Holy Land Review #4

FALL 2022
Volume 15
#4
The pilgrim’s companion to the land where Jesus walked
The Lord’s Prayer
PILGRIM ROAD p. 16 COLUMN p. 24
RESURRECTION OF PRAY FOR THE PEACE

A MONASTERY IN GAZA OF JERUSALEM
Samuel Forey David M. Jaeger, ofm
FROM THE EDITOR
Lord, teach us to pray
A
lmost everyone I know prays. They are not all Christians. They are not all be-
lievers. They are not even always aware that they pray, but they do. Of course,
how we pray, who we pray to and what we pray for will change from one person
to the other. Some will say: “I’ll think about you” or, influenced by the New Age: “I will
send you positive thoughts.” It remains a form of prayer.
The impact though is not the same. That’s why, as you will
see in this editon, many people consider that we should
learn how to pray. St. Barnabas and St. Hilarion, among
many, many others, spent their life teaching how to get
closer to the Lord. And we can still learn from their exam-
ple today.
In the Holy Land, this truth continues to be thought and

taught. Every school recognizes its responsibility to put
youth in contact with God, to give the young generation
the tools to develop this important relationship that can
lead them to a better life, a life that it makes eternal.
The apostles themselves asked Jesus to teach them how

to pray. Their request gave us the most beautiful prayer, the Our Father. A simple
prayer, amazingly profound, a prayer that unites us. First to God, that is so close to
us that He considers us His children. Then, with one another through this “us” that is
constantly repeated.
Strengthened by this unity, let us pray together for the peace of Jerusalem. Unfortu-
nately, the Christians of the Holy Land continue to face challenges and threats It may
seem useless in front of what appears to be an unending conflict, but I was taught that
when two or three agree to pray on something in Jesus’ name, nothing is impossible
to God.
In Christ,
Fr. David Grenier ofm
FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 3

CONTENTS
COME AND SEE
PILGRIM ROAD
3 FROM THE EDITOR 25 MAIN STORY
Lord, teach us to pray The Lord’s Prayer
Fr. David Grenier, ofm
A Jewish prayer?
6
Fr. Frédéric Manns, ofm
HOLY LAND NEWS
The Prayer of the Children of God
8
Fr. Matteo Munari, ofm
COME AND SEE
The Yeshiva: Studying The Our Father: The Reading
in the Rabbinic Tradition of the Fathers of the Church
Fr. Juri Leoni, ofm
16 PILGRIM ROAD In the Place of the Our Father

Resurrection of a Monastery in Gaza Fr. Gregor Geiger, ofm
Samuel Forey
Cyprus: In the footsteps of St. Barnabas 40 FEATURE STORY

Beatrice Guarrera To have a closer look at the Resurrection
Filippo De Grazia
24 COLUMN United by the arts

Pray for the peace Filippo De Grazia
of Jerusalem
Fr. David M. Jaeger, ofm The battle for the Mount of Olives
Karine Eysse
Cover photo The Holy Land Review is a Editor and Publisher Subscription Fulfillment
The Latin Lord’s prayer in the publication of the Franciscan Fr. David Grenier, ofm Joanne Padilla
atrium of the Church of the Monastery of the Holy Land.
Pater Noster on the Mount of 1400 Quincy St., N.E. Editorial Assistants Designer
Olives, Jerusalem, Israel. Washington, D.C. 20017 Fr. James Gardiner, sa Elisabetta Ostini
(© Lee Stanislao/CTS) 202-526-6800, ext. 560 Fr. Jerome Wolbert, ofm Fondazione Terra Santa
hlr@usfranciscan.org Terra Santa Edizioni – Milan (Italy)
The Holy Land Review is Translator
published four times a year Fr. Vaughn Jerome Fayle, ofm
2022 Vol. 15 No. 4
Fall
FEATURE STORY
MAIN STORY
46 THE HOLY LAND IN AMERICA

Assumption vigil mass
Fr. James Gardiner, sa To subscribe to
THE HOLY LAND
New Guardian for the Holy Land
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HOLY LAND NEWS
PRESIDENT BIDEN front of the fir s t

IN THE HOLY LAND Catholic American
© Olivier Fitousi/Flash90
President Joseph Biden visited president to visit the
the Holy Land while in the Middle Holy Land. The
East in July. The President met Custos then
with Israeli Prime Minister Yair accompanied
Lapid to discuss the status of President Biden to
Iran’s nuclear threat, and with the adjacent
Palestinian Authorit y leader Franciscan Church
Mahmud Abbas about American of St. Catherine of
funding and to reiterate his Alexandria, where
support for a two-state solution to the President spent
the conflict between Israel and some time in private Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid with Alternate
Palestine. prayer. He took the Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at a cabinet
meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in
After the official visits, President t i m e to g r e e t a
Jerusalem on September 18, 2022.
Bid e n we nt on a p e r s o nal group of students
pilgrimage to the Basilica of the f r o m t h e Te r r a
Nativity, welcomed by religious Sanc ta School,
and civil dignitaries, including the before leaving for
Greek Or thodox Patriarch of the airport to continue his trip THE FRANCISCAN BOYS’
Jerusalem, Theophilos III, Fr. towards Saudi Arabia. HOME CELEBRATES 15
Francesco Patton, Custos of the YEARS
Holy Land, and the Palestinian A FIFTH ELECTION IN Friars, youngsters, operators, staff
Minister of Tourism, Rula Maayah. THREE YEARS FOR ISRAEL and volunteers all took part in the
In the Grotto of the Nativity, Fr. The coalition government event which opened with a mass
Patton led a special prayer in formed by Naftali Bennett and celebrated in the large patio of
Yair Lapid just over a year ago, the Home, looking directly on to
having faced the defection of the valley of Bethlehem, with a
many politicians from its diverse beautiful view of the Basilica of
collection of parties, has lost its the Nativity.
majority in the Knesset. New On September 16, 20 07, this
elec tions are scheduled for residential home was opened for
November 1. Mr Bennett served children and teenagers from
as Prime Minister with Mr Lapid dif ficult social and economic
as Foreign Minister during the situations and for others of
first year of their coalition, but ex treme vulnerabilit y and
their agreement determined deterioration. Since then, the
that Mr Lapid will serve as Prime youngsters have begun to live
Minis ter d uring the interim here on a permanent basis, from
government waiting for new Monday to Saturday afternoon,
elections. exactly as though it were their
While the economy ranks high home.
among voter concerns, with a high “What had begun as an
and rising cost of living—Tel Aviv ‘ex periment ’ has given and
was recently ranked the most continues to give results which are
expensive city in the world by the in front of everyone’s eyes. Our
Economist Intelligence Unit, Home has 25 youngsters. We offer
© Ibrahim Faltas
President Biden meets with students before Paris and Singapore— them the support that they would
from the Terra Sancta school. nearly a quarter of Israeli voters be unlikely to find in society or
cite the party’s choice of leader as even in their own families, where
an important factor. often they were neglected. We
6 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

Ahmed Abu Abed, winner
of the International
Competition of Musical
Composition.
Novices taking their first vows

at the Shrine of Mount La Verna.
put ‘care’ in first place in our daily s tudy projec t, dedic ated to Holy L and, along with four
work with these youngsters: we try highlighting the Pales tinian novices belonging to other
to make them feel at home, like a musical heritage. Abu Abed will Provinces of the Francisc an
large family,” says Fr. Sandro c o m e t o N e w Yo r k a t t h e Order, made their temporar y
Tomašević, the director of the beginning of 2023 to perform profession of vows, thus
Home. the Suite for the competitions’ becoming profe s sed in the
prize-winner’s recital. If you Order of Friars Minor.
HOW TO COMBINE cannot travel to the Big Apple to This ceremony consists of taking
CLASSICAL MUSIC AND attend the live performance, you for the first time the commitment
PALESTINIAN FOLKLORE can still listen to the piece on to live according to the
Classical music and Palestinian YouTube by typing “The suite of evangelical vows of pover t y,
folklore appear to be entirely Palestine.” chastity and obedience
different, but Ahmed Abu Abed, according to the Rule of St
a 3 3 - y e a r- o l d P a l e s t i n i a n EIGHT NEW FRIARS FOR Francis of Assisi. It comes at the
composer from the Tulkarem THE CUSTODY OF THE end of a year of experience lived
refugee camp in the West Bank, HOLY LAND according to the Franciscan
now living in Amman, succeeded The month of September is charism, which is expressed in
in harmonizing them poetically in important for the Franciscans of the three dimensions of
his “Palestinian Suite.” This the Holy Land in initial formation. contemplation, work and
original fusion of Palestinian folk New novices begin their apostolate.
music (instruments, rhythms and nov i tiate “year of t r ial” by The following day, September 4,
voices) with a symphony orchestra receiving the habit at their three postulants of the Custody
won him last June the International investiture. Those who have of the Holy Land received the
Competition of Musical completed this impor tant Franciscan habit in Montefalco
Composition organized by the novitiate year profess first vows. (Umbria-Italy), in the presence of
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Yo u t h M u s i c T h i s y e a r, o n S a t u r d a y the Custos of the Holy Land,
Competitions (IYMC), based in September 3, t welve novices Fr Francesco Patton.
the United States. concluded their novitiate by The Custos recalled that the
It took him one year and four professing first vows in Mount La habit has the form of the cross,
months to create this suite, Verna (Tuscany, Italy). since St. Francis wanted to leave
which is 10 minutes long. It is in During the celebration, eight to his friars a tangible sign of
reality the result of his end-of- novices from the Custody of the identification with the crucifix.

COME AND SEE
The Yeshiva: Studying

in the Rabbinic Tradition
A few weeks ago, students from different parts of the world went back to school. It was the case
also in Israel. In a country where religion is at the center of your identity—noted on your ID Card
—it is not surprising that religion also has an influence on education. Islamic “madrasa” and
Christian schools are present in the country along with the Jewish “yeshivot” (plural of “yeshiva”).
If most of the Israeli boys and girls study today in regular schools, the Orthodox Jews normally
prefer to follow the centuries-long model of these Jewish schools following the Rabbinic Tradition.
The Holy Land Review offers you a glimpse into this unique reality.
Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90

