The seventh day of the pilgrimage began with the site that was originally intended to end the day. We were supposed to visit the lowest place on earth first, the Dead Sea, and end with Bethany, but instead started with Bethany. This is where Lazarus comes into the picture.
This day was February 9th. Two years earlier on this day, I had a very distinct spiritual summons in the morning that led me to believe that someone had just died. It wasn't clear who had died, but I assumed the person was someone I cared a great deal for or was very closely related. I assumed it was an immediate family member, but wasn't sure. I figured if it was someone close, I would receive a phone call soon. I didn't intend to call everyone I knew to ask who died. I found it rather odd that the day came to an end without me having any information on anyone having died.
The next morning (still 2 years ago) I would find out that a former classmate of mine had died the prior morning. One might assume it might have been my best friend or something, but it was quite the opposite. The one person who I would consider my mortal enemy (in my childhood but not since) was the person who died. The death seemed to be one that would have involved some mental agony. This also pairs well with Gethsemane, which means "oil press", and was a place where great pressure came to bear.
His birthday was just days before I left for the trip. That reminded me that I would be in the area of Jerusalem when the anniversary of his death occurred. So I looked at the tentative itinerary in advance and noticed how the low points of the Dead Sea, and the death of Lazarus would occur on the 9th, and Gethsemane was originally planned for the 10th. I was determined to bring with me lows and agonies to these sites. As it would turn out, Gethsemane would shift to a different day, but something else meaningful would take its place. But between our holy hour at Gethsemane on our first night in Jerusalem and visiting it a day later than expected, on the last fully-planned day of the trip, there were plenty of meaningful experiences there.
So the shifting of Bethany to the start of the 7th day would make the day more meaningful. The seventh day of creation was a day of rest, and this was the day that my classmate fell into eternal rest. We would attend Mass at the Church of Saint Lazarus during the same hour of the day in which I was spiritually alerted to the death. Just as it helps to read the Mass readings in advance, I found a few of these sites yielded a much more powerful experience by bringing with me that which brings meaning from the sites.
For some context, Bethany is very close to Jerusalem. In the Bible account of the Ascension, we hear of Jesus going up the Mount of Olives as far as Bethany. Well, The Mount of Olives is separated from the Temple Mount by a valley, and you can see Bethany from the East side of the Mount of Olives. The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by the green spots on the map. So this is a distance one could easily walk in a small part of the day. As usual, clicking images will bring up larger versions to see more details.
Before Mass, we checked out an olive press. So let's head to the olive press. As you see, umbrellas are out, since it rained most of the days we were there. I see rain as a form of blessing, and it often occurs in excess when I travel.
There was a large, round stone that rolls and crushes the hard olives and pits. The resulting bits get gathered up and placed into the press, which turns, and the turning action pushes something down onto the crushed bits of olives. The first pressing yields the virgin olive oil and is the first and best. Thus, it is offered to God in worship. The later pressings yield lesser oil.
The top of the olive press reminded me of a cross held by a yoke.
Some floor patterns stand out, especially in some of the older places.
At some point, I saw some plants that contained stuff worth pressing.
As we approached the area of the tombs, we saw some information about them.
There were several spots providing information about prior churches and monasteries on the site. I don't know if I missed the one for the first church or what happened that I don't have a photo for that.
The front of the Church of Saint Lazarus was rather simple. It showed Mary (Maria), Lazarus, and Martha.
Now for Mass. I would hear the readings that took place on these grounds. Jesus would refer to Lazarus as sleeping, but he was misunderstood. He had to clarify and make known that Lazarus was dead. He knew from the moment it happened. I reflected on the way I knew of the death of my classmate without being there.
