The Final Thoughts, by Tony Smela

6am Mass was striking for me this morning.  Three of our members had already taken off for more adventures in Switzerland, England, and France.  Five more of our members will stay in Rome until Tuesday.  Eleven of us are now sitting in the airport in Rome awaiting our flight to Detroit.

This Pilgrimage is over.

Thirty days of sweat, pain, lack of personal space and time, headaches, stomachaches, dehydration, sore muscles, sleep deprivation, living out of a suitcase, constant travel, and death to self.

Thirty days of prayer, amazement, wonder, closeness to the humanity and divinity of God, fraternity, joy, beautiful liturgy, intercession, etc.

Once we step off the plane in Detroit, we will be back.  Back where everyone speaks English.  Back where you don't have to pay for bottled water.  Back to where we don't have to live out of a suitcase.  Back in our comfort zone.  Back to our friend and family.  Home.

But Israel and Rome will never leave us.  We will take our experiences and share them with all of you.  The way we pray will never be the same.  The way we experience our faith will never be the same.  The way we read Scripture will never be the same.  And hopefully, some of what we have experienced will rub off on you.

For a pilgrimage is never meant just for the one who travels the roads, sees the places, and goes on the tours.  The pilgrimage is meant for everyone the pilgrim returns to.  The pilgrim experiences God so that he may share that experience with those close to him.

But we also know that none of this would have been possible for us without your support.  This incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience that many people will never have the opportunity to experience is made possible to us because of you.  So, from all of us, thank you.

Thank you for all the sacrifices you made to make this possible.

My name is Tony Smela, and I have been the man behind the blog.  I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed creating it.  This will be the last update to the blog.  God bless!

Tony Smela, signing off.

We See the Pope by Michael Kowalewski

We left the North American College today at 6am for St. Peter's Square to attend the Holy Father's Wednesday Audience Address.  There were many people excited to see the Pope. At 10am the Holy Father came out. He smiled and blessed all the pilgrims he passed. Following his audience address on the hope for peace, we took a tour under St. Peter's and saw the box containing the bones of the Apostle Peter.  He was martyred in Rome.

Who would have thought that the body humbly buried here almost 2000 years ago would flower into a city filled with churches with the biggest church honoring his name.  I felt so blessed to be near our Holy Father Pope Francis, who brings the joy of Christ to my heart.  As a future priest, I hope to bring that same joyful message of Christ to others. 

Rome By Mark Owdeesh

Heading down the Gianacolan hill with the crew, grab tickets to the metro and after a 20 minute bus ride make it to the Basilica of St. Paul. Walking up to the property, you are greeted with giant colonnade pillars with a beautiful green courtyard, before finally entering the church. Then there is the reaction to what you see. A glaring sigh of awe and grandeur seep through your jaw dropping expression. You do not expect to find such an open and elegant, hall-like Basilica as this one. The narthex and nave of the church is just one giant ballroom of a building, with a gilded ceiling, facial portraits of all the popes on circular frames and off course as you approach it, the open air crypt of St. Paul's tomb and encased above, one of the chains that once tied the Apostle from when he was imprisoned. Being able to pray at this spot, you recall to mind the words of St. Paul about how nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and to remember that we pick up our crosses gladly for Christ, that we may be made more in his likeness, so that all may be complete in Him.

Next we journeyed to St. John Lateran, the Mother church of all Christendom and the Pope's actual Cathedral. The word "Cathedra", meaning chair, refers to the special chair in the church as with all Cathedrals around the world, identifying the Bishop's pride of place, the chief exercise in the pastoral care of those assigned to him. At the foot of the central apse or dome is the 'chair' of Peter's successor, the traditional cathedra for the pope. As with other churches in Rome like St. Peter's, St. John displays majestic and spirit filled statues of the apostles, meant to proclaim the consistent message from the Renaissance as we see again and again in the city, that 'God has become man and so the depiction of the human form and of nature is a fitting instrument to the glory of God'.

Our final itinerary for the day was a tour by Msgr. Gallagher (from the Diocese of Gaylord) of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the place where he works as one of the Secretaries for the City State, an administrative role requiring mastery of Latin. The tour and q&a was unforgettable; we are one privileged group indeed!

Overall, the experience and impression you get from Rome is that it truly breathes "Catholicity", i.e. the embracing of life in all of its dynamic aspects; passion, love, folly, grandeur, beauty, ingenuity, and most of all - Redemption and its fruits. As our tour guide the other day mentioned, all this here was made possible by the seed of faith and love that Our Lord implanted in Simon Peter, an ordinary fisherman from an obscure part of the world. Its beautiful to see how Peter's response to Christ's command to feed and love his sheep would show in the volumnious flowering of life and the spirit as has been and continues to be in Eternal City, for you, for me, for the world. Now I understand a lot better how this place plays such a pivitol and crucial way in both engaging and uniting the universal church for the sake of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

We've arrived in Rome!!!!!!!!! More to come......

Arrival in Paris!

We are one short flight away from landing in Rome!  I can almost taste the Gelato!

At the Airport Again

We are currently sitting at our terminal waiting for our flight to Paris, and then Rome!  The 3:30am wake up call was hard on some of us.

