This morning was a beautiful morning to wake up on the shore of the Dead Sea. There was a steady wind out of the south that created rather large surf for a lake this size. Also, it was a fairly clear morning, so the sunrise, even though it took place behind us and not over the Dead Sea, was still very beautiful. Sadly, because of the waves, it really wasn’t safe to take another float in the Dead Sea.
After leaving the posh resort where we spent the night, we headed to Bethany across the Jordan. This site is the traditional site of the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist. Other sites have sprung up on the west side of the Jordan River, but this site has for many centuries held the memory of Christ’s Baptism. Over time, many Churches have been built at this site, but currently there is only one Church, and Orthodox Church, that is still standing near the site.
The river itself is at this point in its journey from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea little more than a stream. It is rather narrow and very muddy, and by American standards it would be called a stream. In the context of this region, though, where water is synonymous with life, the Jordan River represents one of the greatest natural wonders and most prized possessions. It was on the banks of this Jordan River that we celebrated Mass and renewed our Baptismal promises.
After Mass, we headed back to Israel by way of the Allenby Bridge. Due to certain political realities, we could not cross into Jordan at this bridge, but we can cross back into Israel. It was a rather quick and painless crossing, and in very little time we were back on the bus and headed to the Notre Dame Center.
Today we had another needed day of rest. The trip to Jordan the past few days was very busy and tiring. It was nice to be able to have time to process all that has been happening and to gain as much as possible spiritually from all our experiences.
SNOW! Who would have thought it possible! We’ve been hearing dire predictions for several days, but this morning, there was an inch or two of soggy snow and slush on the ground, and more coming.
Three of us braved the elements for a soggy walk around the Old City before breakfast, and were rewarded by wet feet… and many beautiful and unique views of the city, the Kidron Valley, and the Mount of Olives with snowy highlights! Needless to say, the streets were much quieter than usual.
We were supposed to have a walking tour of the Western (Wailing) Wall, but due to the weather, that was cancelled! With plenty of homework and studying to do as the end of the pilgrimage, and our classes, approaches, most of us found the time easy to fill. We have an Ecclesiology paper due by the end of the pilgrimage, and oral exams coming for Gospel of Matthew and History of Israel. Besides, it was nice to be snug and warm and dry in the Notre Dame Center as the snow and drizzle continued all day.
This afternoon the individual evaluation meetings began with Fr. Dan and Sr. Kathleen. This gives each man the chance to pray over the pilgrimage, and evaluate himself and the program. Fr. Dan and Sr. Kathleen can then use this for future planning.
In the afternoon, several of the more weather-hardened among us walked through the Old City. Most everything was closed up, at least the shops, and streets normally crowded with vendors, pilgrims, and locals were open and empty. It was actually kind of nice to see things at a little more peaceful rhythm during daylight hours!
We were grounded another day because of the four inches of snow that fell here in Jerusalem. We were scheduled for a tour of the Mount of Olives, Bethany and Bethpage. Public transportation was still at a standstill and most of the shops were still closed today. Those of us who ventured out had an opportunity to trudge through the slushy snow. The temperature was at the point where it wasn’t cold enough for everything to freeze but also not warm enough for the snow to melt completely.
Many used the time we were given to work on if not finish the Ecumenism paper for the class we had with Father Baima while we were in Bethlehem. We had classes in the afternoon and were given the guidelines for our oral final exams with Father Peter Damian and Father McIlhone. Yes, men even on pilgrimage you will have classes culminating in a final exam. Many are grateful for the work of Chris Martel our Academic Rep who has put together materials for study groups. Thanks Chris!
This morning we took a tour of the ‘Lithostrotos’, or pavement, which is held to be the place where Jesus was scourged. Etched into the floor were pictures and symbols that made up some kind of game, where the Roman soldiers would role dice to decide how they would torture and kill the prisoners.
