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Posted on October 26, 2009 in 2009 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - 9 COMMENTS

Day Five

by Rev Fr Chris Flesoras

Our first stop this morning is Bethlehem, which literally means “the house of bread.”  The town has great historical significance to Christians as the Lord, the Bread of Life, was born of a Virgin in Bethlehem.  It is mentioned in the Old Testament in the story of Ruth, King David was also born here.  Bethlehem is only five kilometers from Jerusalem (the remains of an octagonal church, Kathesma, which is believed to be a place where the Virgin Mary stopped and rested on the way to Bethlehem).

In order to pass from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, one must process through a military checkpoint.  A 30-foot wall spanning 500 miles separates the cities was constructed in 2002.  Bethlehem remains a predominantly Christian city. 

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Nativity is the oldest standing Church in Christendom.  It was first built by Helen, but because of damage by the Samaritan Revolt, and then it was then rebuilt by Justinian in the year 529.  The Church is built over the cave.  The mosaics are original.

A throng of people was found on the right side of the Cross shaped Church.  Patiently and not so patiently, people waited to process to the cave in which the Lord as born.  On the floor is a star with vigil lights burning above, marking the spot.  Again, it was humbling to see the piety of the faithful.  Our group chanted, “Your birth O Christ our God…”, the Apolytikon of the Nativity as each member of our group venerated the star.

As pilgrims depart from this small chapel, they exit to the left.  Walking to the right would put you in a Roman Catholic Church.  The Church contains a flight of steps, which lead to an underground chapel, which contains the Holy Relics of the Innocents who were slaughtered by Herod. 

Walking in the courtyard, pilgrims are immediately greeted by every available salesperson in the region.  I think if our group purchases anything more, we will be able to open our own gift shop – bags, satchels, necklaces, beads, shawls…we’ve got it all!

Our next stop was the Church of the Shepherds Field.  The Monastery boasts a recently constructed Church that is almost complete with a program of iconography; the back wall still needs to be completed.  The Feast of Church commemorates the Magi, celebrated on the Sunday following the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.  As we concluded our visit, a group of Slavic pilgrims entered to venerate the icons.   

Three other churches exist on this property, in addition to numerous archeological finds, not to mention an incredibly old olive tree.  The first Church was built by Saint Helen, with two later Byzantine Churches built either to the side or above this early Church.  The priestmonk, who will serve as our guide beginning tomorrow after our visit the Patriarchate of Jerusalem shared the history of this site:

Saint Helen built the existing church into the existing shepherds cave.  When it was unearthed some years ago, bones were discovered under the altar table, which would imply that they were Holy Martyrs of previous centuries (the relics are now kept in a reliquary to the right side of the nave).  The mosaics that are found on the floor of the nave are the same as those found in the Church of the Nativity and, they are exquisite!

Three miracles were shared with us during our visit.  The first was the neokoros (the candle lighter of the Church) who would normally arrive an hour or so prior to the priest to prepare the Church.  One day, he arrived and the Church was already open.    To his great surprise, the Virgin Mary sat to the right side of the nave and directed the Liturgy, celebrated by Holy Fathers from the various centuries.  As he watched from the steps, he heard the sound of a horse approaching.  A soldier dismounted the horse and it was St. George!  The Virgin Mary said to him, “Why are you late?”  St George responded, “On my way, I came upon a man who was drowning in the sea and I had to help him.”  With these words, she shook off his clothes and got the man wet with salt water.  At the close of Liturgy, the neokoros went forward to receive antidoron.  He then ran home to the village to share the news of the Liturgy.  The people in disbelief went to the Church and found the candles still lit with the sweet fragrance of incense still lofting in the air.

Two other stories that I will share on a later occasion involved a man trying to steal the chalice an patent from the Prothesis, and another worker who in recent years was stealing cement, rocks and sand from the construction site of the new church to build his home.  Both stories recount repentance and God’s great love and forgiveness.

After a brief lunch of gyros or falafels (and a Taybeh Beer), we visited the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah, the Monastery of the Symeon the God-bearer, and the Monastery of the Holy Cross.  The Monastery of the Prophet Elijah is a beautiful Church, which appropriately contains numerous icons of the Prophet Elijah.  In front of the primarily blue iconostasis, on the right of the solea is a glass coffin with the remains of a monk whose relics were found on the site of the monastery in a recent excavation. 

At the Monastery of St. Symeon the God-bearer, a most pious Archimandrite Theodoritos, who, this day celebrates thirty years serving at the Monastery, greeted us.  The Monastery possesses beautiful icons of the life of Symeon, in addition to the place that he was buried.  His Holy Relics were transferred to Constantinople; they were later taken by the Crusaders and now remain in Croatia.  The Patriarch has petitioned the Catholic Church to return the Relics that belong at this Monastery.  Although relics have not been returned to the Church, the Latin Hierarchy has agreed to do so.  Upon venerating the marble cover to the sarcophagus, we were all taken with the smell of myrrh.  As we departed, we were asked to simply keep Father in our prayers. 

I was most enthused to visit the Monastery of the Holy Cross.  Not so many years ago when I was assigned to serve the Parish of Holy Cross under the spiritual care of Fr. Peter Salmas in Belmont, I read whatever I could find on the Monastery.  Like the Church of the Nativity, the Monastery has a star surrounded by vigil lights.  What is found under the star is the stump of the tree that was cut down for the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified.  Within this section of the Church, basically a side chapel, a history of the wood of the Life-Giving Cross from the time of Abraham and Sarah to the Elevation of the Cross after it was reclaimed from the Persians is found.   
   
We were greeted by one of the brothers who offered a thoughtful telling of the history of the Life-Giving Cross as well as a history of this 5th century monastery.  The courtyard felt very old.  Upon entering the Church we chanted, “Save O Lord…”

Our day has concluded.  Tomorrow morning we will celebrate Liturgy at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in the Garden of Gethsemane at 6:30AM.  We will then visit the Monastery of St. Stephanos, return to the hotel for breakfast, and then visit the Patriarchate of Jerusalem for an audience with and to receive the blessing of His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilos. 

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