Small boys go first to the
Talmud Torah. They will join
the Yeshiva after their Bar-
Mitzva, at 13 years old.
Like in any other school, one

of the first thing to learn is the
alphabet, composed for them
of 28 letters. Hebrew is such
an old language that we read
it from right to left. At the time
it was created, paper didn’t
exist yet. It was written on the
stone. With a hammer and a
chisel, writing from right to left
is much easier.
Once we know the letters,
COME AND SEE we can follow the next class:

the Holy Scriptures. Courses
are mainly centered on the
Torah, the Law of Moses,
found in the first five books
of t h e Bi b l e: G e n e s i s ,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy.
Many aspects of the Jewish
Tradition are also studied,
including playing the shofar.
Usually made out of a ram’s
horn, the shofar was blown on
Sabbaths in the Temple of
Jerusalem, until its destruction
in 70 A.D.
Today, it is played only on a

few occasions: every day
during the month of Elul, the
last month of the Jewish
calendar, leading to the feast
of Rosh Hashana, the New
Year, where it must be blown
at least 30 times. It is also used
to mark the end of the fast on
Yom Kippur, the Day of the
Atonement.
Both feasts are part of the
Jewish High Holy Days,
celebrated at the end of
September-beginning of
October of our calendar year.
At 13 years old, after the Bar-
COME AND SEE Mit z va, young men are

considered now part of the
religious community and can
enter the yeshiva. The term
ye shiva liter ally means
“sitting”. We can see from the
Gospels that Jesus, following
the Jewish Tradition, was often
“sitting” to teach (Cf. Matt. 5:1;
Mk 4:1; Lk 4:20; John 8:2).
The students of the yeshiva

are normally two-by-two to
discuss passages of the
Scriptures or of the
commentaries to develop the
capacity to express clearly an
argument on the texts and,
with this mutual help, reach a
deeper understanding of their
meaning.
Prayer is also an important
part of the life in the yeshiva.
Three times a day, the students
will put their tefillin or
phylacteries, small boxes with
leather straps containing
verses of the Torah, to fulfill
literally what is asked in
D e u t e r o n o m y 11 : 1 8 :
“Therefore, take these words
of mine into your heart and
soul. Bind them on your arm as
a sign, and let them be as a
pendant on your forehead.”
For the Orthodox Jews, the
COME AND SEE yeshiva is usually a boarding

school. The students sleep
and eat on site, giving them
more time to study. Everything
is done to help them become
ex p e r t s of t h e To r a h,
considered essential to their
well-being and that of society.
They also consider themselves
dispensed from the military
service, their prayer and
teaching representing a
greater service to the country.
The food served is, of course,

kosher, made according to
the Jewish Law. It means,
among other things, that
meat and dairy products are
never served in a same meal,
and pork , seafood and
bloody meat are forbidden,
as is fruit from a tree that is
less than 3 years old.
And the girls?
Girls are not admitted in the
Jewish Orthodox yeshivot.
They study in a separate
school called “seminary”. In
today’s Israel, however, all the
non-Orthodox yeshivot are
both for males and females.
PILGRIM ROAD
The NGO Première Urgence Internationale

is developing an on-site heritage enhancement
and training program for young students,
all financed by the Cultural Protection Fund,
under the supervision of the British Council.
Resurrection of a
Monastery in Gaza
by Samuel Forey On the ground, workers clear The place was discovered in
O
what’s left of the 40 cm (15 in) of t he late 1980’s. Gaza was
sand that was spread in 2012 to experiencing its first intifada,
n the site, we can protect the mosaics, which are while the Israeli government
hear the blows of about to be photographed from was building settlements. On
hammers and the all angles. The sand will then be the coastal dune, several feet of
crunch of saws. In put back in place. “If all goes sand are cleared away. Columns
a corner, stones well, we w ill clear t hese and capitals are visible, probably
are cut. A little further on, two pavements in 4 years,” hopes dating from antiquity. Below,
young women are analyzing René Elter. The deadline may slightly inland, runs Salah ed-
pieces of charcoal to reconstruct seem distant, but the French Din Avenue, named after the
the food bowl of a pilgrim from archaeologist, 56, has been Ku r d i s h c o n q u e r o r w h o
the early days of Christianity. working here for 20 years. recaptured Jerusalem from the

Long hidden under several feet of sand,
Byzantine archaeological remains were unearthed
in this small piece of land in the late 1980s.
Through crisis and wars, they have been patiently
restored. Of primary importance in the history
of Palestine, this monastery allows the Gazites
to rediscover their heritage.
north, and an outlet of the trade says the archaeologist.

routes from Asia and Arabia. But In October 2003, archaeologists
the ruins were not excavated at unearthed an inscription in
first. Greek in the monastery vault:
Later, thanks to the Oslo “By the prayers and intercession
Accords, t he Pa lest i n ia n s of our holy father Hilarion let us
gradually acquired authority be given mercy. Amen.” The
over the Gaza Strip. In 1997, they d i scover y i s exc ept ion a l:
unearthed the remains, the first archaeologists had found a site
major archaeological excavation lost for 1,500 years, built at a
of the brand new Palestinian pivotal period in history, when
Antiquities Service. A vast Rome vac i l lated bet we en
architectural complex of more paganism and Christianity.
than 10,000 m 2 (2.5 acres) Hilarion was born in the early
emerged from the sands, and it 4th century to a wealthy family
© Première Urgence
was difficult to understand what in Gaza. He left for Alexandria

was uncovered. The Antiquities and became one of the disciples
Department then called on the of Anthony the Great, considered
Ébaf, the French Biblical and the first monk, the founder of
A rc haeolog ic a l Sc ho ol i n the Christian monastic tradition.
Jerusalem, present in the strip When the young man returned
since 1995 as part of a Franco- home, his parents were dead.
Palestinian project. An essential Like his model, he decided to
Crusaders. It’s only one of the institution of archeology in become a hermit on a sand dune
names of a crossroad whose Palestine, the Ébaf excavated just behind the sea, sheltered
route has not changed for Qumran and analyzed the Dead from the wind, facing the east.
millennia, being called the path Sea Scrolls. It asked René Elter to The location was favorable: in
of Horus at the time of the work on the site. 313, Rome granted freedom of
pharaohs, Via Maris under the The first mission took place in wor sh ip to a l l rel ig ion s,
Roman empire, or the path of the 2001. “We had to understand including Christianity, then one
Sultan by the Ottomans. It the place. Given the location, we of many sects in the empire.
reminds of the rich history of suspected t hat it was t he Hilarion, by his ascetic way of
Gaza, an oasis of greenery in the monastery of Saint Hilarion, the life, attracted many devotees. He
middle of an arid land, an largest and oldest in Palestine. b e c a me t h e f i r s t of t h e
essential stopover to pass from The crypt was the largest in the Palestinian monks.
Egypt to Syria, from south to entire Mediterranean basin,”

tion d’un monastère
PILGRIM ROAD
Archaeologist René Elter has been carrying out the work of the excavations
and the enhancement of the monastery of Saint-Hilarion for more than 20 years.
© Mohammed Dahman
© Mohammed Dahman
And one, and two, and where people converted to the since 2007—the researcher saved
three... new monot heistic religion what could be saved, in a form of
during the fifth and sixth crisis archeology akin to war
espère
In 361,Renéwhen
Elter. LeJulia délainpeut t he des dénominations
centuries. d’un axe
The population of medicine. The site wasRené
↑ L’archéologue protected
Elter
paraître lointain, mais
Apostate, the new emperor, l’archéo- dont le tracé n’a pas changé
Gaza, a cosmopolitan territory, de- with hundreds of sandbags,
Chercheur associé à l’École
logue français,
restored paganism, 56 ans, travaille
Hilarion had puisspared
was des millénaires,
when thequ’il Muslims’ap- sheltered from the
biblique, Renéshowers with
Elter porte
ici depuis 20 ans.
to flee. He wandered in Egypt, pelle chemin d’Horus à l’époque
armies emerged from Arabia in metal sheets. The monastery
à bout de bras le travailwas
L’endroit a été découvert
Libya, Sicily and ended à la fin
his des pharaons,
637. The Umayyads via Maris sous put out
added des of danger,
fouilles as en
et la mise one
des années 1980.
journey in Cyprus, where Gaza vit sa he l’empire romain, ou encore voie
showers to the baths, and the stabilizes a patient. valeur du monastère
première
died in 371.intifada, tandis que
His remains werele du sultan
chapel which pour lesalongside
runs Ottomans. theIl de Saint-Hilarion
During that time, a small
gbrought
o u v e r n eback
m e n to t iGaza
s r a é l iand
en church could be one of the first school depuis
traduit la riche histoire de Gaza, plus de 20 ans.
was created on the ruins.
construit
deposited des in the colonies.
monastery Sur la he oasis of
places de worship
verdureforauIslam milieu in Workers and students learn how
dune côtière, plusieurs
founded. The context is once mètres d’une
this terre aride,
territory. étapethe
Gradually indis-
site to restore and preserve their
↖ Étudiantes au travail
again
de favorable
sable sont for Christianity,
déblayés. Co- fell into oblivion, disappearing heritage. The project took on
pensable pour passer d’Égypte
established as the religion of the
lonnes et chapiteaux appa- in
enthe sands.
Syrie, Andau
du sud bringing
nord, etitdé-to anotherL’OnG Première urgence
dimension in 2017. The
internationale développe sur
Empire in
raissent, 380. vraisemblable-
datant light
bouché almost
des routesmadecommer-
it lost NG O P r e m i è r e Ur g e n c e
site un programme de mise
meOn nt thedesite,l’Aa first
nt iqchurch
u it é. was En completely.
ciales venant The site was
d’Asie in full Internationale
et d’Arabie. en valeur dufiled with the
patrimoine
built. But built
contrebas, dans on sand, indes
l’intérieur an swing
Mais les when, in 2006-2007,
ruines ne sont the pas Cult uralet deProtect
formation ion Fund,
de jeunes
earthquake
terres, passe zone,
l’avenue it collapsed.
Salah ed- Islamist
fouillées. party Hamas
Plus tard, took managed
à la faveur by the British
étudiants, Council,
le tout financé par
The second
Din, du nomsuffered the same
du conquérant control of the d’Oslo,
des accords enclave.les
René Elter an ambitious
Palesti- program
le Cultural to enhance
Protection Fund,
fate. The
kurde quithird, a huge
a repris building
Jérusalem could
niens no longerprogressivement
assurent go to Gaza for the site sous and train young
l’égide students.
du British
withCroisés.
aux very thick Cewalls,
n’est queis holding
l’une four long years. When ••• he Two million euros are granted to
Council.
up. The first monastery in returned in 2010, the place had the NGO which works with the
Palestine was set up as a center been ravaged by torrential rains. expertise of the Ébaf. The goal:
of a certain form of religious With the means at hand—GazaMai “To Juin ensure
2022 the future
TERRE of these33
SainTE MaGaZinE
tourism in the ancient fashion, has been under Israeli blockade sites and those who protect them.

