After boarding the bus after a good breakfast we headed to Bethlehem…

… you will see the rest of our adventures on this video. Watch the video and then read Robyn’s report of our day in Bethlehem.

Catholic Digest Blog Day 5

By Robyn Lee: Today we traveled to Bethlehem. I expected to see the birthplace of Jesus and then visit the cute little town where it is Christmas all year round. As we traveled up the road, I saw what I thought were walls of a prison, but then our guide explained that the seven by seven miles of Bethlehem are boarded up with huge concrete walls.

It reminded me of the Berlin Wall. I had no idea.

Citizens of Bethlehem are unable to leave the town unless they move out of the city or obtain a permit, which is very hard to get.

Am I the only American who didn’t know that there are huge concrete walls that surround the birthplace of our Savior?

I don’t say this to sadden you, but to help us remember how important it is for Christians to know their history, to pay attention to what is going on in the world right now (seeking truth beyond what you hear from the local media) and to fight for our faith that we know is true. There are more politics to those concrete walls than I have room to discuss right now, but as the pilgrims entered through the guarded gates, we knew that our fellow Christians needed help.

All week our local guide, Amer, told us to wait to shop until we reached Bethlehem because the Christians in Bethlehem need our help. Our group had an opportunity to visit a store where our purchase would help 64 Christian families in the occupied town of Bethlehem. This shop specialized in hand-carved olive wood sculptures. We even had an opportunity to see the factory where they take the raw olive wood and shape it into the beautiful crosses and figurines that we see in the store.

Next we traveled to the Church of the Angels in Shepherd’s Field and had Mass inside the cave where the shepherds heard the announcement of the birth of Jesus. The readings of the Mass were from Christmas day. We sang Christmas carols and Fr. Frans Berkhout greeted us with a joyous, Merry Christmas!

Fr. Berkhout explained that the shepherds and the Magi play an important role in our Catholic faith. God directly reveals himself to the shepherds when the angels announced the birth of the savior. The angels heralded the good news and the shepherds rushed down, with faith, to see the savior.

On the other hand, the three kings used science and reason to follow the star to find the king foretold in Isaiah.

God wants us to worship with both faith and reason. Faith and reason worked harmoniously together to bring us to the little town of Bethlehem to know, love, and serve the Prince of Peace. May that small child, born 2000 years ago bring peace to his native land.

After we visited the place where Jesus’ birth was announced we waited in line to visit the Church of the Nativity, which is shared by the Roman Catholics, Armenians, and Greek Orthodox.

The place of Jesus birth is marked with a 14-point star. Pilgrims can kneel below the altar and kiss the place where Mary gave birth to our Savior. We also had the opportunity to visit the church of Saint Catherine of Sienna and visit the caves where St. Jerome translated the Bible.

After our day visiting the holy sites, we went to a Bethlehem restaurant for dinner and had the best lamb dinner I have ever tasted. I had the privilege to sit with 86-year-old, Raji Khoury of Shepherd Tours. The first thing Raji told us is that he taught Steve Ray everything he knows.

We had the opportunity to ask Raji about his experiences as a Palestinian Christian, a perspective that you would not get from the mainstream media. Raji explained that Christians are the ones that are suffering the most. He said, “we are between two hammers.” The population of Christians in the Holy Land is less than two percent. When we asked him what will be the solution between the Jews and the Muslims, he said that the solution won’t be resolved until Jesus comes again.

As we left the city walls, I gazed upon the graffiti that had messages pleading for the walls to come down. One image that struck me, was an image of a Christmas tree with cement walls up around it.

Let us pray to the “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9: 1-6) that his kingdom will be forever peaceful both now and forever.

It was a rich day, very full. It started with a wake-up call at 4:15 so we could leave at 4:45. Everyone thanked us later 🙂

The streets of Jerusalem are like a huge flea market with all the crowds and hustle and bustle. Sometimes you can hardly move. It is much better to pray the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa when the streets are abandoned. We arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre while it is still empty (during the day it is wall-to-wall people).

We arrived to have Mass at the top of Calvary. When finished I checked the Franciscans and the group that was scheduled to have Mass in the Tomb of Christ never showed up so we got the slot and our whole group had Mass INSIDE the Tomb of Christ. Everyone touched the stone and prayed.

Our group picture was next on our way back to the Notre Dame for breakfast. After re-couping from the early morning start we visited St. Ann’s which is the birthplace of Mary and the location of the Pools of Bethesda where Jesus cured a crippled man.

