A miracle?

The  Eastern Wall steps to the old city of Jerusalem

Then Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple. Mark 11:15
A section of the wall of the old city of Jerusalem has a wide expanse of steps leading up to a massive gate that is  permanently closed. This gate is said by Jews and Muslims to open at the second coming of Jesus. This area of the city wall is called the Archaeological Park and the steps are the very steps Jesus walked to enter the city. On a section of the wall at the top of the steps there are ancient inscriptions in Hebrew, names and  words of  thanks for a healing. I suspect we would call this graffiti but no, the names are real and there is a sign on the stone wall which says, 'If you have received a miracle, write your name here.'   I suspect we have all seen or had a miracle in our lives but there are many skeptics. For some time now at the Covenant Care Day Hospice, in our prayer service a couple have been asking for prayers for their grandson who is blind, he is 14. This particular day they revealed with great humility that the doctors carried out a procedure of inserting a tiny stick like implant into one of his eyes. He now sees colour, movement and shapes and the vision is said to improve with time. A modern day miracle? Yes, no doubt about it. The prayers of us all have been heard. Do we write this young lads name on a wall as having received a miracle? ? No, we write it in our prayers and we hold it in our heart forever.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord.

And the bells rang and rang

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was  Joseph, of the house of David. Luke 1:26
The Church of the Visitation in Nazareth is said to be the site where the Angel Gabriel came to Mary with a call from God to be the mother of Jesus. As I stood in this very large, but beautiful church I reflected on 'our call' by God to follow him. A call to become one of his disciples in this time and in this place he has set us in.  As I was reflecting there was a Eucharist happening in  the area of the high altar and as the liturgy came to the point of consecration the Sanctus bells rang and kept ringing. The priests voice kept strong and fluent, then the church bells began to ring, one by one rising in volume and number until they filled the church with music, yet the priests voice could be still heard, calling people into the sacred moment and I was filled with such a knowing of Christ's love and his call on my life. If I could have, I would have laid prostrate on the floor. How do you recall God's call on your life to follow him. Was it dramatic and perhaps overwhelming like Mary's call or was it the still small voice of God.Ponder on these things and be filled anew with  his love.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
Anne, servant of the Lord

Church of the Visitation Nazareth.

And I laid their names on the altar

'......As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man  to carry the cross  with Jesus.' Matthew 27: v32
As I walked down the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem I passed a large number of pilgrims with hand held crosses making their way through the Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Some were singing and many were crying, obviously moved by the experience and as I came to the small side chapel marked as the place where Simon offered to help Jesus carry his cross, I stepped inside a moment while the pilgrims passed and reflected.. 'Who in our lives do we help to carry their cross? Who do we walk alongside helping to carry their load, their burdens and to my mind came many who I walk alongside in life and many who walk with me and I laid  their names on the altar of the Chapel of Simon of Cyrene.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anne, servant of the Lord

Via Dolorosa - The way of the cross