In October, the first rays of sunlight strike the south side of the bell tower.
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Sinai Greek 690 is a beautiful little manuscript containing a canon to the Prophet Moses in each of the eight tones (to be chanted on Saturdays, in the tone of the week), and the service to Saint Catherine. It was written by the Hieromonk Ioakeim in 1647. Some of the decorative initial letters are quite beautiful, executed with complete mastery in a brilliant vermilion.
The letter ‘tau’.
The letter ‘delta’.
The decorative elements of this letter have almost submerged its recognizable form, but from a quick glance at the succeeding letters, we know that it is a ‘delta’. The dome over the south wing is the highest point in the monastery, and the first to catch the rays of the morning sun.
The first rays of sunlight on the mountains to the north of the monastery.
The mountains to the east of the monastery look like a monolithic face. But as the sun sets, shadows reveal that there is a ridge, with an intervening valley and mountains beyond. The hermitage of Saints Galakteon and Episteme is in the valley. It is said that when the Elder Paisios was living in the hermitage, at night he would climb to where he could see the monastery below in the distance, and from there he would pray for the members of the community.
I took friends to see the Chapel of Saint Anne. We left at 5:00 AM. The sun rose as we were on the trail.
A detail of the Russian bell hanging in the second tier of the bell tower.
On Friday, Father Michael and I went to the Chapel of Saint Panteleimon for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
We rode camels to the last camel stand. All I could see was an expanse of black, but the Bedouin and the camels could see the path in the dark. The first light of day was shining on the horizon as we reached the end of the camel trail.
The mountains became more visible as we descended to the Basin of the Prophet Elijah.
New cedar trees take the place of the old one that had stood there for centuries.
The chapel at the summit of Mount Sinai visible in the distance.
The path to the chapel.
The peak of Mount Saint Catherine in the morning sunlight.
Father Michael celebrated the Divine Liturgy. This was especially meaningful for him, since his father was named Panteleimon.
Afterwards we visited the olive groves at the Chapel of the Forty Martyrs. Father Michael knows the names of all the varieties, and how to cultivate each tree so that it bears the best quality olives. Sometimes gazelles leap over the wall and jump into the lower branches of the tree to eat the tender shoots. The Bedouin who care for the trees must be on their guard. This year, once again, we were able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of Saint Anne on her feast day. The only person who could go with me needed to be back at the monastery to open the gift shop when the monastery is open to visitors. That is why we decided to have the service at night. We left the monastery at 9:00 PM. It was more difficult to make our ascent in the dark, but a little after midnight, we saw the chapel above us and were soon inside. The celebration of the Divine Liturgy proceeded in the stillness of the night in this beautiful little chapel.
The stars were bright in the sky overhead, and the Milky Way was clearly visible, spanning from one horizon to the other.
As we made our descent, the first light of day shone on the horizon. We were back at the monastery before sunrise. The 1871 bell tower in the last sunlight of the day.
The marble medallion is inscribed, Ἐπὶ Γρηγορίου Σκευοφύλακος τοῦ Ζακυνθίου Νοεμβρίου 24, 1871. “By Gregory Skevophylax from Zakynthos November 24, 1871.” The bell tower was dedicated the day before the feast of Saint Catherine. The medallion is carved with a depiction of three keys. The Skevophylax is responsible for all the keys to all the chapels and storerooms of the monastery, and to all the chapels in the outlying area. The bell in the second tier was cast at the Samgin Brothers bell foundry in Moscow on June 27, 1870. It is 90 centimetres in diameter and weighs 32 poods (524 kilos, or 1156 pounds).
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