Jan. 6, 2016. A. Stroll Down. Memory. Lane

                           A. Stroll  Down  Memory  Lane


Today, the Christian world celebrates the Feast of the Magi or Epiphany. It commemorates the visit of    three wise men who travelled from the East to pay homage to the newborn King. Since it also signifies the " manifestation" of Jesus to the world, this day is also referred to as "Epiphany."

As I pondered on the long journey of the distinguished visitors to Bethlehem and the inevitable hardships along the way, my thoughts meandered to the many travel experiences, both heart- rending and heart-warming, that I had met so far.


I remembered my visit to Nazareth when a most dramatic event happened to me. We were booked at the St. Gabriel Hotel on top of a hill which used to be a monastery. The full moon shone through the window while I was having dinner so that I decided to go out to the hotel grounds right after my meal. Usually, I would share beautiful things or  events with others but for some reason, that night I wanted to be alone basking in the glory of God amidst the splendor of the moonlit sky- undisturbed with any chatter at all. Instead of sitting on one of the chairs on the lawn, I was enamored by a stump of a tree right at the edge of the cliff. There I was enjoying the view of the village below with the Basilica of the Anunciation and its majestic dome glistening in the moonlight. My prayers of thanksgiving were profuse for the signal privilege of a never-to-be- forgotten moment!


The beauty of the star-studded sky with the full moon and the scenery below enveloped me with deep joy that time stood still. Then the breeze that fondly caressed my brow became threads of wind that gradually gained strength and cold. Hastily, I tried to turn around to take a step to lift myself up the cliff. But alas! The electric-pleated silk long skirt I was wearing caused my shoes to slip against the cliff. Within seconds my arms were around the tree stump while my legs hang loose. I called aloud "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" for help and also invoked our Bllesed Mother and my patron Saints and Angels.The fact that I would eventually lose my grip on the tree stump and that no one ever knew where I was also caused great fear.


The gush of wind became stronger! Then an exceptionally strong wind which I felt like two open palms against my butt pushed me up gently throwing me forward towards the hotel. I lay motionless for a minute or so with eyes shut trying to figure out where I was. With some courage and caution, I slowly opened my eyes to see that I was lying a good safe distance from the cliff! I purposely laid in the same position for some time as I poured out a litany of  "Thanks" .for my life! Truly, the Word of God says,  " In the Name of Jesus, you shall be saved."

 Then there was my trip to the Holy Land with some members of my prayer group when an experience lay indelibly etched in my memory.

Adriatic Travel announced a tour of Israel including the highlights of Egypt, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula. While I had been to the Holy Land four times before, I decided to join the pilgrimage because it included Egypt and Jordan, places I had not seen. My desire was intensified by the fact that Africa would culminate my setting foot on six of the seven continents of the world. Anyway, I never dreamed of taking a trip to cold, cold Antartica.

The itinerary in the brochure stated the visit to Israel first followed by Egypt, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula. A week before departure, the tour agency made a reversal of the visits putting the Holy Land last in the trip.

To see the Giza Pyramids, the city of Cairo and its environs including the house where the Holy Family stayed in Egypt days after the birth of Jesus to escape the wrath of Herod were touching 
moments. It was incomprehensible to see the perfect symmetry of the pyramids constructed more than four thousand years ago with ancient tools by men, mostly slaves whose concept of mathematics could be considered nil. The same was true of the famous tourist site in Jordan called Petra which is referred to as the "sandstone city half as old as Time." It was in existence during Biblical times as Edom where the remnants of Israelites stayed during the Babylonian Exile. The native Nabateans carved temples, tombs,, arena and buildings like the Treasury with magnificent columns and artwork out of the mountains/rocks themselves. I was mesmerized by the awesome beauty of the structures that my jaws simply dropped with wonder. The whole scenery was a fitting tribute to man's ingenuity!

To set foot on the environs of Mount Sinai was an experience I never imagined in my wildest dreams! But there I was enveloped by an immense feeling of mystic awe and reverence before the holy mountain where our Omnipotent God gave the Ten Commandments as the pillar upon which peoples' lives should be bound. It was a sacred moment for me! I felt unworthy yet uniquely blessed to be in the place where the spirit of our living God seemed to permeate every mountain crag and whisper of the air that surrounded me refusing to rise above a gentle breeze. I concluded that even Mother Nature had an intimate knowledge of the holiness of the place. With shut eyes, I bowed my head in fervent prayer  and envisioned myself prostrate before the throne of our Loving and Merciful God! My thanksgiving prayers were invariably mixed with those of repentance and resolve to be a better version of myself.