Jesus delayed coming here, which allowed Lazarus to be dead long enough that even the 3-day rule for the spirit to linger with the body would pass. The fourth day was when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The two sisters of Lazarus loved their brother and were saddened at his death. Jesus loved him and wept. They wished Jesus had come sooner so this death could have been avoided. I would come to realize that of my classmate's sisters, I only ever got to know his two older sisters and only a little bit. So I found that my prayers for his family and loved ones were also pairing well with Lazarus having two sisters in the story. (I believe my classmate had one other sister, but I never got to know her.)
Jesus would summon Lazarus, causing him to rise from his death. He didn't have to wait for the last day to rise. I had forgiven my classmate many years earlier, but never communicated it to him, whether or not he knew what I thought of him. But I again reflected on my experience not just the day of the death of my classmate, but the next day when a more significant spiritual experience would bring about complete forgiveness. The day I found out who died, I accepted the spiritual summons. I voiced all grievances I could think to make. After I completed this, I also voiced my forgiveness. This is a rather simplified version of what happened. But ever since then, I can honestly say I don't recall the contents of the grievances; I doubt I could remember even if someone offered me lots of money or other motivation. It's gone.
The experiences would really form a bond even after death with a man who I once hated more than any other. He would be in my prayers for quite some time after his death. I have reason to believe he would spend eternity in heaven. In communicating with one of his sisters, it sounds like someone else had some spiritual experiences that would suggest the same. A younger version of me might not have thought much of him being in heaven, but I'm grateful for this now. Our God is a God of the living, not of the dead. Those in heaven are alive. As Jesus raised Lazarus, we will all be raised, body and soul, and our soul lives on until that day.
The way the day was restructured in such a way as to move the Mass time to the same hour I believe my classmate died was also treasured. I didn't ask for that change, but it made sense for what we did that day. And partway through the Mass, there was a time when I was deeply reminded of 2 years prior. I looked at the time, and it was the same moment. Even two years later, his death brought great meaning to this site. Whether going to the Holy Land or to Mass, if you consider what the readings are or what happened there, and bring forth something from your own life, it can make a huge difference in the experiences. May the blessings of Lazarus be upon all.
I don't tend to take photos during Mass. So the next photos are of the interior. The main altar is straight ahead. Oh, and although we had the church reserved for our Mass, many other groups seemed to try to get in, they crowded in a bit further than they ought to have done, etc. It as a bit disruptive. But I had enough in my thoughts and prayers to keep me focused.
I like to include a little bit of the surroundings and grounds.
The path slightly reminded me of an agony I brought with me. This path had too many small plants, the wrong kind of palms, etc. But there were still some hints of the wonderful memory that is paired with great agony. I am glad I took a photo of the fountain, because I don't remember it very well. It looks so nice there in the garden, springing forth water, which again is a form of blessing.
One thing my notes included was something that bothered me a little at the time. As we were heading to the bus, we were told there was a guy that sells bookmarks that is a good man to buy from. His needs are real. I didn't really think much of bookmarks, but I could give this a chance. I was pretty sure I knew which guy they were referring to, and he had more than just bookmarks, but the other items at first didn't really look like stuff I wanted. I could take some time to look over what he had though. But I also heard that he would be allowed on the bus to sell items later. With that, I decided to head back to the bus. Someone came back with postcards of most, if not all of the places we would visit on the trip. The cost also seemed reasonable. I almost got off the bus to see if I could buy some, but resisted, knowing he would be coming to us. I think they realized everyone seemed to have a fair chance to buy directly, so they just let him on to say bye, and it was so brief that there was no real buying opportunity. So that's how I found myself having to get postcards elsewhere. I would have bought from him, but things were said that didn't happen. I still bought enough postcards elsewhere of places I wanted such cards. I still would have mailed the same number of postcards. The others would have remained as reminders of places I had been, as if I didn't have enough photos that I took.
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| Lazarus Brought Back to Life |
This day was February 9th. Two years earlier on this day, I had a very distinct spiritual summons in the morning that led me to believe that someone had just died. It wasn't clear who had died, but I assumed the person was someone I cared a great deal for or was very closely related. I assumed it was an immediate family member, but wasn't sure. I figured if it was someone close, I would receive a phone call soon. I didn't intend to call everyone I knew to ask who died. I found it rather odd that the day came to an end without me having any information on anyone having died.
