Nativity Church, Manger Square, Milk Gro

At around 5.00am got up to go to the bathroom, and I could see a beautiful sunrise. So I went off to the top of the roof and it was lovely. Photo does not do it justice.

At 8.00am went down for breakfast, and found it was not yet ready, so sat down and read a book, it was around 8.10 then. One of the nuns then said to me there is mass at the nativity Manger at 8.30am. Also after that the would be closed till 10.00am. So decided to skip breakfast and rush out to mass. By the time I got there the mass in the manger had started and no one was allowed in. A tour group was turned back. I tried to go down and the Franciscans Freire would not allow me to come down the cave steps. But I joined the Italian mass by saying the prayers in English at the top of the cave steps.. When it came to the time of receiving communion, I was allowed to go down and receive holy communion and then sit by the Manger. After the mass before they started to clean I got to say a prayer on the star where Jesus was born.

Then went through the rest of the complex, went to the milk grotto. The milk grotto is where a drop of milk from mother Mary has dropped and the cave ended up becoming white. Down into the caves in the main church and I was sorted. There is one photo of the Graves of the children that Herod killed after the the Wiseman told Herod how a king had been born, and they followed the star. When they did not come back and tell where Jesus's birth was he ended up killing all tge children under 2 years of age. I am so Lucky the nun had told me to do this as by then the que to the Manger was the entire length of the church and 4 to 5 people wide. There were tour groups from here to Africa.

After that went back to the convent, exchanged email addresses with Fr J, and then walked all the way down to the bus stand again. At least this was downhill compared to the uphill walk on Wednesday.

Now seated at the bus halt writing this as its Friday and the buses only come once an hour. It is 11.44am now been here for more than 30 minutes. Apparently after noon the bus does not come till 2.00pm. Stops for Friday prayers for the Muslims.

The bus came and everything I thought was ok, till we came to the check point to get into Israel from Palestine. Different story when you are coming into Israel in a Palestine bus. We had to get down and Israel soldiers were in no hurry to check our paper work. Had to stand in the sun for close to 25 minutes or so.

Came to the convent where I stayed on Tuesday, but the receptionist was not there, so went and did the stuff I had in my itinerary for today. They were on the Via Dolarosa, and very close to the convent.

The Church of the Flagellation first. Christian tradition places here two moments from the Passion of Jesus: the flagellation and the condemnation to death. I was the only one there. I love it when it's like that, so I can commute with God without any noise around me, or people taking selfish and photos etc. Then went off down the street a little bit further and found the next 3 items on my list to cross off. The St Anne's Church after whom I was given my first name. Again not a single soul. I was winning. Then to the place where mother Mary was born, then to the Bethsaida pools where Jesus cured a cripple man. I have a good orientation ability, but Colin will tell you I am hopeless at reading maps. So today I am looking at this map of the excavation site of these Bessaida pools and could not make head or tail of it. Decided I would go around the site and try to work it out, didn't have much luck yet. So there was was a priest I went to ask him about Sunday mass and then asked the question where the North pool was and where was the South pool. He came outside and explained it and also showed me where to walk down to the pool where the miracle happend. I had missed that place completely. Honestly Donkey!!!!. Some mothers do have them.

Came back to the room was very tired, no breakfast, no lunch luckily had some snacks left from my trip back from Petra gobbled that down, and had a wash and slept.

After dinner got talking to this lady, and she mentioned how she had her daughter in NZ. I said really was she born in Nelson, and she wondered how I knew that. To see her daughter was this lovely young lady who had been very nice to me at the hotel in Tel Aviv. What a small world.

The photo of the nun in the chapel is an order of nuns who pray 24/7 365 days of the year. The first vedio is from last night when I took Fr J to see the night lights of Bethlehem and the second was an English group mass at St Catherine's in the nativity church, during communion they sung Silent Night why not this is the birth place of Jesus. Yes very appropriate.

Pause for Thought.

Divine Grace at work.- Many are the times on this journey so far that I have felt it's not coincidence but God's hand at work. A atheist or a cynic might say it's coincidence. But when things happen in a way I never anticipated from small minute facts to much larger events I think it's my duty to recognize God's hand at work. Yes I prepared for this journey, but some of the things that have taken place were not in my radar, so I cannot take any form of credit.

When I mentioned I was doing this on my own, some thought I was being naive, so thought it was a big ask. But I said I had the Holy Trinity travellibg with me, and I can honestly say I truly have had unseen company along this journey.

Sometimes I wonder where God is, is he even there, can he not hear me, why oh why is this mess on earth. The experience of his presence on this journey may I remember when I am like doubting Thomas back in NZ Czytaj więcej