Highlights from Yesterday

Here are some highlights from yesterday!  Pray for us as we spend a difficult day walking all the way to the beach to go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

----

Mediterranean Sea One

Mediterranean Sea Two

Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Cesarea Walk

Cesarea Walk by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Walk to the Mediterranean Sea

Walk to the Mediterranean by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

In Capernaum with Jesus by Patrick Setto

First off I would like to wish everyone a blessed feast day of St Rita of Cascia. I have always had a strong devotion to her... she is a very powerful intercessor!

St. Rita of Cascia 
Drawing by P. Setto

  Today has been a very restful and reflective day in comparison to days past that have been more busy and tiresome. This morning on our way to Capernaum we stopped at the Franciscan Church which commemorates the place of third appearance of Jesus to the apostles after his resurrection, and St Peter's confession of love for Jesus. We were able to visit the church and stand in the water of the sea of Galilee. It was so strange because the fish came so close to my feet, where they usually are afraid and swim off. I really love the story of Jesus appearing to the apostles after the resurrection on the beach in John 21.

We find read that Peter decides to go fishing, which is what he used to do before he met Jesus, and he and the others aren't able to catch anything. After all that Peter and the apostles saw and experienced with Jesus, they still somehow went back to their former way of life. However, they were unsuccessful because they were actually called to be fisher's of men, like Jesus told them.

Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, and of course, just like they had seen before, they caught so many fish they could hardly haul it on to shore. I thought about how they went back to their former way of life because they didn't know how else to live without having Jesus with them anymore... they were lost without Him! When he appears to them, it is then that they are successful and find abundance! Jesus reminds them again of who He is and all that they had seen and heard from Him.

After spending time on the shore there in prayer, we next made our way to the town of Capernaum where Jesus spent around 18 months and also where the remains of the house of St Peter's house is located. There is a church built over the ruins of the house where Jesus healed Peter's mother in-law, and there we celebrated mass. After mass we prayed in particular for ourselves and all those we know who are battling some sort of illness, whether body or soul. Jesus took her by the hand, healed her, and after that she got up and began to serve him, scripture says. I prayed in that very same place, that the Lord would heal me and all those who are ill (physical or spiritual) so that we may also be able to serve him better in this life.
We also got to see the same synagogue, which was only feet away from Peter's house, that Jesus taught in and performed many miracles, such as healing the man with the unclean spirit (Mark 1:21).

After mass, we prayed our thanksgiving (for receiving communion) on the shore line where Jesus called Peter and some of the other apostles like the St John and James (Sons of Zebedee). It was there that I remembered how God called me to seminary and I began to experienced a really profound sense of Jesus calling me again but to His priesthood this time. I realized how unworthy I am, and kept and thanking Jesus for choosing me to spread the Gospel message.

Overall, what has affected me most deeply while being here is having a greater understanding of how our almighty and transcendent God has chosen to enter our weak and broken world and chose a certain place, community, and ethnicity to join and became just like one of us. Yes he changed the world with his life, death and resurrection, however - the tomb is empty!- He has ascended to heaven.. but he hasn't left us orphans. Truthfully, its THE EUCHARIST that has hit me the most on this trip.

Jesus chose to walk this earth, die and rise and we can visit these holy sites, however he continues to make that SAME physical presence available to us daily in giving us His actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion! Jesus not only chose to leave his throne and all His glory over 2000 years ago in bethlehem, he continues to do the same when he leaves his throne and all his glory and takes on flesh in the Eucharist.. in order to unite himself to us more closely! This is the wonderful mystery of Our Faith that gives us hope that Jesus has not left us- we are not left with some holy sites where Jesus was... We actually have the SAME Jesus who was, and still IS - in the Eucharist!

 I've prayed and will continue to pray that every grace and blessing that I've received by visiting these holy sites will shower upon you and your families as well! Thank you again for all your prayers and support that have made this trip possible for us! God bless you always!

(Special shout out to all my wonderful family and friends out there who are reading this- You know who you are- Love you all!)


In Jesus Through Mary,

Patrick Setto


------
On the Sea of Galilee

On The Sea of Galilee Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Greek Orthodox In Capernaum

Greek Orthodox in Capernaum by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

To the Sea of Galilee

To The Sea of Galilee by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

On The Lake, by Dr. Alberto Nickerson

These last few days saw us shift from the bustling streets of Jerusalem (the Holy city that witnessed the culmination and fulfillment of our Lord's mission) to the tranquil shore of the Sea of Galilee. This region and its environs are so crucial to Christ's teachings. It was on these very shores that Christ called the first Apostles, where He healed the sick and cast out demons. We have the privilege of staying close to where Christ gave us the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) and today were able to celebrate Mass where Christ performed the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:14-21). We are reminded that Christ is the bread of life that sustains when we receive His precious body and blood in the Eucharist.

Following Mass, we were able to take a peaceful boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and some of us even had St. Peter's fish for lunch. We finished the day with a leisurely bus ride across the Golan Heights.  


-------
Jericho Tel

Jericho Tel Two

Saying Yes to the Call, by Chris Bierlein

The morning started with us waking up from a night spent on Mount Tabor, where the Transfiguration happened.  What a beautiful sight it was to overlook the valley as the sun was rising, the farmland that would feed the area in due season.  After a breakfast of various kinds of cookies and breads, we headed down to the town of Nazareth, where "supposedly" nothing good came from that town, as mentioned in John 1:43-51, except for Jesus of course.  We saw three churches dedicated to the Annunciation.  A Greek Orthodox Church with many beautiful icons, then to the Synagogue Church similar to the one in Luke 4:16-22 where Jesus preached about him being the Savior, the one sent.  And finally, to the Catholic parish of the Annunciation, where we saw the place where the angel appeared to Mary, and she said yes to her mission as Jesus' mother (theotokos, meaning God-bearer), the mother of God.

