Magdalene

It may be that in your geographical precinct it is today that you celebrate Ascension Thursday.  In which case a few more photos from last Thursday’s Ascension celebration are in order.

These are from the hike back down the Mount of Olives on the way back from Mass at the site of the Ascension.  Just above Gethsemane, near the base of the slope, the Russian Orthodox have the beautiful Monastery of Mary Magdalene.

Possessing a lovely view of the Old City, its golden domes are one of the most eye-catching sites on the hillside:

Though the five domes here aren’t quite as large as the golden sphere of the Dome of the Rock inside the city walls:

The interior of the sanctuary, surrounded by beautiful flower gardens, reflects the prayerful stillness of the nuns who reside there:

Here the sisters preserve the icon of Mary and Child titled the ‘Odigidria’, brought down from Lebanon, with many miracles and healings attributed to it.  The Russian martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara, nuns killed by the Bolsheviks, are also buried here.