Vision of the future seen at Greek grotto
Cave of the Apocalypse reputed as place where Saint John received his vision
The Cave of the Apocalypse is about halfway up to the Monastery of St. John on Patmos, Greece. This sacred grotto is believed to mark the spot where St. John received his visions from Christ that he recorded in the Book of Revelation.
Visitors today can see the cave entrance, which is marked with a mosaic portraying the visions of John. Inside the small grotto, you can see the nightly resting place of John's head, fenced off and outlined in beaten silver.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As it is read in Revelation 1:9-10: "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet..."
St. John the Theologian, commonly identified with the Apostle John, was exiled on Patmos around 95 AD and received revelations from God by means of a voice from a cleft in the rock.
Some scholars believe that John was from Ephesus, which is a short boat ride from Patmos and which received the first of the letters addressed to the Seven Churches of Revelation.
A sanctuary and the Monastery of the Apocalypse were later built around the cave that is traditionally identified as the site of John's visions.
Visitors today can see the cave entrance, which is marked with a mosaic portraying the visions of John. Inside the small grotto, you can see the nightly resting place of John's head, fenced off and outlined in beaten silver.
Available here is a brochure written by Archimandrite Koutsanellos, Superior of the Cave, which provides an excellent description of the religious significance of each niche in the rocks, as well as the many icons in the cave.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: St. John, Apocalypse, grotto
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