I had heard that a trip to the Holy Land changes your life, and it truly is an inner and outer experience that leaves no one indifferent. This summer, I participated in a pilgrimage, which someone describes as a journey “for the brave” due to the instability reigning in the country. A better description would be “for the fortunate and joyful;” everything we experienced more than made up for the uncertainty surrounding us.
House of Peter, Galilee
Each day was full of surprises. The first outing to Mount Tabor gave us a clear understanding of Peter’s reaction when he said in his astonishment, “let us make three tents.” Stopping for lunch on the Mount of the Precipice, from which Jesus was nearly cast down, was a powerful experience. And in Nazareth, where tradition places the house of the Holy Family, we remembered and prayed for our families.
Another profound experience was following the path of the Passion, starting with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem—which we recalled on Palm Sunday—and continuing to the place of His burial and resurrection. Before this, we sang the Salve Regina to the Virgin at the Church of St. Anne, which its magnificent acoustics. There also felt deep emotion and awe at the Garden of Gethsemane, standing on the rock where our Lord sweat blood.
Walking to St. Peter in Gallicantu, believed to be the site of Caiaphas’ house, reminded us of Peter’s three denials. Visiting the cistern where Jesus was likely imprisoned and seeing the mosaics depicting how He was lowered into it that night, left us in profound silence.
Placing our hand, the way Thomas did on Jesus, upon the rock where the Cross was affixed, and pausing to pray, moved our faith deeply. At the Holy Sepulcher, the priest blessed our crucifixes—the same ones that now rest on our work desks. Near Bethphage, we kissed a stone where, according to tradition, the Lord set His foot on earth for the last time. This prepared us for the visit to Dominus Flevit, the site where Jesus wept upon seeing Jerusalem.
Sea of Galilee
Reading the corresponding Gospel passage at each site helped bring the scenes to life: for example, the multiplication of the loaves and fish. There, in a spot prepared with an altar and logs facing the Sea of Galilee, we reflected outdoors and attended Mass. As we traveled around the Sea of Tiberias, after reading the passage about the miraculous catch of fish, we prayed for vocations to the Church.
The impact of these locations was united at each moment to our own inner experiences: praying Psalm 2 at King David’s tomb, singing a Christmas carol about the shepherds in what is considered the Shepherds’ Grotto, kissing the star that marks the place of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, and adoring the Christ Child.
Also, experiencing the desert’s stifling heat allowed us to better understand the temptations and preparation for Jesus’ preaching, something we also envision when reaching the lowest point on earth and renewing our baptismal promises at the Jordan River. After floating in the Dead Sea and experiencing a slight drop in blood pressure, life can carry on with the same enthusiasm, even though our pilgrimage is nearing its end.
At the Sanctuary of Stella Maris on Mount Carmel, we participated in the ceremony of imposition of the Scapular. A lookout offering a magnificent panoramic view of the bay and port of Haifa preceded our visit to Caesarea Maritima, with its ruins of Herod the Great’s palace; all of it a site of great beauty.
Saxum Visitor Center
To conclude, in an experience reserved only for small groups, we hear Mass inside the Aedicule of the Holy Sepulcher; upon exiting, filled with emotion, and close to departing from the country, we commit to praying more for peace. We depart with the purpose of promoting awareness of this land that preserves and brings to life the presence of Jesus.
By Aurora García