Gethsemane

Upon our arrival in the Jerusalem area, we started outside the gates of the city in the well-known Garden of Gethsemane. Here we see two mosaics inside the beautiful church there, in the garden where Jesus prayed while his apostles could not help but fall asleep. One is a floor mosaic featuring the "Chi Rho" symbols in the Greek alphabet, the long-time symbol of Christians. Modern people who are offended at the term "X-mas" for Christmas do not realize the long history of Chi, which looks like an X, as a respectful insignia for Christ. The lower mosaic is on the wall near the altar area, depicting Jesus at prayer.