FatherJustinsBlog

After the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at Bostani, silence again descends on the little chapel.

At the beginning of the Midnight Office, the church is lit by only a few lamps and candles.

As you pass through the narthex, you can see nothing for a few moments but the blaze of the gold and crystal chandeliers which hang the length of the building. The church is loaded with the accumulated piety of centuries. Although the great caravans, which for so many years found their way to this lonely place, have vanished like a mirage, a token of the faith and the love they brought with them remains in the gilded gifts and the glowing ikons which shine everywhere in the dim half-light.

H V Morton, Through Lands of the Bible, 1938

Leaves of the Burning Bush in front of the door that leads to the ancient kitchen.

Sunrise over Mount Saint Catherine, photographed from the Chapel of Saint Panteleimon.

Mount Saint Catherine is the highest point in Egypt, at an elevation of 2,629 metres (8,625 feet).

We climbed to the chapel of Saint Panteleimon to celebrate the Liturgy, one day after his feast day.

Once again, the sun rose as we were making our ascent.

The peak of Sinai in the morning sunlight.

Father Michael celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the small, bare chapel.