Into the Wilderness

John the Baptist “grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Lk. 1:80).



Greetings from the land of our Savior’s birth! Today, after prayer and a delicious breakfast, we headed out for Ein Karem, the location believed to be the birthplace of John the Baptist. Our first visit was to the Church of St. John Ba Harim, or St. John of the Mountain. There we saw the physical place of St. John’s birth and celebrated the Sacred Mysteries on site. Our guide summarized the Gospel narrative regarding St. John’s life while offering helpful commentary. He pointed out that the name of John’s mother, Elizabeth, means “Lord, I have a desire.” Her desire, of course, was to have a child.

From there, we traveled to the Monastery of St. John in the Desert. This is the site where St. John is believed to have stayed as he grew to full maturity. As the oral tradition was passed down, Christians began residing in this area as hermits. The hilly country provided caves sufficient to provide shelter. The picture is from such a cave where there is also a fresco commemorating the significance of the location. On top of the site is also a monastery with a chapel. It is on top of a looming hill overlooking the rocky, terraced landscape.

Our third stop was to the Mount of Olives, where we got our first preview to the City of Jerusalem. What a beautiful view of the whole city we had from that height! Our guide gave us a brief lay of the land. Before departing we had our first camel sighting! However, there was no time for a ride. Lunch was waiting for us at a restaurant named Askidinya. What a scrumptious meal! Who can miss American food with cooking this good!

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