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"Christmas Eve"
St. Catherine Cathedral
Tuesday, December 24, 2013St. Catherine Cathedral
Bethlehem
Fourth Day of my Holy Land Trip, Mount Zion, Jerusalem
My Holy Land Trip
"It was an unforgettable, blessed day in Holy Land"
Bethlehem
Now, Mr. Stephen, (The man who given the pass) I am using
this occasion to thanking you again from the bottom of my heart, for making my
Christmas Eve as an unforgettable event. It is really etched in my heart. And I
am dedicating this page to my strange and wonderful friend Mr. Stephen, from
Italy.
The Entrance Card which is Mr. Stephen given me:
A Palestinian vendor sells balloons to visitors at Manger Square, near the Church of Nativity, on Christmas Eve:
A traditional soldier standing in the corridor ahead of St Catherine Church entrance, next to the Cloister of St. Jerome, near the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
People waiting for the security check in front of the entrance of the Franciscan Monastery next to St Catherine Church, near the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, Christmas Eve at St Catherine's Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Nuns follow the Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal,St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Pontifical announcement of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, leads the midnight Christmas mass at the Church of St Catherine, next to Nativity Church:
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, pictured centre, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Church of St Catherine, in Bethlehem:
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, pictured centre, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Church of St Catherine, in Bethlehem:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the service at the Church of the Nativity to mark Christmas in the little town where many believe Jesus Christ was born:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the service at the Church of the Nativity to mark Christmas in the little town where many believe Jesus Christ was born:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the Christmas Eve service at the Church of St Catherine, Bethlehem:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the Christmas Eve service at the Church of St Catherine, Bethlehem:
Latin Patriarch holds the infant Jesus in St Catherine's Church at the end of Christmas Eve Mass and leads the procession to the Grotto, the birthplace of Jesus:
Latin Patriarch holds the infant Jesus in St Catherine's Church at the end of Christmas Eve Mass and leads the procession to the Grotto, the birthplace of Jesus:
Members of the clergy leads the procession to the Grotto after the Christmas Eve, the birthplace of Jesus which is connected to the Church of Nativity:
Ararat Hotel
153, Beit Sahour Road
Bethlehem. Palestine
It was an unforgettable, blessed day in Holy Land.
24
Dec, 2013. I reached back in my room about 7.30 PM. It was an
exhilarating, and also a tight scheduled day, visited many places than other
days. After the dinner, I sat there in the lobby, connected with my best, dude.
She asked me about my Christmas. “I don’t feel anything different than other
days”, I said. I know I’m in the Christmas-eve, but I felt nothing. I really
had only one feeling, “alone among the crowd”. She told me, “You will see, I
say this Christmas will be “unforgettable one” for you”.
I
just laughed, and walked to the main door of the Hotel, opening to the chilling
other than beautiful illuminated Christmas night. I lit a cigarette, stood
there outside the door, looking into the street. It was reinforced by
Palestinian guards, since the presidential visit of Nativity Church, tonight.
About a ten foot away from me, a patrol vehicle was parked and fortified
soldiers talking in their traditional language.
Small
groups of tenants are walking hurriedly to the Nativity church to celebrate their
Christmas Eve. In the other end of the street, after the small round about,
Joseph- a Palestinian Christian- was standing in front of his shop. Suddenly I
heard a group of pilgrims coming from the hotel to go to the church, and
somebody asked me to join with them.
I
went back to my room thinking of go to church, changed dress and came out. I
walked hurriedly, alone through the extremely ascending road. Palestinian army
patrol vehicles were moving impulsively to both directions of the street.
Climate was freezing and blustery and I felt that
my jacket and muffler was not sufficient.
Suddenly a black
suburban passed hurriedly piloted and escorted by a fleet of army vehicles, the
famous Palestine President Mahmoud
Abbas.
I was achieving
way to the church. Crowd started to increase while reaching to the church.
Finally I reached near to the army check point in the Manger Square. Nativity
church was circled by Palestinian army.
I remembered that what the guide told me, “You can reach up to the army check
point. You can’t go inside the church”. Because according to the tradition, the
holy mass of December 24, the Christmas Eve mass, leading by the Jerusalem
Latin Patriarchies, and the believers register and get their entry pass months
before to attend the mass, and the Palestine
President Mahmoud Abbas also
attending the mass. So, nobody can enter the church without entry pass,
especially because of the security reasons.
I stood near the check post, and asked to a soldier that
there is any chance to get a pass or enter to the church. He looked at me
lightheartedly and replied, no way. I could see a display of cctv screen from
far, but not much clear. My only wish was attend the holy mass, but I realized
the situation and quiet my wish. But still I am just standing there. Weather is
getting colder; I kept my hands inside the jacket, but still freezing. Crowd is
increasing. Believers asking, begging, slightly shouting but force were rigid
and unkind.
After a while, somebody asked me, “Are you Christian?” I
said, “Yes”. I looked at him, a tall, thin man, with imprecisely cared hair and
beard, and asked me again, “do you wish to go to church?” I said, “yes, but I
don’t have the entry pass”. Then, he endowed with a gate pass and said, “Go and
pray, and wish you a Merry Christmas.”
I really stunned, and didn’t get any words for a while. I
felt my tongue dropped down. Anyhow, I managed to tell him thanks, and I asked
his name too, before he disappeared in the crowd.
Afterward, I hadn’t even a moment to stay in the cold breezy
weather for naught. I showed my entry pass to the guard. He shockingly looked
at me and smiled.
…at the moment, I am attending the Christmas Eve holy service
in the basilica of Nativity (St. Catherine Cathedral) as an invited guest, by child
Jesus Christ. More than a hundred priests were there to lead the Holy Mass with the Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal. All the believers were from several parts of
the world as well as Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Entrance Card which is Mr. Stephen given me:
Manger Square encircled by Palestinian security force. A 55 Foot Christmas tree towers above the revelers outside the Church of the Nativity, West Bank town of Bethlehem:
A traditional soldier standing in the corridor ahead of St Catherine Church entrance, next to the Cloister of St. Jerome, near the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
People waiting for the security check in front of the entrance of the Franciscan Monastery next to St Catherine Church, near the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, Christmas Eve at St Catherine's Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, leads the midnight Christmas mass at St Catherine's church, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attending the service:
Nuns follow the Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal,St Catherine Church, Bethlehem:
Pontifical announcement of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, leads the midnight Christmas mass at the Church of St Catherine, next to Nativity Church:
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, pictured centre, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Church of St Catherine, in Bethlehem:
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, pictured centre, Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Church of St Catherine, in Bethlehem:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the service at the Church of the Nativity to mark Christmas in the little town where many believe Jesus Christ was born:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal, in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the service at the Church of the Nativity to mark Christmas in the little town where many believe Jesus Christ was born:
Worshipers celebrating Christmas Eve service in St Catherine Church, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine:
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal leads the Christmas Eve service at the Church of St Catherine, Bethlehem:
Latin Patriarch holds the infant Jesus in St Catherine's Church at the end of Christmas Eve Mass and leads the procession to the Grotto, the birthplace of Jesus:
Latin Patriarch holds the infant Jesus in St Catherine's Church at the end of Christmas Eve Mass and leads the procession to the Grotto, the birthplace of Jesus:
Members of the clergy leads the procession to the Grotto after the Christmas Eve, the birthplace of Jesus which is connected to the Church of Nativity:
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