Gethsemane

Gethsemane...this was a place I looked forward to visiting. I was happy that we visited it twice. I have put day numbers on each of the post titles for sites I only visited once. So this one is special, just like the Holy Sepulchre.

The visit I didn't expect occurred on our first night in Jerusalem, on February 7th. We only stopped at one other site in the Old City before we gathered for supper. Afterward, we went to Gethsemane for a Eucharistic Holy Hour. Holy sites in the area have specific hours for visitors. But an advantage people get of being part of a pilgrimage group is that one tends to get into a place or two outside of those times or one might get access to places otherwise not accessible. Our Holy Hour took place after the site had closed for the day.

At no point did we ever walk on the rocky path between the trees, but we would walk on a sidewalk that encloses the garden. Although it wouldn't have been illuminated in the time of Jesus, the lighting and the nighttime visit provided an eerily beautiful site to walk through. I wanted to take many photos that night, but I was told we would be back, and knew we would. So I tried to keep my photos to a minimum. I did take a nighttime photo of the trees, though, figuring I wouldn't be back while it was so dark.

Gethsemane at Night

We would enter a rather dark church. It made sense that it was dark, since it was nighttime. Perhaps they only turned on a few lights for us for a good, prayerful atmosphere. I would learn more about the lighting later.

I took a seat and knelt for prayer. I brought to mind agonies of Jesus, my childhood enemy, and myself. It distracted me a bit from the prayer that was going on, but it was a powerful experience. I would also think of Jesus in Gethsemane and the Apostles who fell asleep. Jesus would ask if they could not pray with him for an hour, and whether they could not stay awake. The night of Passover is one of watchfulness. One is supposed to look for the Messiah. But like most of us, we don't know when we are about to lose someone. If they had known their dearest friend and Lord would be dead in less than a day's time, perhaps they would have stayed up, doing whatever necessary to stay awake, to pray with Jesus. But they didn't know, and they were tired. We completed the hour with an outdoor procession around the garden. I gained my first chance to see the garden from all around it, and it was at night. I noted the locations of greatest spiritual sensation. I would come back to those when we would return.

Will you pray for an hour with me?




We would return on February 11th, which was our ninth day of the 10-day pilgrimage. Stepping back a great deal, we see the Church of All Nations, which is the Basilica of the Agony. It is located low on the Mount of Olives, just East of the Old City of Jerusalem. If you click on the image to see a larger version, you'll see the many graves of people buried on the Mount of Olives. While the left part of the photo shows green plants, the upper right part of this hill has the color of the enclosures of many graves. Since the final judgement was to bring judgement on those in the East first, Jews want to be buried on this hill. We approached the church from further up the hill, and thus passed on foot along a road that cut between the tombs.

Mount of Olives with Gethsemane Right of Center

Along a wall on the site, we see the depiction of the arrest of Jesus.

Arrest of Jesus

The entry to the site has the traditional Jerusalem Cross in red. It consists of five crosses. Each of the Gospels in the Bible, plus one cross for the Holy Land, which even Saint Jerome referred to it as the Fifth Gospel. This entry is to the left of the church when facing the church. Between this entry and the church is the garden of olive trees.

Entry to Gethsemane Site

I will include more photos of the garden, but this is what I saw as I walked toward the church.

Garden of Gethsemane

I took many photos of the front of the church. On top, we find the traditional cross flanked by stags, which are symbols of Christ.

Upon entering and turning to look toward the altar, one sees the dome above, artwork behind the altar, the tabernacle, the altar, and a broad stone in front of the altar (not pictured until later).

Inside the Church of All Nations

Dome in the Church of All Nations

The church is made to look dark inside. You may have noticed how dark the areas are once one gets a few feet away from the sanctuary. When we look to the side, we see that even in mid-day, very little light comes in the windows. They used darker colors. This is a site focused on the agony of Jesus at night, so it remains dark. So the nighttime Holy Hour was lit normally; it was just that the normal lighting is very dark.

The darkness with an area of light reminds me of a powerful spiritual moment in my life. Surrounded in darkness, a tiny point of light.

Dark Interior of the Church of All Nations

Dark Windows in Gethsemane

Most of these photos of the stone in front of the altar were taken after Mass. But as I approached the altar for Mass, I had hoped to be inside the small area near the altar for small groups to pray Mass. But I initially was seated in a connected part to the left. The kneeler looked very heavily cushioned. It seemed like I had a spot of great comfort, but outside the innermost ring of people.

But then they said they had room for four people beside the altar, two on each side. Since many people who attended came as couples, I assumed both pair of spots would go to two couples. One did, but the other wasn't filled right away. A man who had no spouse with him took a spot to the left of the altar (from our perspective). I realized they would seek to have another single person for that spot, and I really wanted to be there. I indicated my interest, and they held the spot until I could get out of the area I was and pass through the gate to enter that area. I knew I would want some time by the stone, and this spot put the stone between me and the path out of the church, so this looked like a very good spot.