The site of the monastery of Saint-Hilarion, the largest and oldest in Palestine,
on the Tell umm El-’Amr in Gaza. In the crowded coastal strip, such an area reserved
for pre-Islamic archeology and protected by local authorities is in itself a small miracle.
Site protég
© Mohammed Dahman
Le site du m
Saint-Hilari
et le plus a
sur le Tell u
à Gaza. Da
côtière surp
une telle su
To train artisans, archaeologists, a team which, in 10 years, will be The eleven days of war in Gazaà l’archéolo
guides. And to raise awareness able to take over,” says René Elter. in May 2021—resulting in overet protégé
among the Gazan population of 2 5 0 de at h s — e nde d on alocales est
their heritage”, says Jehad Abu Muslims for the monastery Wed ne sday. “O n Su nday,un petit mi
Hassan, coordinator of Première
© Mohammed Dahman everyone was on the site, they
Urgence Internationale in Gaza. In 20 years, a whole generation were eager to work. When I
The site is transformed—after h a s b e e n for me d at t h e came back in July, I realized that
sitestheetpatient
being stabilized, de ceux qui les pro-
is Monastery of Saint cinquantaine
Hilarion. t h e de m h a d b e eici”,
t e apersonnes n explique
treated. Buildings are built,
tègent. Formerruinsdes There is Naama
artisans, des al-Sawarqa,
travaillea icipsychologically
en permanence damaged.- I ask
tré son fianc
are sheltered, restored, a path for des
archéologues, 26-year-old
guides.woman Et from dontGaza, a lot of them,
une quinzaine but the conflict
de femmes. Les onze j
visitors is created, all with the who today is showing the site to destabilizes them enormously,”
sensibiliser le public gaziote “On forme une équipe qui, dans
means at hand, due to the a group of students from the says the archaeologist.
Gaza, en ma
blo c k ade wh autour
ic h p erdu si stpatrimoine”,
s. enclave. This Muslim dit Palestinian
10 ans, pourra When prendre
the visitleisre- morts -, se
over, the
Jehad Abu Hassan, coordina- lais”, dit René Elter.
Stonemasons build their own e x p l a i n s t o t h e m w h a t students settle down for lunch. mercredi. “
saws, extending teurtheir
de Première C h r i s t i a Inter-
life by Urgence n it y wa s du r i ng A buzzing is heard. An expertmonde in était
adding tungsten carbide teeth to Antiquity,
nationale à Gaza. Le site est baptism, mosaics. “I
Des musulmans photogrammetry, a Palestinian
avaient hâ
it. Since 2018, 5,000 blocks have came here for the first time 10 trained at the National Institute
transformé - après avoir
been cut by hand. The vault of the years ago. It made me été pourwantle o f Ap p l i e d S c i e n c e s Quand
to monastère in je su
crypt has been stabilisé,
rebuilt. It le patient
draws know estmore,
soigné.so I studied history. S t r a s b o u r g , i s t a k i n j’ai
g réalisé qu
its ideal curve Des
underbâtiments
the soft rays sont
I wanted to become a En
construits, 20 For
guide. ans toute une génération
measurements of the ruins atteinte
in psy
of the mid-season
des ruinessun—one me, it isàa Palestinian
sont mises l’abri, site,
s’estbefore
fait la their
main smallest details thanks to
au monastère a deman
leur
example among the many feats
restaurées, beingpour
unofsentier Christian
visi- orSaint-Hilarion.
Muslim. drone. IlA yrare moment in le
a Naama anconflit les
the workers of Saint Hilarion. Moreover, the two religions have enclave constantly overflown by
teurs est
About fifty people workcréé,
here le cohabited
tout avec here,” les al-Sawarqa,
expla i n s the une Gaziote
Israelis, where one ment”, dit l’a
deof these
permanently,moyensincludingdu aboutbord, toujours
Naama, who met à her26 ans,on qui
fiancé faitmachines
flying used forLa
visiteris au- a visite term
fifteen women. cause
“We areduforming
blocus. Les the tailleurs
site. de jourd’hui le site àother
purpose un than
groupewar. s’installent
■
pierre construisent eux-mêmes d’étudiants de l’enclave. Cette bourdonne
leurs propres scies, auxquelles Palestinienne musulmane
FALL 2022
leur tendre. Un
HOLY LAND REVIEW 19
ils adjoignent désormais des explique ce qu’est le christia- grammétrie
dents en carbure de tungstène nisme dans l’Antiquité, le bap- à l’Institut n
Anonymous artist, Saint Barnabas,
Evangelizer of Milan, 18th c.,
PILGRIM ROAD Quadreria Archives Milan.
A modest mausoleum near ancient Salamis,

on the east coast of Cyprus, now controlled
by the Turks, houses the remains
of the most famous of Cypriot Christians,
founder, with Saint Paul, of the
first Christian communities in Asia Minor.
by Beatrice Guarrera complex was transformed into a
N
museum. The tomb of St. Barnabas
can still be visited today, about 150
ear the remains of meters (500 feet) from the
ancient Salamis, a monastery dedicated to him, at
city mentioned in about ten kilometers (6 miles)
t he Homeric north of the current city of
hymns of the 6th- Famagusta. Going down a few
7th century BC, the tomb of the steps you enter an underground
apostle Barnabas has withstood tomb from the Roman period,
centuries of change and conquest. consisting of two arched recesses.
After the saint’s death, which Inside one of these is a decorated
probably occurred in the year 61, sarcophagus.
the place of burial remained Today, due to the political “son of encouragement” (as the
unk nown until 468 when, c o n d it i o n s , n o r e l ig i o u s Acts of the Apostles mentions in
according to tradition, Barnabas community can permanently 4:36).
himself appeared in a dream to reside in the monastery, which The story of St. Barnabas
t he bishop of Salamis, remains a dest inat ion for intersects with that of St. Paul in
Anthemios. Arriving in the pilgrimages and devotion by the the first decades following the
place indicated to him, the man local population. death and resurrection of Jesus.
of the Church found the remains “Every year we come here to Barnabas, in fact, was the first to
of the saint alongside a copy of celebrate the Good Friday welcome Paul to Jerusalem after
the Gospel of Matthew. The liturgy outside the tomb of the his conversion on the road to
bishop took the relics to Zeno, patron saint of the island,” Damascus, while many still
emperor of Byzantium, who explains Fr. Jerzy Kraj ofm, who doubted him due to his past as a
declared the Church of Cyprus resides in the parish of the Holy persecutor of Christians (Acts 9:
independent and founded on Cross in Nicosia. “It is still 26-28). Around 45 AD, together
apostolic roots. possible here to identify some with his cousin John—called
On the site of Barnabas’ tomb, oriental fragments of the apse of Mark—and Paul, the apostle
a small mausoleum was built the original church.” ded icated h i m sel f to t he
and a few steps away, in 477, a Like St. Paul, Barnabas is called evangelization of Salamis—a
church and a monastery. The an “apostle,” although he was not thriving port and important city
current structure dates back to one of the twelve mentioned in on the east coast of Cyprus, a few
the period of the Ottoman the Gospels. His Hebrew name kilometers north of Famagusta—
Empire, precisely to 1756. was Joseph. He came from a and Paphos, the capital of the
With the Turkish occupation of family of Levitical lineage. island under Roman rule, located
the northern part of Cyprus, Having become a Christian, he on the west coast, up to reaching
which began in 1974, the whole was nicknamed Barnabas, or Asia Minor (Acts 13:1-12).

Monastery of Saint Barnabas
near Famagusta (today Turkish Cyprus).
© Trabantos/Shutterstock.com
Cyprus:
In the footsteps
of St. Barnabas
Mark was not ready
for the mission, due to
© Serban Bogdan/Shutterstock.com
Mediterranean Sea
Area turco-cipriota his inconstancy, while
Barnabas considered him
worthy (cf. Acts 15:36-40).
The Ac t s of t he
Area greco-cipriota Apostles mention
Barnabas 24 times,
but the name also
occurs in other texts
of the New Testament, such as
the First Letter to the Christians
of Corinth (9,6) and the Letter to
the Galatians (chapters 2 and 4).
After his separation from Paul,
around the year 51, not much is
“In his pilgrimage to Cyprus in at the head of the mission with known about him, but it is
December 2021, Pope Francis Paul, chosen by him for this work believed t hat h is mission
mentioned Paul and Barnabas of evangelization. The two had continued in Cyprus until his
several times. Instead, I would like disagreements, which prompted martyrdom. During his spiritual
to insist on Barnabas and Paul, them to separate. Barnabas later work for the edification of the
naming Barnabas first,” notes Fr. returned to Salamis with his early Church, Barnabas also
Jerzy Kraj. “Barnabas, in fact, was cousin Mark.” According to Paul, would have met Lazarus, the

PILGRIM ROAD
The Tomb of Barnabas, patron saint of Cyprus.
© Milan68l/Shutterstock.com
and first bishop of Marseille, in
Sarcophagus of Saint Barnabas France.
Although considered unreliable
by many historians, another
tradition considers Saint Barnabas
as the first evangelizer of northern
Italy, and in particular of the city
of Milan (whose first bishop was
the Greek Saint Anathalon). He
would have come to the Peninsula
in the wake of St. Peter, staying
there for a few years, before
returning to Cyprus.
B. Guarrera
The apocryphal Acts and

Martyrdom of Barnabas (5th
century) attests that he was
martyred by a group of Jews from
friend resurrected by Jesus after According to the tradition of the Syria who opposed the apostle’s
lying in the tomb in Bethany for Eastern Churches, once Lazarus evangelizing activity. It seems
three days (see John 11:1-44). arrived in Cyprus, Barnabas that some disciples, witnesses of
According to Fr. Frédéric Manns, would have been ordained bishop his death, wanted to give a worthy
illustrious professor of the of Kition (Citium), an ancient city burial to the remains of Barnabas
Studium Biblicum Franciscanum located near today’s Larnaca, in a cavity under a carob tree west
of Jerusalem who recently died, where his tomb is preserved. A of Salamis. There they also buried
Lazarus had to leave the Holy different tradition, referred to in the copy of the Gospel of Matthew
Land, because he was threatened the Golden Legend of Jacob of that Barnabas used to carry with
by the Jews, after all the signs Voragine (13th century), instead him. Then they fled to Egypt, also
that Jesus had done with him. designates Lazarus as evangelizer pursued by the same persecutors.

IN BRIEF The ancient Franciscan church in Famagusta.
The fruits of apostolic

preaching in Cyprus
T og et he r w i t h t hat of
Jerusalem and a few others,
the Church in Cyprus is one of
the oldest, precisely because it
dates back with certainty to the
first experiences of preaching
the Gospel to the peoples of
the eastern Mediterranean by
B. Guarrera
the apostles Barnabas and Paul.
Today, local Christians are
largely Greek Orthodox, led by
Archbishop Chrysostomos II,
head of the autocephalous
Church. A sizeable Turkish
Muslim community also lives on Icon museum, near Salamis. On the left, St. Barnabas.
the island. After skirmishes with
the Christian population, fol-
lowing the independence of
Cyprus in 1960, the Muslim pop-
ulation concentrated in the
northern third of the island,
which since 1974 has been
under Turkish military occupa-
tion.
In the 5th-6th century Armenian
Christians also settled on the
island, followed by Maronite
Catholics (from Lebanon and
B. Weibel
Syria). Latin Catholics arrived in
Cyprus in the 12th century, fol-
lowing the trade routes of
Genoa and Venice.
During his visit to Cyprus, Pope work in your Church and in your patience and fraternity, distinctive
Francis recalled that St. Barnabas, land, to rejoice with you at the signs of every authentic apostolic
“as he visited the emerging wondrous things that the Lord mission. Strengthened by the
Christian communities, saw the has done, and to urge you to test imony of t he “son of
grace of God at work; he rejoiced persevere always, without encouragement” and the visit of
and urged everyone ‘to remain growing weary or discouraged.” the successor of Peter, the Cypriot
faithful to the Lord with steadfast The Pope also reminded the Church is called to face the
purpose’ (cf. Acts 11:23). I come people of Cyprus that Saint challenges of this century, to walk
with the same desire,” the Pope Barnabas, in his collaboration as evangelical witness on the path
said, “to see the grace of God at with the apostle Paul, embodied of brotherhood and courage. ■

