Celebrating St. Anne and the Immaculate Conception

During Advent, we meditate on the events that happened before our Savior, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.  The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is December 8th and just happened to fall on the Second Sunday of Advent this year.

This is a very confusing feast to most, Catholics included.

Here it is in a nutshell:  The Immaculate Conception does not have anything to do with the Annunciation and the conception of Jesus;  the Immaculate Conception is referring to the conception of Mary in the womb of Saint Anne.

Just as we would never put our most precious processions into any kind of filthy storage container, neither would God allow his Son to come to us by way of a sinful human.

Mary was not like us, she was not a human being like any other human in history.  She was the Mother of God.  His blood mingled with hers in her womb, he formed in the amniotic fluid of her body's making.  The idea that the Lord of the Universe would reside in an impure body is ludicrous.

We don't know much about Saint Anne and her husband Saint Joachim.   But tradition of our church calls them the Grandparents of Jesus.


There is a church dedicated to Saint Anne just inside St. Stephen's or the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem.  It is traditionally held that this is where the Virgin Mary was born and lived as a child with her parents Anne & Joachim. 

St. Anne's Church, Jerusalem

It stands inside a garden courtyard which also contains a lot of ruins (including the Pools of Bethesda) looking very tall and strong-looking; sturdy and magnificent compared to many other ancient buildings and structures in Israel. 

 

This is because it was not destroyed in 1192 during one of the many captures of the city, it was instead used as a Muslim school, so it was saved.

The garden of St. Anne's is an oasis from the narrow, crowded streets of Old Jerusalem on one side and the bustle and traffic of the modern city on the other.

Here we were given time to rest in the shade and take in the beauty of the flowers and surrounding architecture.  Fr. T read from scripture, but sadly, I cannot remember which passage he read to us.

It is a lovely, restful place (with clean bathrooms) and many benches in the shade.

I enjoyed spending time there, although I spent more time marveling at the flowers (see what I call "Israeli Kudzu" (bougainvillea) in the photo above).

This was a good place to refill water bottles and chat with the priest-caretakers of the site, The White Fathers.

The are Missionaries of Africa and are called the White Fathers due to the color of the habit they wear.

The Church of St Anne is the best-preserved Crusader church in Jerusalem. It marks the traditional site of the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, and the birthplace of the Virgin Mary.

We entered the Church through a gorgeous medieval-looking door and walked into the very high-ceiling Sanctuary.

Another pilgrim group was inside singing.  The Church of St. Anne is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and reverberating echoes. The voices of even a small choral group can sound like a large congregation in a vast cathedral.  Although the church was designed for Gregorian Chant, it is said that you can "play" it like a musical instrument with your human voice.

I was really looking forward to hearing Fr. T sing with his gorgeous voice, but he would only sing with the group.  (I have noticed off the altar, outside of participating in Mass, he seems very humble of his beautiful voice and won't usually sing.)

The high ceiling and construction did make everyone sound just beautiful and like there were many more people singing than actually were.  *btw - anyone can sing, but only religious songs are allowed!

It would have been fabulous to have Fr. T say Mass there!

After our song, we walked around the sanctuary.

Main Altar - St. Anne's Church in Jerusalem

In the back of the church was a lovely statue of St. Anne with little St. Mary.

 

Look how sweetly little Mary appears here.  And St. Anne looks over her with obvious love in her face, but I also see something else.  Protection?  Wisdom?  Knowledge?  Surely she understood that this little one was special and different from other children?

Like St. Anne, I am a Mother and a Grandmother.  How very special it is, how very blessed I am.

Lastly, we descended into the crypt which held the remains of the house of Anne & Joachim.

You can see the roof is the natural rock of the cave.

Inside is a painting which shows St. Anne and St. Joachim with newborn baby Mary.  The Greek initials on the top-left side is "ΜΡ ΘΥ".  ΜΡ is "Mary" in Greek and ΘΥ is "God-bearer".  

Also in the cave is an altar dedicated to Mary's birth behind an ornate gate.

This is a closeup of the icon behind the gate. 

I have searched the internet for several hours and cannot find any information regarding this version of this event.  There are lots of similar paintings out there, but so far I have not been able to find anything on this one. 

As we came up the stairs I could hear another group singing on the altar with some angelic harmonies that echoed beautifully throughout the room.  I could see the bright sunshine though the doorway and smell the fresh air blowing in.

