thank god

In the mountainous region north of Damascus, friends lead us to visit serene Christian places, deep, preserved from war like the delicious Maarat; the Deir Mar Elias, with the dizzying staircase that leads to the ancient cave that hosted the prophet Elijah in his retreat in the desert, where his presence immersed in dialogue with the Lord is almost perceptible, in the immense silence of the infinite that extends all around; the monastery of Our Lady of Saydnaya, which has resisted thanks to the formation of self-defense groups who have repeatedly rejected the infiltration of Islamist militias; and the grandiose statue of Jesus blessing, donated by the Russians, dall’alto di Deir Cherubim che spazia sull’orizzonte intero, still today a destination for pilgrims who we join with a certain amazement. The traces of Christianity in Syria have far from disappeared!