We've wanted to visit Ephesus and Selçuk ever since we decided to move to Turkey. This year we decided to make it our Christmas trip, because there are so many historically Christian sites here. We really lucked out, and planned our trip in a way that allowed us to visit The Virgin Mary's Home on Christmas day, and celebrate Christmas morning mass right there.
While there are some questions around the legitimacy of this site, what was some German nun's vision, has become a pilgrimage site for Christians and Muslims alike.
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| Prayers |
Muslims believe in the Virgin birth, and that Jesus was a miracle worker whose birth was a result of God's breath upon Mary. They don't believe either God or Mary are divine.
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| Lighting candles in honor of people who might need a little extra right now. I prayed for a lot of people. You may have been one of them. |
The service was so joyful. There were readings in English, Turkish, French, and German, with worshipers from Italy and China. The priest was welcoming and funny, and a little girl with punk-rocker red clip-on bangs sang "Away in the Manger." When she stumbled and forgot the lines the congregation of people from far flung parts of the globe joined in to help her find her way. Whatever your views on religion, something that brings us all together with a sense of community and brotherhood, can't be bad.
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From the photos, Compound: Virgin Mary looks quite big...is it? or is there just lots of area outside of it that was built up after?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's actually super small. Just two teeny tiny rooms. The walls in the first picture just line the path to her house.
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