It is difficult
to put into words the depth of thoughts and emotions aroused by such a journey
of faith. To personally walk in the
footsteps of Jesus is humbling as well as uplifting. To join in the celebration of Mass and hear
the Gospel proclaimed at sites where Jesus also prayed with His disciples opens
one’s innermost being to receive previously unimagined spiritual blessings. To come to know our brothers and sisters, the
Christians who strive to witness the faith in the midst of challenging political and
economic circumstances, awakens one to the freedoms we may take for granted in
our corner of the world.
May these brief reflections help us all to enter more fully into this holiest of
weeks united with our Lord and Saviour.I rejoiced when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."
And now our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city, walled round about.
Here the tribes have come, the tribes of the LORD,
As it was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
Here are the thrones of justice, the thrones of the house of David.
For the peace of
Jerusalem pray: "May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within
your ramparts, prosperity within your towers." For family and friends I say, "May peace be yours."
For the house of the LORD, our God, I pray, "May blessings be yours."
Psalm 122
Let’s begin our
walk in the footsteps of our Lord on the Mount of Olives where Jesus spent time
during his mission in Jerusalem. Here
Jesus taught his disciples, overlooking the Temple in what is now the Old City
of Jerusalem.
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Walking down
the Palm Sunday Road we imagine ourselves joining the crowd that accompanied
and welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.
The Church of
Dominus Flevit, midway on the slope of the Mount of Olives, is built in the
shape of a tear in memory of where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Vases erected near the dome are reminiscent
of those used to collect tears of those who weep and mourn.
On the lowest
slope of the Mount stands a grove of ancient olive trees which gave the site
its name, Gethsemane, which means “olive press” in Aramaic. It was here that Jesus came with his
disciples to pray; here where He was betrayed by Judas, arrested by the
soldiers and taken away for indictment. Today
the Basilica of the Agony (also known as the Church of All Nations) is
surrounded by gardens cared for by Franciscan brothers. In front of the main altar is the traditional
Rock of Agony upon which Jesus prayed and sweated blood.
How many times do
I not “stay awake” with Jesus or even pay attention to Him? How often do I cause His holy agony by my
sinfulness?
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Crossing the
Kidron Valley we begin the ascent to the Old City of Jerusalem.
Lord Jesus
Christ, fill our hearts with the light of your Spirit, so that by following you
on your final journey we may come to know the price of our Redemption and
become worthy to share in the fruits of your Passion, Death and Resurrection.
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The Church of
Saint Peter in Gallicantu stands on the site of the House of
Caiaphas the High Priest. It is here
that Peter denied Jesus three times.
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The Via
Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow or Way of the Cross is the route followed by Jesus
from the judgment court, the praetorium, to Golgotha, the place of the
Crucifixion, carrying the Cross. Of the
14 Stations of the Cross, 9 are small shrines along the busy narrow streets and
5 are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
How easy it is
to be distracted by the noise and demands of the world! Striving to focus on prayer while we are “in the
marketplace” is a reminder of our need to be attentive to our Lord at every
moment of every day.
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We had the
privilege to celebrate Mass at the Chapel of the Crucifixion in the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, joined by some Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of Blessed
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Here on
Calvary where you can see and touch the rock on which the Cross stood. A small altar decided to Our Lady of Sorrows
recalls the grief of our Blessed Mother Mary at the suffering and death of
Jesus. This holy place never fails to
touch the depths of my being and inability to adequately express gratitude for
what Jesus did for me—for each of us.
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Here at the Holy
Sepulchre, the “Center of the World,” devoted pilgrims kneel, kiss, touch their rosaries to the Stone of
Anointing where Jesus’ body was laid out. An altar marks the spot where Mary
received the body of her beloved Son after He was taken down from the Cross.
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The Tomb of
Jesus lies in the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre covered in marble
in a small chapel. One must bow in
humility to enter under the low doorway to the empty tomb. You can touch the bedrock of the tomb through
an opening in the wall behind an icon of the Blessed Mother—a reminder of how
Mary helps us to stay close to her Son and to “do whatever He tells” us… even
when it involves suffering and death… so that we may one day share in the glory
of His Resurrection and Eternal Life.
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This Lenten
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land during the Year of Faith was a blessed time for us to “go to the
house of the Lord.” Most importantly it
was an opportunity to reflect upon our own faith, our relationship with the Lord, and to prayerfully
discern God's will for our lives.
From Jerusalem
we joined the world in watching on television as His Holiness Pope Francis stepped
onto the balcony: we prayed with him and for him before he gave us his first
blessing as the Vicar of Christ. How
special it was to be in Capernaum a few days later to pray at
the House of Saint Peter for Pope Francis!
It is always a
joy to meet with His Beatitude Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem,
whom I met on my first visit to the Holy Land in 2008 to prepare for the 2010
World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) Centenary Assembly. While my visits since 2010 have involved substantially
fewer than the 500 women from 50 countries, whom His Beatitude welcomed at that
time, he always extends a most gracious welcome to my fellow pilgrims as he
shares his hopes and concerns for our brothers and sisters in Christ entrusted
to his paternal care. Please keep our Patriarch, the bishops, and all the
Christians in the Holy Land in your prayers.
You were
remembered in prayer at all of the holy sites.
Be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions especially during
Holy Week and the Triduum.
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2013 Easter Message of the Leaders of Christian Churches in Jerusalem
ReplyDeleteIn their Easter message, the leaders of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem invite the faithful around the world to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, extending an ecumenical appeal to visit those churches and to “walk with the living stones of this land, following in the footsteps of the Risen Christ”. The text continues: “The Christian presence here, in the Mother City of our faith, remains a beacon of the light of the Risen Christ that the first disciples were witness to in front of the empty tomb.”
“We invite all people of faith and good will in the world, particularly those in positions of authority, to strive for justice and peace among nations. We especially pray for Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and all those places suffering political upheaval. We pray for all victims of violence and oppression…for those who live without security…, especially those here in our land.”
The Christian leaders ask all those who cannot make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land “to sustain the people of this land in their prayers,” emphasizing that the Christian presence in the region continues to decline.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/in-their-easter-message-heads-of-christian-churche
For the complete text of the message, please visit:
http://en.lpj.org/2013/03/26/the-easter-message-of-the-heads-of-churches-in-jerusalem-2013/
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Providing Care to Christians in the Holy Land
On Good Friday, all Christians are united in a special way to the Holy Land. For more information about how your generous donations to the Good Friday Collection support our brothers and sisters in Christ, please visit:
http://www.myfranciscan.org/our-mission/the-good-friday-collection/
Be sure to watch the short video!
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