TAKE A HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
ISRAEL • BETHLEHEM • JORDAN
A travelogue of some of our amazing pilgrimage experiences in the Holy Land.
Join Us on Our Upcoming Holy Land Pilgrimage
Come with us to the Holy Land, where you’ll get to visit many of the places we include in The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land TV series and in our new series The Faithful Traveler: A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
Living in Bethlehem, Where it All Began
Did you hear that we’re organizing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this April? It’s going to be awesome! As part of the excitement leading up to this trip, I’m speaking with people who have either been to the Holy Land lately or who live there.
Denise Bossert told us about her trip to the Holy Land in November. Saliba Danho told us about what it was like growing up in the Holy Land and why he still leads and organizes pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Ceci Triska told us about all of her trips to the Holy Land and why she continues to go. Habib Karam told us what it’s like loving in Nazareth and Ikey Korin told us what life is like from the perspective of an Israeli tour guide.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to Carolina Hodali Di Marco, a Bethlehem native who works with the Christian Media Center, who create such amazing videos on different sites and events in the Holy Land.
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I was born and raised in Bethlehem. My family is a mixed family. My dad is Palestinian and my mom is Spanish. She has been living in Bethlehem for 42 years now. I was married to an Italian in 2007 and moved to Italy for 7 years. Living in Bethlehem completes my vision for my life, my existence.
I must say living in these two places enriched me a lot. On the one hand I was born in the place where it ALL BEGAN. A place that gives you a sense of simplicity, hope and confusion! Which means not a monotonous life.
The Holy land has many faces and, yes, one face is the political situation, which puts fear in those living in the Holy Land and those living out of the Holy Land. It is complicated to live here, obstacles are everywhere. Especially when we talk about the segregation wall. Being inside a big prison.
However, you lean to adapt and find alternatives. What this place gives you is more than what it takes form you. It gives you real traditions, it gives you the urge to look into your life and decide real priorities, it gives you interesting people with big historical heritage, it gives you the possibility to be in those places where Jesus was born, walked, preached and died, so the will to research his life and research your life is profound.
The daily life emphasizes the importance of women in this part of the world. With all the stereotypes that women are not equal, I can talk about many examples about great women with great achievements.
Carolina at work
I get to visit the sacred sites often, actually. A lot of people who want to go out for a walk would always consider lighting a candle or say a prayer in a sacred place, so it becomes part of your activities. I wish I could visit more other sacred places inside Israel but Palestinians don’t have possibility of free movement around this place on earth!
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
I think it’s important for Christians to visit the Holy Land. First of all, for the religious aspect. There, you create moments that you won’t forget. These moments create an urge in you to come back – it’s a magical feeling. Second, it’s a perfect opportunity to help locals, artisans, and merchants stay through moving the Palestinian economy. Palestine is encountering a difficult moment and a lot of people are leaving, mainly for economical reasons. Pilgrims need not to see only churches and stones but come see, talk, meet locals.
Some of my favorite places in the Holy Land are the Old City in Jerusalem, for sure, Mount Tabor, Bethlehem, al Qilt valley, Mar Saba monastery, Cremisan convent and Winery, and the Negev desert.
As for the sacred places I think itineraries do a good job and cover most of the places. I think pilgrims should consider sleeping for more than 2-3 days in Bethlehem and Palestinian areas to help the area economically.
Locals are waiting for pilgrims to come. People have a great sense of hospitality and willing to help.
Photos copyright and courtesy of Carolina Hodali DiMarco, unless otherwise indicated.
Remembering the Holocaust at Yad Vashem
Photos of those lost in the Holocaust in Yad Vashem’s Hall of Names
On our last visit to the Holy Land, we were fortunate to visit and film at Yad Vashem, the vast and haunting holocaust museum in Jerusalem. Pope St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis all visited this memorial on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and I think it is something that everyone who goes to the Holy Land should do.
The Wall of Remembrance bas relief entitled “The Last March”, depicting the mass deportation of the Jews to the death camps, sculpted by Nathan Rapoport
Today is the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Just the name, Auschwitz, brings tears to my eyes. Thinking about all of the people who suffered and died during that horrible time in our history. Thinking about all of the people who have suffered and died in similar ways since the words “Never again” were uttered after that horrible time in our history.
