The Holy stone is taken from the summit of the Mount of Olives, situated to the east of Jerusalem, - in the same place Jesus Christ ascended to heaven forty days following His Resurrection. The stone is hallowed in the Chapel of the Ascension erected just at the place where Jesus ascended. In the Chapel on the stone floor there is a pice of rock said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Christ.   The Holy stone is put in the grey linen sack with the inscription “Relics of Israel”.   Price: $290.00 (shipping by Airmail - Free)

 

 

The Mount of Olives (the place of Christ Ascension)

 

The Mount of Olives is one of the Judaic mountains, the highest in the suburb of Jerusalem, it is situated east of the Old City on the side of Kidron Valley. It was named for the olive trees that once covered its slopes of which century-old specimens still grow there – in the Garden of Gethsemane. These trees are more than 2 thousand years old. They witnessed the ascension of Jesus. The Christian hearts tremble only at the thought of it.

 

Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane

 

 

At the foot of the Mount Kidron Stream flows, to the west of which there is the Muslim cemetery and to the east - the Jewish one. Almost opposite the Jerusalem Gates of St. Stephan there is a Church of Maria Magdalene and Mary’s Tomb as well as the St. Joseph Tomb and the Tombs of the Virgin Mary’s parents-St. Anna and St. Joachim. A few far to the east Gethsemane lies. A path meanders southward on the mountain, leading to the tombs of prophets, then turns northward and rises to the top of the mount.

 

From the Mount of Olives summit, a picturesque and majestic view on Jerusalem city opens. How many sacred, great recollections from the worldly life of our Lord are connected with this mountain for each Christian! Jesus with his apostles often came to this mount at night for the prayer, talk and physical calming. Here, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He came with them after the Lord’s Supper. Here, all alone, while the disciples were sleeping, He spent in prayer His last night before the arrest. Jesus prayed for sending the cup of suffering away from Him: “ My Father! If it is possible let Me survive the ordeal; let Your will be, not Mine, though.” According to Luke Jesus' anguish in Gethsemane was so deep that "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Following Luke the Angel appeared as well as the devil tempted Him again (for the last time) trying to divert Him from the forth coming cross suffering. Here, at the place of the prayer, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and showed Him to the temple guards kissing the Saviour.

 

Garden of Gethsemane. These trees are more than 2 thousand years old.

They witnessed the ascension of Jesus

 

 

But it is not the sorrowful event which happened here, at the western mountainside, in the Garden of Gethsemane, that makes the Mount of Olives dear to the Christian heart. More joyful and great event took place at its summit - from here Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after His Resurrection!

 

Ascension took place forty days after His Resurrection. During the period between His Resurrection and Ascension to heaven Jesus was not always with his apostles, but only appeared to them from time to time. During the visits He assured the disciples of His Resurrection, eating food with them and then teaching those precepts about the future creating of His Church which should be formed of people coming to believe in Him.

 

The Chapel of the Ascension erected just at the place where Jesus ascended. In the Chapel on the stone floor there is a piece  of rock said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Christ

 

 

On the fortieth day the Lord appeared to his disciples when all of them together with his Blessed Mother were in Jerusalem. Here Jesus for the last time talked to them and for the last time commanded them to spread his Gospel the world over. After that he, together with His Disciples left Jerusalem. Ascending the Olive Mount summit, the Lord raised His hands over the Disciples, blessing them. And at this moment He began to rise higher and higher above the earth into the sky, until a bright cloud overshadowed the Divine Teacher out of His beloved disciples’ sight.

 

Through the Lord’s Ascension the fallen humanity’s communion raises from the earth, decay and death to eternal life. Jesus Christ’s Ascension opens the way to heaven for everybody who believes in Him, just as His death and Resurrection is the victory over the sins and death for all the mankind.

 

Nowadays, there is a small Chapel of the Ascension at the place where Jesus ascended to heaven. In the Chapel on the stone floor there is a peace of rock with the imprint of the foot of Christ.