Day 7: As a former art student and ancient art history geek, the visit to the site of Minoan palace in Knossos was a full on geeky delight. The Minoans were Europe’s first advanced civilization from 2700 to 1420 BCE before being overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from the mainland, but was initially settled in the neolithic … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece: Crete
Day 6: A free day to explore the isle of Rhodes on our own. t was nice to be a little slower paced and discover sites and surprise delights. Rhodes is beautiful (as is everywhere we went.) It is named after the nymph Rhodos, the daughter of Aphrodite, and has nothing to do with the … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece: Rhodes
Day 5: We disembarked in Kuşadası, Türkiye where we found the ancient city of Ephesus. I was told the ruins here far exceeded those of Rome. They were exquisite. Our guide was an archeologist himself, often signing up to help at the local excavation sites. He was eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to be accepted … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece: Ephesus (Kusadasi) & Patmos
Day 4: We got on a boat today for a four day cruise to some of the Greek island. A really BIG boat. Mykonos is an island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Above the town are some 16th century windmills, as it is known as the island of winds. It is a … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece: A Boat to Mykonos
Day 3 was A LOT. First stop was the monument to one of Greece’s most important historical battles, yet still grieved, the Battle of Thermopyles in the year 480 B.C. Remember Esther from the Hebrew Scriptures? Well, the notorious Xerxes who was going to kill Esther’s people landed on the coast of Greece. The historian … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece: Delphi & Temples of Apollo and Athena
BEREA Berea was an old city even in Paul’s day. It was first mentioned by Thucydides in 437 BC. When Paul and Silas visit, it’s a prosperous Roman city with a large Jewish population. I found it to be a quiet, easy-going village by the time the EDOT pilgrims arrive in our year 2024 CE. … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece–Berea & Meteora
Thirteen weary travelers arrived in Thessoloniki from the Diocese of Texas last night. Thirteen hours in planes. We checked in, prayed, found some food, and went to bed. THESSALONIKI Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. Paul and Silas preached here and it caused a riot. Unforatunaltey, their friend Jason, who they were staying … Continue reading EDOT Pilgrimage to Greece–Thessaloniki, Kavala, & Philippi
Mary Magdalene in the garden with Jesus, detail of mosaic in Resurrection Chapel, Washington National Cathedral Easter Sunday, Year B John 20:1-18 Alleluia! Christ is Risen! This Sunday marks the reason for our joy as Christians even in the face of a world that gives us little reason to believe we have any joy or … Continue reading I Have Seen the Lord!
Lent 3, Year B 2024 How many of you remember the Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson? (Some of you may only know it as a Disney film.) The king has been tricked into believing that he has a magic outfit that can only be seen by intelligent people. When he walks down the … Continue reading Holy Foolishness
Lent 2, Year B 2024 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus That is a catchy little song that most of us know. We’ve decided to follow Jesus and there is no turning back. But when we sing that song, do we stop to think about what it means to follow Jesus? And no turning back? … Continue reading Cross & Suffering
Magdalena's Musings 