Then to the Western Wall to pray and learn the history and biblical significance of this site, the most holy for Jews in the world.

The Holy Shroud Exhibit is not to be missed then free time in the afternoon, a personal meeting with the Bishop of Jerusalem, confession available and a free evening.

Part I: Via Dolorosa, Mass at Calvary, Mass at the Tomb

Part II: All the other Great Events of the Day

By Robyn Lee: Today was an overwhelming, but powerful and grace filled day. Our day started very early with a wake up call of 4:15 am. The pilgrims walked the Via Dolorosa in the dark and the silence early in the morning, just as Jesus carried his cross 2,000 years ago. We prayed the Stations of the Cross through the streets of Jerusalem until we reached the Holy Sepulchre, the place where Jesus was crucified and buried.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a maze of altars, stairs and twists and turns. When we first entered the church we were able to venerate the stone on which Jesus’ body was prepared for the crucifixion.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has a complicated history and over the centuries the various Christian rites have fought over the territory. In 1852 the Turks issued an edict which declared a status quo in the church and nothing can change unless agreed by all the different rites.

One of the rules in the Holy Sepulchre is that the different rites share the space at specific times during the day. Catholics are able to celebrate Mass in the tomb from 5-9am. If a group of visiting pilgrims doesn’t know of this rule (because there are no signs), it may cause conflict.

Our group arrived at the church early, but due to overages from earlier hours it looked as though our time slot would be bumped. Thankfully Steve Ray was able to set up a mass on Calvary.

We walked up a steep staircase to the place where Jesus was crucified. I knelt underneath the altar and reached my hand into a hole to touch the rock on which Jesus’ cross stood. Steve Ray reminded us that if we put our hand there 2,000 years ago it would have been sticky with blood.  

As Mass began, Fr. Eamon Kelly from the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, reminded us what a privilege it is to be having Mass on Calvary. During his homily he remarked on the many ways man tries to deal with the problem of suffering. But with Christ, our suffering is enabled to become an instrument of salvation. Fr. Kelly explained that Christ’s body was offered up for us. God loves us so much that he didn’t even spare his only Son. God had to empty himself so that we could be fulfilled. This is resurrected living: living with hope, joy and love for the living God.

Shortly after Mass we discovered that one of the groups that was scheduled for Mass in the tomb didn’t show. One of the Franciscan priests asked if we would like to have Mass in the tomb!

The tomb of Christ is a very small area. You can only fit about four people in the tomb itself. The outer reception area can fit about 30 people (if you pack them in like sardines).

There are 1 billion Christians in the world and we all want to fit into this small space. With no signs or clear rules, you can imagine the chaos and the tension that this causes.

God bless the Franciscan priest whose job it is to enforce the rules during the Roman hours from 5-9am. It is not an easy job (and we should pray for him!) But it is extremely important to use and defend the time allotted to the Catholics at these holy places because if we don’t use the time, it will be taken away.

What a blessing to have Mass on Calvary and then also in the tomb! God has certainly blessed our trip.

Next we traveled to the Church of St. Anne, the birthplace of Mary. Outside of the church there are ruins of the pools of Bethesda, where the healing of the paralytic took place (John 5: 1-9). St. Anne’s was built to commemorate the birthplace of the Blessed Mother. When the Muslims invaded they didn’t destroy the church because the acoustics were so good in the church that they converted it to a mosque. In the beginning of the 20th century the Church of St. Anne was brought back under the guidance of the Roman Catholics.

Our group had the opportunity to go inside St. Anne’s church and sing. The voice of one is carried throughout the entire church without the aid of microphones. We sat in the front and sang several Marian hymns. It was beautiful to hear our song echo through out the entire church.

We traveled to the Western Wall, the holiest place in the world for Jews. Steve Ray gave the biblical history and we had an opportunity to visit the retaining wall of the ancient Temple.

At the end of the day we had a very special appointment with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He spoke with our group about the Christian community in the Holy Land. He shared the challenges that the Christians face and admitted that it is a difficult situation. But he reminded us that prayer is our hope. He asked us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because it is peace for the Church.

When we asked the Patriarch how to practically help Christians in the Holy Land he said first of all to pray for peace. Next, encourage pilgrims to come to the Holy Land. Let them know it is a safe and holy place to visit. If you are unable to travel you can support the dioceses through financial support or consider adopting a sister parish in Bethlehem.

