| Our next stop was the Church of Pater Noster, situated over the grotto or cavern where Jesus often found refuge on the Mount of Olives and where he taught his disciples the Lord�s Prayer. Here the Lord�s Prayer was displayed in 120 languages. Further down and off to the side of the path was the Orthodox Jewish Cemetery. Since this is near the scene of the final judgment (Joel 3:2), pious Jews throughout the centuries have wanted to be buried here. The stones on top of the tombs signify one�s visit. Next, we stopped at the Church of Dominus Flevit. This church had been designed in the shape of a teardrop as it was here that Jesus wept for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). To reflect this, the altar of the church faced the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. We ended our walk at the bottom of the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of the Agony (Church of All Nations). Here in this garden there were still ancient olive trees, and in a side garden our guide arranged for each of us to spend some quiet time in solitude, just like Jesus did that Maundy Thursday. |