The next morning (still 2 years ago) I would find out that a former classmate of mine had died the prior morning. One might assume it might have been my best friend or something, but it was quite the opposite. The one person who I would consider my mortal enemy (in my childhood but not since) was the person who died. The death seemed to be one that would have involved some mental agony. This also pairs well with Gethsemane, which means "oil press", and was a place where great pressure came to bear.
His birthday was just days before I left for the trip. That reminded me that I would be in the area of Jerusalem when the anniversary of his death occurred. So I looked at the tentative itinerary in advance and noticed how the low points of the Dead Sea, and the death of Lazarus would occur on the 9th, and Gethsemane was originally planned for the 10th. I was determined to bring with me lows and agonies to these sites. As it would turn out, Gethsemane would shift to a different day, but something else meaningful would take its place. But between our holy hour at Gethsemane on our first night in Jerusalem and visiting it a day later than expected, on the last fully-planned day of the trip, there were plenty of meaningful experiences there.
So the shifting of Bethany to the start of the 7th day would make the day more meaningful. The seventh day of creation was a day of rest, and this was the day that my classmate fell into eternal rest. We would attend Mass at the Church of Saint Lazarus during the same hour of the day in which I was spiritually alerted to the death. Just as it helps to read the Mass readings in advance, I found a few of these sites yielded a much more powerful experience by bringing with me that which brings meaning from the sites.
For some context, Bethany is very close to Jerusalem. In the Bible account of the Ascension, we hear of Jesus going up the Mount of Olives as far as Bethany. Well, The Mount of Olives is separated from the Temple Mount by a valley, and you can see Bethany from the East side of the Mount of Olives. The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by the green spots on the map. So this is a distance one could easily walk in a small part of the day. As usual, clicking images will bring up larger versions to see more details.
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| Old City of Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, and Bethany (Lazarus Sites Marked) |
Before Mass, we checked out an olive press. So let's head to the olive press. As you see, umbrellas are out, since it rained most of the days we were there. I see rain as a form of blessing, and it often occurs in excess when I travel.
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| Walking in Bethany |
There was a large, round stone that rolls and crushes the hard olives and pits. The resulting bits get gathered up and placed into the press, which turns, and the turning action pushes something down onto the crushed bits of olives. The first pressing yields the virgin olive oil and is the first and best. Thus, it is offered to God in worship. The later pressings yield lesser oil.
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| Olive Press Room (not a media press room) |
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| Stone to Crush Olives |
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| Olive Press |
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| Olive Press |
The top of the olive press reminded me of a cross held by a yoke.
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| The Top of the Olive Press |
Some floor patterns stand out, especially in some of the older places.
At some point, I saw some plants that contained stuff worth pressing.
As we approached the area of the tombs, we saw some information about them.
There were several spots providing information about prior churches and monasteries on the site. I don't know if I missed the one for the first church or what happened that I don't have a photo for that.
 |
| 2nd Church |
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| 3rd and 4th Churches |
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| Monastery |
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| Modern Church |
The front of the Church of Saint Lazarus was rather simple. It showed Mary (Maria), Lazarus, and Martha.
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| Front of the Church of Saint Lazarus |
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| Mary, Lazarus, and Martha |
Now for Mass. I would hear the readings that took place on these grounds. Jesus would refer to Lazarus as sleeping, but he was misunderstood. He had to clarify and make known that Lazarus was dead. He knew from the moment it happened. I reflected on the way I knew of the death of my classmate without being there.
Jesus delayed coming here, which allowed Lazarus to be dead long enough that even the 3-day rule for the spirit to linger with the body would pass. The fourth day was when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The two sisters of Lazarus loved their brother and were saddened at his death. Jesus loved him and wept. They wished Jesus had come sooner so this death could have been avoided. I would come to realize that of my classmate's sisters, I only ever got to know his two older sisters and only a little bit. So I found that my prayers for his family and loved ones were also pairing well with Lazarus having two sisters in the story. (I believe my classmate had one other sister, but I never got to know her.)
