Jerusalem, Israel
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . . forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
—Bible, Matthew 6:9–12; Luke 11:1–4
Under the ruins of a fourth-century A.D. basilica built by Roman emperor Constantine I, evidence of the holy cave long associated with the Ascension of Jesus was discovered in 1910. At that sacred location where Jesus taught his followers to pray the “Our Father” and to forgive those who trespassed against them, Constantine’s Church of the Disciples basilica was constructed. The church was destroyed in A.D. 614, rebuilt in 1152, abandoned during the Crusades, and finally became the site of a nineteenth-century Carmelite Convent that moved nearby after evidence of the ancient cave was rediscovered.
If you would like to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the holy site where the Lord taught his followers the most famous prayer in Christendom, visit the partially reconstructed Church of the Pater Noster and see the sacred prayer inscribed in many languages on colorful plaques lining the nearby convent walls.
When you visit the cloister of the convent, chant the “Our Father” and meditate on forgiveness. Breathe in, breathe out, and let go. Don’t probe the wound anymore.
The partially restored Byzantine church closely follows the fourth-century church’s dimensions. When the church was rebuilt in 1152, the funds were provided by the bishop of Denmark who, according to tradition and legend, was subsequently buried there.