 What a lovely place!  What an oasis of grace it must have been when Mary was growing up here! 

In the courtyard garden of St. Anne's Church, Jerusalem

Advent Thought

 

I stole this from the Divine Mercy Facebook page!!!   www.facebook.com/thedivinemercy

Anticipation on the First Sunday of Advent

This Sunday at Mass really gave me a lot to think about for the First of Sunday Advent.

As I mentioned in my Mass & Life Are Wiggly post, we sit at Mass each Sunday with 4 of my grandchildren.  We usually then go out to lunch together, but with busy lives and so many activities/work/school pulling our families in different directions, it generally means that we only see each other on Sunday.

We usually arrive at church ahead of our grandchildren and save nearly an entire pew for our large family near the back of the sanctuary.  Waiting for them to arrive- the expectation of seeing my Daughter and her family & of hugs and kisses before the Liturgy begins- is a sweet anticipation to be sure.  :)

On this First Sunday of Advent though, my Daughter's van would not start and they did not make it to the service we all usually attend together.


As we sat and waited, Mass began.  Even though I was able to completely focus on the Liturgy since I had few distractions, I realized I was unconsciously listening.   I was participating in the Mass, but was also completely aware of the door to the sanctuary behind me.

I could hear the ushers open it for late-arrivals and my ear was tuned for any familiar whispered voices.

My peripheral vision was acutely aware, scanning for the tiny heads bobbing up the aisle toward me.

Every time I sensed a movement behind me, I turned to see if it was my lovies arriving.

I found myself thinking of the people of the Old Testament.  How they awaited the arrival of the Messiah.  How they were hanging on with trust and hope in God.

Were they going about their days in constant anticipation of the Messiah's arrival?  Did they find themselves semi-distracted with any possibility of fulfillment?

Obviously Mary was very in-tune with the idea that the Messiah could come at any time as she was quick to understand the angel's words and seemed to have no doubts in the notion that prophecies were being accomplished. 

King Herod also believed in the real possibility of a new King coming for the Jews, or why else would he have taken such desperate measures?

Like me in the church, longing for the grandchildren to arrive, it seems the people of Israel were yearning for their Savior to come.

I just wonder at the expectant frame-of-mind the faithful of Israel had, the desiring, the craving, the hope.

 

God, during my time of waiting, please let me remain faithful in my Hope and faithful in my Trust of You and Your Plan.  Amen.

Dormition Abbey's Mystery Painting

ADVENT

I love this painting!!

Just look at them. They are so joyful! They are so happy!

When I got home and was looking at my pictures, this one was between two different places I visited and I couldn't remember where it was taken! Egads!!!! Was it the last picture I took here, or the first picture I took there...???

So I began to search. And I guess no one else was as enchanted with it as I was, because several days on Google (and I'm a pretty good searcher!) only turned up one single photo of it. The photo was labeled "Lower Chapel in the the Basilica of Dormition".

So at least I wasn't nuts! And I was able to concentrate my search. But I am still baffled! I cannot find out anything about it. I was most surprised that the brochure I got at the Basilica did not mention it. Although it did mention every single other side altar in the Chapel and the Crypt, the only thing I can find that even begins to match my memory is the statement "The first two altars on the northern wall have no particular design so far..." I can only guess that the brochure is from before this painting was done, and it's just temporary until another altar mosaic is installed! Heaven forbid!! !!!

The Dormition Abbey has been renamed the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey. I've also seen it called the Basilica of Dormition and Church of the Dormition. So good luck if you are trying to find it on Google! LOL!

But just look at Mary and Elizabeth in this painting.

They were kin. Some references say kinswoman. So they knew each other, were related. Maybe they didn't see each other often since they lived in different towns. My goodness, it was approximately 100 miles from Nazareth to Ein Kerem! Maybe that made any time the were together that much sweeter. They loved each other and enjoyed being together. Even though Elizabeth was much older than Mary, they were friends.

Now Mary finds out from the Angel Gabriel that she is to bare the Savior, the Messiah! Wow! She must have been elated!!

Mary also knows that her beloved relative Elizabeth is also pregnant, has been blessed with a miracle!