The custodians of the site, the Sisters of Zion, told us the history of their order, and showed us the ‘Ecce Homo’ arch in their chapel, whereon Pilate said ‘Behold the Man’ as he showed the crowds how Jesus had been scourged and crowned with thorns. It looked different than I imagined it to be, but it was easy to envision the crowds of people there crying out for Jesus’ crucifixion, for Barabbas to be released, and yelling up to Pilate. It felt more like a museum than a Holy Site; since it appears so differently now, it was very weird to think of all that happened at that place.
This afternoon a priest from the Notre Dame Center gave us a tour of the ‘Shroud of Turin’ exhibit at the Notre Dame Center. There was a replica of the Shroud there, and a lot of information about crucifixion, different aspects of the shroud, and a bronze statue of the crucified man imaged in the shroud. From what we learned about the nature of the Shroud, it’s clear that even if it isn’t THE Shroud, there are still a lot of unanswered questions: how it was made, for example? It would take atom-splitting energy to recreate one. The only other image in existence that is in the same scientific category is Juan Diego’s mantle, upon which the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe miraculously appeared. It was a very powerful exhibit, and it made us think about Jesus’ death and resurrection in a new light. The priest reflected that Mary as the next of kin would have been the last in the tomb, and with her John, to whose care she had been entrusted. When John came back into the tomb on Easter morning the scriptures say that ‘he saw and believed’. What was it that he saw? Had he left things in a certain way? Put something in a particular place? We don’t know. He was the last one in the tomb, and the second one back in after Peter.
We had Mass this morning at 9 a.m. at Gethsemane Grotto, the place where Jesus was betrayed by Judas. It literally is a stone’s throw away from the Garden of Gethsemane and the stone where Jesus agonized over the suffering that was coming to Him. Fr. McIlhone presented a moving homily on one of his first experiences of the Gethsemane shrines. This was followed at the end of Mass by a reflection by Jose Ricardo Palermo.
This Mass was our first of several stops for the day that took us up onto the Mount of Olives and beyond. Next we visited Bethany, the village of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. There we visited the Church that commemorates Christ’s relationship and interaction with these beloved friends. We also visited the tomb from which Jesus called Lazarus forth. It is a little different today because the Muslims built a mosque on the site and closed up the original entrance to the tomb. Thankfully, the Franciscans who are in charge of most of the holy places here bought some adjacent land and opened up a new entrance to the tomb.
Back on the Mount of Olives we stopped first at the site of Christ’s Ascension into heaven. There is preserved a stone with what is believed to be a footprint that Christ left behind as he Ascended to the Father. This site too was taken over by the Muslims and turned into a mosque, though they have kept the stone intact for pilgrims.
About a hundred yards away from the spot of Jesus’ Ascension is a shrine to the Our Father. It is a place maintained by some Carmelite sisters from France. All around the church and yard outside the church are tile wall hangings of the Our Father in numerous different languages. Many of these languages I have never heard of, but the message of the site is the universality of the prayer, and even more so, the universality of the Gospel.
From here we traveled a little bit down hill, both by bus and by walking, to the Church of Dominus Flevit. This church commemorates the place where Christ wept over Jerusalem. Closer to the end of the pilgrimage we will be spending a large part of a day here in prayer and reflection as a way to close out the pilgrimage.
After we returned to the Notre Dame Center and had a late lunch, several of us had our evaluation meetings with Sr. Kathleen and Fr. Dan.
This Sunday we had a full day touring around. Even after over two months, there are still many places we haven’t seen! We had a new guide, too, who went by the nickname, "Indiana Cohen." He even had the Indiana Jones-style leather hat!
First, we headed west out of town towards the coast, down through the valleys and hills around Jerusalem. The guide was one of our first Jewish guides, so he added a different perspective of the surroundings. After an hour or so with some traffic, we came to the town of Abu Gosh. There is a French Benedictine Abbey here, as well as a congregation of sisters up on the top of the hill. We visited both. The sisters live on one of the sights where the Ark of the Covenant is reputed to have rested in the Old Testament. They have a beautiful image of the Blessed Mother as the new Ark, carrying the Word of God, Christ.