The Wall of Remembrance sculpture entitled “The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising”, sculpted by Nathan Rapoport
Will we ever learn?
If you get the chance–today or whenever–visit a Holocaust Museum when you can. There’s one in Houston, TX, and of course there’s a beautiful one in Washington, DC.
I visited our Holocaust Museum once, when I was living in Washington DC during law school. As I recall, I took a cab there, all by myself, to see this amazing memorial. When I walked in, they gave me a passport of someone who had been through the concentration camps. As you walked through the museum, you turned the pages, eventually learning of their fate at the end.
As it happened, I got the passport of a young girl who shared my birthday. My heart leapt at this coincidence! I hoped she’d live! She was beautiful and so young. As I walked, slowly through the exhibits, I felt this huge weight of sadness inside. I had to quicken my step at some parts, like when I had to walk through an actual train car in which the Jews were shuttled to the death camps like cattle. That was too much.
At the end of the passport, I learned that my birthday buddy died in Auschwitz. I still pray for her today. Although, in all honesty, it seems more apt that these souls would be praying for us now, praying that we really would stick to those words, “Never again.”
The odds of any of us sending someone to a concentration camp, or slaughtering someone with a machete, as in Rwanda, are slim. But how do we show, every day of our lives, in the little things in our lives, that every life matters? Do we treat everyone with love and kindness? Do we smile at strangers and the ones closest to us?
On a much smaller level, let’s let that be the lesson of Auschwitz today: let us treat every human being with love, because every human being matters.
Holy souls and saints of the Holocaust, pray for us.
The collection of names of those lost during the Holocaust in Yad Vashem’s Hall of Names
Here is a virtual tour of Yad Vashem, from the museum’s website. Visit that for more information on the Holocaust.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zte0vT8MaA[/youtube]
Meet Ikey Korin: Your Israeli KEY to the Holy Land
Ikey Korin and I in May 2014
In May of 2014, we were blessed to travel to the Holy Land, as guests of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, to film a production on Pope Francis’ pilgrimage. (That special is still in production and will be released later this year.)
As part of our trip, the Tourism Office set us up with guides who would not only drive us around, but who would tell us things that we wanted and needed to know. One of those guides was Ikey Korin. Today I’d love to introduce him to you!
What can I say about Ikey? He is AWESOME! He is so in love with his country and its history–he loves all of its people, and is so full of joy to share it with everyone! He is enthusiastic and bombastic! He is a force of nature. Here’s some video of him:
[youtube width=”550″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/j7ADqpLUqu0[/youtube]
On his biography page, Ikey says about himself: “I’m the grandson of a rabbi, son of a Jewish refugee, lived in a kibbutz, wounded in action–what’s more Israeli than this?” And Ikey’s perspective and knowledge were so invaluable to us, not only in our production, but also just in getting to know a wider view of the Holy Land, not just a Christian or Catholic one. I loved hearing Ikey’s stories about his life as a young Israeli soldier, and hearing him expound on what he thought about the future of the Holy Land.
One of the things that many Christian tour operators do is try to get Christian tour guides, to support the dwindling numbers of Christians in the region. I certainly do not want to disagree with that goal. That said, I think it invaluable for Christian groups and people, in general, to broaden their worldview and meet some of the locals, be they Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. We are all children of God, are we not?
Recently, I asked Ikey to tell me a little bit about himself, and to tell us what life is like in the Holy Land these days. Since I am planning a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April (there’s still time to sign up!), I want to know–should I be afraid? Here’s what Ikey has to say about that.
Ikey, sharing his love and vast knowledge of the Holy Land
DVG: You live in the Holy Land now—can you tell us where you live and if you’ve lived there your whole life?
IK: I live about 20 miles north of Tel-Aviv, but over the years I have lived in many other places, and since the whole country’s size is less than half the size of lake Michigan, I can almost say I have lived all over!
DVG: What kinds of people do you get to meet through your work?
IK: I do not limit myself to any special people and the benefit is, I get to guide from the very humble Christian pilgrim to multi-millionaires, Hollywood celebrities, Orthodox Rabbis and backpackers.
DVG: The news makes the Holy Land seem very scary, yet you are raising your family there. Do you feel safe?
