Day 2 - Mary's House, Ephesus & Patmos

early afternoon

We woke up this morning in Turkey - Kusadasi, the port town with access to Ephesus. The Turkish flag was flying proudly over the harbor. The visit? Not long enough! We were off the ship barely four hours. It was an eventful morning.

My first impression on land was that Turkey is remarkably clean, organized, and tourist-friendly. We’ll see if the impression holds up when we return later in our trip. Our guide was a knowledgeable, professional fellow who called himself “Oz.”

Mary’s House

First we went to the Virgin Mary’s house. There are a variety of “proofs” that Mary spent her last days in Ephesus, the most credible being that she accompanied St. John. A Catholic invalid visionary, Catherine Emmerlich, of Germany, had visions that Mary reposed in Ephesus, and this led eventually to an archaeological expedition. In the 1950’s-60’s (?) an Ohioan put up the money to rebuild the house and set up a shrine. The place is clean, well-landscaped, and the house is pleasant. Who knows how credible it all is from a historical point of view? However, many pilgrims have come, including Muslims, to ask for miracles, etc. Our guide said that Muslims respect and revere Mary as Christotokos, but not Theotokos. Nick and I proceeded through the line. It was quiet inside (no talking allowed) and there were two Catholic nuns, one of whom was singing or humming. We lit candles and said a few prayers without being rushed through. There were some icons and pictures, but it did not look Orthodox.

All that said, the place felt holy to me and perhaps is good evidence that the saints, and perhaps particularly the mother of God, can make a place holy for the faithful who revere them and pray there.

It was surprisingly easy to pray, even given the “touristic” setting. I had meant to pray for the Church, especially in Turkey, but I found myself praying for my mom and my kids — and also for the Church.

I wish that I had more experience with this “pilgrimage” effect, esp. as a believer. It is hard to balance my innate (?) or trained-in skepticism and my newfound devotion to the saints.

All in all it was a surprisingly powerful experience packed into a few short minutes and surrounded by highly “touristic” activity on all sides, from the crowds, to the tour bus, guide, and… on to Ephesus directly from there.

Ephesus

We had one hour to tour. It was NOT enough time. Our guide took us through approximately 20 quick stops on a gradual descent from the “top” of the city down to the exit at the lower level near where the original port was. The harbor is now completely silted over to become a floodplain. Ephesus sits three miles inland.

This is a place worth visiting again, not only because we did not have enough time, but also because the excavations are ongoing. Many new digs are currently in progress, and there are additional restorations planned. It would be a good debate to consider whether the reconstructions (always partial, just to give an impression of what it would have been like) are a good idea, vs. leaving the ruins as is.

What amazes the most is how advanced - and large! - a civilization existed in and around this city. Ephesus was the capital of Asia Minor under the Romans, but it was also a key port city going back to the time of Greek colonization of the Ionian coast and forward in time to as late as the 6th-7th c. until the city’s total decline because of the silting over of the harbor.

St. Paul preached here, lived here, wrote to these people. St. John was here and spent a great part (most? all?) of his missionary career here. How many other Christians, apostles, bishops, and other leaders — and martyrs! — spent time in Ephesus?

It is a place to return to. As a poor substitute I bought two books.

Turkish Carpets 

After the classical city we went shopping. Nick and I saw a carpet we both loved immediately. I had not intended to spend/buy anything very expensive, but somehow I talked myself into it. I pray it will not turn out to be a big mistake. Over lunch, after we returned to the ship, I told Nick that we should probably gift it to his parents.

It is a beautiful, beautiful carpet.

I hope God forgives me for spending so much money in such a way. His generosity of late has been astounding. We had the money! But to what better use might it have been put? I hope God continues to be generous as there are so many good things that can be done with money today. May He guide my hand and heart to give and spend it wisely.

8:15 pm

Patmos

This is a lovely island. We had a few transportation issues (tender boat from ship to shore and taxi) so did not arrive at the monastery (& museum) until fairly late. We saw the grotto where St. John received the revelation. Part is the cave, and the other side is a chapel/extension. There were two iconostases. There were several monks walking around the whole complex. They all seemed very serious.

The grotto was full of tourist groups, one after the other, and the guides kept giving their spiel to the groups as they filed in and sat down. When we first arrived there was a Protestant group having a “service.” At the end they all sang Joy to the World — many verses. It was disconcerting and seemed out of place and inappropriate.

There was an old, smoke-darkened icon of St. John in the front. The iconostasis and other icons were beautiful. It was hard to pray with all the people, even just sitting there waiting for them to leave. Eventually we left and walked up, up, up to the monastery.

Here there was a simply incredible church with side chapel. There were frescoes everywhere — very powerful. The iconostasis was amazing gilt and gold candelabras and chandeliers everywhere. Many icons and depictions of the apostles, St. John, St. Prochoros, and scenes from the life of Christ, Mary, apostles, martyrs, and saints. I was not able to find a good guidebook — except one very expensive coffee table book, which I declined to buy because I would have had to carry it.

In the monastery itself, we saw only the courtyard, church, museum store, and a bit of the entrance to the museum. We arrived just as the museum was closing. It was supposed to contain many treasures, but if they were relics or icons they should be in the church anyway, not a museum. So it’s OK. [Or so I talked myself into.] The man at the museum entrance told me the monks celebrate Vespers at 3 pm and Orthros and Liturgy at 3 am - 6 am. I imagine the rest of their lives are filled with tourists, day after day, esp. in the high season. I wonder if the monks find it hard to pray? I wonder if they pray for all the people - “the world” - as it comes through. Most people do not seem to have any sense of what they see. They walk in and out. A few Catholics will cross themselves (left to right), maybe light a candle. Greeks cross themselves, say a few prayers, and light candles. But these are few and far between that I saw, maybe only one in 20.

The sense I gained of St. John in this place is a little different from what I read in his Life or his popular (?) personality, his personality of the Gospels. Here, as in Revelation, as in his Letters, perhaps as in his own Gospel (?), he is more serious, a “heavier” saint than the young Beloved who laid his head on Jesus’ chest and sprinted to the tomb. I pray to St. John a lot, in part because he is (one of) Nick’s patron saints. He seems very much an “everywhere” saint, which is good. Fr. Tim said that he did not “have” to go to Mt. Athos. Holy places are wonderful, but they are not necessary to our salvation. I take it to mean we can pray anywhere. Saints are everywhere.

Perhaps some places have become so crowded because they are so famous (ostensibly for pilgrimage) that the holiness of the place dissipates. Maybe it disperses itself out to all the people. As with the woman who touched Christ’s robe, “power went out of Him.”

I am glad Nick got to see this place — and Mary’s house this morning, where St. John also was. I am glad this place was Orthodox. I would like to come again to spend more time studying the icons and frescoes and come when there are fewer people and for services. I have a feeling this place turns into something very different when the monks come out and the tourists leave. People say that the best time to come to Greece is for Pascha, and the best place to come for Pascha is Patmos.