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption

After lunch, we headed to St. Joseph's Church for Mass.  The Church is built on top of the site where Joseph did his carpentry work while in Nazareth with Mary and Jesus.  From there we headed to Cana and went into the Church that celebrates Jesus' first miracle, the Wedding Feast at Cana, as told in John 2:1-12.  Afterward, we actually got to taste some Cana wine, which was very sweet.  With this, our day was mostly done, but our final destination was to a hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee.  The view overlooking the Sea of Galilee is totally breathtaking.

The View from My Window #DontBeHatin

The one thing that really struck me today was the Catholic Church of the Annunciation.  Mary's yes meant salvation and redemption for all of us.  This event paved the way for the birth of our Lord nine months later.  With the Annunciation, and later birth of our Lord, my appreciation for Mary accepting her call from God, and willingness to give birth and raise our Lord helps me to accept what God has in store for me.  Because saying yes to the call can be hard at times, and not easy.  But this is where trusting in God will make things easier, and much more fruitful, in the end.  Thanks again for your prayers and support for this trip, and God bless.


--------

Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Jezebel Valley
Jezebel Valley by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Beit She'an Walk Two
Beit She'an Walk Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Beit She'an Walk One
Beit She'an Walk One by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Jericho Ruins (Tel) Two
Jericho Ruins (Tel) Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Jericho Ruins (Tel) One
Jericho Ruins (Tel) by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Mount Something
Mount Something by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Transfiguration by Marc Hopps

Today was another busy day in the pilgrimage.  We got up this morning at 6:30 and departed the retreat center where we were staying.  It was a sad to say goodbye to the volunteers who had so graciously dedicated their time to serving us over the past 10 days.  We left Kiriat Yearim and went to the city of Jericho.

You may remember the Old Testament story about Israel's army marching around the walls of Jericho for one week.  At the end of the week the walls fell, and Israel captured the town.  We read that story, and explored the archaeological excavations.  Jericho was also visited by Jesus went he went from Galilee into Jerusalem.  His path would follow the river Jordan, which would bring him to Jericho.  Around the city, Jesus healed two blind men (Matthew 20:29-34).  Also, Jericho is mentioned in the story of Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament. Elijah was taken up into heaven, and Elisha received Elijah's mantle around Jericho.

Our next stop was Bet She'an.  This was an ancient Roman city.  Excavations have revealed the city's ampitheatre and bath house.  I am continually amazed by the ingenuity of ancient people.  Going to these archaeological sites provide us with an opportunity to look back into history.  We have seen things 9,000 years old in some of these excavations!!!
From there we continued north into Galilee and stopped briefly at the city of Nain, where Jesus brought the widow's son back to life.  Also, Elisha appears in the Old Testament in a city right on the opposite side of the mountain.  The Old and New Testaments are both coming alive each day here!

From there we drove the bus up to Mt. Tabor, which is the traditional site of the Transfiguration.  We will stay the night here as well.  There is a magnificent church on the top of the mountain.  The mountain is over 400 meters above sea level, and you get a fantastic view.  We had mass shortly after our arrival in the main church.  It was a moving experience for me to receive Jesus in the Eucharist at the site of the Transfiguration.  He allowed three of the Apostles to get a glimpse into his divine nature.  Jesus does not want to remain at a distance, but he wants to transfigure us as well.  He wants our nature to become more and more like his which will make us fulfilled and satisfied.  What an amazing way this gets accomplished through the Eucharist.  I also felt the love the Father who says to me as he did to Jesus in Mark's gospel: "This is my beloved son." (Mark 9:2-8).  He also says this to you as well.

We are praying for you daily on our pilgrimage.  I speak for us all here when I say thank you.  This experience is transforming our prayer even now.  Thank you so much and may God bless you.

Ephraim, Shechem, and Mt Gerizim, By Dustin Larson

"Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called E'phraim; and there he stayed with the disciples" (John 11:54)

Our first stop today was to the town of Taybeh, which is the modern day version of Ephraim.  Here, we did a couple things.  First, we had a sit-down chat with the priest who runs the parish.  He is a Palestinian Christian who has been through a lot, and he asks for prayers.  After our sit-down chat with him, which was very insightful, we went over to the Church to celebrate Sunday Mass.  I had a little fun trying to communicate with some of the kids that were running around outside before Mass.

After Mass we visited the House of Parables on the same property.  Perhaps most insightful here was a better picture of what a house would have looked like at Jesus' time.  There was an upper level and a lower level; the lower level was very much like a cave (and some houses had a cave for the lower level, with an upper level built above it).  Combining this with what we learned about Jesus' birth in a cave, it was nice to be able to connect the two images.

"There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."" (John 4:7)

Our next stop was the town of Nablus, which is the modern day version of the Biblical town of Shechem (Shechem was destroyed, and Nablus was built in its place).  Most notably, housed underneath a Greek Orthodox church is Jacob's well.  This well is the scene for the first section of Chapter 4 in the Gospel of John, when Jesus sits down at the well (in Samaritan territory) and He converses with the Samaritan woman.  We were able to lower a bucket down and draw water...I did not actually drink any of it, but I was extremely surprised at how crystal-clear the water looked.

