D. James Kennedy (Christmas Stories for the Heart) once said “The star of Bethlehem was a star of hope that led the wise men to the fulfilment of their expectations, the success of their expedition. Nothing in this world is more fundamental for success in life than hope, and this star pointed to our only source for true hope: Jesus Christ.”
Last year I was lucky enough to visit Bethlehem and The Church of the Nativity on a day trip from Jerusalem. This site was always on my list of places I wanted to visit; not due to any of my religious beliefs but just from seeing Bethlehem on the news every Christmas as a little girl growing up in New Zealand and realising that it was such a special place in a faraway land.
I thought I would share some of my photos of this special site with you all this Christmas.
Catching the first glimpse of The Church of the Nativity from Manger Square
The “Door of Humility” – how many doors can you spot?
The ceiling that is part of the renovation project that is taking place on site at the moment to preserve the Basilica
The Mosaic floor
The spot where Jesus was born located in the Grotto of the Nativity
The spot where Mary placed the baby in the Manger
Saint Jerome or Hieronymus, best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin
My favourite photo of my little sister inside The Church of the Nativity
You can read about the urgent renovation work that is required here
Merry Christmas to you all
xx
