May 14, 2017
The essence of security is purity.
Mount Zion
Today I visited Mount Zion, which is outside the old city gates.
I made it to the Church of the Dormitian. It is on Mount Zion, but is outside the old city walls. It is called the Abbey of Domitian. It is run by Benedictine Monks, with whom I was able to attend afternoon prayers, which were said and sung in German, though I understood enough German at times and was able to participate. According to a tradition, this location is where Mariam lived and might have died. I am not sure, but it made me wonder about where she lived. She had to reside somewhere. Was it outside the walls?
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Church of the Dormitian on Mount Zion
I also visited the
site nearby where the last supper took place according to tradition. There
were three rooms. There
was large lower room with vaults and two upper rooms. Windows
faced east. One
of the rooms had an opening that viewed the lower room. I
wonder about the certainty of the physical location. However,
what remains more certain is that it felt more like a home setting than a more
formal and religious setting such as the Jerusalem temple. I
wonder if the location was like the upper room in its location--that is,
outside the old city wall.
  
The
tomb of David was also nearby. I visited and was
able to take pictures. There was a Jewish
Synagogue in the location. I was able to take
pictures of the woman's side that included a copy of a lamp stand. The men's side
contained the synagogue. I was able to take pictures which included men praying
and singing.
  
As
I was leaving the Mount Zion area, I saw a large number of young Israeli
soldiers. There were both young men and young women. They had nap sacks,
rifles, and cartridges at their sides. Some of them were
very friendly and even nodded and smiled. One of them even
waved joyously. A couple of them
smiled and laughed. I am not certain, but
they might have been laughing at the shirt I had over my head to protect me
from the sun. When I see these
young people I have such joy, compassion, mercy to the point that I feel my self-weeping
and praying.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
In
the evening, I attended Church at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I took lots of
pictures. I saw the slab within the entry way. I also viewed the Stone
of Anointing, where it is said Jesus’ body was anointed before his burial. I attended Mass in
the Franciscan Chapel. The Mass was in a
Slavic language. I was able to make an
offering and oblation. I had a sense of
familiarity and comfort, though I did not understand everything. However, I was able
to make out Benedictus es, which helped my participation. The sense of worship
and giving one's life to God here in Jerusalem is the same as at the Basilica
of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.
  
I
thought about the Temple Mount and the temple during the time of Jesus. So far
the strongest senses of the Sacred/Holy have been praying with the Benedictine
monks at Domitian Abbey and praying the Eucharist at the Franciscan chapel at
Holy Sepulcher, where it is alleged that Jesus was laid in an empty tomb. The greater wonder is
that he has risen and ascended on high. This took place
around this area, but we no longer see his body and blood for he is risen. Jesus and 'Mary made
an offering. From this place arose
a tender branch, which was cut down, only to rise into the mountains and into
the heavens. The rising and going
forth and branching out around the world.
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