COLUMN
Pray for the peace

of Jerusalem
Mons. David M. Jaeger, ofm*
“P
ray for the peace of coalition of 60-61 members (out of minor parties, mostly religious.
Jerusalem” (Psalm a total of 120), who began to The other block of parties is headed
122:6). We always ask blackmail it, threatening to make by the current prime minister, Yair
this from believers in Jesus the majority fail at crucial moments. Lapid, an ex-journalist, once—but
everywhere in the world and, in a No one knows how the coalition of definitely not anymore—branded
particular way, from friends and the new parliament (called Knesset) only as a “pretty boy.” This block,
supporters of the Franciscan that will be elected in the autumn albeit very diversified, boasts of
mission of the Holy Land, from will be composed. The electoral greater gravitas, of putting
pilgrims, from ourselves. In this campaign, however, promises to correctness and legality first,
world, however, the peace of be a tough struggle between the refusing to subordinate them to
Jerusalem also depends, under the “different souls” of the country. alleged national and religious
sovereignty of God, on men, The outcome may well have an interests. It is certain that, within
therefore on the States, on those influence on the lives of the each block, there are parties that
who exercise temporal power in Christian communities, and the are well capable of distancing
the Holy Land. Therefore, it is our actual realization of their decades- themselves from the group to
duty to follow closely, among other long hopes for relations with instead go with the opposite block.
things, the ups and downs of public institutions and society, with the So, as a whole, this mosaic is of
and institutional life in Israel, which dominant culture, which although enormous complexity.
this summer has undergone being all of Jewish expression, Once again, the votes of the Arab-
another shock, seeing the contains different types of ideals. Palestinian citizens of Israel—
government forced to call, once As in any similar situation: the more Muslims, Christians, others—that
again, early elections. This is how secular the country, the more represents about one fifth of the
the unusual governing coalition is serene the life of communities population, may prove decisive.
being dissolved, having been put other than the majority will be. They will go to the polls to the
together by parties from the liberal The electoral campaign will likely extent that they believe that their
center, the democratic right, the be dominated by the determined vote can have an impact in
democratic left, and also—an effort of the coalition headed by parliament, and possibly in the
absolute novelty—by an Arab the charismatic ex-premier government. And the believers in
party, moreover an Islamic one. Benjamin Netanyahu, currently Christ, representing about 15
However, it was not the inevitable accused in a trial for corruption, percent of the Arabs and many
tensions between these different striving to take back power. It others in the Jewish sphere? May
and opposing parties that led to includes the main party of the right, they not fail to do their duty as
the anticipation of the elections, the Likud, a modern Jewish citizens. With them, and for them,
but the undisciplined behavior of a national movement that used to be we “pray for the peace of
few parliamentarians of the markedly secular at its origins, and Jerusalem.”
24 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022 *Holy Land Franciscan, Rome

MAIN STORY Jerusalem, Christ Pantocrator, mosaic
Dome of the Catholicon, Holy Sepulchre.
The Lord’s Prayer

The Our Father:
It is the most common Christian prayer. Many learned it during childhood, often on their
mother’s knees. All Christians know it. But what do we know exactly about it?
In this main story we want to offer food for thought starting from the contributions of
three exegetes, illuminating us on the many significant aspects of this prayer:
© Suronin/Shutterstock.com
its link with Judaism, the very content of prayer, and the patristic tradition.
Let’s take a closer look at the prayer of the Children of God.

MAIN STORY
A Jewish prayer?
by Fr. Frédéric Manns, ofm* ship moving towards God. in the language that everyone
B
Much more than a prayer: it is a could understand.
journey of spiritual life.” The Hebrew character of the
ack in 1915 the Revue Many authors see the parallels Our Fat her — in t he Greek
Biblique published an of the Our Father in the Aramaic version of Matthew that we
article by Jean-Baptiste Qaddish prayer and the Shemone privilege here (cf. page 29)—can
Frey: Is the Pater a Esre (18 mor n i ng prayer also be seen in its very elaborate
Jewish or a Christian blessings). The final redaction of structure which was supposed
prayer? Since then, not a year goes these Jewish prayers is debated. to facilitate its memorization.
by without emphasizing the To avoid dating errors we will In the East, the oral tradition is
Jewishness of Jesus and his prayer. stick to biblical texts which are fundamental. This also explains
Some protest this by saying clearly dated. the fact that we have two versions
that new wine must be put in It is known that Hebrew was of the Our Father, the short one
new wineskins. The novelty of the language of prayer, while by Luke and the liturgical one by
the Our Father is there. And we Aramaic was the daily language. Matthew. As one may recall, a
will emphasize it in the final Now the Qaddish prayer is variant in Luke 11:3, “Let your
analysis. expressed in Aramaic. The kingdom come,” was read by
But a tree needs good roots to reason is simple: in the beginning some Fathers of the second
bear fruit. And the roots of the the Qaddish concluded the century as: “May your Spirit
Our Father come from Judaism. homilies of the Synagogue. Since come upon us and purify us.”
Charles Péguy used to say: “The not ever yone u nderstood The title of Father is often
Our Father is like the prow of a Hebrew, this blessing was recited given to God in the Bible. We

Jews praying at the Western Wall For over a hundred
during Passover 2022
years there has been
a debate on the Jewish
matrix of the Our Father.
The link with the Bible
and with the context of
Judaism is undeniable,
but the prayer that
Jesus himself taught
us contains an essential
seed of novelty.
© Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
over the nations. Sanctification is
synonymous with a theophany as
seen in Is 8:13; 29:23-24. But
humans also sanctify God’s name:
they give God his place by
recognizing his action in history.
To sanctify the name is to
remember the covenant, to give it
quote only Isaiah 63:15-16. “Look The sanctified Name its weight and to proclaim it
down from heaven and regard faithfully.
us from your holy and glorious In its Semitic understanding and
palace ... for you are our father. expression, a name is that which Thy Kingdom come
Were Abraham not to know us, envelops the whole being
nor Israel to acknowledge us, including that which it designates For Zec ha r ia h 14:9, t he
You, Lord, are our father, our and that with which it is identified. Kingdom of God must be
redeemer you are named from of To pronounce the name means to recognized throughout the earth.
old.” evoke the totality of the person The Kingdom of God consists in
This title returns in Isaiah 64:7- who bears it. Now, for the One who the salvation of all men and in
8; Jeremiah 3:19-20; 31:9. In a is limitless and beyond time and the coming of the Messiah (Is
particular way, God is the father space, defining him by his Name 52:7). The “royal” Psalms that
of the king (Psalm 89:27-28), but is a radical impossibility. Not being begin with the expression “God
also of the individual (Sirach able to vocalize or pronounce Reigns” sing of a king who is
23:1a; 23:4a; Wisdom 14:3-4). The YHWH, the Tetragrammaton, (Is savior (Ps 2: 2-11), conqueror (Ps
concept of the Father that runs 29:23) the Jews replaced its 93:1), righteous (Ps 45:7-8).
t h roug h t he ent i re Bible evocation with the word hashem
expresses the unique which means the Name. Thy will be done
relationship that unites God to God sanctifies his people
Israel. It is accompanied by the (Ezekiel 36:23). He himself Proverbs 3:5-8 clearly expresses
not ion of forg iveness, of accomplishes the sanctification of this idea: “Trust in the Lord with
conversion. his name by manifesting his glory all your heart, on your own

MAIN STORY
Fr. Ibrahim Alsabagh, Parish Priest

of Aleppo (Syria), makes sure that
the prayer for daily bread is fulfilled
by distributing food parcels to his
parishioners.
decrees”; v. 8 “I will observe your

decrees: do not leave me alone”; v.
12 “Teach me your decrees”; v. 16
“In your decrees I take delight”...
Give us our daily bread
Texts such as Exodus 16:4;

Deuteronomy 8:1-5; Joshua 5:10-
12; Leviticus 26:3-13 take up the
same theme. In a particular way,
Psalm 104:27-28 orchestrates the
theme of daily food: “All of these
look to you to give them food in
EARLY FORM OF THE PRAYER due time. When you give it to
them, they gather; when you
The Qaddish Prayer open your hand, they are well
filled.”
T he name of the Lord has been exalted and sanctified in the

world created by him according to his will. Let his kingdom
reign in your life and in your days, and in the life of all the people
The prophet Amos (8:11) recalls
that the days will come “when I
will send a famine upon the land:
of Israel, now and forever. And say: Amen. Blessed be the name of not a hunger for bread, or a thirst
the Lord, on earth and in eternity. Blessed, praised, honored, exalt- for water, but for hearing the word
ed, magnified and glorified the Name of the Saint, be he blessed, of the Lord.” Deuteronomy (8:3)
beyond all blessings and all songs, beyond all praise and all con- also repeats that man does not live
solation pronounced in this world. And say: Amen. May the prayers by bread alone.
and supplications of all the people of Israel be received before their
father who is in heaven. And say: Amen. Blessed be the name of Forgive us our trespasses
God, now and forever—a great peace of heaven and life be upon
us, and upon all Israel. And say: Amen. All help comes to me from For sinful mankind, God alone
God who made the earth and the heavens. He who makes peace can forgive our debts. The book
in heaven, make peace on us and on all Israel. And you say: Amen. of Sirach (28:2-4) affirms this:
“Forgive your neighbor the
wrong done to you; then when
you pray, your own sins will be
intelligence do not rely. In all health for your flesh and vigor for forgiven. Does anyone nourish
your ways be mindful of him, your bones”. anger against another expects
and he will make straight your In Psalm 119 the will of God healing from the Lord? Can one
paths. Do not be wise in your expressed in his decrees is quoted refuse mercy to a sinner like
own eyes, fear the Lord and turn 23 times: v. 5 “May my ways be oneself, yet seek pardon for one’s
away from evil; this will be the firm in the observance of your own sins? If a mere mortal

THE ORIGINAL TEXT IN GREEK
The Our Father, as written in the Gospel of Matthew
Páter hêmôn ho en toîs ouranoîs

hagiasthètô tò ónoma sou
elthétô hê basileía sou ·
genêthêthô tò thélêma sou,
hôs en ouranoi kaì epì tês gês ·
tòn árton hêmôn tòn epioúsion
dòs hêmîn sêmeron ·
kaì áphes hêmîn tà opheilêmata hêmôn,
hôs kaì hêmeîs aphíemen toîs opheilétais hêmôn ·
kaì mê eisenégkêis hêmâs eis peirasmón,
allà rhûsai hêmâs apò toû ponêroû.
Two stanzas stand out clearly. The first is delimited by a literary

inclusion: skies-sky. The first three questions reproduce the same
tonality: a-sou.
The second verse where the sound on is repeated is structured by
the repetition of the pronoun hêmeis. Four questions are formu-
lated. With the three of the first verse they form the seven, which
is the numerical symbol of perfection.
cherishes wrath,, who will doing that I fell away,’ for what he between people who love each
forgive his sins?” hates he does not do. Do not say: other, a dialogue based on trust,
The Yom Kippur liturgy, the ‘He Himself has led me astray,’ for sustained by listening and open
day of atonement, emphasizes he has no need of the wicked.” to a commitment to solidarity. It is
that God only forgives those Mirroring all the questions of the dialogue of a Son with his
who have forgiven their brothers the Our Father it is easy to find Father, a dialogue between
in the ten days preceding the parallels in the Bible. Jesus brings children and their Father. This is
feast and which are called “the the Bible to its fulfillment and Christian prayer. ... Jesus allows us
terrible days.” makes us enter into his prayer as to enter into God’s paternity ...
Son. The rabbinic tradition will and he points the way to enter into
Lead us not into orchestrate these themes more prayerful and direct dialogue
temptation fully especially in the treatise on with him, through the path of
Blessings (Berakot) and in the filial trust.”
Have we forgot ten t he treatise on the feast of Kippur The Our Father is therefore
temptations of Abraham, Job, (Yoma). “the synthesis of every prayer,”
Adam and Eve and of the people which we address to the Father
of Israel as they walked in the The Christian novelty? “always in communion with the
desert (Ex 17:7)? Jesus was also brothers.” ■
tempted. The great temptation of I will leave the answer to Pope * Friar Frédéric Manns, ofm, was a world
Jesus took place in Gethsemane: Francis (Angelus, 28 July 2019). It famous biblical scholar, who sadly passed
“Pray not to enter into temptation,” is precisely in this “direct away on December 22, 2021, at the age of 79.
he says in Matthew 26:41. Sirach 15: communication with the father”— A few weeks before returning to the Father’s
11-12 repeats that the Lord does not the Pope says—the “novelty of house he had delivered this contribution on
try us: “Do not say: ‘It was God Christian prayer, ... a dialogue this theme particularly dear to him.