Another Biblical note is that Joseph's bones were buried in a tomb nearby (cf. Joshua 24:32).  I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to look up other Shechem references in the Bible.

"He had to pass through Samar'ia" (John 4:4)

We didn't need to pass through like Jesus did, but we did anyway.  We drove up to the top of Mount Gerizim, the summit of which is next to a town where the remaining Samaritans live.  There are only a couple hundred remaining, and they claim to still have direct lineage with the 10 tribes of Israel that split off from the Kingdom of David (cf. 1 Kings 12:16).  Although they are so small, if I understood correctly, there seems to be a lot of inbreeding within their small community, which has resulted in many of the people being born with various handicaps.  My heart and prayers went out to a young boy who was walking with a crutch as we passed by on the bus.

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

So many things happened today, and once again, like virtually every day on this fantastic pilgrimage, somehow there was still enough time to recollect all the events of the day.  However, it is very clear to us that in order to fully unpack all the spiritual gifts from this pilgrimage, we will need much more free prayer time than we have at the moment.  But that's ok...that time will come over the next few weeks, months, and years.  This opportunity to see all these places and connect the Biblical imagery is a priceless experience...Scripture is truly coming alive for us.  I can't thank you all enough for your prayerful support...know that we continue to pray for you as well!

[All Biblical quotes are taken from the RSVCE]

Ad Cenaculum, by Mark Livingston

Greetings from Jerusalem! (actually, Kiryat Yearim, 1 Samuel 7:1-2)

Today (5/17) was another great day on pilgrimage!  We started the day out with Mass at a beautiful Church near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City, Ad Cenaculum (Latin:  "to/toward the cenacle" or upper room), a Franciscan owned and operated Church in the Holy City.  While this church is likely not the site of the actual upper room, it faces the likely location less than 10 yards away toward the east.  The actual upper room has been under construction/ remodeling/
upgrading since we arrived in preparation for Pope Francis' visit on May 25th or 26th (we'll just miss him!), so we have not had the opportunity to see it -- bummer!

Today's homily at Ad Cenaculum was a very special grace for me.  Msgr. Trapp was the main celebrant and after having heard the Gospel of Mark proclaimed by Fr. Battersby (the apostles in the upper room), Msgr. gave the homily.  He keyed in on three important aspects of this site:  (1) the sacramental aspect of the Eucharist in the Last Supper, (2) the origin of the priesthood and (3) the site of Pentecost.  "Sacrament" was the main theme that stuck with me.  Just as we must present the right material (bread and wine) for the sacrament of the Eucharist, so we have to present our authentic selves as the necessary material to become living sacraments for God, especially as his (God-willing) future priests.  He urged us to shed our masks with each other and with God and to become more humble and authentic.  Only if we present ourselves as we really are and see ourselves as God sees us will we present the necessary "material" to become the living sacraments (signs) of God's love for us and the world.

This reflection stuck with me the rest of the day, especially in prayer at the Latin Patriarchate Cathedral

The Latin Patriarchate Cathedral

(pics attached) in prayer.  How can I be more authentically myself with God and my brothers?  What masks still need to be shed?  In which areas must I humble myself more?

Our next stop was to one of the oldest Christian communities in the Holy Land:  The Syriac Church.  There, we met one of the priests, who presented a bit of the history of the Syriac Church and allowed us to view the church, take pictures with him and pray.  A particular treat was praying before an ancient picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, reported in tradition to have been painted by St. Luke, to which many miraculous healings have been attributed.  We prayed for our benefactors, loved ones and friends, especially those who are sick and in need of healing.

The Syriac Church

Since this was our last day in the Holy City, we had the opportunity to re-visit any site we personally to see.  About six or seven of us returned to the Holy Sepulcher to pray at Calvary one last time and then were off for some Jerusalem falafel and
a visit to the Latin Patriarchate Cathedral for more prayer before catching the bus to our guesthouse at about noon.  We spent the remainder of the afternoon in reflection on the presentation and finding in the Temple -- a beautiful afternoon.

The Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Child Jesus

Some in our group were pretty exhausted today, after having spent the prior night adoring the Lord in the Holy Sepulcre all night!  Msgr. Trapp mentioned that this had never occurred before with any of his prior pilgrim groups, so it was a special blessing for some in our group to intercede for each of you overnight in the site of Jesus' passion, death and resurrection.  Know of our prayers for each of you and your families.  My particular intention today was for all of my benefactors and friends, especially the Sacred Heart Family, my former work colleagues, godsons, friends, cousins and sick family members.

God bless each of you!  Thank you for your prayers for me and for all of us!

The Empty Tomb, by Matthew Hood

Early Friday morning we began with a short trip to St. Peter Gallicantu which marks the place where Peter betrayed Jesus and then repented after he heard the cock crow (Gallicantu = gallus/rooster + cantus/singing). Remember that immediately after betraying our Lord, Peter caught the sight of Jesus and wept bitter tears of repentance (Luke 22:54-62). Being at the church and having Mass there gave us the opportunity to reflect on how, like St. Peter, we have a deep love for Jesus but, so often, we fall through sin. However, we can only find peace when we catch the beautiful gaze of Jesus as he looks at us in mercy. 

