GETHSEMANE

Today we visited the Church of all nations which is situated amidst the garden of Gethsemane. It is situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives.  The actual garden itself seems to be small in size due to the number of churches built here to commemorate this site where the Lord taught his disciples and most notably prayed fervently to the Father en route to His Passion. Many of us sat on the steps outside which looked toward the Old City where Jesus would have been taken upon his arrest. 

            We celebrated Holy Mass in a cave on the grounds which tradition suggests Jesus would have taken the disciples to talk and spend time together. It was pretty good sized with a low ceiling fitting maybe up to 50 people. Since the garden is within  walking distance for us, as with many of the other sites around town, we will often return to take holy hours. Another activity we are fond of is the procession. There is the Via Dolorosa which marks the stations of the cross throughout the old city, another is the procession at the Holy Sepulcher which takes one around the Holy sites especially Calvary and the Tomb of Christ. 

            Many of us returned to Gethsemane later that night for a candlelight procession around Gethsemane.  Their was Eucharistic adoration and Benediction accompanied by a rather talented Friar on guitar and a Nun with an angelic voice.  Amidst the prayer and silence was interspersed beautiful tunes and dramatic reading of scripture. This reading was done in a handful of different languages to emphasize our diversity as well as our unity in Christ. On fire with the spirit of praise and worship we walked through the garden illumined by candles.  It was just us and 200 hundred of our Catholic sisters and brothers.  Praise be to Christ who looked out over his path to Jerusalem from the Mt of Olives and handed himself over for us.

 The garden of Gethsemane