Commentary for Wednesday 1/30

Wednesday 1/30

Mount Tabor and the Transfiguration
Abu Gosh and the Road to Emmaus

Mount Tabor. We have been so blessed with unusually good weather for January. Yesterday and today were colder and rainy which is typical this time of year. When we ascended Mount Tabor is was wrapped in a cloud. It was on this mount that Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John "and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). Since the time of Judges and throughout history this Mount was a strategic point for battle, and many were fought in the valley below. Our guide, Jack, summed up this world history in the span of seven minutes and left me spinning. I will not do it justice recapping, so I will leave it to you to do some research. Start with the Isrealites conquest of the Canaanites and move forward to present day. The current church was built on top of the foundation of a Crusader structure in 1911 and in 1924 Antonio Barluzzi's Basilica of the Transfiguration was consecrated. The mosaics are unbelievable. I could spend a whole day wandering, gazing a the beautiful art of the mosaics and the graceful Byzantine architecture including the domed of the apse featuring the Transfiguration. We had Mass here and received the Eucharist on the rock of the transfiguration .

Abu Gosh/Emmaus. Emmaus, you may recall, is the area that the risen Christ appeared to the disciples and dined with them in the house of Cleopus. Although the location of this meeting is not certain, the Franciscans believe it to be at El-Qubeibeh, the site of a fort called Castellum Emmaus, discovered by the Crusaders in 1099. This site is approximately 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The present church was built on the remains of the Crusader church and the remains of Cleopas house were incorporated. Emmaus is also the site where the Ark of the Covenant arrived by ox driven cart after the philistines suffered many tragedies after having it in their possession. On the hilltop in Abu Gosh, biblical Kirjath-Jearim, is the church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant. It was at this monetary the ark resided for 20 years. The monetary and church are located in a 100% Muslim town, and although the current monks have very good relations with the people of the surrounding area, the church was defiled some year ago. The removed the faces from all the murals because the felt it was idolatry. We had the rare privilege to hear from one of the Monks that has resided there for 35 years, he even graced us with two songs...beautiful!