Jerusalem: Basilica of the Agony

‎Jerusalem. A magnificent mosaic decorates the facade of the Basilica of the Agony at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The heart of Jesus, symbol of his sacrifice for mankind, is offered to the angel. His disciples look on from one side and opposite them are the “innocent” who have not yet seen the light, linked to God through Jesus. He wears a red robe, the color of agony and suffering, and over his head are the Latin letters Alpha and Omega, as in Revelation 1:8: “I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord”. At the end of the tympanum two bronze deer, symbolizing the believers’ longing for Jesus, gaze at the cross between them. The columns supporting the arches serve as pedestals for the statues of the four evangelists: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. The modern church was built in the years 1919–1924 with money donated by several Catholic countries, and that is why it is also called the Church of all Nations.