After a brief visit with the sisters, we went down to the Abbey for mass. It was a VERY beautiful mass, chanted in French and Latin by the Benedictine fathers, brothers, and sisters. They used an organ for some parts, a very curious looking harp-like banjo-looking hybrid to accompany the singing of the Gospel (it sounded heavenly), but mostly it was unaccompanied chant. The Church there is one of the reputed sites of Emmaus, where Jesus appeared after the resurrection. There are two other possible sites as well. The church is an intact Crusader church with amazing original frescos.
After Mass, we had some time to pray and enjoy the church and the grounds. They had a little gift store, and a very friendly dog that we roughhoused with a little. Then we had a delicious lunch just across the street.
After lunch, we headed out to a second site of Emmaus, Quebebeh, and Latrun monastery. Both were closed because it was Sunday, but we were able to look around the ruins of a HUGE Church at Quebebeh.
We visited several other ancient sites, but the highlight was the likely battlefield where David slew Goliath. We read the Scripture, and many collected a little round stone!
To close the day, we headed for Nabi Samwil, the traditional burial site of the Prophet Samuel, on a high ridge north of Jerusalem. It has a mosque and a synagogue there, and we were able to climb on the roof and take in an amazing panoramic view of Jerusalem. By that time the sun was getting low in the sky, and plumb tuckered out we headed back to the Notre Dame Center!
This morning we had a walking tour to visit Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the Pool of Siloam. Before we departed on pilgrimage each of us signed up to provide a reflection at various holy sites. Today is my day because I signed up for Hezekiah’s Tunnel. The reason I selected this site was I’d never heard of it and thought it would be a good learning opportunity. Hezekiah’s Tunnel, like many of the sites we’ve visited, is a place where the water supply is outside the city and is routed into the city and hidden from the threatening aggressor. In this case it was Sennacherib and the Assyrian army who were attacking Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah.
Today we spent the day in two tour groups with Catholic Relief Services, who took us around to some of the different sites where they help people here. My group went to a village of stone-cutters that is unable to export their goods due to the complicated political situation here, and we had a town meeting where the people told us their situation. CRS has been helping them to build up the infrastructure in their town, and fund projects where the people can work for food.
We also visited St. Joseph’s girls school, where CRS funds a program which allows the girls there to see a lot of different things even within Bethlehem. As a part of this the girls would visit different religious sites in their own area, would volunteer with the disabled and elderly, and learn about different occupations. We were very impressed with the young ladies there, who speak Arabic, French, and English!
We also visited a refugee camp near Bethlehem. People live in very tight quarters there- one family per room. The college-aged woman who gave us a tour had lived there her entire life. Her grand-parents and parents had been displaced from their village decades ago. There was, surprisingly, a very nice community center there with a restaurant and Internet connection. The kids there are part of a program called ‘cyber-bridges’, where they communicate with a group of students in Chicago. They’ve learned a lot, and have taught a lot through this program. The young men and women refugees were very intelligent and spoke English. They were also very, very angry at their plight, and the lack of knowledge that the world has concerning their situation.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lent. It is a great blessing to begin this holy season here in the Holy Land , most especially here in Jerusalem, the place of our Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. May the graces of this pilgrimage transform our experience of Lent and draw us closer to Christ.
We had classes in the morning, and in the afternoon we had a visit to Ecole Biblique. This institution is one of the top places in the world for the study of Sacred Scripture. We received a very warm welcome here, and were given an excellent tour of the campus. One of the major buildings that we could not go into as a group was the library, which is understandable considering the size of our group. We did get a chance to see, though, some beautiful mosaics and to hear about the great work and studies that take place here.
Only three days left after today! It’s hard to believe this journey is coming to an end.
We started off the day with a hike to the Temple Mount, or Haram el Sharif. This is now a Muslim mosque, since Jerusalem was conquered by the Muslims and the Crusaders were vanquished. It holds the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site for Moslems in the world! Access to non-Moslems is quite limited, just a few hours a day. However, during that time you can pretty much wander all over the Temple Mount. You can’t, however, go into the Dome of the Rock, or even look it. This is venerated as the place Mohammed ascended into heaven after the Night Ride. It is also the sight of the First and Second Temples of the Jews, and Mount Moriah, where Abraham brought Isaac to sacrifice him before his hand was stayed by an angel.
