Heavenly Music at Abu Gosh

On Sunday we arose early and quickly ate breakfast to get on the bus to experience another day in the Holy Land. We boarded the bus and made our way first to the tomb of Samuel. After spending some time with the guide and talking about the life and call of Samuel, we then went back on the bus to head to Mass with a religious community at Abu Gosh.

The Church where mass was said was built by the crusaders, and faded frescos from that time lined the wall. When you walked in, you felt a sense of holiness and you knew that people have been praying here in this church for almost 1000 years. After spending some time in personal prayer in preparation for Mass we began the liturgy with the nuns, brothers, and priests walking in procession and chanting the opening antiphon in truly angelic voices. The Mass was marked by a reverence and noble simplicity, and even though it was an hour-and-a-half long, it was an hour-and-a-half in heaven worshipping the Lord.

The chapel at Abu Gosh

The afternoon was spent enjoying the warm weather and feverishly studying for our midterm exam the following morning.