After the church, we traveled to Hezekiah's tunnel which is the underground water tunnel that was made during the reign of King Hezekiah (697-729 BC) with the intention of diverting the Gihon spring into the City of David. A few of us built up our courage and trekked through the narrow pitch black tunnel as water rushed under our feet. It was very interesting and exciting to have to duck through certain passages that were about 4 feet high and then also squeeze through the more narrow sections as well. 

The greatest treat, however, was not until eight of us has the opportunity to spend the night in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We originally had the intention of finding a cozy place and sleeping on an empty pew but we were told right beforehand that we were expected to stay awake and keep vigil throughout the night! Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience. Remember that in the church, the entire passion, death and resurrection of Jesus took place.

Usually during the day, the small room that marks the tomb of Jesus is impossible to get into because of the ever present line of over 100 people who are waiting to get inside for a few seconds before being asked to leave. However, during the night, the tomb, the Sepulcher itself, is open from 9:00 PM to midnight. During that time, we had the chance to spend as much time as we wanted inside of the tomb. The tomb itself has been covered over time by a marble slab which has been worn away by the many pilgrims. For myself and the other guys who stayed there, we were able to kneel next to the tomb and rest our heads on top of it as we remember the Lord's rising from the tomb and also prayed for all of you and your intentions. Also, we were able to spend as much time as we wanted in the Calvary Chapel where Jesus was crucified.

After the dramatic closing of the doors, which is done by a Muslim family who keeps the keys, the church keeps a steady buzz of liturgies has prayers throughout the night. Things start to pick up at midnight when the Greek Orthodox begin their liturgy that takes place at different places in the Church. Next the Armenians have their own liturgy at 4 o'clock which is then followed by the Capuchins (the Catholics) who have Masses inside of the Sepulcher from 5 to 9 AM. 

What particularly struck me throughout the night was that our whole pilgrimage is centered around visiting a tomb that is empty. In some sense, the emptiness can appear disappointing. Why are we crossing the globe to visit something empty? But as I spent time through the night hovered over the tomb, I was able to reflect and pray about how the emptiness of the tomb is really our deepest hope and cause for joy! Jesus truly conquered the grave so that we might live with Him forever and be free from the shackles of sin and death! The Resurrection is really the truest sign of how the love that Jesus poured out for us on the cross has changed everything forever. We really have cause for eternal rejoicing that we can now approach the Father through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Fortunately, a few of us where able to sneak off to one of the more secluded chapels and nap for an hour to get some needed rest!

Please Tune In Tomorrow

Unfortunately, our blogger for the day is currently unavailable.  Please tune in tomorrow to find out why.

In the meantime, enjoy a video and a couple of walks around the retreat center in which we are staying at.

Kyriat Yearim One
Kyriat Yearim Grounds One by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Kyriat Yearim Two
Kyriat Yearim Grounds Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Wednesday, by Jared Holzhuter

When we spend the day in Jerusalem, it's often overwhelming how much scriptural ground we cover in one day. Take this Wednesday for example. In the morning, we spent some time on the Mount of Olives at the at the church called Dominus Flevit (Latin for "the Lord wept"), which remembers Jesus weeping over Jerusalem's rejection of him as he approached the city from the amount of Olives. The church itself has a large window behind the altar, so while the first reading from Acts discussed the choosing of Matthias as an apostle, we could see the place on the Temple Mount where this discussion likely took place. After mass, it was a short walk (uphill) to the place of Jesus' ascension, then another short walk (downhill) to the place where Jesus gave the Out Father, and to top it all off, we prayed a holy hour over Jesus' teaching on the end times,

at the very location where he would have given these teachings.  And we did all this before lunch. Not bad, huh?

And our Lord is so good to us. Amid all our deep meditation, all our profound thoughts on the last things and end times, what do we find as we break for lunch? A few goats decide to join the Jerusalem traffic. Now would be the perfect time to make some remark about Jesus separating the sheep from the goats, but let us instead admire the bravery of these goats, who seemed oblivious to the symphony of car horns.

---------

BONUS PICTURES!

To the St. George Monastery

To the St. George Monastery by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

From the St. George Monastery

From the St. George Monastery by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

The Desert

The Desert Four by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

The Streets of Jerusalem

Streets of Jerusalem by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

The Streets of Jerusalem Two

Streets of Jerusalem Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Overlooking the Dead Sea

Avdat Ruins

Avdat Ruins by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Holy Water by Christopher Muer

Today was another great and busy day. Today we started our morning by visiting the tomb of Lazarus and had mass in a church down the road from Lazarus' tomb. Like many of the sites we have visited so far, it is hard to believe that we were standing in the tomb where Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus. After mass and visiting the tomb we were headed back to the bus to go to the next stop when we saw a man on the corner giving camel rides. as you could imagine, this was a must do and most of us stopped and rode the camel. It was not quite like riding a horse, but fun none the less. You can imagine for us, there are not too many camels in Detroit so we were all excited and enjoyed laughing with each other as we each took turns riding the camel.

Following Lazarus's tomb, we headed over to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George. Along with everything we saw today, the monastery was in the middle of the desert and very secluded in the mountains. The terrain was similar to that of the Grand Canyon. The monastery was at the bottom of a deep winding canyon. It took us about 20 min. to hike to the bottom and a little longer to hike back up as you could imagine. There was not much in the desert there, but it was a beautiful view. We enjoyed the hike but were happy to get back on the bus with the air conditioning. 