MAIN STORY
The Sermon on the Mount,

Carl Heinrich Bloch (1890).
The Prayer of the

Children of God
by Fr Matteo Munari, ofm prayer and at the same time it is (see article on p. 26-29). The Our
Teacher of New Testament and an exclusively Christian prayer. Father is however an exclusively
Aramaic exegesis Wit h t his apparently Christian prayer because as a
Studium Biblicum contradictory phrase, various whole it expresses only the faith
Franciscanum, Jerusalem salient aspects of the prayer that of the Church and for this reason
T
Jesus gave us are touched upon. only Christians accept to use it.
The Our Father is a Jewish It is customary to say that the
he Our Father is the prayer because for each of its Our Father has come to us in two
prayer of t he petitions it is possible to find a forms, that of the Gospel of
children of God. As parallel in Jewish, biblical or Matthew 6: 9-13 and that of Luke
we know it is an extra-biblical literature, which 11:2-4. It is perhaps more correct
ent i rely Jew ish contains a similar formulation to say that the Our Father is

The Our Father is the heart of Jesus’ teaching,
which can be understood even better in the light
of the Sermon on the Mount. The Christian life is in
fact an immersion in the life of the Father through
obedience to the word of his Son.
which Jesus teaches us to live as These simple concepts are

his disciples and therefore to essential in order not to sell off
rediscover and live our identity the gift of divine sonship at a
as children of God. low price. John the Evangelist,
full of amazement at what he has
Being children means received, comments on this
being disciples mystery thus: “But to those who
did accept him he gave power to
In the language of Jesus, being become children of God: to those
children of God corresponds in who believe in his name, who
fact to being his disciples. This were born not by nat ural
deduction originates from his generation nor by human choice
word in Mt 12:49-50, “And nor by a man’s decision but of
stretching out his hand toward God” (Jn 1:12-13).
his disciples, he said: ‘Here are Therefore, it is not enough to
my mother and my brothers! For be created by God to be his
whoever does the will of my children, it is necessary to be
heavenly Father is my brother, generated by him.
and sister, and mother.’” Returning to the Sermon on the
The relatives of Jesus are his Mount, the first thing Jesus
disciples, they are children of teaches us about the Father’s will
God because t hey live in is that the Father wants us to be
obedience to the will of his happy. It is for this reason that the
Father. The will of the Father is discourse begins with the
in fact the door through which Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12). Jesus
one enters the kingdom of then explains to us that in the
found in Mt 6:9-13 while in Lk heaven: “Not everyone who says eyes of the Father, we are precious
11:2- 4 we h ave o n ly a n to me: ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the because we make a difference
abbreviated version of the Lord’s kingdom of heaven, but only the wherever we are, since, in fact we
Prayer. In fact, in Lk 11:2-4 we do who does the will of my Father are the salt of the earth and the
not find the words “Our Father,” who is in heaven.” (Mt 7:21) The light of the world (cf. Mt 5:13-16).
but only “Father.” Sermon on the Mount therefore Then, starting from what we
The prayer of the Our Father shows us the will of the Father know of the Old Testament, Jesus
that we use in the liturgy is for our life; it forms us to be his leads us on an uphill journey, by
therefore found in Mt 6:9-13, that children in his Son. Entering the means of which we free ourselves
is, at the heart of the Sermon on kingdom of heaven ultimately of all that deforms and disfigures
the Mount (cf. Mt 5-7). This means being or becoming a the image of God imprinted in
discourse is a great catechesis in child of God. our being, in order to finally

MAIN STORY
Reciting the Our Father in a church

in Vietnam.
on the Mount then deals with

other issues to be addressed in
order to enter the family of the
disciples of Jesus that the reader
can deepen on his own by
meditating on Mt 7:1-27.
Immersion in the life of

the Father
This overview of the Sermon

on the Mount helps us see that
© Godongphoto/Shutterstock.com
the Our Father is the heart of
what Jesus teaches. The Christian
life is in fact an immersion in the
life of the Father through
obedience to the word of the Son,
who guides us through the Spirit.
When we say “Our Father who
art in heaven,” we obey the word
of Jesus who tells us “You
therefore pray like this” (Mt 6:9)
reach the perfection of love that If someone were to ask us: “Tell and, saying those words, we let
is proper to our heavenly Father me—on a scale from one to ten— the Holy Spirit guide us and
(cf. Mt 5:17-48). Faced with the how much do you feel a child of intercede for us by asking what is
fatigue of the journey and the God,” how could we measure the true good, that on our own
aw a r e n e s s o f o u r i n n e r and answer? To verify the quality we could neither understand nor
resistances, we realize that we of our relationship with the implement (cf. Rom 8:26-27).
will never make it alone, and Father, Jesus teaches us to What makes the Our Father a
that it is possible to reach the observe our relationship with profoundly Christian prayer is,
perfection of love only by material goods and our attitude in addition to the content of the
living in the presence of our towards the future: if our life is individual requests, the order in
heaven ly Fat her. For t h i s characterized by anxiety for the which they are arranged. The
reason, Jesus teaches us to live future, then—in a diplomatic words we pronounce in each
an intimacy with the Father way—our relationship with the prayer, in fact, express what we
through almsgiving, prayer Father has ample room for think of God and of ourselves in
and fasting (cf. Mt 6:1-18). At improvement; said in a brutal front of him. By praying with the
the heart of these three pillars way, our faith is really small and words that Jesus taught us, we
is prayer (cf. Mt 6:5-15); and at our relationship with the Father learn to recognize God as a
the heart of prayer, the Our is decidedly superficial (cf. Mt father and ourselves as his
Father (cf. Mt 6:9-13). 6:19-34). The rest of the Sermon children.

Pater Noster, engraving by
Hieronymus Wierix (XVI secolo).
By saying “Our Father who

art in heaven” we maintain
God’s closeness to our life and
at the same time his immensity
in the face of creation. Jesus
himself, when he prayed, taught
us to travel along the two paths
of the closeness and immensity
of God: “I give praise to you,
Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, for although you have God’s will are therefore closely remission of sins (cf. Mt 26:28), so
hidden these things from the linked. Together they are an after the request for bread we
wise and the learned you have expression of the deepest desire might ask for the remission of
revealed them to the childlike” of our heart. If we find that we debts and that we might obtain
(Mt 11:25). For us God is at the want more, we continue to pray a forgiveness that is free and at
same time close (Father) and and our hearts will heal and the same time conditional. In
immense (Lord of heaven and orient themselves towards the fact, only if we forgive, are we
earth). This closeness of God’s true source of life and joy. forgiven. Having obtained
immensity is linked to his The sanctification of the forgiveness, we ask the Lord to
choice to have become man to Name, t he comi ng of t he ensure that we do not again fall
meet us. kingdom and the fulfillment of into the traps of the evil one,
God’s will are both God’s work who always tries to destroy the
Sanctify to be sanctified and our work. Let us therefore most precious gift we have
work together with our Father in received, being children of God!
The first thing we ask of God Heaven because we know that a Entering the depth of this
the Father is the sanctification of child grows up by learning to magnificent prayer, we realize
his Name, that is, that he take work with its parents. that it is divided into two parts:
our life and make it a testimony We, as poor humans, are often in the first three petitions we
of his greatness and his infinite committing ourselves to works dare to ask the heavenly Father
love. By sanctifying his Name, that only God can do. We to let us participate in his
we, his children, are also therefore need divine strength universal plan of salvation, in
sanctified. In order to sanctify that makes us realize what we the next three we beg him to
his Name we are ready to die in can never do alone. It is for this come to the aid of our frailty. The
anticipation of the definitive reason that the fourth petition first part looks at the immensity
coming of his kingdom, in which teaches us to ask for that special of God, the second at our
all t hat He wills will be bread that nourishes us with the littleness aided by his closeness.
accomplished and through very life of God. It is the same Taken as a whole, the prayer of
which He will be all in all. The body of the Son made flesh that the Our Father speaks of the gift
sanctification of the Name, the becomes bread to nourish us we have received, of being able
coming of the kingdom of with eternal life. It is a body to call ourselves and truly be
heaven and the fulfillment of given and a blood shed for the children of God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1). ■

MAIN STORY
Christ teaching his Apostles,
French illustration, 12th c.
The Our Father:

the Reading of the
Fathers of the Church
of almsgiving and that of fasting The text of the Our Father in
by Fr Juri Leoni ofm (Mt 6:1-4,16-18); while in Luke, Matthew’s version, which from
Collegium Sancti instead, in the context of a precise then on became the formula for
T
Bonaventurae, Rome request from the disciples: “Lord, the use of Christian prayer (Did.
teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1). 8,2), is placed in the section of the
he prayer of the Our In the first century, the text of liturgical norms. The author, in
Father is the prayer the Our Father prayer is reported particular, invites us to dissociate
taught by the Lord for the first time in a very ourselves from the “hypocrites,”
Jesus to the disciples, important document, the Didache, who show off their piety: “Do not
the oratio dominica par a compilation of instructions and pray, like the hypocrites, but as
excellence. In fact, it is configured teachings by an anonymous the Lord ordered in his Gospel”
in the horizon of the magisterium author, who may have been a (Did. 8,2). It is difficult to identify
of the rabbi of Nazareth of Galilee Judeo-Christian, and intended for whether this passage is directed
in Matthew within the Sermon on a community in which there were against someone in particular or
the Mount, between the practice some converted from paganism. simply takes up the well-known

Since the early centuries, the Fathers of the Church
have taught and commented on prayer of the
Our Father. From the Didache to Saint Augustine,
its meaning is highlighted. There is no pain or
tribulation, tear or joy, which are not accompanied
and relieved by the most authentic prayer
Fragments of the Didache (P.Oxy. 1782).
of identity in the closest context of often simple allusions. But from

the spread of early Christianity. the third century onwards
Between the first and second Christians began a systematic
centuries, the most recurrent reflection on prayer and, in
petitions in the writings of the particular, on the Lord’s Prayer,
Fathers of the Church were the as a founding experience for life,
request for forgiveness and the personal and communitarian.
remission of debts, liberation
saying of Jesus (Mt 6:5). As it from evil and the fulfillment of Clement of Alexandria
seems from the indication to recite God’s will (Mt 6:10,12,13), and Tertullian
the Our Father three times a day testifying to the ideals of the first
(Did. 8,3), it could be a Judaizing Christian communities still Book VII of the Stromati of
group or perhaps Jews from forming and needing to weld Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-c.
whom most of the conversions to relat ionships among t heir 215) represents the first Christian
the “way” still came. Prayer done members under the banner of treatise on prayer. According to St
three times a day, in fact, was a mutual forgiveness, in a world Clement, prayer is in general a
widespread practice in Judaism that was predominantly outside familiar conversation with God
(Daniel 6:11) and in contemporary t hei r com mu n it ies a nd through the high priest who is
messianic sects, such as Qumran, fundamentally still hostile to Jesus Christ (Strom. VII, 1,13,3.
as was the approach with the t hem. However, w it h t he 7,39,6.49,7) —an uninterrupted
practice of fasting (Tobias 12.8). exception of the Didache, the conversation, since all the life of
The mention of the Lord’s Prayer earliest Christian literature the Christian, whether he walks,
in the Didache became an element references to the Our Father are talks, rests, works or thinks, is to

