Outside of Jerusalem is a luscious valley surrounded by pine-covered hills and rich, terraced vineyards, cut into the hillsides. A beautiful church is nestled into one of the hills overlooking the town of Ein Kerem. It is known as The Church of the Visitation and is built on the site of the summer home of Zachariah and Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, and her husband. It honors the Virgin Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) as told in Luke’s Gospel. The prayer of praise and thanksgiving that Mary recited, known as the Magnificat, is inscribed on beautiful mosaics in the courtyard walls in more than 40 languages. It is a wonderful tribute to the universal church made up of many cultures and languages.

The Franciscan monastic order operates the church and continues to offer worship services in the sanctuary. The building and grounds are elegant but simple in architecture and landscaping. It has a garden of flowers, fruit trees, and decorative rocks as well as a beautiful sculpture of Mary and Elizabeth meeting as described in Luke 1:40-42.

“In those days, Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”’

I found this church to be one of the more peaceful holy sites Tracie and I visited while in Israel. The sound of the Latin mass gently moved over the grounds. The gardens, the statue, and the words of Mary in so many different languages etched into the walls around me, reminded me of God’s love for all the world, including myself. Today I think of Mary’s words, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” In this season of celebrating her child, God’s son, I ask myself: do I magnify the Lord? It is a daily challenge and an opportunity to find Joy within us at all times and places. Let us come together Sunday morning, magnify the Lord together, and share the Joy as we find Jesus among us.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Pastor Rick