Before lunch we made one last stop. This stop was one that many of us were looking forward to, the Jordan River. We were able to walk all the way down to the bank of the river and dip our feet into the Jordan. After we all had a chance to walk into the Jordan, we read the scripture passage about Jesus getting baptized by John in the river. It was so powerful to be listening to that passage while standing right next to the exact same river. It made it easy to picture the passage and helped to make it come alive for me. Another amazing thing was when Msgr. Trapp had us all re-new our baptismal promises right there standing next to the Jordan, the exact place where baptism started. It was one of the most memorable sites for me. 

After lunch we accomplished another todo list item, we swam (floated) in the Dead Sea. None of us really knew what to expect. We have all heard that you can’t sink, but still did not know what that meant. We all walked into the sea and to us it just felt like normal salt water. There was no difference until you sat in the water. It was such a weird sensation to float in the Dead Sea because it goes against everything your body knows about water. You do not have to fight to stay a float you just sit back and relax and the sea takes care of the rest. One of the weird things happened when we went to where we could not touch the bottom. We tried to stand up and touch and we would not sink. You would just float vertically like a bobber on a fishing line. It was a great experience that none of us will forget.

As you could imagine, by the end of the day we were exhausted and worn out. It was a pretty quiet bus ride back to the retreat center.

Thank you for reading my post and I hope you have enjoyed my take on our day. Please know that we are praying for all of you each day and appreciate all of the prayers you have been sending our way. Please keep praying for us and we will continue to pray for you. May God bless you and we will see you when we return.

------
At the River Jordan

Overlooking the Dead Sea

Into the Desert, by Mark Tibai

Today was an early day with Mass at 6:10 am at the Kiriat Yearim retreat house where we are staying. We soon departed on our bus for Beer Sheva in the Negev Desert. On this trip we had a very helpful guide that was with us that would present the days sites and would point historical locations to us while we were driving. Abraham made a treaty with Abimelek the Philistine here. You can read about this in Genesis 21:25-33. King David would later make this location into a fortified town. Beer Sheva was destroyed in BC 701 and it's inhabitants moved on to new locations. 

From Beer Sheva we continued further into the Negev Desert to the city of Avdat. This city is on top of a hill which gave us some breathtaking views of the Negev Desert. Avdat has its roots back to the 3rd century BC. Due to Avdat being on a trade route the city was very well off. In the 4th century AD Christian settlers came and the city was converted. You can see the remains of two churches that were built at this time. Avdat ceased to exist in the 7th century when nomads came and destroyed it. It was nice to understand how the people would live in the desert in such places as Beer Sheva and Avdat. 

The days have been going really well for us and we are usually more then ready for a good nights sleep when we return from our daily excursions. Please continue to pray for us and if you could especially pray for a family member of one of the seminarians that would be much appreciated. Our love and prayers are with you all.

-----

The city of Avdat is very likely one of the stops that the Holy Family made during their flight into Egypt.

Avdat Ruins

Avdat Ruins Walk

Avdat Ruins by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

At Beer Sheba.  My apologies for the half people.  The stitching wasn't great.

All of us at Beer Sheba with our tour guide.

Beer Sheba Walk

Be'er Sheba Walk by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth


Beer Sheba Walk Two

Be'er Sheba Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Garden of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Jerusalem, Jaffa Gate

Jerusalem, Jaffa Gate by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

From the Heights to the Depths, by Tony Smela

Sunday was a free day for most of us.  After experiencing a beautiful Mass in French and Latin, we were free to spend the day as we chose.  While most of our group stayed back at the guest house to recover and prepare for the next part of the pilgrimage, there was a small group of us that wanted back into the Old City of Jerusalem.  Of the many adventures we had, one encounter stands out that I would like to share.

Joe Campbell and myself were at the Western Wall, and we were on our way to the Dung Gate when I saw a group of 30 young adults sitting on the ground.  That is not such an unusual sight, for many groups will do that.  But this group caught my eye because many of them were sporting the block M from the University of Michigan.  I had to ask.

So, I quickly sat down next to a few of them and ask them if they are from the University of Michigan and they said yes!  But, at that moment, I noticed that Joe did not see me stop, so I had to quickly get up and chase after him.  As I did so, I yelled back "Go Blue!"

But God is not without a sense of humor.

I quickly chased down Joe and told him what just happened.  But, as I said the words "University of Michigan", a young woman walked right by us, and she asked if we were from Michigan.  We said yes, and she proceeded to inform us that she was an Ohio State fan.  My first response was "You've got to be kidding me!"  As she walked away, she seemed quite pleased with herself, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

From the heights of consolation to the depths of desolation.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mary's Day by Joseph Campbell

After driving by bus for about 30 minutes from our guest house in Kyriat Yearim, we arrived at the church in Bethany which commemorates the place where Jesus began his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Nearby the church was a tomb from the first century which, most likely, closely resembles the tomb in which our Lord was buried. Next we made our way to the Mount of Olives to visit the Russian Orthodox church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. With its seven onion-shaped cupolas plated in gold glistening in the Israeli sun, it looked like something right out of Aladdin. 