He encouraged us to pray for peace so that every pilgrim can visit the Holy Land.

He said that pilgrims are accepted by all groups in Israel, not only because there is an economic benefit, but because pilgrims are a bridge between the conflicting groups. Pilgrims come to the Holy Land to pray and with them they bring the presence of peace.

Another great day. Lots going on in Jerusalem as they celebrated the unification of Jerusalem. So we revised our itinerary and it worked great!

We started with Mass at Gethsemane. Do you know why Jesus was arrested in a garden, crucified and buried also in a garden?

We then prayed at the Pater Noster Church at the top of the Mount of Olives where Jesus taught his disciples to pray and from which he ascended into heaven.

Then the Dormition Abbey where Mary fell asleep, the Upper Room, the Church of Peter in Gallicantu (cock crow) where Peter denied Jesus and where Jesus was imprisoned over Holy Thursday. Then lunch at a Jewish kibbutz – great lunch!

We even ended up with free time in the afternoon which some enjoyed by visiting Bethany, others walking into the Old City and others resting and talking on the patio of the hotel overlooking Jerusalem. I think a few even took a nap 🙂

By Robyn Lee: Today our day started with mass at the Garden of Gethsemane at the Basilica of the Agony. On our way into the church we stopped to look at the olive trees that date back to the time of Jesus. 

Right in front of the main altar is the rock where Jesus suffered his agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-50). I pictured a small rock where Jesus knelt and prayed, but this rock was large enough for Jesus to lay prostrate. Inside the church there are several mosaics of Jesus’ agony, the kiss of Judas, and the guards coming to the garden to arrest Jesus.

Fr. Frans Berkhout spoke about Jesus patiently, humbly and lovingly accepting the cup the Father gave him. When you love someone you go out of your way for him, like a mother who wakes up in the middle of the night for a sick child. Where sacrifice is great, love must be all the greater. Jesus loves, accepts and forgives even to the point of death. The meaning of the garden is love and sacrifice. Fr. Berkhout reminds us to reflect on the meaning of the garden and among these old trees and holy rock, learn to sacrifice.

Steve Ray explained the connections between the Old Testament Adam who went into the garden and committed the first sin and the New Adam who would go into a garden and reverse everything.

Next we traveled to the cave where Jesus taught the disciples to pray the Our Father. Currently there is a Carmelite order on this site. Inside the cave we sang the Our Father and then walked around the courtyard looking at tiles of the Our Father prayer written in hundreds of languages. Amer, our local guide, gave the history of this spot and explained how remnants of the Crusader church were discovered.

Next we traveled to the Church of the Dormition of Mary. According to both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, Mount Zion is the place where the Mother of Christ is said to have fallen asleep just before she was assumed into heaven. In the lower church there is a painting of the Assumption of Mary. Normally we have Mary holding the child Jesus, but in this painting, Jesus is holding Mary. There is also a statue of the Blessed Mother asleep.

Next we were able to visit the upper room where Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples and later where the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and Mary. This upper room is not the same room that Our Lord was in, but it is the same location. There was once a church built over the upper room, but was later turned into a mosque by the Turks.

Today the building is considered a museum, which is a shame since four sacraments were instituted in this spot: Holy Orders, Eucharist, Confirmation, and Confession. Steve Ray reminded us that this is the room of priests. Let us to remember to pray for priests. 

Our last morning visit was to the prison where Jesus was held on Holy Thursday night. Jesus was held in a cistern hole under the house of the high priest, Caiaphas. He was lowered down by a chain and imprisoned while he awaited his crucifixion. Our group had the opportunity to go down into the pit of the cistern and pray Psalm 88 which prefigures the suffering that Christ would have to endure. We also saw the ancient steps that Christ would have walked up when being led to Caiaphas’ house.

To see highlights of our day, visit Steve Ray’s website Catholic-Convert.com

After lunch I had the opportunity to travel with a small group to the town of Bethany where Jesus raised Lazerus from the dead. We know from the Bible that Bethany is very close to Jerusalem. This used to be a 20-minute trip from where we are staying, but due to the huge walls that are around some of the Palestine area, traveling to Bethany takes over an hour.

Our local guide led us through the streets of Bethany until we reached a small stone archway. We climbed down a long, steep staircase and then crawled underneath the rock wall to enter a small opening into the tomb of Lazarus. Once we were inside, one of the fellow pilgrims read the Gospel account of the Raising of Lazarus (John 11). I pictured the burial cloths of Lazarus and the amazement of the crowds when he came out of the tomb.