Jesus would summon Lazarus, causing him to rise from his death. He didn't have to wait for the last day to rise. I had forgiven my classmate many years earlier, but never communicated it to him, whether or not he knew what I thought of him. But I again reflected on my experience not just the day of the death of my classmate, but the next day when a more significant spiritual experience would bring about complete forgiveness. The day I found out who died, I accepted the spiritual summons. I voiced all grievances I could think to make. After I completed this, I also voiced my forgiveness. This is a rather simplified version of what happened. But ever since then, I can honestly say I don't recall the contents of the grievances; I doubt I could remember even if someone offered me lots of money or other motivation. It's gone.
The experiences would really form a bond even after death with a man who I once hated more than any other. He would be in my prayers for quite some time after his death. I have reason to believe he would spend eternity in heaven. In communicating with one of his sisters, it sounds like someone else had some spiritual experiences that would suggest the same. A younger version of me might not have thought much of him being in heaven, but I'm grateful for this now. Our God is a God of the living, not of the dead. Those in heaven are alive. As Jesus raised Lazarus, we will all be raised, body and soul, and our soul lives on until that day.
The way the day was restructured in such a way as to move the Mass time to the same hour I believe my classmate died was also treasured. I didn't ask for that change, but it made sense for what we did that day. And partway through the Mass, there was a time when I was deeply reminded of 2 years prior. I looked at the time, and it was the same moment. Even two years later, his death brought great meaning to this site. Whether going to the Holy Land or to Mass, if you consider what the readings are or what happened there, and bring forth something from your own life, it can make a huge difference in the experiences. May the blessings of Lazarus be upon all.
I don't tend to take photos during Mass. So the next photos are of the interior. The main altar is straight ahead. Oh, and although we had the church reserved for our Mass, many other groups seemed to try to get in, they crowded in a bit further than they ought to have done, etc. It as a bit disruptive. But I had enough in my thoughts and prayers to keep me focused.
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| Main Altar |
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| Main Altar |
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| Above Main Altar |
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| Lazarus Coming Out of the Tomb |
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| Jesus with Martha and Mary |
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| The Dome Above |
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| Different Lighting and Offset Dome |
I like to include a little bit of the surroundings and grounds.
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| The Neighborhood |
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| A Path with Lush Plant Life |
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| A Fountain |
The path slightly reminded me of an agony I brought with me. This path had too many small plants, the wrong kind of palms, etc. But there were still some hints of the wonderful memory that is paired with great agony. I am glad I took a photo of the fountain, because I don't remember it very well. It looks so nice there in the garden, springing forth water, which again is a form of blessing.
One thing my notes included was something that bothered me a little at the time. As we were heading to the bus, we were told there was a guy that sells bookmarks that is a good man to buy from. His needs are real. I didn't really think much of bookmarks, but I could give this a chance. I was pretty sure I knew which guy they were referring to, and he had more than just bookmarks, but the other items at first didn't really look like stuff I wanted. I could take some time to look over what he had though. But I also heard that he would be allowed on the bus to sell items later. With that, I decided to head back to the bus. Someone came back with postcards of most, if not all of the places we would visit on the trip. The cost also seemed reasonable. I almost got off the bus to see if I could buy some, but resisted, knowing he would be coming to us. I think they realized everyone seemed to have a fair chance to buy directly, so they just let him on to say bye, and it was so brief that there was no real buying opportunity. So that's how I found myself having to get postcards elsewhere. I would have bought from him, but things were said that didn't happen. I still bought enough postcards elsewhere of places I wanted such cards. I still would have mailed the same number of postcards. The others would have remained as reminders of places I had been, as if I didn't have enough photos that I took.
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