The inside was beautifully decorated in mosaics and frescoes, and the large group of Russian pilgrims chanting in the background made for a prayerful environment. From there we descended to the foot of the Mount of Olives and entered the shrine of Mary's tomb. Modern Jerusalem's ground level is much higher than that of the first century, so we had to descend deep into the ground to reach her tomb. With mother's day being so close, I prayed especially for my mom at the place where the mother of Jesus rested before she was assumed into heaven. Right next to the shrine of Mary's tomb is a small cave turned into a chapel which traditionally is the place where the disciples fell asleep while our Lord was in agony a stone's throw away in Gethsemane. 

During the Mass that was celebrated there by Msgr. Trapp, I was struck by the humanity of the disciples. Even though Christ was at the most difficult point in his ministry and the culmination of his entire earthly mission, his disciples--those closest to him--were sleeping! Yet these same men became the foundation of the Church that is still thriving throughout the world today. It certainly gives us hope, for we are often not only "sleeping on the job" when Christ needs us but even actively sinning against Him. With God's grace, we can overcome our weakness and sin and become great saints that transform the world like the Apostles did.

Mary, mother of the Church, pray for us!

-----
On the Palm Sunday Route

Palm Sunday Walk One by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth


Continuing on the Palm Sunday Route
Palm Sunday Walk Two by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Grace Filled Day by Craig Marion

Today, we visited Judea Ein Karem, the place of the Visitation and birth place of St John the Baptist.  We were blessed to attend Mass at Visitation Church.  We then traveled to Emmaus, mentioned in Luke, Chapter 24.  This holy place is maintained by the Community of the Beatitudes.  After visiting Emmaus we traveled to Jaffa where there is a church dedicated to St. Peter, this church overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.  We were blessed to read from the Acts of the Apostles, right in front of the Church.  After this visit we had lunch in the city.  We then traveled to St George's Church and were able to pray beside his tomb.  The day was filled with many graces, we were blessed with good weather and great fraternity.

From our walk from the Church of the Visitation
From the Church of the Visitation by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Can't Rain On Our Pilgrimage, by Tony Smela

Today was a sad day for all of us.  Today we had to say goodbye to the Bridgettine Sisters who had welcomed us into their home for the last week.  Perhaps an anecdote is needed to illustrate their incredible hospitality towards us.

During dinner on Tuesday, Marcus stood up and announced to everyone that my birthday was the other day.  Everyone sang a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, and I thought that was the end of that.  Unbeknownst to me, the sisters were busy conspiring in the other room.

After dinner, the sisters generally have a small dessert for us, and that night they had fruit for us.  But we noticed that they were taking longer than usual to bring out the dessert.  Something was up.

When they arrived, they didn't have fruit, but ice cream!  And one of the bowls was decorated with roses and had a lit candle in it!  They heard Marcus announce my birthday and quickly got ice cream for all of us!  It was a beautiful gesture of hospitality that the sisters showed.

The front of the Bridgettine Sisters Home In Jerusalem

So, at 7am, in a torrential downpour, we had to say goodbye to the Bridgettine Sisters.  We then headed to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Msgr. Trapp celebrated Mass on Cavalry for us.  The re-presentation of His sacrifice at the place where all of our sins were nailed to the cross.

After that, we jumped in line to be able to pray inside the Holy Sepulcher tomb.  Once we finally got into the tomb, we were able to spend about 20 seconds each on the place where he rose from the dead.  Within an hour, we were praying through the Paschal mystery of his death at Calvary and resurrection at the tomb.

All of this before 9am.

By 9:30 we were well on our way to the Archeological Gardens that surround the southern wall of the Temple Mount.  Archeologists have excavated much of that area to reveal the first century roads and walls.  These were the very roads and walls that Jesus walked on and saw (Insert joke about Michigan roads).  We climbed to the point on the southern wall where there used to be three doors in the first century.  You can still see the arches, but the doors have been filled in.  Most likely, these were the three doors that the Holy Family would have gone through for the presentation of Jesus to the Temple, and this would be the doors where Mary and Joseph would have gone through to find Jesus teaching in the Temple area.  We stopped here and prayed those two decades of the Rosary.

After that, we had some time to wander the city before we were to meet up by the Jaffa Gate and head to our new home for the next ten days.  And now, at 3:38pm I sit here at our new home in Kiriat Yaerim, about 6 miles outside of Jerusalem.

Thank you for your prayers, and know of our prayers for you!

The Jewish Quarter by John Bettin

The Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem is located in the south-east sector of the city.  It is a newer, more modern section of Jerusalem since it was badly damaged in the siege laid to it by the Arabs from December 1947 to May 1948.  because of its modern construction the streets are very clean, paved, and has excellent signage for points of interest.  Adjoining the Jewish Quarter is the Wailing Wall.

Jews continue to come to the Wailing Wall to pray and to lament the destruction of the Temple.  My brothers and I had a great opportunity to pray at the Wall.  This experience provided an opportunity to recall that in the midst of so many walls, fences, barricades, strife and hatred, we joyfully anticipate the coming of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who will make all things new again, and return all of us with him to our Heavenly Father.

Shalom and Peace of Christ!

And here's a bonus! Here is a picture of most of the pilgrims as we began the walk from the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper) to the Garden of Gethsemane.

On a hike to Ein Karem.