The tour got done pretty early, so we had the rest of the morning to wander. Then, in the afternoon, we had our last two classes. Some guys had their individual evaluation sessions with Sr. Kathleen or Fr. Dan. Today and tomorrow are also the last oral finals for Fr. McIlhone’s class, the Gospel of Matthew. Most of the guys have been studying and worrying about the orals, since we don’t have that many at the seminary.
Tonight we went to Mass with the house Mass, that is the Mass the Legionaries here say every day for whoever’s around. Most of the time we have our own Mass, but it’s been nice to be together with them and other guests a couple times this week.
We have entered the “final” days of our pilgrimage. This past Monday began oral “final” exams for Father Peter Damian’s class on Old Testament History. Meetings with Sister Kathleen and Father Dan to discuss our “final” reflections of our pilgrimage experience concluded yesterday afternoon. And I think it is now safe to say that the oral “final” exams with Father McIlhone on the Gospel of Matthew have been completed. Tomorrow evening we will have a “final” dinner together as a group in Bethlehem.
While this has been a week of “final” experiences it is a time of new beginning for some of the pilgrims who have decided to do extended travel at the end of the pilgrimage. Some will be going to Rome, two will be traveling in Jordan and Father Dan Sullivan and Father Jim McIlhone will visit family members in Ireland. There is one last final though. This is my final entry for the pilgrimage journal. See you soon!
We had our morning of reflection yesterday. I can’t believe it’s the end of the pilgrimage! We went to Dominus Flevit for our final, official pilgrimage mass. It is a quiet spot halfway up the Mount of Olives which commemorates the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He sat upon a colt, and people sang Hosanna. I sat picking a guitar in some clovers under a red pine- over the silver green tops of olive trees and the roof of the church on the terrace below me I could see all of Jerusalem. My mind was mostly blank after ten weeks of travel and experience and intake. I felt like I’d just come out onto a bridge through a railway tunnel and found that the ground had dropped beneath me, and the train was hundreds of feet above the land. I thought of Revelation 21- the vision of a New Jerusalem coming down: the symbol of heaven. This pilgrimage has just been a compact version, or a microcosm of that larger pilgrimage that we are all on. People e-mailed me and said that they feel as though they’ve been able to see some of the sites through my eyes- and I thought of how much all of you have been very much a part of the pilgrimage for me. I have been praying for all of the people who read this blog (Ben pointed out that this prayer is definitely a sign of the times).
Today was our last day here in the Holy Land! What a great time it has been! We keep hearing how we are blessed to have spent so much time here in this land, and looking back I can see how right those statements are. We have seen countless groups come and go during our stay here, and yet we have had the grace to be able to stay for an extended period. There are so many to thank for this great privilege and grace. May God bless all of you.
For our last day, we had a free day. Many spent it packing, but even in the midst of all that work we still had plenty of time to go back and visit our favorite places in Jerusalem. It was nice to have this last opportunity to visit those places that have meant so much to us. Being a free day, it also meant rest in preparation for the long journey ahead.
In the evening we had a presentation by one of the Legionaries fathers on a new Notre Dame Center that they are building in Galilee. Currently, they only have the land, but they hope to start construction by the end of summer. It looked like an amazing project both for the local community and for the pilgrims coming to the Holy Land. After the presentation we had our last farewell dinner at The Rotisserrie. It was a wonderful time to just kick back, enjoy the food, and enjoy even more each others company before we depart for our many destinations.
At the end of the dinner, one of our brothers, Ivan Moreno made an announcement to the community. After a long period of discernment, he has decided to leave the seminary and join a Trappist community in California. Ivan has been a special part of our class, and we will miss him greatly. Please keep him and all of us who continue to discern and prepare for ordination in your prayers.
A final word to all of you who have been following our journey and keeping in us in your prayers. This experience would not have been possible without your prayers and support. Know that you have been in our thoughts and prayers as we visited all the many holy sites. May God bless you for your generosity and support.