IK: People who travel this country, especially during the summer, get to see more hitchhikers than police cars, and kids at grade A (elementary kids) are walking back home from school all by themselves. Is this common to see in America? Actually, and no offense, my wife wonders after each hurricane, tornado, or shooting in malls, schools and elsewhere, who wants to live in such a dangerous country as America?!
Our cameraman, Andy, talking to some local kids near the Western Wall
DVG: What an amazing insight, Ikey! Of course, we Americans obviously don’t consider our country to be so dangerous that we wouldn’t walk outside, but it is interesting to see how dangerous it seems from another country, and from one that many Americans consider to be so dangerous! I remember, when you were driving us around in Jerusalem, we did see lots of little kids walking to school all by themselves! We were all amazed! You’d never see that in the United States! At least, not in a big city. But they were everywhere in Jerusalem. And you’re right, we did see lots of hitchhikers and didn’t hear too many sirens–except for when Pope Francis was nearby, of course! I think I hear more sirens in Philadelphia or New York City! But of course, there was real fighting going on this past year, just a month after we visited. How did those events affect tourism in the Holy Land?
IK: Since this country is so very small, any event that takes place either in the country or nearby turns into breaking news in the media. Many times, it is over inflated, which unfortunately does cause a lot of cancellations, sometimes a year in advance! Would you cancel your next summer holiday in Disney due to a hurricane a year before? Would you avoid going to the local cinema for a whole year because of a crazy gunman shooting? I calculated my damages relating to last summer’s conflict, and it looks like I lost close to 30,000US$ over a period of 8 months!
Ikey took us to the amazing Mehane Yehuda market!
DVG: I know that you are not the only one going through this, Ikey. Many of my friends in the tourism industry are suffering from people canceling their trips because they are afraid. And that’s why I’m hoping that people will read these interviews, with locals, like you, who live in the Holy Land, or with pilgrims who have gone recently. So far, everyone has said that it is safe, and that they should come! Do you think that people who want to visit the Holy Land should feel that it is unsafe there for tourists?
IK: Seriously & honestly, I do not see any more risk in going to the Holy Land than taking a cruise. Remember the Costa Concordia in June of 2012? Or in riding a train in Spain–remember the 78 people who were killed in July 2013? Or in visiting Boston, watching a Marathon.
DVG: Very good points, Ikey. So, tell me, why do you think it’s important for people to visit the Holy Land?
IK: I will try to quote as much as possible a pilgrim from Texas, a Korea veteran (!), who stood up during our farewell dinner and wept as he said:
I don’t know how many more years have I left, but let me tell you, I’m gonna regret them all for not taking this trip earlier. All of my life, I was spending my holidays taking my family to places like Acapulco and Florida, and I always found an excuse for not going to the Land of the Bible, like there’s always bad news coming from there, or it is too expensive. I was reading the Bible and I said to myself, “Some day!” And now, after I’ve been here, I can only ask, why did I spend my time reading the Bible and traveling to other places instead of traveling the Bible and reading of those other places?! Taking a Gondola in Venice–how can you compare that to a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee? How stupid was I, walking along the Champs Elysee, and how blessed I feel walking the Via Dolorosa! What’s the point of standing in line and paying money to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral in London when I can get on my knees for free at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher? I saw all the other places with my eyes, but only the Holy Land got right into my heart!
DVG: Wow. That makes me cry. As someone who has travelled a lot, I really appreciate, and agree with that statement. The world is a beautiful place to see. But visiting the Holy Land changes your life.
So, w hat are some of your favorite places to go in the Holy Land?
IK: Jerusalem, for its uniqueness, Tel Dan, for the combination of history and nature, and the Sea of Galilee, for its beauty.
DVG: I know many who would agree with you on that last one! What is one place that you think people never visit but should?
IK: Israel is multi-faceted country, and there are too many places to list. Every person may find a place that suites his own unique interests, but there is plenty to see.
DVG: What is some of your favorite food in the Holy Land?
IK: Falafel, shawarma, hummus and …. a visit to Aroma (a cafe). Starbucks failed in Israel, but we succeeded with Aroma around the world.
DVG: Ha! I did love the food in the Holy Land, and my mouth is watering, just reading your list! What do you think the locals think about pilgrims coming to visit—do they think we’re a nuisance or do they want us to come?
IK: We, people of the East, Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike, have the tradition of treating a foreigner as if he comes to visit our own home, and people will walk far out of their way to help you!
