The Church of the Annunciation is built over an ancient grotto that according to tradition is where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. The Annunciation refers to Gabriel's "announcing" to her that she would soon bear the Son of God.
It's luckily just a five-minute walk from the hotel in Nazareth where I am living this month.
The walls of the church courtyard are decorated with artistic renderings of Mary sent from various nations. The one at the left is from Switzerland.
I love it when my Latin finally comes in handy.
Ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel.
"Behold a virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and his name will be called Emmanuel."
The courtyard with the hills of the beautiful Old City of Nazareth in the background.
This morning I attended the main Sunday mass in Arabic. The only words I understood were "allah" and "salaam," but I loved the enchanting rhythm of the language, as well as the organ music and taking part in sacred ritual. Every once in a while I enjoy not understanding the words so that I can just soak in the sights and sounds and aura.
I often attended mass at a small chapel around the corner from the boarding house/convent I lived in while in Rome and learned to love it.
What a beautiful place, with so much meaning and history. It's poignant to see the mural of Mary that came from Ukraine.
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