MAIN STORY
Salvador Dalì, cover of a

collection of litographs
on the Our Father (1966).
be considered as an uninterrupted commentary on the Our Father:

sacred feast for God (Strom. VII, this prayer is a commitment that
7,49,3-8). involves the life of the person
The communities of Roman praying as a child of God (Orat. 22,
Africa have left us the first two 5) and the requests that the
comments on the Our Father Christian finds expressed there
which were intended to train have this purpose. It is par
catechumens in prayer. The excellence the paradigm of prayer
literary genre of the commentary that traces an alternative model to
was helpful for articulating the Jewish and pagan prayer, captured
relationship among faith, prayer, in the horizon of the ágraphon of
and Christian life. Jesus, a saying absent in the
Referring to the Our Father, canonical Gospels: “ask for the
Tertullian (c. 160-c. 230) describes great goods and the small ones
a new form of prayer that Jesus will be added to them, ask for
Christ gave to the disciples of the things celestial and terrestrial will
new covenant, in order “to pour be added to you” (Orat. 2,2; 16,2).
new wine into new wineskins” because the Father recognized
(De oratione 1,1; cf. Mt 9:16-17). In through the recitation of this Cyril of Jerusalem and
general, he focused on three prayer the words of his own Son, Augustine
dimensions of the Lord’s teaching who, present in our hearts, is also
for the faithful to inform their life present in our voice when we Cyril of Jerusalem (313 or 315-
of prayer: the precept to pray in pray to him (De dom. orat. 3). The 386), in the Fifth Mystagogical
secret, modesty of faith, and first word pronounced by the Catechesis, offers to the newly
brevity of speech (De orat. 1,4-6; cf. new man, born again and bapt ized in Jerusalem an
Mt 6: 6-7). Indeed, the Our Father restored to his God, will be, in explanation of the Eucharistic
already summarizes every word fact, “Father,” since man has liturgy in which they take part for
and every memory of Christian become a son by baptism (De dom. the first time, with a commentary
discipline, a breviarium totius Orat. 9). The Our Father is for on the Our Father; this catechesis
evangelii (“a summary of the whole Cyprian a public and common represents the oldest known
Gospel,” De orat. 1,6). prayer (De dom. Orat. 8), that is, an testimony of the insertion of the
expression of the unity of the Lord’s prayer in the celebration of
Cyprian of Carthage and Church as a prayer pronounced Mass: the Lord’s prayer, according
Origen of Alexandria in the plural “we,” and universal to Cyril, is certainly one of the
because it is addressed in favor of greatest expressions of the
For Cyprian of Carthage (c. 205- all, for peace and fraternal “philanthropy” of God, who, to
258) the words of the Our Father concord (De dom. orat. 17. 23). those who had abandoned it and
represent the spiritual prayer par With a more articulated breath, found themselves in the worst of
excellence (De dominica oratione 2), Origen of Alexandria’s treatise evils, God now grants forgiveness
the prayer of Christ, the prayer (185-254) On prayer contains a large and the gift of calling him Father
acceptable to the Father of Heaven sec t ion ded icated to t he (Cat. Myst. V, 11).

Augustine (354-430) returns the one hand it seems clear the Kings 11:23), writes Cyprian, were
many times to the Lord’s Prayer, intention to give back to that verse evils resulting from their own sin.
as seen, for example, in Sermon 57 a meaning more in keeping with When we pray not to be led into
and in the Letter to Proba (Ep. 130). the original Greek; on the other temptation we do nothing but
The Lord, he writes, taught us the hand we can ask how the Fathers remember our weakness and
Our Father above all because, of the Church understood this fragility and with humble faith
although he was the only Son of petition. We are helped by the first strengthen the certainty that
God, he did not want to remain Christian commentaries on the whatever we ask of God, in his
alone and deigned to have Lord’s Prayer. Tertullian was very infinite goodness, he will grant us
innumerable brothers; we have, in clear that with this request we ask (De dom. Orat. 25-26).
fact, a father and a mother on God to avoid sin, that is, not to For Origen the fifth petition of
earth, but now as members of the allow us to be led into sin by the the Our Father should be
baptized, we have a new family: one who tempts us, that is, the understood as follows: literally
God our Father and the Church devil: we must reject any idea that “Ma ke us not enter i nto
our mother (Serm. 57, 2, 2). The it is the Lord who tempts us, there temptation,” meaning, “Make us
Lord’s Prayer, says Augustine, is in fact a difference between the not succumb to temptation.” The
has a very broad meaning and temptation, which leads us to whole life of man is under the sign
embraces ou r whole l i fe. commit sin, and the trial, which of trial and Origen does not hide
Therefore, in whatever tribulation aims to highlight the faith of man, the possible risk of falling. But
the Christian finds himself, when like Abraham, who did not refuse God takes care of each one of us,
using it, he can express his to offer Isaac and thus became our both when we progress in the life
groans, accompany his tears, for, father in faith. Indeed, the Lord of faith, and when we regress in
from it flows his most authentic himself invited us to pray “so as various ways towards the abyss of
prayer; whoever prays with not to fall into temptation” (Mt evil (Orat. 29,13).
words that are not related to this 26:41) and, writes Tertullian, for Everything, every experience,
evangelical prayer, is perhaps not this reason we also pray to be even t hat of ev i l, ca n
so much praying badly, but freed from evil (De orat. 8, 1-5). providentially contribute to the
certainly praying in a manner Cyprian knew a different paternal pedagogy of God who
that is too human and earthly (Ep. variant of the verse: “and do not wants to lead us to eternal life;
130, 12,22-13,24). allow (ne patiaris) that we are led therefore, even sin could only
into temptation”; suggesting that represent a setback in the path of
The Fathers and the Fifth the devil can do nothing against the Christian, a prelude to a
Retracted Petition u s a nd t h at n o t h i n g i n possible rebirth to good; the trials
temptation is granted to evil, if it are often the opportunity we have
We might have heard about the is not first permitted by God. to bring out the best in us, the
translation of the Our Father On the other hand, the evil strength to get up, confident in our
introduced in the liturgy for some allowed is not to be attributed to fight against evil and aware that
languages, like French and Italian, God, but, rather, to our own sins. “everything contributes to the
with the phrasing “and do not let The deportation of Israel to good of those who love God, who
us enter into temptation” or “do Babylon (cf. Is 42:24-25) or the have been called according to his
not abandon us to temptation.” On punishment of Solomon (cf. 1 plan” (Orat. 29, 19; cf. Rom 8:28). ■

MAIN STORY
Jerusalem, the Church of

the Pater Noster
© Trabantos/Shutterstock.com
In the Place
of the Our Father
by Fr Gregor Geiger ofm* by Princess Aurélie de Bossi de la centuries the perspectives
Studium Biblicum Tour d’Auvergne on the ruins of a regarding the contents of these
Franciscanum, Jerusalem med ieva l monaster y. The teachings have varied.
H
foundress is buried in a side In the Acts of the Apostles (1:4-9)
chapel of the new church, some “last recommendations” of
e a d i n g consecrated in 1875. Christ are collected before his
downstream from In 1910 the excavations carried ascending to heaven. Traditions
the sanctuary of out in front of the church brought about this last message of Jesus
the Ascension, to light the remains of a Byzantine soon began to be added, especially
you come across church. It was built over a cave, so on issues related to the end of the
the road that leads from the it can be identified with the world. We know this from some
Kidron valley to Bethphage: there church built by the Empress Elena writings of ancient Christianity
we find the church of the Pater on the Mount of Olives. At the and Gnosticism (from the Greek
Noster. The building, which today dawn of the history of the Church, gnosis, “knowledge”: a series of
is part of a monastery of French even before Constantine and his esoteric movements that united
Carmelites, is to be linked to the mother, this cave was already one Christian elements with others of
ancient church known as the of the most important Christian different origins). The cave
Eleona, from the Greek elaion memorials. There, the teachings of therefore also has a symbolic value
which means “olive grove”. The Jesus were —and are still— as a passage from darkness to light
monastery was founded in 1868 commemorated even if over the thanks to the doctrine of Christ.

In Jerusalem, on the top of the Mount of Olives and not far from
the sanctuary of the Ascension, stands the place which, according to tradition,
houses the grotto in which Jesus “taught” the Our Father to his disciples.
Here is what historical sources and archeology can tell us.
A s Con st a nt i ne ’s cou r t would have looked like. During even with new attempts in the
theologian, Eusebius states: “At the construction of the Carmelite seventies and eighties. In fact, the
the cave indicated there, [Christ] monastery (1873-75) the findings large courtyard that precedes the
used to pray; there on top of the were insufficiently documented, cloister, corresponds to the layout
mountain he initiated his disciples and then covered over. of the unfinished church. The cave
to the mysteries of the end [of the As we read in Eusebius, Jesus has been partially rebuilt; the
world]; from there he then used to come here to pray. modern concrete roof, if nothing
ascended to heaven, as Luke Therefore, from the very beginning else, gives the feeling of being
teaches in the Acts of the of the Crusader era, this place has inside a cave. Referring back to the
Apostles.” been identified with the place Crusader tradition, in the church,
By “mysteries of the end” we where Jesus taught the Our Father in the cloister and in the vestibule,
m e a n t h e e s c h at olo g ic a l to the disciples. In the Gospel there are panels with the text of the
discourse that Jesus, as reported according to Luke (10:29-42) the Our Father in different languages.
in the Gospels, gave shortly after episode takes place after the It is interesting that, to the left of
his arrival in Jerusalem. parable of the good Samaritan—on the entrance to the vestibule, the
So that the church of the Eleona the road to Jericho—and after the versions are in Hebrew and
had a double meaning: it stop in the house of Martha and Aramaic: they are retro-versions of
remembered both Jesus’ teaching Mary in Bethany. A longer the Greek text of the Our Father
about the end of the world as well formulation of the Our Father is given in the Gospel of Matthew,
as his ascension into heaven, instead inserted by Matthew (6:9- because unfortunately we do not
since there is still no real church 13) in the Sermon on the Mount. have the original text in Hebrew or
of the Ascension. The excavations of 1910-1911 Aramaic as Jesus enunciated it.
Ascending to heaven, Christ made it possible to rediscover, in The “prayer that Jesus taught us”
begins the time of the Church; but addition to the aforementioned is depicted here in over 170
moreover, “from there he will cave in front of the church of the languages and dialects, obviously
return” to judge the living and Pater Noster, also the three-nave including Italian, but also in
the dead (cf. Acts 1:11). Even after basilica (18 x 29.5 meters; 59’ x 96’) Friulian, Milanese, Piacenza,
the Arab conquest, Eleona which was built on it. The cave was Piedmontese, Romagna and
remained one of the most almost completely ruined during Sardinian.
important churches in Jerusalem; the First World War because it A large plot planted with olive
The tombs of the patriarchs were served as a base camp for German trees adjoins the southern part
also venerated there, although no and Turkish soldiers. In 1920 a new of the courtyard. From here,
trace of them has been found so church began to be built on the among the trees, you can enjoy a
far. However, starting from the foundations of the Byzantine one; magnificent view of the old city
9th century the building went in line with the spirituality of the of Jerusalem, with the advantage
into total decline. The Crusaders time, it was intended to be that even during the high tourist
rebuilt it by adding various side dedicated to the Sacred Heart of season this viewpoint is much
chapels. In t he following Jesus. The construction site less crowded than others. ■
centuries, it fell into complete continued in fits and starts until it
oblivion again. We have only very was interrupted by the earthquake * The text is taken from the Guida di Terra
rough ideas of what the complex of 1927. It did not go much further Santa by friar Gregor Geiger, pp. 486-488.