DVG: Your hospitality and joy was definitely a wonderful aspect of our trip, Ikey. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I will pray that more people travel to the Holy Land, and hire you to be their guide!
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Next time you’re planning a trip to the Holy Land and want to get the perspective from one of the most friendly and knowledgable tour guides in Israel, get in touch with Ikey at his webpage. Tell him I sent you.
Being Nazorean: Life in the Holy Land
Readers of my blog and followers of my Facebook page have met my dear friend, Habib Karam many times. I first introduced him shortly after I’d met him in May, and he’s guest blogged once before, too. This time, I asked him if, in anticipation of my upcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April, he’d answer some questions about what it’s like out there now and whether I should worry about what it’ll be like. Here are his answers.
DVG: You’ve lived in Nazareth and in the US. What is it like living in Nazareth? How does it compare to living in the US?
HK: In 1995, when we started thinking about moving back home, we wrote a list with two sides: Why should we go back home and Why should we stay in the USA. We found the list couple of years ago. The list of why should we stay in the USA was twice as long as the list of why should we go back. However, the long list had all material things like high paying job, big house, cars, vacations …, while the short list had all family, community, and spiritual things. It was a choice of living in material luxury or spiritual high and family comfort. We moved back in 2001, and have not looked back since then. We love being close to family, and helping in our community. However, most of all, we love living next to where the Holy Family lived; they are our neighbours by land, but in our heart all the time! I always say, you can have many houses, but there is only one home. Our home is Nazareth!
DVG: The news makes the Holy Land seem very scary. You are raising your family there. Do you feel safe?
HK: We trust in God to keep us safe. Nazareth is dedicated to the Holy Heart of Mary, she will protect us. Besides, Nazareth has never seen any fighting!
DVG: How often do you get to visit the sacred sites of Christianity in the Holy Land?
HK: We live very close to the Basilica of Annunciation. It is our Parish. This is where we go to share in Hour of Adoration, Pray the Rosary, and attend masses. We often make trips to the Sea of Galilee, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, especially when we have visitors, which is all the time.
DVG: Do you think it’s important for Christians to visit the Holy Land? If so, why?
HK: The Holy Land is the Fifth Gospel. In order to really understand the Bible, you need to see where it all happened and meet with the Living Stones: the Christians who are decedents of the first Christians. The Holy Land brings the Bible to life.
DVG: What are some of your favorite places to go in the Holy Land?
HK: Every place is a great Blessing to be able to visit. However, I can single out three favorite places:
- The Grotto of the Annunciation: It’s where we attend Masses and share in the Hour of Adoration and the Angelus whenever we can. What a special blessing to be able to pray the Hail Mary at the House of Mary!
- The Milk Grotto in Bethlehem: In the back of the Grotto, at the end of a tunnel, there is a small chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is displayed for adoration 24 hours and nuns change places every hour and stay in adoration. You only can see it and kneel from behind a glass.
- The Mount of Beatitudes: What a site; full of serenity. You can sit down, look at the Sea of Galilee, and contemplate on the Beatitudes. In addition, what pilgrims don’t realize, is that a miracle happened there. Think about it, how was Jesus able to be heard by thousands of people and all in their own language?!
DVG: What is one place that you think pilgrims never go but should?
HK: Pilgrims pass by Nazareth as it’s one-stop place; the Church of Annunciation complex. What about the secret of the Hidden Life of Nazareth? The Holy Family lived here for 30 years! There must be something else and lessons to be learned. Stay in Nazareth and discover for yourself!
THANK YOU, Habib!!
Terrorists Will Not Stop Us From Traveling: An Interview with Saliba Danho
Nadi Rabadi (l) and Saliba Danho (r) enjoy a ride on the Sea of Galilee
Born and raised in the heart of Jerusalem, not far from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Saliba Danho knows the Holy Land better than anyone I have ever met. As President of Voice of Faith Tours, Saliba, whose name means crucifix in Arabic, works with tour companies around the world to organize pilgrimages to the Holy Land (and Poland, though his other company, GM Travel).
I met Saliba in 2011, when Select International Tours invited us to join Cardinal Rigali and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Our series, The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, came about as a result. Whenever we were part of Saliba’s group, I was always so impressed by how well-spoken and knowledgable he was. We loved hearing him talk so much, we included him in the series three times! (Scroll down for the videos of Saliba in The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land.)
