PHOTOS: The first photo above is the island of Patmos, which is shaped like a seahorse. The second photo is of the bells of the monastery on Patmos, which contains a wonderful museum and many chapels. (Photos and videos may not be taken in the various churches.)
19 May 2023
Many times when churches do pilgrimages to Greece, the trip includes visits to various Greek islands. In fact, many times it is questionable if the journey is actually a pilgrimage, but just a vacation. Whereas a vacation is primarily focused on leisure, a pilgrimage has prayer and study as the main objective. Many churches feel pressure to include resort visits on Greek islands due to their popularity. One of the things that appealed to me about this pilgrimage, is that it was a true pilgrimage, and even though we were visiting the Greek island of Patmos, it was to visit where John the Beloved Disciples was exiled and had his vision for the Book of Revelation.
We journeyed to Patmos via ferry, departing from Athens, and the trip took about ten hours. (Patmos is closer to Türkiye than it is to mainland Greece, and this is the case for many of the Greek islands.) Once arriving on Patmos we were greeted by our local guide, a Patmos specialist. We visited the church that commemorates where John was exiled, and where he dictated his revelation to the churches of Asia Minor. We also visited a beautiful monastery with a wonderful museum, and we learned about the local island culture. For those of us living in the Hawaiian Islands, it is interesting to note that Patmos does not have a hospital, but only a first-aid station. If you have a medical emergency, you must travel off the island.
Patmos was quiet and lovely, but we were told by our local guide that during some summer months, the island becomes the playground of the rich and famous, but this still has a different flavor than other islands. Being the island of John’s exile, the island keeps a certain religious focus, and even though there are beautiful beaches, they are mostly enjoyed by families with children. Patmos always remains comparably peaceful.
When we visited and prayed in the church of John’s exile, our own parishioner who was the pilgrimage leader, Dr. Randy Furushima, gave a superb reflection on the Book of Revelation. He spoke about John’s various exhortations to the churches of Asia, and then how those exhortations pointed to a brilliant vision of the worship of heaven.
Finally, many people assume that John died on Patmos due to his exile, but this is not the case. Tradition believes he died in Ephesus on mainland Türkiye, and we did have the opportunity to visit the ancient church and his tomb at the ruins of Ephesus before our Patmos visit. Remember that Mary and John became a family by Jesus at the foot of the cross, and Jesus’ giving of Mary and John to each other for care continued to the very end of both of their lives in Ephesus. One tradition of the church believes that Mary was assumed into heaven from her end-of-life home in Ephesus. The other tradition believes that Mary was taken up into God’s presence in Jerusalem.
Father Paul Lillie +
