelled, rusted skeleton in humble monk garb laying in a box in that chapel, where it has laid for over one thousand years. In the main chapel, there was a glass box that contained many small trunks glass plated on the top. In the center of each was the skull of a deceased monk, surrounded by the rest of his bones. We headed back down the hill, gave in to the Bedouins and rode donkeys for a fifteen minute journey back to the beginning. Here, we paid the Bedouins and told them to distribute the money between themselves. They looked at us as if they could not possibly comprehend the concept of sharing. After Javier argued sufficiently in Arabic, we got into the car, shoving a wad of bills into their hands, and drove off.

Seventh Station

Via Shots

One is of an alleyway connected to the Via Dolorosa. The other is of the arch over the sixth station.

Between Stations 3 and 4

There's a shop between that acts as a passage between the two. So, back to the story: I followed along with the Mexican group; eventually, I was noticed. Some people talked to me and I told them that I was a volunteer at the Notre Dame Center and all that. They were very kind, especially considering I was masquerading as one of them. When we reached the Sepulchre, two of them, one I had already met, came up to me and introduced themselves as priests. They invited me into the group photo and to the Mass they would be holding in the Franciscan chapel next to the spot where Mary Magdalene saw the Risen Christ. I had become an honorary member of the group.

Our Lady of Spasm

This is the Armenian Catholic Church.

Fourth Station

This is in the basement of the Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Spasm, which marks where Christ saw his mother while carrying the cross. This is where there is the giant tabernacle where I prayed vespers in Italian. I took a picture from outside the glass doors, but without a flash, because you're not supposed to take pictures of it, so it's very blurry. You can at least catch the colors and compare the tabernacle box to the blurry chairs near it.

The Third Station

This is the Polish chapel that commemorates where Christ fell the first time. The relief over the entrance and sculpture where created by Thaddeus Zielinsky. It's a beautiful little chapel, a great place to stop by when passing through the area. Here, I met up with the Mexican Via Crucis group that I had encountered at the Church of the Flagellation. I went to the Praetorium to check out the Franciscan's Museum there, but it was closed today; there were some workers rearranging things. So, I stopped into the Church of the Flagellation to pray. A Mexican group came in and started the Stations of the Cross, so I joined them. We left, they headed, probably, to the Church of the Condemnation for the next station. I headed to the Mount of Olives to enter the Greek Orthodox Church of the Scots. Didn't take any pics, because the bearded guy who let me in wouldn't have appreciated that much. It was a beautiful little church covered in icons with a massive chandelier which hung from the neck of an icon of Christ on the ceiling. I headed back to the Franciscan Museum - obviously closed this time. Stopped into the Church of Condemnation, where I saw a man who looked strangely familiar. When he left, I realized he was one of the 'tour guides' who picked up people outside the third station. I told him off once, because I had already received the tour from someone else. I left, went to the Prison of Christ, a Greek Orthodox chapel underground. Here was a bearded priest who sat in one of those monastery-style chairs as if waiting until I left to continue his priestly duties. I prayed in the chapel for a couple minutes and then left. I didn't actually go through the narrow walkway to the area marked Prison of Christ. I've read, though, that there actually isn't any evidence that anything pertaining to Christ is there, it's just the Greek Orthodox claim on the Praetorium - still, underground excavations in Jerusalem are generally good. Made it to the Third Station, knelt down to pray, and whatyaknow, then the Mexican group arrived. I decided to latch on to partake in the Stations on the Via Crucis (I had it with the Franciscans before, but I wanted to do it in a small group).

Garden Tomb

This is where the Lutherans say that Christ was crucified on Skull Rock (a rock ledge with two impressions next to each other so that they look like eye) and this first century tomb they found on their property. After hearing the case for the Holy Sepulchre, I'm going to have to put my money there. For one, Skull Rock sounds too piratey for Jerusalem. I think that if it's a hill where you execute people regularly, that's enough to merit the name Golgotha. And, if someone was to carry a cross that far from the city, I think they'd die prematurely and I don't think the crowds would follow, but... the Protestants have a place to celebrate Easter and they have maintained a beautiful garden with a genuine first-century tomb. Here are some pictures that a man from California, but who used to live in the Springs, took of me.

Mary Magdalen (with me!)

The View from Olives

These pictures give you a wonderful view - of me.

Marcela y Mariana

I went up to Pater Noster with Marcela, the chief archaeologist for Magdala, and Mariana, the volunteer coordinator. Marcela is the one with the blue headband, the one I'm in a picture with. Mariana is the one who likes calling me names.

Qui es en Cielis

Here are some more pics of the Our Father's at the Pater Noster. Sorry, Poles, but you happen to have the one with extensive water damage, so here's a poster.