Cardinal Justin Rigali looks on as Saliba speaks about the Church of the Pater Noster
Although Saliba lives in Poland now with his lovely Polish wife, he travels to the Holy Land regularly, especially since Voice of Faith Tours just opened a new office in Jerusalem. While his main responsibilities lie in managing his companies, he does give tours to a lucky few when he can.
I asked Saliba if he’d answer some questions I had about what the Holy Land means for him, and whether it’s safe for pilgrims to visit.
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DVG: What was it like growing up in the Holy Land?
SD: To grew up on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and play hide and seek in the church chapels was amazing. Just think for a second how it must feel for a child to hide in Jesus’ tomb! Growing up and later reflecting over these moments, leaves me speechless.
Saliba takes a break at the Church of St JOhn the Baptist in Ein Karem
DVG: You organize tours to the Holy Land for people all around the world through Voice of Faith Tours. Why do you think it’s important for people to visit the Holy Land?
SD: The Fathers of the Church called the Holy Land the “Fifth Gospel”. Jesus, while addressing his audience, used everything that was visible around him in his teachings. Simply enough, the Holy Land brings the word to life, giving us a better understanding of our faith. For example, coming up the Mount of Olives, the palace that Herod the Great built–called the Herodion–would be visible to all. All the travelers seeing it would have heard the stories about how Herod cut a nearby mountain and moved it to the other side to build his palace. So Jesus commented on this shared knowledge when he said if you have a little of faith, you could tell this mountain to move back!
DVG: When did you last visit the Holy Land?
SD: The last group I guided was there December 2 – 10. We had 135 pilgrims from Texas.
DVG: Where did you go on your trip?
SD: Tel Aviv, Caesarea Maritima, Mt Carmel, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, Jericho, Bethlehem, and all over Jerusalem!
Saliba shares his love of his homeland atop Mount Tabor
DVG: The news makes the Holy Land seem very scary. What is your experience in the Holy Land? Do your pilgrims feel safe?
SD: People feel very safe. They are usually scared by the news they see on TV back in US, but once they arrive in the Holy Land, they start wondering where all the violence is they have been watching on the News. I always say, if it is not safe we would be the first to tell people not to travel, but as long as we are on the bus, it means that it is very safe. Throughout the conflict in the Middle East, not one tourist has ever been targeted by any party. Nowadays looking at the world, we see that there are terror problems everywhere! We are hearing about terrorist threats in New York, Madrid, or recently what happened in Paris.
Terrorists will not stop us from traveling and what is a greater place to visit than the Holy Land?!
DVG: You are a Holy Land local. What do you think of the people of your land—are they friendly? How do they feel about pilgrims?
SD: The people of the land, whether they be Israelis or Palestinians, love pilgrims and welcome them with open hearts! Yes, we do have few radicals, like in every country, but we never had any incident that jeopardized the life of our pilgrims.
DVG: What are some of your favorite places to go in the Holy Land?
SD: The Sea of Galilee. Nothing can beat the moments sailing on Sea of Galilee where our Lord sailed, seeing the same shores, hills, and mountains where his voice is still echoing.
Nadi Rabadi (l) and Saliba Danho (r) enjoy a ride on the Sea of Galilee
Here is Saliba, in The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, talking about the caves in Nazareth (skip to 22:22 if it doesn’t automatically take you there):
[youtube width=”550″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/jcWwFmiH0eM?t=22m22s[/youtube]
Here he is talking about the Muslim call to prayer (skip to 9:57):
[youtube width=”550″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/fsxKTjlZSPs?t=9m57s[/youtube]
And here he is talking about Pontius Pilate and Caesarea Maritima (skip to 21:22):
[youtube width=”550″ height=”344″]http://youtu.be/nGgLC8gXaDM?t=21m22s[/youtube]
You can still come with me to the Holy Land in April 2015! Get more information, including the itinerary and how to sign up on our website: https://thefaithfultraveler.com/holyland42015/
How Pilgrimage Changes You
Pilgrims walking to the Basilica of Fatima on their knees
… from then on, all of those people who had heretofore been complete strangers now shared a bond that only others who had been on the same pilgrimage could understand. They’d go home, I told them, with their 8,000 or so pictures, and they’d try to show their families, but after, oh, the 1,500th photo, their family members would get bored and not understand the fire that they had within. Try as they might to explain how going to the Holy Land had changed their lives, had changed the way they looked at the world, read the Bible, looked at one another, or even at themselves… no one would understand. Except for those who had done the very same thing.
