lhan Mansiz and his girlfriend Olga Bestandigova practice figure skating

lhan Mansiz and his girlfriend Olga Bestandigova

lhan Mansiz and his girlfriend Olga Bestandigova
practice figure skating at an ice rink in Oberstdorf 

Hayrunnisa Gul, wife of Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and Bettina Wulff, wife of Germany's President Christian Wulff

Hayrunnisa Gul, wife of Turkey's President Abdullah Gul 
and Bettina Wulff, wife of Germany's President Christian 
Wulff walk past the guard of honour during a welcoming
 ceremony at the Presidential Palace of Cankaya

Wife of Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, Hayrunnisa and wife of Germany's President Christian Wulff, Bettina , speak on the balcony of the Presidential Palace of Cankaya in Ankara

Umut Akyurek performs in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil

Umut Akyurek performs in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil

Dmitriy Klokov celebrates in the men's 105 kg weightlifting competition at the World Weightlifting Championships

Dmitriy Klokov  celebrates in the men's 105 kg weightlifting competition at the World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya

People feed birds in front of the Yeni Mosque in Istanbul

People feed birds in front of the Yeni Mosque in Istanbul 

A cheerleader goes through the basket

A cheerleader goes through the basket during the FIBA Basketball World Championship game between Slovenia and Australia in Istanbul

Mouloukou Diabate jumps for the ball during their World Basketball Championship

Mouloukou Diabate jumps for the ball during their World Basketball Championship 

Turkish soldiers march during a parade marking the 88th anniversary of Victory Day

Turkish soldiers march during a parade marking the 88th anniversary of Victory Day in Ankara

Worshippers pray during the first Friday of Ramadan at Eyup Sultan mosque

Worshippers pray during the first Friday of Ramadan at Eyup Sultan mosque

A whirling dervish performs during a Ramadan festival

A whirling dervish performs during a Ramadan festival organized by the Fatih district municipality in Eminonu, downtown Istanbul

Turkey: House of the Virgin Mary

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, full of parties and presents, lights and gorgeous decorations, but I find that it can also be busy and stressful. So as much as possible I try to refocus and remember what the season is really about for me--family, love, charity, and the birth of Christ.

Thinking about these things last night led me to recall a trip to Turkey where I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. Although the Roman Catholic Church has never definitively approved the divinity of the house (due to a lack of hard scientific evidence) many Popes have visited it, and it is widely accepted as a holy site for both Christians and Muslims.

Located between Ephesus (another site I really enjoyed) and Selçuk on Mt. Koressos, the house is believed to be where the Virgin Mary lived out the remainder of her life following Jesus' Resurrection. The site features a font of Holy water, which runs from underground, and a wall where pilgrims can tie their written prayers and messages.

The place is green and peaceful and I suppose recalling my visit helps me to remember what this Christmas season is all about. I wish you all every blessing of the season!

Botticelli's Glorification of Mary

via Google Images

Alla Prossima