The Journeys of Mary
Part II
by
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GETHSEMANE Mary and the Magdalene entered the small grove. For awhile, Mary remained silent. Then, she began, “It was about nine in the evening when Jesus and the disciples reached the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives after celebrating the Paschal feast at the Coenaculum. Sin began in the Garden of Eden. His Passion which would redeem us from our sins began in a garden as well,” Mary mused. “Yes,” the Magdalene agreed. Mary’s eyes moved about the small grove as she imagined the Garden of Gethsemane as it was the night the Passion of her son began. “Gethsemane was such a peaceful and lovely pleasure garden surrounded by a hedge. It was filled with magnificent shrubbery and a great many fruit trees. Outside the garden were a few deserted houses open for any who might wish to lodge there. It was a place where Jesus had sometimes passed the night with his Apostles when instructing them. “Several persons as well as the Apostles had keys to the garden which was used both for recreation and prayer. People who had no gardens of their own often held feasts and entertainments there. It was full of grottos, terraces and olive trees. One side of the garden was maintained in better order. It had seats, benches and roomy caverns that were cheerful and cool.”
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About the Book
At age four, Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, made her first journey. Mary traveled with her family to Jerusalem for her Presentation to the Temple. Some of the other journeys taken during her lifetime included trips to Jutta, Bethlehem, Matarea, and Heliopolis, as well as many other trips to Jerusalem. When her son Jesus began his public ministry, Mary moved from Nazareth to Capharnaum. With her friends, the Holy Women, she followed Jesus as he traveled around Galilee and throughout the Holy Land. Ultimately, Mary followed Jesus to the foot of the cross. To protect Mary from the persecutions that followed the death and Resurrection of her son, St. John the Evangelist took Mary with him to Ephesus, Turkey to live. Mary journeyed to Jerusalem and back to Ephesus before ending her earthly life in Ephesus. The Journeys of Mary is the story of Mary’s life and the life, Passion, and death of her son. In Part II of the trilogy, Mary arrives in Ephesus and establishes her home there. With the help of St. John and Mary Magdalene who comes to visit, Mary creates a “Way of the Cross” as a reminder of the suffering her son endured. As she walks the path, Mary recalls the capture, trials, and judgment of Jesus, as well as the details of his Crucifixion. Other events that occur as part of her life in Ephesus trigger memories of her earlier life in Nazareth and Capharnaum. The Journeys of Mary is the story of both the interior journey Mary takes as the mother of Jesus and the exterior journeys she takes as she lives out her life fulfilling the will of God.
About the Author
Mary Ann Donovan loves travel and adventure. Her many journeys have taken her to pilgrimage sites and other sacred spaces. The lives of the saints, visionaries, and other pious souls associated with holy places have inspired Mary Ann. As a former educator with degrees in administration and liberal studies, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with others as a guest speaker, as well as a freelance writer and author of several books. A trip to Turkey brought Mary Ann to Ephesus and “The House of the Virgin Mary” or Panaya Kapulu. Having always thought that Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, had ended her days in Jerusalem, Mary Ann began a personal quest to gather information about the life of Mary. Information provided by the Ephesus Society led to the visions of Anna Catherina Emmerick. Sister Emmerick envisioned the house of Mary and described it in detail in 1821. The site itself was not uncovered until seventy years later in 1891, when a group of Lazarites searched for it and found it by using Sister Emmerick’s directions and description. A gift from a friend of a four-volume set of Anna’s visions gave Mary Ann the information needed to write The Journeys of Mary. When not on the road with her husband, her favorite traveling companion, Mary Ann enjoys the time she spends at home with her family and her friends. Gardening, reading, outdoor activities, cultural performances, photography, scrapbooking, and bridge fill her busy schedule. Her bags, however, are always packed and ready for the next trip.