Now, I’m blessed. I get to share my experiences with you through The Faithful Traveler. But let me tell you something: the footage we used to produce The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land is about 1/4th of what we filmed over those 10 days. The footage I will use on my next production, and the next, and the next will be just a fraction of what I film. The same goes for stories. You might hear a lot of them, but how can I tell you everything? There’s just so much! And some of it, well… it’s hard to put into words. You just have to experience it for yourself.
Go read the rest at Dappled Things.
Please consider joining us on our upcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April 2015. You can find out all the info here.
Tuesday Guest Star #2: Habib Karam on Nazareth's Basilica of the Annunciation
Today is Tuesday! You know what that means? We’re gonna have a special guest! Today’s special guest star is Habib Karam, a dear friend whom I was blessed to meet online, and then in person this past May, when we journeyed back to the Holy Land to film a new production on Pope Francis’ pilgrimage. Habib is a native Nazarene who grew up in that Biblical land, left for the US where he lived for a while, then returned home to raise his family in his native land. I blogged about him earlier. 
Habib would like to tell us about a place that is very dear to his heart, and to mine: the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth (see my photos of this amazing site). This historic building is Habib’s parish church, if you can imagine that. He was baptized here, received his First Holy Communion here, was an altar boy here, and he married his beautiful wife, Gosayna here. 
This is where the beautiful Karam family celebrates Mass, prays the Rosary, and attends all sorts of amazing spiritual events. Take it away, Habib! …
Imagine you are a little kid and you go to visit your best friend at his house. He receives you with open arms and a big smile. You spend the time talking with him at times, and just sharing your thoughts of others. Just behind him, his mother is standing and looking at both of you with a big smile. She is very happy to see you come and visit her son…
Now that is what it feels like to me when I spend an Hour of Adoration at the Grotto of Annunciation in Nazareth. It is an hour of conversation with Jesus, in front of His Mother’s House. Although I attend this Hour almost every week, it gives me the chills every time I kneel in front of Jesus and silently pray the rosary. Every Hail Mary comes alive at the same spot where the Angel Gabriel greeted Her with the opening words of that prayer.
Many pilgrims come and share this Hour. The prayers and readings are done in different languages. However, no matter where you are from or what language you speak, the whole Grotto shakes when everyone joins in singing the Tantum Ergo Sacramentum.
The Hour of Adoration is every Thursday at 8:30 PM. On Tuesday nights, the Rosary is prayed at 8:30 PM in the Grotto. On Saturdays, at 8:30 PM, there is a candlelight procession from the upper Basilica to the lower Grotto, through the street, holding candles and carrying the Virgin, each decade is prayed in different languages. However, the best feeling for me is when the procession enters into the Grotto with everyone singing the Salve Regina.
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Amen! Hail Holy Queen, indeed! Thank you Habib for sharing your experience at this holy place with us, and thank you for giving me such an amazing tour of Nazareth during my last visit!
I hope to bring a pilgrimage group to one of these events, someday. If you’d like to join us, we’re planning a pilgrimage in April 2015! Come with us and you might just get to meet Habib! (And have some amazing Nazarene iced cream! YUM!) The Franciscan Media Center has 24/7 live streaming video of the Basilica at Nazareth! Click here to see it! I’m watching the light stream through the windows right now and it is AWESOME!
(Someday, Habib, we’re going to have to organize it so that you can say hi to us from the Grotto!)
I believe my friend, Denise Bossert, is spending today in Nazareth, too! Be sure to check out her website for updates and her Facebook page for photos.
And in case you missed it, you can watch the episode of The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, in which we visit Nazareth, right here. Watch the whole series online, or buy a DVD or two! They make great gifts!
[vimeo width=”550″ height=”309″]http://vimeo.com/81233718[/vimeo]
St Jerome and the Church of St Catherine of Alexandria
Did you know that St. Jerome is the patron saint of librarians and of translators? In Latin, his name is Hieronymus—which I love—and every September 30th, on the memorial of his death, translators around the world celebrate International Translation Day! How awesome is that?