St. Catherine's Monastery, constructed in the 3rd Century and
the oldest monastery in the world sits at the foot of Mount Sinai. It has been saved from destruction during the years of Turkish invasions and other Islamic war attacks because of a document (on display) written and signed by Mohammed invoking that no harm should befall the monastery. A small mosque lies within its walls because those who serve and help the monks are Bedouins who are Muslims. They are at liberty to stop work and do their prayers five times a day. An enviable relationship has existed among the monks and their Muslim helpers for centuries. 

Two significant things are in St. Catherine's Monastery- the oldest icon of Jesus called the "Pantocrator" and the living plant of the "burning bush."

The Pantocrator shows the face of Jesus with two different sides. The right side shows calm, gentle features of Jesus' merciful nature  while the left side shows a piercing eye, stern lips and raised crooked eyebrow depicting Him executing Justice.

In the middle of the monastery ground is a luxuriant plant that is taller than the usual bush, more of a tree, for me. It is said to be the "burning bush" in which God talked with Moses. I looked at the tree in bewilderment trying to question how such a plant could survive the centuries. Then I remembered the " biblical passage, 
"With God, nothing is impossible." Yes, our Omnipotent God makes all things possible!

The last week of our trip would be in Israel. Though I had previous visits there, I was beside myself with excitement to walk where Jesus walked and once again enjoy the boat-ride on the Sea of Galilee. We arrived late afternoon in Nazareth, the first stop in our Israel sojourn. But at 2 AM, I was awakened by my cousin Tina Dizon about her roomate, Fil. who had a stroke. I called the Tour Guide and together brought patient to the hospital. Fil lost her speech and the use of her arms and hands, a paralysis of sort.

The Tour Guide decided to leave the patient in the hospital while the pilgrimage continue its itinerary. He felt that since Fil's family has been informed and there was insurance to pay hospital bills, everything would be all right. I cringed at the thought of "abandoning" a helpless person in the hands of foreigners in a strange place. I volunteered to stay with Fil for the remaining days of the trip. I was given the privilege of sleeping in the hotel while helping her during the day. Oftentimes, I stayed till early evening hours because of the long stretch of time consumed in spoon-feeding her who had much difficulty in eating.

One evening, while riding a taxi back to the hotel, I noticed that we were passing unfamiliar streets going up a hill where houses were gradually becoming fewer in number. I felt a sudden impulse of danger so that in a stern commanding voice I told the driver to go back to the hospital and told him that it was not the way to the hotel. In a feat of anger out of extreme nervousness, I shouted, "Go back, go back!" When the driver reasoned that it was a shortcut, my fear of possible danger caused me to shout all the more that he go back while grabbing my handbag and lurching forward closer to his head. In an instant, the taxi made a quick U-turn back to the city streets. Despite the tremendous anxiety that crept through my innards because of being alone and a foreigner at that, I presented a serious, strong straightforward face which the driver could see through the visor before him. All through the ride, I was praying for God's help and claiming for His promise of being with me always and my rock of refuge at all times and in all places. True to His promise, I was brought to my hotel safe and sound. I was in tears as I offered my thanksgiving prayers! In the days after that incident, I requested the hospital security guard to conduct me to the taxi, ask and write the driver's name and the plate number of the vehicle as a precaution for any similar temptations that may lurk around. 

Per itinerary, Jerusalem was the departure city for our tour group's return to the United States. Fil's condition was such that the attending physician refused to give orders for her release after her hospital stay for five days. I was concerned about her but was also worried whether my own 77 yr-old health and stamina could continue a prolonged service. In fact, I was several years older than the patient! I was embroiled in the cliche, "The spirit is strong but the flesh is weak." So, I tried to let the doctor give a positive decision and sought the help of the Tour Guide through phone calls. My heart bled at the thought of leaving an almost completely paralyzed person alone in a strange place! I knew that as much as I would like to help her, my own health/strength would deteriorate under the circumstances and stress I was in. My constant prayers were more than doubled! 

Then on the day we had to leave Nazareth so as to be able to join the group in Jerusalem, the doctor announced that he would give the "Go" signal if Fil's blood pleasure would somehow go down by 2 PM. But when the time came, her condition was not stabilized enough to warrant the signal. A new time frame was set - another four hours which did not satisfy doctor's analysis. Finally, we were allowed to leave the hospetal at half past 7 PM for the more than four hours drive from Nazareth to Jerusalem.

The taxi ride at night through the rugged terrain of hills and rocks of the Judean wilderness littered with military outposts and their obligatory interrogations and inspections will require a whole blog by itself. 

Suffice it to say, that God's protective and loving Presence was with Fil and I every step of the way!