I didn't take photos during the Mass. But I sat just to the left of the altar. I again brought with me the agonies of my greatest enemy as a child, myself, and recalled the agonies of our Lord. I again saw the beauty of the way our two priests prayed the Mass. I saw the liturgy play out from slightly behind the altar. This is a view I have rarely had, if ever during a Mass. My eyes would go between the altar, the stone of agony, and the priests. I felt some familiar pains.

But then came the time in which we all knelt. Upon kneeling, the person next to me moved to the other side of me, perhaps for leg room. I knelt and felt the familiar pain of kneeling on a smooth, stone floor. But with little time, the pain grew much greater. I'd venture to say it was more painful than any pain I ever felt in my legs. Even at other Holy Land sites with stone floors, the discomfort was the normal amount that a stone floor gives knees. This was beyond that by orders of magnitude. I wanted to change position or move or something. My mind thought back to the very plush kneeler I gave up just before the Mass. But this is a place of agony, and it felt like a supernatural agony I was experiencing, so I persisted. Even hidden wounds grew more painful.

One of the other reasons I had hoped to be in one of the closer spots to the altar is that this was a place where I knew more meaning would come forth, and I really wanted to receive our Lord in the Eucharist while on my knees without having to get in a line and drop down. The plush kneeler spot would have denied me that opportunity. So the single open spot seemed like a special grace. As the priest neared with the Eucharist, I knew I would be either last or among the last to receive. It looked like there were two hosts in his hand. I also heard him say that there were two. I know they sometimes have to distribute a few extras near the end if they know they have too many, or they have more to consume themselves if not placing any in reserve in a tabernacle. With how special this place was for me, I again welcomed the double portion. Note that the size or quantity of the Eucharist is of no consequence, as the Lord is present body, blood, soul, and divinity in every morsel. I even read of a Saint who loved receiving larger hosts. But a priest recognized that and split the host in half between her and another. The double portion I received is therefore no greater grace, but still recognized as a special gift. I hadn't shared with the priest in advance that I would consider this a special place above most of the others, so I truly love the way God made each opportunity arise.

There can be joy in suffering. This is something I knew I would experience here, and I did. I brought some agonies, uniting them with Christ.

After Mass completed, our group would get the first chance to touch the stone of agony. At first, someone made it sound like we should go the way I hoped, which would give me an early chance to touch it. But then someone made it sound like the direction should go the other way, which would put me past the chance, which made it very confusing. I hoped I could step over to it regardless. I did that, and then someone clarified that indeed the original direction was correct. So people who sat near where I originally sat came around a back way to fill in behind me.

The stone is relatively flat, but with some contours. It is surrounded by a large crown of thorns made of metal. It forms a nice boundary. I realized it also probably minimizes the number of people who might lean over or even lay or climb onto the stone, since it forms a natural thorny barrier. So it may provide both artistic and functional benefits.

Agony Stone & Altar

Agony Stone & Altar

Agony Stone Where I Touched It

Agony Stone from Where I Touched It

Metal Crown of Thorns Border the Agony Stone

Other People Venerating the Stone

To exit, we head toward the light. You may have noticed that upon entering, I mentioned something about turning toward the altar. This is because this church, like a few others in the area, allow you to enter the building toward the altar in a small space from which you enter the main body of the church to the sides. So the broad side of the entryway faces the altar, but the doorway I would use to exit faces the side of the church.

Exit and Entryway of the Basilica of Agony

If the church hadn't been built around this spot, and if the Temple had not been destroyed in the year 70 AD, we would have a view of the front of the Temple from here. The Second Temple was 100 cubits high according to the Mishnah, which amounts to 150 feet in height. (The First Temple that was destroyed hundreds of years before Jesus was there was just 30 cubits high (1 Kings 6:2), which amounts to 45 feet in height.) The Dome of the Rock that is built upon the old Temple site stands 115 feet in height. In the first photo below, it's the gold dome that pokes up above the Old City wall. So Jesus could have seen the top third of the Temple from this site. The lower portions would not be fully visible, but the top would certainly be within sight through the low-lying olive trees. The palm trees would provide only an occasional obstruction, since the land drops down into the Kidron Valley before rising again to the Temple Mount. Keep in mind that the Temple faced to the East, so the city of Jerusalem was behind it to the West. I took a few photos from the entryway area.

