Come to Israel

Our next stop was a place called Dormition Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on Mount Zion. Situated just outside of the city walls and the old Zion gate, the church was built over the spot where the Virgin Mary lived after the death of Jesus. Leo said that the initial church was built in the 5 th century but was destroyed in 614, then rebuilt and destroyed several more times -- and in 1910 the Abbey was rebuilt and called The Sleep of the Virgin Mary. It was damaged again in 1948, finally restored in 1967 with more work in 2006…. Leaving it as it is today -- gorgeous and huge, with a long Abbey, the round Church and the tall Bell tower.

We entered the church by a side door, into the sanctuary,

... which was entirely round, with simple lines of chairs facing the altar that stood in front of a stunning mosaic circle of tile. This actually depicts the signs of the Zodiac, (which I thought was odd!) the names of the prophets from the bible and a verse from Proverbs – all in the large, outer band of the circle. The dome above the altar boasts a beautiful mosaic of Mary holding Jesus.

 Two of the 6 altars on the side of the main one,...

....and a close up of our Lady from the far one.

    I was only able to snap a few pictures of the chapels before Leo led us down a spiral staircase to the circular crypt below. Under the rotunda and surrounded by many columns and even a circular wall, is a (slightly eerie) life-sized ivory and cherry wood sculpture of Mary on her deathbed.

Now Catholics know that Mary rose, body and soul to Heaven. But it does make sense that she would have slept or even passed; her soul rose first, and then the angels took her body up to Heaven where they were rejoined. There is a beautiful account of the in the works of Maria Valtorta.

The wide columns support a domed ceiling over the crypt, covered with a mosaic of Jesus with female characters from the bible.

Beyond the crypt itself, around the outside walls are a number of altars that were donated by different nations, showing different images of Our Lady. The Austrian one of our two examples below, shows Her assumption into Heaven.

, and the Mexican one is of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In an offshoot, down a hall of many columns, is another chapel showing Jesus with His twelve disciples

As a final aside about Mary. One thing I learned years ago (and it’s on the itnernet, too) is that it was Mary who was responsible for our Stations of the Cross. In the days after Jesus’ death on the cross, Our Lady began to walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem in the early morning, following Jesus’ way to the cross…noting every single pause, fall or stumble. Within weeks other women were following her.. then more and more people, until it became a routine in honor of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.

Tomorrow, our last day, we’ll visit the place of Jesus’ Ascension… and a surprise picture!