"She sent with haste to a Judian town in the hill country". Lk. 1:39. With haste. She is going quickly to Elizabeth. She is overjoyed at her news and wants to share it with her friend, her kinswoman. Plus, she is so happy for Elizabeth to have conceived in her old age! Maybe she is just twitching with excitement! Oh the miles must have seemed endless as Mary made her way to Ein Kerem to see her!

There, in the distance! She sees Zacharia's house! Does her step quicken? Does her heart? Is she becoming breathless with her excitement?

And then there is Elizabeth, calmly going about her daily routine. She has no idea Mary is on her way. No email, no phone, no letter. She doesn't know her young family member is so close!

The news of her pregnancy is no longer a shock to her or Zacharia, but at 6 months pregnant she is never without a constant reminder of the miracle! Other mothers know, the width of your stomach out in front, bumping into things, making your clothes tight, catching every spill! The pressure on your back at night, on your bladder all the time, the new always-tired feeling. At 6 months, she can already feel his movement.

And she knows her baby is a boy! Stop and think how astounding that was 2000 years ago!!! It's a boy, and his name is John. She is secure in that knowledge because her faith is great.

And like any woman who carries a baby, especially a first-time mother of her extraordinary circumstances, she must bask in her pregnancy. Just revel in every little change to her body. She basks in it; wears the knowing smile of having a delightful secret. Being in constant touch with an invisible visitor that only she can hear and feel, only she is aware of.

Maybe she is sweeping or grinding something or sewing...maybe doing her daily work a bit mindlessly, daydreaming about her baby, maybe humming to herself and to John. Does she stop now and then to rub her belly? Even in her old age, I'll bet she has no complaints for any backaches or fatigue. She doesn't care because her dream of having a baby is coming true! Her prayers have been answered! Any discomfort will be brushed aside as nothing compared to the ache of an empty womb. She is the miracle of motherhood.

Then, Elizabeth hears something, a visitor! And she recognizes Mary's voice immediately and her heart leaps with joy -no wait -it's the baby!! And Elizabeth has full immediate knowledge! Mary will bare the Messiah! Little Mary is to be the mother of the Savior of Israel! The answer to thousands of years of prayers of her people! The time has come and a Deliverer is on the way! Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and with happiness and joy!

She grabs Mary in a loving embrace and blesses Mary! With just a few words from Elizabeth, Mary knows that she understands and believes. The two of them - how blessed they are, and they both know and acknowledge it! They both realize that they are part of God's salvation of their people - their embrace, their hug, their touch conveys so much! The love in their eyes for each other! Is that a tear?

I sat under this painting and I felt such joy! I could not stop smiling!! On my trip we rarely had time to stop to enjoy the site we were visiting. But this time, in this place, we did get a few minutes. The colors, the expressions on their faces...it was just awesome - and I knew it! I knew I was feeling something special and wonderful!

I wanted to stay, to sit, to meditate. I wanted to just look at the beautiful mosaic which was effecting me and just smile.

All the times I had hungered for a spiritual experience! And I knew I was having one, I knew I was touching something special!! I was aware of the wonderfulness of it while it was happening.

I smile now just remembering, just looking at the photo. And see that girl in the corner peeking through the door? I'm going to claim that is me. Watching. Smiling.

I will forever love this image of Mary & Elizabeth, I will never forget.

Thank you God for allowing me to feel your presence in my mind this day.  Thank you Jesus for allowing your Mother to smile down on my heart this day.  Thank you Holy Spirit for allowing me to feel your essence in the lasting effects in my soul, still today.  Amen.


**Update:  Mom thinks this lovely painting is the layout for a future mosaic.  I hope she is right!!!!  The this beautiful image will be here forever for everyone to fall in love with as I did!

2012 Pilgrimage to Israel - Day 9

 

St. Joseph in Nazareth

ADVENT
Luke 1: 18-25

St. Joseph's Church in Nazareth is within the same complex as the Basilica of the Annunciation.

At the time, I wasn't exactly sure what site I was visiting or what made this place a stop on our pilgrimage and thought it was just a lovely church dedicated to St. Joseph beside the Basilica.

The funny part is that I researched and read and looked at pictures and tried hard to know about all the places I was going ahead of time. (It helped some, but in a lot of cases I realized a lot more about the site once I returned home and began this project.) Anyway, the internet said this place was called the The Church of the Nutrition and also The Church of Joseph’s Workshop.