View from Front of Gethsemane

View from Front of Gethsemane

I needed to go back to a few spots around the garden. I took several photos, only a few of which are shown below. The roots of the trees date back to the time of Jesus. Such trees live remarkably long periods of time. One of the reasons people sell olive wood items from the Holy Land is because they can cut parts of an olive tree and it will just keep growing back. The above-ground parts of these trees have in some cases been around for many centuries. The ground cover and other landscaping in this area is modern. There were palm trees nearby, but you could tell they do what they can to keep this area pure with the only trees being olive trees. The ground looks dull compared to what Jesus would have seen. But it maintains a more consistent presentation for visitors and is easier to maintain for decades or longer.

Garden of Gethsemane, A Great Spot

Garden of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane Looking Up

In taking so many photos, I don't know if I noticed the small tree starting to grow up in the midst of the forest.

Young Tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

Young Tree in the Garden of Gethsemane (and a path forming a cross)

Young Tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

Looking back at the top of the church from just beyond the garden, I saw the cross and stags, and the many rounded domes that form the ceiling. The church is called the Church of All Nations in part because of the many nations that contributed to its construction. The underside of each dome has some indication of a different country that contributed.

Top of Gethsemane

While walking along side the path, I saw a prayer. It's THE prayer Jesus said at least three times in the garden that night. Some people often misread the passage of the Bible about avoiding vain repetition in prayer as a call to avoid all repetition. But in the Old and New Testaments, we have testimony of angels saying "Holy, Holy, Holy", with centuries between the two. It's an eternal loop of holy chant. And here, we have Jesus praying the same prayer three times, checking back with his Apostles between each prayer. The vain repetition of prayers in hopes to gain favorable outcomes from a false god is condemned. But a heartfelt prayer to the True God is not forbidden. It's actually Biblical to include such prayers. When meditating on the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, perhaps while reaching that part of the rosary, one might imagine hearing him asking for the final cup of the Passover to pass by him if there was any other way. But then he submitted to the will of God and fulfilled scripture most perfectly...for you. If you were there, I imagine he would say he is doing it for you.

Prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane

I took a few a few panoramic photos.

There is also a informational sheet outside to explain a few things about the site. Like many other sites, they don't want loud explanations inside. So whisper boxes are used inside or explanations are provided outside.

Gethsemane Information

Those dark windows look like this from the outside. It's easy to forget to look at them from the outside, since they face the beautiful garden. So most people look at the garden and only notice the windows while inside.

Gethsemane Windows from the Outside

Being a special place, I had a friend take a photo of me here.

Me, in Agony's Garden

This is the place where Jesus would often meet with his disciples, in front of the Temple, amidst the beauty of this mount. This photo might provide the most variety of this rather small remnant of the garden.

Garden of Gethsemane

We did not go into the grotto in the cave at Gethsemane. It was across the side street near where we entered the Gethsemane site. It's generally in the area of what is pictured. There are two holy sites there. One was the cave where they warmed up that night. I now appreciate the warmth of a cave after visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, since the Chapel of Saint Helena sent waves of warm air into the chilly building, warmed by the walls of the chapel. The other site in the area pictured is considered a tomb of Mary by the Orthodox Churches. The tomb is empty. People dispute whether Mary died or merely fell asleep before being assumed bodily into heaven. Their tradition, to the best of my understanding, has her dying, being placed in a tomb, and on the third day, the tomb was empty. Regardless of what people believe, we have bone relics of the Apostles and many other early well-known Christians, but no one can find any remains of Mary. I share the photos because I would like to visit the cave of Gethsemane.

According to our sample itinerary, we would have gone to the Western Wall next. But we went there one day early. So we continued on to the Upper Room. This is where Jesus and the Apostles would have been before coming here. They would have arrived here singing the hymns, one of which Jesus quoted on the cross when he said, "My God, My God, Why have you abandoned me?" Saying the first line of a hymn was like proclaiming it all. Many people just think God the Father withdrew from Jesus. But if you haven't read Psalm 22 with Jesus in mind as the fulfillment of it, please do that right now. The link will open a new window. You can come back here and then advance to another post from my trip later. This psalm is a very powerful passage to read during the Triduum, any part of Holy Week, and really anytime.

Although I took many photos outside for certain reasons, I didn't take many photos inside. Not only was it dark, but the places that meant the most to me and where I was praying more left less time to take photos. Also, I was far less likely to think of the more touristy thing of taking photos when more fully experiencing a real pilgrimage.

To follow the sequence of events of the life of Jesus, then continue to Gallicantu...

To follow my pilgrimage, we were here twice. After the nighttime visit for a holy hour, we went back to the hotel for the evening and started Day 6 checking out John the Baptist's Birthplace. After we visited the site on another day and saw the site in more detail, we had just come from Gethsemane, so to head to the next site, our group went on to the Upper Room, where the Last Supper occurred...

So these two sites were flipped in sequence, since Jesus had just come from the Upper Room, and we were about to head there.