Today, I’d like to show you to the cave in Bethlehem when he spent the last thirty years of his life, creating his magnum opus: translating Hebrew and Greek manuscripts into the Latin Vulgate Bible.
The Church of St Catherine of Alexandria is named after St Catherine because it is believed to have been built over the spot where Jesus appeared to her and told her about her martyrdom (c. 310 A.D. The spiky Catherine wheel is named after her, although it didn’t end up killing her. She was beheaded.). The church is connected to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity—they actually share a wall—where it is believed that Jesus was born. The Church of St Catherine is the parish church for Bethlehem’s Catholics, where the Latin Patriarch celebrates Christmas Mass every year and where, with special permission, pilgrims can celebrate Christmas Mass year round!
Read the rest at http://spiritualdirection.com/2014/09/30/st-jerome-bethlehems-church-st-catherine#ixzz3EnPpQfZs
St Helena and the Triumph of the Cross
A tad belated, but c’est la vie. This past week, on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, I wrote the following over at Dappled Things…
Today, September 14, is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, celebrated on the day that it is believed that St Helena discovered the remains of Christ’s cross in the Holy Land.
Wrap your head around that for a minute. Today, centuries ago, a woman, who happened to be the mother of the Holy Roman Emperor and who later was declared a saint, actually found the remains of the Cross on which Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified and died for our sins.
Ok, so some people are sure to argue that it mightn’t have been exactly September 14th when she found the cross . . . fine. Shoot. I’m sure some people will argue she didn’t find it at all. Whatever. For the record, I believe that she did find Jesus’ Cross in the ditch where his executioners threw it. I believe that that ditch is today in the chapel that bears her name in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and it very well could have been September 14th.
The Chapel of St Helena lies in the bowels of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, down a flight of stairs marked by crosses from hundreds of pilgrims over the centuries. In the corner is a small slab of marble, placed over the spot where it is believe St Helena found the Cross.
For a closer look at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Chapel of St Helena, and to learn about how she managed to build one church over both the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, check out the final episode of The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, embedded at the end of this post. This beautiful video, produced by the Franciscan Media Center, also shows you the Chapel of St Helena at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and explains how the finding of the Cross is celebrated on May 7th in the Holy Land. This video shows how, on September 14th, the relics of the Cross are shown to the congregation.
Now, let’s talk about how absolutely amazing this whole Feast is, shall we? And how very much we need it today, three days after the 13th anniversary of the horrific events in New York City one bright and sunny morning, and as any number of horrific and soul-sucking events are taking place, many of which are done, falsely of course, in the name of God.
I need to believe in the Triumph of the Cross. I bet my entire life on it. Don’t you?
I think back to the Holy Land in 2011, when we were filming the Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, and were walking the dark streets of Jerusalem along the Via Dolorosa (the Way of the Cross). What do we say at the beginning of every station?
St. Matthew, Capernaum, and the Call
Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.
– St. Bede the Venerable
The Calling of Saint Matthew (Vocation de Saint Mathieu) by James Tissot
Today is the Feast of St Matthew the Apostle, the Evangelist, and the tax collector called by Jesus in his native town of Capernaum, in Galilee. The readings at today’s Mass were, I’m sure, chosen for this day because they speak so well of what must have been going on in St Matthew’s life on the day that he was called.
Ruins of the Synagogue at Capernaum
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.*
We see by the prompt and complete obedience of Matthew, who left all his worldly possessions in an instant, that the Lord had called him at just the right moment.
The time and place the Lord selects to ask for complete dedication are foreseen by Divine Providence and for this reason are the most opportune. At times Christ calls someone in the prime of youth. For such a person then is the best time to respond. For others Christ manifests their vocation during adulthood. He makes use of colleagues at work, family ties or other social dealings to reveal his purposes. Along with the tremendous grace of seeing our vocation God grants the strength to respond quickly and to be faithful to the end. If a person says ‘No’ to the Lord with the idea of saying ‘Yes’ at a time perceived to be more suitable, it can happen that another such occasion never comes up. Furthermore, the Lord may not lovingly knock a second time. All resistance to grace hardens the heart. St Augustine describes very succinctly the urgency with which we should respond to God’s gift, to his passing close by where we are on the road of life: Timeo Jesus praetereuntem et non redeuntem, ‘I fear Jesus may pass by and not come back’.
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.