St. John the Baptist, the Visitation

Ein Karem today is a suburb of Jerusalem.  But in the days of Elizabeth and Zechariah, it was a small town in the hills a few miles from the temple in Jerusalem, where Zechariah served as a priest.  It is where St. John the Baptist was born and brought up by his parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah.  It is also the site of the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth.  I spent a beautiful, sunny day praying there at the two churches in close proximity - the Church of St. John the Baptist, and the Church of the Visitation.  I venerated the spot where St. John was born, and prayed in the church for our parish of St. John the Baptist and all of our parishioners.  Then I walked up the hill to the Church of the Visitation, past the well where Elizabeth met Mary.  I viewed my favorite sculpture of the Visitation - the one that served as the model for the sculpture of the Visitation in the St. John's Rectory courtyard, sculpted by Bethany Lee and donated by the funeral luncheon committee.  I prayed the Canticle of Zechariah, which was first uttered here, and is displayed in many languages in the church courtyard.