Going into the Pit

We started our day with prayer and breakfast. Then we drove to St. Peter Gallicantu. In Latin Gallicantu means cock's-crow. When Jesus was arrested on the Mount of Olives, he was taken to the house of Caiaphas on this site. Here Peter denied Jesus three times. 

During his homily, our presider invited us to reflect on Jesus' mercy - even after being betrayed and left alone. 

One of us made the comment: "It was amazing, how the the mercy of Jesus towards Peter becomes an example for us to be merciful with others."

According to Cardinal Maria Martini, "It becomes also the place where Peter, after knowing his frailty, fear, weakness and lukewarm nature, felt he was forgiven through Jesus' glance... This place of Peter's denial is the central place of Peter's vocation and, consequently, of the Church and of each one of us."

After mass, we stepped into the pit where Jesus was likely held the night before his crucifixion. In the pit we prayed Psalm 88:

"You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths... You have taken from me friend and neighbor, darkness is my closest friend."

During the walk back to our residence, some of us witnessed the celebration for the visit of Teodoro II, called “the Coptic pope” or “Patriarch Coptic Orthodox”. His was present in the Holy Land for the enthronement of Anba Antoniuos, the new Coptic Metropolitan for Jerusalem and the Middle East. A new metropolitan was needed due to the death of the former Metropolitan Ibrahim Sedrak who died a few months ago.