We also visited the Sanctuary of Bethany that is in custody of the Holy Land Franciscan Fathers. There are many beautiful images in the church. One image depicts the raising of Lazarus and there is another main image of Jesus teaching Martha and Mary.

It wasn’t until later that I discovered how important this trip would be. When I returned to the hotel and checked my email, I read a message from my dear friend letting me know that her father had past away. Having just visited the tomb of Lazarus, I was reminded of the words in the Gospel of John:

“Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise.’ Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die’” (John 11:21-26).

Steve Ray pointed out that our Protestant brothers ask us why we pray to dead saints. But where does it say in scripture that they are dead? We believe in the God of the living and we believe we will be united with our friends and family again at the resurrection of the body. This is our belief as Catholics. This is resurrected living. I hope this Gospel passage will bring consolation to those who have lost loved ones.

Great last day, part one. Mass to bless religious items. Driving down 4,250 feet to the lowest place on the face of the earth. Renewal of baptismal vows where John the Baptist ate grasshoppers. Jericho and much more.

Qumran, Floating in the Dead Sea (Paul reading a newspaper on his back), and camel rides.

By Robyn Lee: Today there was an optional day to visit the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea.

We were able to visit a small-scale model of the old Jerusalem city. Our local guide, Amer gave a history of the city and pointed out major landmarks where Jesus would have walked. Next we walked through the Dead Sea scroll exhibit and viewed fragments of the original scrolls and the ancient pottery that preserved the scrolls.

We then traveled to the Jordan River to renew our baptismal vows. As we traveled in the hot desert I thought about John the Baptist living out here and the great distance the people would have come to see him. 

There were many groups being baptized in the spot where John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9-11). Many pilgrims filled bottles with Jordan River water to bring home. Steve Ray explained that Jordan River water does not need to be blessed because Jesus stepped his foot into the waters.

It was a powerful moment of the trip when Fr. Berkhout asked the group the affirm the truths of our faith. “Do you reject Satan?” We all answered with a resounding, “I do.”

Next we traveled to Jericho, the most ancient city in the world. The city of Jericho was established and continually inhabited for 8,000 years before the time of Christ. Jericho has springs and fertile soil so the climate is like one big green house. Jericho is also believed to be the place where Zacchaeus climbed the Sycamore tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:1-10).

Near Jericho we were able to see the cliffs and the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were originally discovered. The scrolls were hidden in 11 different caves.

Amer pointed out that the desert is the site of God’s drama. The desert has very difficult living conditions. People who live under such extreme conditions learn to become very become dependent on the Lord. It becomes a place of retreat because you need God every second of your life.

Many revelations happen in the desert. David wrote the Psalms in the desert. Dead Sea scroll writers lived in the desert and this is the place where Jesus fasted for 40 days and then was tempted by the devil (Mark 1:12-13).

The temperatures were extremely hot and I was happy to be traveling in the air-conditioned bus!

We then traveled to the Dead Sea, the lowest place in the world. The Dead Sea has no outlet and is extremely salty. On the way down to the waterfront there are explicit instructions about how to enter the water. It is not a body of water that you can dive into and swim around in. Steve recommended that you go into the water about knee-deep and then turn around and sit down into the water. The water is so salty that you just float! It was fun to take pictures with both our arms and feet in the air. Many of the pilgrims rubbed the Dead Sea black mud on our skin and face too.

On the way home, one of the pilgrims read a beautiful thank you to Steve and Janet. I know that this trip has been such a blessing for everyone. As we traveled back to the hotel to pack our things and get ready for the flight home, I was reminded of the readings at Mass from this morning.

We had Ascension Thursday Mass at the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus instructs his disciples “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for ‘the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak.’ … You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11).

In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus tells his disciples that the “Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning with Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. … Then he blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:46-53).

Fr. Frans Berkhout reminded us that we are celebrating the Ascension of our Lord in Jerusalem. We truly are witnesses of these things. As our Holy Land pilgrimage comes to an end, we must go home filled with joy just was the disciples were. Why were the disciples filled with joy? Because the Resurrection had changed them. Let the joy of the resurrection change our lives and let us go home with joy as witnesses of all we have seen and heard in the Holy Land, announcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the ends of the world!