Church of the Lord's Prayer

There are three churches built over three significant caves in Israel. These are the birth cave in Bethlehem (Church of the Nativity), the rock-cut tomb near Golgotha (Church of the Holy Sepulchre), and the cave on the Mount of Olives with which Jesus' ascension is linked. A church was built over this cave by Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. Over time, this church become closely linked with the place where Jesus taught his disciples the Pater Noster, also known as "Our Father" or the Lord's Prayer. This is the Church of the Pater Noster.

This church contains mosaics of the Lord's Prayer in over 100 languages.

cloister of the Convent of the Pater Noster

LK 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

    LK 11:2 He said to them, "When you pray, say:

  " `Father,
  hallowed be your name,
  your kingdom come.

  LK 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.

  LK 11:4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
  And lead us not into temptation. ' " (NIV)

Jesus also taught the Lord’s Prayer during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6: 9-13 by the Sea of Galilee.

  MT 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

  " `Our Father in heaven,
  hallowed be your name,

  MT 6:10 your kingdom come,
  your will be done
    on earth as it is in heaven.

  MT 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

  MT 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

  MT 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from the evil one. ' (NIV)

the Lord's Prayer in different languages

The Gospel account provides almost no information on the location of Jesus' teaching of the Lord's Prayer, also known as the "Our Father." The 3rd-century Acts of John (ch. 97) mentions the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives associated with the teaching of Jesus, but not specifically the Lord's Prayer.

the unfinished walls of the church

 The 4th-century Byzantine church has been partially reconstructed

courtyard with mosaic of the Lord's Prayer in different languages

The unroofed church has steps leading down into the cave, which was partially collapsed when discovered in 1910. It is an interesting medley of ancient rock cuttings, concrete supports and marble furnishings. The cave cuts partly into a 1st-century tomb.

This cave is the traditional site on the Mount of Olives where Jesus met his disciples and taught them.

in Braille

links to some of my sermons on the Lord's Prayer

The Rainbow of Prayer (dynamics of actions)

 Praying the Jesus Way (Matt. 6:5-8)

 Acknowledging: Thy kingdom come (Matt. 6:10)

 One Day at a Time (Give us this day)

 Our God Gives (Our Daily Bread)

 Accepting: Thy will be done

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The Beatitudes in Latin (Vulgate)

Stained glass windows at the base of the dome of the Church of the Beatitudes

3 beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum

  MT 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 beati mites quoniam ipsi possidebunt terram

  MT 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 

5 beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur

  MT 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

 

6 beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam quoniam ipsi saturabuntur

  MT 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

7 beati misericordes quia ipsi misericordiam consequentur

  MT 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 

8 beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt

  MT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 beati pacifici quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur

  MT 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10 beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum caelorum

  MT 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Listening at the Church of the Beatitudes

MT 5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

  MT 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  MT 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

  MT 5:5 Blessed are the meek,  for they will inherit the earth.

  MT 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

  MT 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

  MT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

  MT 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.

  MT 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    MT 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Church of the Beatitudes is on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha and Capernaum in Israel. It was built on the traditional site of Jesus' delivery of the Sermon on the Mount.

the altar at the centre of the church

beautiful stained glass windows with the words of the Beatitudes

The natural formation of the land near the Sea of Galilee makes a wonderful amphitheater

Apparently if you speak at a certain site in the natural amphitheater, your voice may carry far. Jesus may have sat and preached from a rock such as these above.


    MT 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

    MT 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Grottos of the Nativity

entrance into the Grotto of the Nativity

The Star of Bethlehem

 At the base of the Altar of the Nativity is a circular hole covered in silver in the shape of a star. The star is engraved with the Latin words

HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS EST-1717
(Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born-1717)

This particular star was presented to the church in 1852 by the Ottoman Sultan. The word HIC (here) on the star is supposed to mark the exact spot of the birth.

The Altar of the Nativity

The mosaic at back of the altar depict the Birth and Washing of the Infant Jesus

Chapel of the Manger

The altar is on the left and the Manger is on the right behind the candles. The Manger is covered with marble.

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The Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity is a basilica located in Bethlehem, Palestinian territories, and is considered to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world. The church was originally commissioned in 327 AD by Constantine and his mother Helena over the site that is still traditionally considered to be located over the cave that marks the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The Church of the Nativity site's original basilica was completed in 339 AD and destroyed by fire during the Samaritan Revolts in the sixth century AD. A new basilica was built 565 AD by the Byzantine Empire, restoring the architectural tone of the original. (Source: Wiki)

Church of the Nativity

The Door of Humility, main entrance into the Church

The door is very low and most people will need to bend to enter it.

Constantine's 4th century mosaic floor rediscovered in 1934

ceiling of the main auditorium

was told by tour guide that the circular bulb was to prevent rats from reaching the candle and causing a fire

This is the oldest continually functioning church in the world. This is the main altar.

ancient pillars lining both side of the nave

pillar painting of St. Onuphrius

There are forty four pillars in the church, each decorated with a painting of a saint. It is one of the most complete collection of medieval paintings in the world. St. Onuphrius was an Egyptian hermit, also known as the Naked because his hair was so luxuriant that he did not need any clothes! Like Elijah, he was said to be nourished by the Host.

wall mosaic on the north wall of the church

There are remnants of wall mosaic. The section under the middle window shows the "Tree of Jesse" showing the ancestry of Christ and figures of various prophets bearing scrolls of verses from the prophecies.

The Greek altar

We observed numerous services during our time in the church

the Armenian altar with a priest kneeling before it

click to enlarge

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