Day 14 - Mt. of Olives

Today was all downhill...s. We took a bus across the Kidron Valley to the top of the Mount of Olives. Father Kuss said mass at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. From the mount we had a perfect view Jerusalem, and we traced Jesus' steps during Holy Week.

Men praying at the stone of the agony

From there we walked down the slope to the Garden of Gethsemane. Knotted twisting olive trees still grow in outer courtyard of the basilica; some are over 2030 years old and would have been in the garden with Jesus that night. It was about noon when we entered, but inside the basilica it is always cool and dark. The ceiling is covered with stars and the pillars are brown like hulking olive trees. At the front of the dark church is an exposed stone platform where Jesus prayed during the Agony in the garden. We stayed there and prayed for a half an hour, many of us reflecting on our upcoming ordinations. Like Jesus we are preparing to give our lives for others, and this is impossible without the Father. We pray that, when we feel alone, Jesus would bring us back to Gethsemane.

We came back out into the sunshine and drove back up the steep hill called Jerusalem. Outside the city walls, archeological excavations have unearned parts of the city the from the very early stages of the city, including Hezekiah's tunnel. This ancient tunnel allowed the city to draw water from springs outside of the city, even in times of siege. We descended (downhill) under the city and we actually walked some of these ancient (slightly claustrophobic) passageways.

After a lot of hiking we are in for the evening and we're putting our feet up. Tomorrow... The Dead Sea!

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