FEATURE STORY
The Custos of the Holy Land

cuts the ribbon to inaugurate
the multimedia exhibition
To have a closer
look at the
Resurrection © GPO/CTS
by Filippo De Grazia There was great optimism that says Fr. Tomasz Dubiel, Director
T
the rest of the museum space of the CIC. “From the Gospels,
would be finished on schedule. we know that first the women
he completion of From 2020, due to the pandemic and then the disciples visited the
this project first and then the absence of empty tomb of Christ and that
encountered several pilgrims, the workers’ schedule seeing, they believed. This scene
hurdles over the slowed down until it stopped totally changed their lives, so
past few years. In altogether. much so that they set off for
2018 all was on schedule, and the “Every day, hundreds of every part of the world to
first two rooms were opened. people visit the empty tomb”, a n nou nce t hat Jesu s had

The multimedia exhibition entitled “The experience of Resurrection” has at
last been inaugurated at the Christian Information Center (CIC) in Jerusalem.
After a six-year wait, on Saturday July 2, the exhibition opened its doors to the
public and, in particular, to the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton,
who cut the inaugural ribbon and blessed the exhibition area.
Through virtual reality, the visitor is

immersed in Christ’s Passion, Death
and Resurrection
© GPO/CTS
risen. Do all these pilgrims, ex h ibit ion at t he CIC, are Risen One in the Holy City.
today, believe like the women occasions to evangelize. The The exhibition consists of six
and the disciples? Do their lives aim of all our presence and of rooms in which the visitor can
change? The guided tour here at what we do is to of fer a have a unique audio-visual
the CIC has been created to stimulus to question ourselves experience, taking advantage of
answer this question, for each on who Jesus is, to welcome t h e b e s t v i r t u a l r e a l it y
pilgrim.” him as the Messiah, as the Son tech nolog y. The visitor is
Blessing the exhibition, Fr. of God and as our Saviour. The immersed in a space specifically
Francesco Patton also insisted empty tomb is the pivot of our designed to enhance contact with
on the need to engage the faith and our hope.” the surrounding environment.
pilgrims, keeping the purpose The exhibition, which is Each room depicts a different
of this mission very clear. already open to the public, period in the story of Jerusalem
Shortly before cutt ing t he offers a multimedia and of the Holy Sepulchre over
r ibbon, he sa id, “A l l ou r ex h ibit ion on t he Holy the centuries, thus giving visitors
initiatives, from the Museum Sepulchre and allows not only the sense that they are living in
of the Flagellation to Dar Al- understanding but also “taking that same place at different
Majus in Bethlehem, to this part” in the encounter with the periods. ■

FEATURE STORY
Young Christians, Muslims, and Jews

gathered for the Knüpwerk project.
United by the arts

by Filippo De Grazia g rowt h; a nd t he Ger ma n horizon of faith for a worthier
T
organization Faiths in Tune, future.
which every year organizes a Preparation for the final
his year, sixty young festival of Religions in Berlin. performance took place in the
people gathered in The 2022 summer camp picturesque setting of a lakeside
Germany through provided young people the town just outside Berlin. For six
the efforts of three opportunity to prepare and stage days this venue was transformed
intercultural four theatrical scenes, using the by the youths into an artistic
organizations: the Magnificat methodology of “street theatre” to workshop and a hotbed of
Institute of Jerusalem, the tell the Berlin public on the day of creativit y. The time spent
academy of music of the Custody the festival held in the German together was marked by daily
of the Holy Land which has capital on August 28th. Their prayers a nd l it urg ical
always aimed to be a bridge production told the story of c e l e b r at i o n s o n Fr id ay s,
between religions through the “Esperanza,” a name which Saturdays and Sundays, which
universal language of music; The means “hope.” Esperanza is a were freely attended by all the
Upper Room, an Austrian stage character who faces trials different religious confessions,
association which promotes the and conflict, but nevertheless corresponding to the three
consolidation of the fundamental succeeds in finding the best monotheistic religions.
human values of personal solution to her problems, in a The activities were conducted

An interreligious project that brings together young Christians, Muslims, and
Jews in a summer camp characterized by mutual knowledge and overcoming
barriers of identity through art, music, and performance, was held again
this year. This is the aim of the “Knüpwerk” project, now in its second year.
The term “knüpwerk” means precisely entwining and embroidery,
referring to fabrics woven with different and multicoloured threads,
representing different cultures and identities.
During the weekend in Berlin,

Participants of the interreligious art the youth staged the final result
project performing in a Berlin’s of their work. The underground
underground station stations, the squares and the
streets in the capital were turned
into small stages where the
youths rehearsed and perfected
their performances. When at last
Sunday August 28th arrived, the
youngsters officially opened the
day of the Festival of Religions
with the presentation of the four
scenes they created together,
united under the title “Hope
beyond borders” at the “Ufabrik”
cultural and drama centre of
Berlin.
In addition to the excellent
e x p e r ie nc e l ive d by t h e
youngsters, the success of the
and organized by a group of e x p er t s who, w it h t he i r initiative consisted in bringing
leaders i ncludi ng , f rom cont r ibut ion a nd t hei r together different religious and
Magnificat Institute, Fr. Alberto testimonies, en hanced the cultural souls and sensitivities, in
Joan Pari, ofm, director of the preparation of the show, acting as order to show that a genuine
academy of music, Dr Giuliana p oi nt s of r e f e r e nc e a nd dialogue and understanding
Mettini, vice director, and inspiration. The guests present bet ween hu ma n bei ngs
Danylo Kolasa, an Austrian included a singer and composer irrespective of particular groups
seminarian and volunteer at the who helped the youths in the they might belong to. The
school. A delegation made up of creative composition, a Hindu experience strengthened the idea
eighteen people left Jerusalem. artist, and a Polynesian dancer. that there are no barriers that
In addition to the three leaders, The youth were also assisted by cannot really be overcome. Arts,
there were students of the two musicians, one Israeli and music and theater, were the
Magnificat and youngsters from one Syrian, who have left their grammar of this inclusive
the Kehilat Zion synagogue. countries and gone to Berlin with lang uage, which was
On the days leading up to the the purpose of overcoming transformed into a universal
performance, the boys and girls barriers and divisions and make language capable of
were able to meet a living from music with their communicating a message of
various professionals and “Amjadquartet.” fraternity, friendship and peace.■

FEATURE STORY
The battle for the

Mount of Olives
Interview by Karine Eysse postponed, now to be scheduled on the Mount wanted to open a
for August 24*. So, contrary to McDonald’s there. Seriously, the
wh at t he Nat ion a l Pa rk s Mount of Olives does not need
The National Parks Authority officially claims, the additional protection, so the
Authority says it does not project continues on its way. official preservation argument
want to move forward on does not hold at all.
t h i s p r oje c t “w i t hou t The idea of protecting a
discussion and exchange place as emblematic as the What is the real purpose of
w i t h t h e a p p r o p r i a te Mount of Olives does not the projec t, in your
stakeholders, including appear aberrant in itself. o p i n i o n? A n d w h o i s
local religious authorities.” Why does this project seem interested in it?
Yet you think it is still on dangerous to you—and to
track. Why? the Churches? The National Park project on
the Mount of Olives is not recent.
Because the City Hall of Because the idea of a need to It is part of a program clearly
Jerusalem is also a stakeholder protect simply does not make imagined and implemented in
in the process, yet it has not sense! The Mount of Olives is a recent years by associations of
suspended the project for its unique place in Jerusalem, religious Jewish settlers, aimed
part. The project was to be already one of the best preserved at surrounding the Old City of
brought last March before a and maintained by the various Jerusalem by imposing an
municipal committee. Because religious communities that exclusively Jewish presence and
of the outcry made by the coexist t here. To g ive a n history there, to the detriment of
Churches, this hearing did not example: imagine what would the Christian and Muslim
take place: but it was just happen if the Benedictine sisters presence and heritage. We are

In February 2022, an Israeli project was unveiled to classify the Mount of Olives
as a National Park, ostensibly to protect the premises. The Churches present
on the mountain remain skeptical, seeing it as an attempt by associations of
religious Jewish settlers to expand into East Jerusalem. A strong and
publicized joint letter of protest from the Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian
Churches led the Israeli National Parks Authority to suspend
the project.
But is this project forgotten? Not at all, answers Daniel
Seidemann, lawyer specializing in territorial disputes
in East Jerusalem, and particularly attentive to this issue.
talking here in particular of the had no say: the National Parks families have been evicted in
EL-AD association, whose goal is Authority signed a contract with favor of Jewish settlers. Even
to perpetuate “the legacy of King EL-AD which enabled it to more recently, the Petra and
David” in ancient Jerusalem. EL- develop the City of David. If Imperial hotels, hitherto owned
AD created and manages the tomorrow the Mount of Olives is b y t h e G r e e k O r t h o dox
City of David site, in the classified, it will in turn become patriarchate, have definitively
Palestinian territory of Silwan a “Jewish Disneyland.” This will passed i nto t he ha nds of
(Siloam), located south of the Old continue the extension of the religious Jewish settlers. EL-AD
City and of the Mount of Olives. City of David, since the two also operates a tourist site in this
This place has become one of the sites, Silwan and the Mount of northern part, in the Emek
most visited tourist sites in the Olives, are neighbors; t he Zurim National Park. So, that
c o u n t r y, h i g h l i g h t i n g geographical continuit y is covers the northeast. To the
archaeological excavations obvious. This has been EL-AD’s southeast, we have the City of
presented as witness only to the project from the start. David, a project aimed at
Jewish presence. The inhabitants transporting visitors to this site
of Silwan, Palestinians, have no You mentioned earlier the and to the nearby Wailing Wall,
place in this narrative. project to encircle the Old via a route that would simply
City of Jerusalem. Can you prevent them from being in
The National Parks explain? contact with any Muslim or
Au t h o r i t y s t a te s t h a t Christian presence in the Old
classifying an area as a The Mount of Olives is not City! And between these two
National Park does not isolated. Keep a bigger picture in poles, northeast and southeast,
affect the owners’ rights. Is mind: the map is very telling. what do we have? The Mount of
that true? When you look at the Old City of Olives. It’s the last position to
Jerusalem, you have master to buckle the belt around
It ’s false! Of course, the schematically, to the west, the Jerusalem, and thus cut the Old
classification affects the rights of modern, essentially Jewish City from the West Bank. Believe
the owners, otherwise what is section, and to the east, the Arab, me, this National Park plan
the point of classifying a site? Muslim and Christian sections. leaves nothing to chance and
The City of David was developed However, in the northeast, much deserves to be fought.
by EL-AD in Silwan because the has been said in the past months
site is classified as a National about the Arab neighborhood of * The scheduled meeting was once again
Park. The Palestinian owners Sheikh Jarrah, where Arab postponed to an unknown date. ■

THE HOLY LAND IN AMERICA
The Dominican Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau

presided the celebration on August 14.
Assumption Vigil Mass

at the Franciscan Monastery
On Sunday August 14, 2022, Vigil of the Assomption, the Franciscan Monastery
held a Solemn Mass presided by Fr. Aquilas Guilbeau, op, the new chaplain of the
Catholic University of America. This annual celebration marks the returning in class
of many students of the University.
provided by Ms. Lynne Gray,