And to confuse matters even more, the postcard I purchased here is titled "Church of the Holy Family". So I'm not going to take any responsibility nor feel bad for not knowing where I was or what I was doing here. (Again, I'm sure Hillel told us and I missed it or just couldn't process all he said at the time. As I've said before and will say many times, Hillel was amazing in his knowlege of everywhere and everything in Israel!)

So, here was this little church which was so small and plain compared to the giant Basilica. Someone made the comparison that it was a "solid and unpretentious building, very much in the shadow of the imposing Annunciation basilica — just as St Joseph himself lived in the shadow of Jesus and Mary." Thought provoking!

Most churches had decent-sized courtyards in front of them so the fact that we went up a small sidewalk and had to turn right to enter this church was very uncommon. The front of the church was almost up against a wall.

Altar of St. Joseph's Church

Inside the church was very typical of what we had been seeing in the structures built over sacred sites but on a smaller scale. A large nave with the very tall, wooden roof and tiny windows, separated on both sides by a arcade (row of arches supported by columns) with aisles on the side with a much shorter room. I believe this is a lot like the great hall of a castle.

 

Rear of St. Joseph's Church facing the Entrance Door

I have to admit that this was not a church that stuck out in my mind or excited me like some of the others. (I feel terrible saying that, I felt terrible feeling that way when I was there!) It was not particularly pretty nor did it have anything special in the way of decoration.

 Mom with her Patron Saint

There was a really beautiful statue of St. Joseph and Jesus as a child which was very nice (except for that hideous backdrop!). Mom was born on St. Joseph's feast day so she has always had a very special relationship with St. Joseph.

As the story goes, my grandparents had 4 sons Louis, George, Jerry & Kenneth. When my my mother was born on March 19th, all my grandparents friends said "oh, you must name her Josephine in honor of St. Joseph's feast day" and my grandmother's reply was something along the lines of "Are you kidding me? I've got 4 sons, I'm not giving my baby girl a boy's name!" And her name is Rosemary.  ; )

I did love this statue though, just look at the way the artist has depicted Jesus' face - so full of love. And Joseph's hand on his shoulder as protector and guide. God Bless St. Joseph for his role in taking such wonderful care of Jesus & Mary!!

St. Joseph's church is multi-leveled like all the others because it is built over a site which has been venerated for 2000 years, with numerous churches or buildings to mark the spot.

This church actually has multiple claims, including that it is built over the house of Joseph and the Holy Family, and that this is the place where he carpenter workshop was.

Of course, all of this could be true since Mary & Joseph would have lived in the same small town. They could have lived this close together. And when they returned from Egypt, it makes perfect sense that they might have settled in Joseph's original home or very close to Mary's parents. And Joseph's carpenter shop would have been right near their home, right?  

This is some sort of baptismal pool, but because of the mosaic floor they know that it is not from the time of Jesus, but might be from as early as the 1st century.

These steps lead down to a gated door which goes into a grotto where they think the actual site(s) are. It was very mysterious looking with that green light and the cool way the rails cast shadows on the steps & wall!

You'll notice there are papers at the bottom of the steps which look like kinda trashy, but those are notes written by pilgrims - prayers to St. Joseph and the Holy Family. Most of the sites we visited had this sort of thing happening. Many places have prayers, money, holy cards and pictures thrown down into them. It does detract from the beauty of the site, but I guess it is a common practice.

We didn't get to go down inside this cave, but behind the gate is a chamber with water cisterns carved into the rock by the early dwellers of Nazareth. Possibly the Holy Family?

They did have some archaeological excavations outside, between the Church of St. Joseph and the Basilica of the Annunciation. It was under this strange little building/porch. It was hard to see from above, but as we left, we walked down a set of stairs and were then level with the excavations.

 The plaque stated:

 "What is left of the ancient village consists of a network of grottoes and bits of walls from various historical periods.  Going backwards in time we found first the remains of the XVII century Franciscan monastery, then the palace of the crusader archbishop of Nazareth and the humble homes with some parts datable up to the VIII century B.C.  The parts that were carved out of the soft local rock are the best preserved: cisterns for storing rainwater, silos set on different levels for storing foodstuff, a winepress, cellars for full jars, stables with mangers for the live stock, a bread oven.  The farthest to the east is traditionally knows as the "Virgin's kitchen' because of its proximity to the sacred grotto."

Now I don't know which way is east, but from where I'm standing to take this picture, the Basilica of the Annunciation is to the right.