To Ein Karem by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

More to come soon, our apologies for the slowing down of updates. Holy Sepulcher, 6:30am
Same Hike

To Ein Karem 2 by SirGuy1001 on Photosynth

Words Cannot Describe... By Dustin Larson

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased" (Luke 2:14)

To say that this was merely a "good" day is an understatement.  This day was INCREDIBLE.  Today we went to the shepherds' fields for the announcement of the "good news of great joy"  (cf. Luke 2:10).  Today we sang with the angels in proclaiming God's glory.  Today we followed in the footsteps of those shepherds of 2000 years ago, visiting the place where Jesus was born.

"And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." (Luke 2:8)

The drive from Jerusalem to the Shepherd's Field was fairly short, because Bethlehem is only a few miles from Jerusalem.  Upon arrival, our tour guide took us straight to a cave.  As we were to see later, the cave where Jesus was born now looks more like a chapel than a cave, so this experience was helpful for imagining the Nativity scene.  Shortly after this, we arrived at the chapel dedicated to the announcement to the shepherds.  We paused to sing a verse of "Angels We Have Heard on High" as well as a verse of another Christmas hymn, and then departed to head up to Bethlehem.


The time in the Shepherd's Field definitely moved me.  It was a blessing to be filled with joy as we toured and sang.  To be at the very place where the angels appeared to the shepherds....wow....... I took in every moment of it.

"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:15)

We traveled up to Bethlehem.  After arriving in Bethlehem, we had Mass in a chapel dedicated to St. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin.  The Mass for Christmas is offered year-round in Bethlehem, so the readings and prayers were those for Christmas Day.  It was very profound to have Mass in Bethlehem: the Word was made Flesh and represented to us; Jesus was made Incarnate once again.


"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger..." (Luke 2:7)

Seeing the place where Jesus was actually born...this was the high point of my day, and the high point of my pilgrimage so far.  We waited in line for quite some time, but when we finally got there, it was worth the wait.  The place where Jesus was born no longer looks like a cave; it is now a chapel, but under the altar is an exposed section of the cave floor that has been venerated as the spot where Jesus was born.  A few feet to the side is where the manger was located.

Words can not describe my experience of being there.  All I can say is that I was given one of the greatest blessings I've ever received.  Amid all the hustle and bustle of people flowing through the chapel, I (and the rest of us) were able to stop...to just stop...and pray.  I sat down on the floor...and a moment later it struck me that I was sitting in the REAL Nativity scene.  The next two minutes were priceless as I considered how it was HERE that Jesus was born, and HERE that He was laid in a manger...  As I already said, the experience cannot be described, but it was filled with a mixture of joy, love, and humility before our Lord.

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

The peace from my experience at the true Nativity flowed into the rest of my day.  We visited the Milk Grotto, where the Virgin Mary nursed the Child Jesus.  Following this was lunch at the Latin seminary for the entire Holy Land.  It was a blessing to converse with some of the Palestinian Christians.  I will avoid politics here, but I will say that the Christians in the Holy Land need our prayers.  Please pray for them, and "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6) as well as peace throughout the entire Holy Land.

As a side note, it can make all the difference when you have a tour guide that not only knows things, but truly believes them in the heart.  It was obvious that our fantastic tour guide not only knew his stuff, but he was incorporating his authentic faith into the tour as well.  The depth of the experience of today's tour was strengthened by our tour guide's faith and his love for Jesus.

I know that God will continue to bless us as we travel throughout the Holy Land.  Please pray that as we continue to ponder God's love in our hearts, we may continue opening up to receive His love in deeper ways each day.

[All Biblical quotes are taken from the RSVCE]

No Greater Love by Mark Tibai

We woke up to another great breakfast provided by the Brigettine Sisters at their guest house overlooking the Kidron Valley. At 8am sharp we departed by bus to the Jaffa Gate. Inside and to the right of the gate is the Tower of David. The Tower of David is an old fortress that now serves as a museum and an archaeological site. The museum was very informative  and the sights from the towers gave us some of the best views of Jerusalem yet.

     After spending about an hour at the Tower of David we then went to walk on the walls that surround the old city of Jerusalem. Temperatures were approaching 100 degrees, so the consumption of water really increased today! I really enjoyed the fort and the wall and I could not help to think of all those that defended the city from attack. You can walk on the wall around the entire city, but our journey on the wall ended at the Temple Mount.

     The Western Wall which is also known as the Wailing Wall is located at the base of the Temple Mount. This wall is the holy site for the Jewish people. The Jews go to the wall to pray because they believe that God is present on the other side of the wall. Many of us went to the wall to pray and found it very moving. I personally prayed that Jews and Catholics could one day be united.

Mark diligently working
on this post

     After we visited the Western Wall we had some free time to have lunch and to wander as we saw fit. I enjoyed an excellent shawarma sandwich at a local restaurant in the Christian Quarter. I then went with a few of my brothers back to the Holy Sepulcher to pray my holy hour. When I arrived I decided that I wanted to go to the top of Calvary to pray and touch the actual spot where Jesus died. Calvary is where our Salvation was consummated by Jesus Christ. How should I react as I approach such a location? I was internally quiet and kept repeating the Jesus Prayer as I approached (Jesus, Son of the Living God have mercy on me a sinner). When it was about my time to touch the stone of Calvary I began to invoke the Holy Spirit to come upon me. It was a quick, but somber moment when I knelt below the altar. All I could do was thank Jesus for what he did for me so that I could be with him in heaven.

     We are all now back at the guest house and are looking forward to Mass where Jesus dies for us in an un-bloody manner. Please know of our love and prayers for all of you.