Blessing of the first fruits at the end of the
director of music ministry at the
celebration
parish, and several members of
the parish choir.
In his homily, Fr. Guilbeau
pointed out that “Our Lady did
not adopt a certain hairstyle, she
did not wear distinct jewelry,
she did not purchase a special
wardrobe, she did not employ a
certain lingo, she did not assume
a particular office.” Rather, he
said, “she did not do anything
out of the ordinary to highlight
or showcase her grace.”
“There is an important lesson
here to learn,” he said. “We all
have a little Pelagian in us—a
Pelagian with a smart phone—
fighting to break out and get
by Fr James Gardiner, sa without the distraction of noticed.”
impending rain. At the end of the mass Fr.
The monastery church was Guilbeau blessed the traditional
T
full, the pews filled with more basket of “first fruits”—mostly
than 200 new or early returning vegetables—picked earlier in the
h e f or e c a s t f or students from The Catholic day by the monastery’s all-
Su nday even i ng University of America which is volu nt e er Ga rde n Gu i ld.
was looking pretty located nearby. Each year their According to Mr. Lou Maroulis,
good all week long twenty-minute walk from the Garden Guild president, “Last
until an hour before campus to the monastery catches year the monastery gardens
our annual Assumption Vigil the attention of many of our yielded eight tons of vegetable
mass in the Lourdes Grotto was Brookland neighbors. produce for civic and religious
scheduled to begin. Then the Dominican Father Aquinas non-profits in the area to help
forecast suddenly changed to Guilbeau, newly appointed combat food insecurity. Since
rain. Not wanting to take any university chaplain and director 2014,” he added, “25 tons of fresh
c ha nces, Brot her Max of campus ministry at CUA, was produce have been harvested
Wojceichowski, OFM, quickly presider and homilist. He was and delivered.” And this year,
moved everything from the joined by several of the friars thanks to favorable weather
o ut do or g r o t t o i nt o t h e from the monastery, and Fr. Fred conditions and an expansion of
monastery church where the Close, pastor of nearby St. the urban farm, the guild is on
vigil mass could be celebrated Anthony Parish. The music was track to harvest even more. ■

Father Ramzi Sidawi, OFM
New Guardian for the Holy

Land Monastery in DC
Interview by in Jerusalem for the Custodial discretorium) who then appoint
F
Fr. Jerome Wolbert, ofm Chapter on the theme, “Jesus guardians to serve the many
said: Do not fear, only have fraternities where the friars live.
faith” (Mark 5:36). The first day Their work is interspersed with
rom July 4 to 15, was a retreat, held at St. Savior’s celebrations and moments of
the Friars Minor of Convent. These meetings, held fraternal fellowship.
the Custody of the every three years, include the The meet ings are an
Holy Land gathered election of new leadership (the expression of the synodality of
48 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL2022

Last summer, the Custody of the Holy Land held its
Chapter. During this meeting, a new leadership is
elected which, in turn, appoints friars to serve the
many fraternities.
Fr Ramzi Sidawi was selected to become the

Guardian of our Monastery in Washington, D.C.
their mission for the next three (Francesco Patton, OFM) and his
years. Thus, 43 friars Discretorium have in me.
participated from the many
countries where the Custody is What is something you look
present: Israel and Palestine, forward to as you prepare
Jordan and Lebanon, Egypt, for your new assignment at
Cyprus and Rhodes, the United the Monastery in D.C.?
States, Argentina and Italy.
The Chapter included the My earlier work as General
election on July 9 of a new Administrator of the Custody of
Custodial Vicar, Fr. Ibrahim the Holy Land gave me the
Faltas, and new Discreets: Fr. opportunity to travel to the
Jo h n Lu k e G r e g o r y, Fr. Monastery and to get to know the
Alessandro Coniglio, Fr. Rashid reality of the life our brothers live
Mistrih, Fr. Sandro Tomasevic, there. I always saw it as a nice
Fr. Silvio De La Fuente. community and I’m looking
This summer, Father Ramzi forward to being a part of this
Sidawi, OFM, was selected to community, to contribute to its
ser ve as Gua rd ia n of t he wellness, and to live our Franciscan
Franciscan Monastery of the vocation here in the U.S.
Holy Land in Washington, D.C.
The guardian is responsible for Where are you from?
overseeing the friars—this Where does your family
© Nadim Afour/CTS
responsibilit y i ncludes live?

everything from keeping the
building in good shape to I am from Jerusalem and my
overseeing the physical and family lives there.
spiritual needs of the friars.
What is it like growing up
What was your reaction i n t h e H o l y L a n d, i n
the Church and of the Order of when you learned that you Jerusalem, surrounded by
Friars Minor, taken on with a would become the new so many places where
sense of responsibility shared Guardian in Washington Jesus performed miracles
among all the brothers. The D.C.? a n d w a l ke d w i t h h i s
friars in various locations elect disciples?
representatives to attend the I was very happy to receive
Chapter and discern guidelines this news. For me, it is a sign of Being from the Holy Land and
that will direct the friars in the trust that our Father Custos specifically from the holy city of

Fr. Francesco Patton, Custos (Center),

with the newly elected custodial vicar and discreets.
Jerusalem is very special. It is a For the past six years I was the Christians in our society has
great grace from God. People are General Administrator of the been at its lowest.
proud to live here, and they will Custody of the Holy Land. So our people now don’t feel
do whatever it takes to remain Before this I was the Principal of that they are understood or
here. Daily life is like anywhere our School in Jerusalem for three accepted in the society because
else: work, studies, families with years and Pastor of St. Anthony of their religion.
children and so forth. But on Parish in Jaffa–Tel Aviv for
feast days, life here in Jerusalem another three years. You professed solemn vows
is very special. People are very on October 15, 2002. How
attached to the holy places and What is one of the most did you hear God calling
traditions connected to them. pressing concerns for the you to become a Franciscan
Christians in the Holy Land? Friar?
What did you study?
First of all, the hardship of life: Interesting question. At the
Like all priests I finished my it is always more expensive, and beginning, I didn’t distinguish
bachelor’s degree in theology. people sometimes cannot make between the various orders in
Then, I made a Licentiate and it through the month. Besides, the Church. I simply wanted to
Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology our numbers in the Christian become a priest. Hence, I started
at the Pontifical University community are not growing as talking with the priests that I
Antonianum in Rome. I was fast as the Jews and Muslims. knew by that time who were
ordained a priest in June, 2002. Thus t he percentage of Franciscans.
Christians in the population Slowly I started to learn about
Where have you served decreases. In recent years, Saint Francis and his spirituality
most recently? awareness and acceptance of and to love it more and more. ■
50 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL2022

FRANCISCAN
MONASTERY
of the HOLY LAND
IN AMERICA
TESTIMONY OF A PILGRIM
My Holy Land Experience

After a two year break due to the pandemic, pilgrims are coming back to the Holy
Land, bringing joy and hope for the local Christians. Last May, Fr. Simon Peter Ango
went on a pilgrimage led by Fr. James Gardiner, SA, from the Franciscan Monastery.
by Fr. Simon Peter Ango The breathtaking beauty of the everyone we met, despite the
Parish priest of St. Anthony landscape – from the gentle many challenges that the people
Church, Tabaquite, Trinidad slopes of Judea to the towering must face. It was contagious!
and Tobago peaks of the Galilee – is something All of these things will be a part
R
else I won’t soon forget. of me for the rest of my life. And
The last thing that stood out for I ’m g r a t e f u l I h a d t h i s
e c e n t l y, I h a d t h e me was the optimistic outlook of opportunity.
opportunity of a lifetime to
go on pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. As a result, my life has been
profoundly altered in several ways.
The first thing that struck me was
the rich history of the land.
Everywhere I turned, I discover-
ed reminders of things that took
place there hundreds—even
thousands—of years ago. I was
able to feel that God is still
present in the land.
The second thing I encountered
was the level of religious
commitment evident in the
people who live there. Despite Fr. Ango at the site of the
the fact that the Holy Land is Baptism of Christ, Jordan River
often affected by violence and
conflict, the people who live
there have a strong commitment
to their faith and a deep faith in
God.
The warmth and openness of
with which the villagers received
us will stay with me for a long
time. Everywhere we went we
were welcomed with open arms
and treated like family.
You’ve been as a pilgrim to the Holy Land? Share your experience with us.
The best texts will be published in the coming editions of the Holy Land Review.
Walk in the footsteps of Jesus
FROM THE EDITOR
with the Franciscan Friars of

the Holy Land
Join us for a pilgrimage to the sacred sites
Josephine von Dohlen, Editor
Tours are being booked through 2023
visit holylandpilgrimages.org
SPRING 2021 HOLY LAND REVIEW 53

© Nadim Asfour/CTS
AMEN!
Young adults of the Franciscan March in Galilee
"The Christian should be characterized by an effort

to see things in the best light; if it is true that the
word Evangelos means good news, then Christian
means happy man, spreader of happiness."
Pope John Paul I, beatified on September 4, 2022

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SPRING 2021 FALL 2021

Volume 14 Volume 14
#2 #4
WINTER 2021
Volume 15
#1
LIFTING THE WORLD

IN PRAYER
How Religious Men and Women
THE COLORS OF are staying hopeful in the midst
RESTORING PEACE AND PRAYER of the pandemic
THE NATIVITY SCENE at the Jordan River
PILGRIM ROAD p. 15 FEATURE STORY p. 44
COLUMN p. 6 CUSTODY p. 14 PILGRIMAGES, THE DIFFICULT CALLIGRAPHY IS NEITHER

ROAD TO RECOVERY DRAWING NOR WRITING
CELEBRATING 600 YEARS OF Samuel Forey
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE Francesco Pistocchini
HOLY LAND REVIEW COMMISSARIES
Fr. Francesco Patton, OFM Émilie Rey
PILGRIM ROAD FEATURE STORY
04_Fall_2021 2.indb 1 9/9/21 2:56 PM
p. 16 p. 47
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE THE DEATH OF ST. FRANCIS

NEW MINISTER GENERAL Robert Miller
Giuseppe Caffulli
05_Winter_2021indb.indb 1 12/9/21 12:17 PM
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FALL 2022

The pilgrim’s companion to the land where Jesus walked

The Lord’s Prayer

PILGRIM ROAD p. 16 COLUMN p. 24

RESURRECTION OF PRAY FOR THE PEACE

Lord, teach us to pray

In the Holy Land, this truth continues to be thought and

The apostles themselves asked Jesus to teach them how

Fr. David Grenier ofm

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 3

16 PILGRIM ROAD In the Place of the Our Father

Cyprus: In the footsteps of St. Barnabas 40 FEATURE STORY

24 COLUMN United by the arts

46 THE HOLY LAND IN AMERICA

52 TESTIMONY OF A PILGRIM Write to: The Holy Land Review

U.S. subscription: $44.95 for one year

Single copies: $10

Outside the U.S.: $55

PRESIDENT BIDEN front of the fir s t

6 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

Novices taking their first vows

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 7

The Yeshiva: Studying

Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90

Like in any other school, one

COME AND SEE we can follow the next class:

Today, it is played only on a

COME AND SEE Mit z va, young men are

The students of the yeshiva

COME AND SEE yeshiva is usually a boarding

The food served is, of course,

The NGO Première Urgence Internationale

16 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

north, and an outlet of the trade says the archaeologist.

was difficult to understand what in Gaza. He left for Alexandria

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 17

18 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

A modest mausoleum near ancient Salamis,

by Beatrice Guarrera complex was transformed into a

20 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 21

The Tomb of Barnabas, patron saint of Cyprus.

The apocryphal Acts and

22 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

The fruits of apostolic

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 23

Pray for the peace

24 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022 *Holy Land Franciscan, Rome

The Lord’s Prayer

Let’s take a closer look at the prayer of the Children of God.

26 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 27

Fr. Ibrahim Alsabagh, Parish Priest

decrees”; v. 8 “I will observe your

Give us our daily bread

Texts such as Exodus 16:4;

T he name of the Lord has been exalted and sanctified in the

28 HOLY LAND REVIEW FALL 2022

The Our Father, as written in the Gospel of Matthew

Páter hêmôn ho en toîs ouranoîs

Two stanzas stand out clearly. The first is delimited by a literary

FALL 2022 HOLY LAND REVIEW 29

The Sermon on the Mount,

PILGRIM ROAD p. 16 COLUMN p. 24