So I got to thinking about these ruins and meditating on the pictures I took. If this is where Joseph lived before his marriage to Mary, then this is possibly the site of his annunciation also. !!!

I thought about how the girls of the time all hoped and prayed to bare the messiah. Did the men also think like this? Did they hope and pray that they would be the father of the deliverer? Did they dream about it as the girls all did?

When Mary came to Joseph to tell him of her pregnancy, and that she was to be the mother of the messiah, how shocked poor Joseph must have been. I'm sure he thought she was either a liar or touched in the head! Poor Joseph. Since he was betrothed to Mary, how this must have hurt him. How confused and torn he must have been. He obviously loved her since he was going to "dismiss her quietly" to keep her from being stoned. Was his heart broken to think that Mary had betrayed him? So sad.

Luke 1: 18-25

But the Angel came to him as he slept and explains. Joseph woke and did as the angel instructed. How relieved he must have been! How happy to know that his beloved Mary had not deceived him, but was to be the mother of the savior of Israel! He knew the prophecies, had to be well-versed in the Torah and the words of the prophets. What a good man, what a holy man!

I'm sure he was chosen because he led a good life. God knew he would be the provider and protector of His son. Was Joseph ever scared of the awesome responsibility? Or did God grant him wondrous grace to be self-assured and confident in his roll? He just seems like he must have been a wonderful man or God would not have chosen him and Mary would not have loved him. He totally deserves this and any other church dedicated to his memory and his honor!

St. Joseph, I pray that my husband and sons be men like you.  I pray that they be good husbands and fathers.  I pray that they be good providers and protectors.  And I pray that they, like you, are holy and obedient to God and His will.  Amen.


2012 Pilgrimage to Israel - Day 4

Basilica of the Annunciation - the Church

ADVENT

When we entered the upper Sanctuary of the Basilica of the Annunciation there was another pilgrim group on the altar celebrating Mass. It's hard to "tour" a site while Holy Mass is going on, but it happened to us when we were having mass a few times and although I vaguely remember people moving around the outskirts, everyone is respectful and I never remember there being any problem with it.

You can see how the railing surrounds the opening which looks down into the Grotto where the actual Annunciation took place. This is a huge church, and I can just imagine it filled with worshipers who are able to file past the cavity on their way to Holy Communion and gaze down into the Grotto where it all began.

We contented ourselves with quietly checking out the walls which were covered in mosaics donated from countries all around the world.

My Dad always told me if you can't says something nice, don't say anything at all. I don't always follow that advise, but I'm going to when it comes to the "mosaic" donated by the United States...

Oh well.

There was a gorgeous, giant stained-glass window across the back that was reflecting beautifully on the floor and it took me about 8 tries to finally get the photo I wanted of it.
 

I don't know what the deal is, and I can't find anything about it on the internet, but all the wooden columns and supports for the walls and roof had small circles cut into them as you can see from the close-up above. It gave the entire church a different look for sure.

 

This is the parish church for the local Catholic community of Nazareth and the inscriptions on the Stations of the Cross are in Arabic.

The main isle was beautiful in the natural light that came in from the dome overhead when we were there and Mom captured this lovely picture of it.

Fellow pilgrims look very thoughtful when contemplating the Basilica.

 

When I look at the faces in this photo, I feel like I can identify with them. Look how they are "pondering" this sacred place. Don't they look like they are really, intensely trying to understand? To grasp?

I recounted in an early post how I struggled to make a connection with this holy site (and others). I was filled with interior anxiety because I didn't feel some all-enveloping-warm-fuzzy from being there. I was straining within my mind to unite myself to this place and imprint it on my heart forever.

I was allowed to stand within 3 feet of the spot where Gabriel spoke with Mary and told her about her part in the salvation of the world.

It's just profound!

Mary had free will just like we all do. She could have easily said no to God's plan. And so can we. But she didn't, she said yes. And helped save us all.

She became the Mother of God, the Mother of us all!

I might not have had a heart-stopping mystical moment in the Grotto, but that doesn't mean I don't have a spiritual connection with Mary.

Dearest Mary, Thank You for always being available to me in all occasions.  You have always been a wonderful guiding light in difficult times.  I am so blessed to have you to count on to stand at any of the crossroads in my life and point the way to your son, Jesus.  Amen.

 2012 Pilgrimage to Israel - Day 4