SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE TO

THE HOLY LAND

with the Pilgrim Center of Hopea Catholic Evangelization Ministry

SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE TO

THE HOLY LANDPilgrimage organized by Deacon Tom & Mary Jane Fox, directors,

The Pilgrim Center of HopeA Catholic Evangelization Ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio

7680 Joe Newton Dr. San Antonio, TX 7824511.210.521-3377 / dtmjfox@pilgrimcenterofhope.org

SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE TO

THE HOLY LAND

27

Read through each day’s slides until you conclude with the prayer for the day. Here’s a calendar to help you:

OCT28OCT

29OCT

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31OCT

01NOV

02NOV

03NOV

04NOV

05NOV

06NOV

07NOV

08NOV

09NOV

10NOV

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

Departure

OCT27 Excitement, anticipation, joy and wonder accompany the

pilgrims in their thoughts and conversation as they travel half-way across the world to the land sanctified by our Lord. Upon arrival in Tel Aviv airport, the group will travel to Mt. Carmel in Haifa for one night.

OCT27 Lord Jesus, You call us each by name. Thank you! We

ask Your blessing upon each pilgrim. May their journey of faith bring them closer to Your heart. May they have a safe journey to the Holy Land. Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

PRAYER

Mount Carmel

OCT28 Site of Elijah the Prophet’s cave (1 Kings 18). The

Carmelite Order was founded on Mt. Carmel. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is built over the cave of St. Elijah. The pilgrims will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

OCT28 Elijah, you were a prophet with courage and zeal for

God’s Truth. I ask your intercession for a courageous and zealous heart, and to live and share my faith!

PRAYER

House of Mary in Nazareth

OCT29 The group will drive to Nazareth, where the Basilica of

the Annunciation is built over ancient Nazareth and the House/Grotto of Mary. It is here that the Angel Gabriel came to Mary (Luke 1).

Nearby is a church named after St. Joseph, built over the home of the Holy Family. Mass will be at the Basilica of the Annunciation, by Mary’s home.

OCT29 O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have

recourse to thee! Blessed Mother, pray for us to have the grace to say “YES” to God’s will in our lives. St. Joseph pray, that our families and our households will remain in God’s protection and peace!

PRAYER

Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee

OCT30 The Lord Jesus spent three years of His apostolic life in

this area. The group will spend three nights in Nazareth, which is considered the Galilee area. They will also visit the House of St. Peter in Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, the site of the Multiplication of the Fishes and Loaves, and take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Mass will be at the Church of St. Peter the Primacy, where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His Resurrection.

OCT30 Lord, we, unlikely as we are, are Your disciples now,

because those first disciples said ‘yes’, and went forth to be fishers of men. We were caught in their nets and brought to You, Lord Jesus, so that we might become Your disciples. That voice from the Sea of Galilee is still calling...

“Whatever you are involved in, whatever you work at, no matter how unlikely you may think you are; follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!”

PRAYER

Cana

OCT31 On Mt. Tabor, the Lord Jesus was transfigured before

Peter, James and John on Mt. Tabor. The Father said, “This is my Son, my Chosen one, listen to him” (Luke 9:36). Mass today is at the Church of the Transfiguration. Lunch will be at the Franciscan Casa Nova on Mt. Tabor overlooking the valley of Sharon.

In Cana, the site of the First Miracle, the changing of water into wine, the servants obeyed Mary’s request, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) Couples in the group that have received the Sacrament of Matrimony will renew their wedding vows in Cana. Later, they will celebrate with wine from Cana!

OCT31 “Lord slow us down. Sometimes we get so busy that

many distractions challenge our values and priorities. Take us apart with Your Son so that we may listen to Him and not become confused or empty. Speak, Lord, we desire to listen to Your voice! Mary, pray for us to, “Do whatever He tells us.”

PRAYER

The Dead Sea

NOV01 An early morning Mass on the Mt. of Beatitudes will

begin the day. We will drive along the Jordan Valley, southward toward through the Judean Desert. After lunch in Jericho the group will experience floating in the Dead Sea. The area of Jericho and the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth below sea level.

Judean Desert – site of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert

NOV01 The Judean Desert is nearby; our Lord spent 40 days and

40 nights in prayer and fasting in the Judean Desert. The group will spend 40 minutes in this desert, contemplating the Lord’s time in that area. Then, on to Jerusalem.

NOV01 Because of the Holy Spirit who has been poured forth in

our hearts, we are no longer slaves but children of God and can sing…Our Father who art in Heaven…

PRAYER

Bethlehem

NOV02 The day will be spent at the Basilica of the Nativity, the

site of our Lord’s birthplace, the Milk Grotto—the home of the Holy Family before their exile to Egypt,and Shepherd’s Field—where the Shepherds received the angels’ announcement of Christ’s birth. The group will have Christmas Liturgy in the Basilica of the Nativity. This is the only place in the world where the Christmas Mass may be celebrated outside of the Christmas Season, because it is here where it began! The group will also have lunch at Bethlehem University and meet Palestinian Christian students studying in the first Catholic university in the Middle East.

NOV02 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! He

shared our humanity that we might share His divinity. Thank You, God, for the overflowing love which burst forth and is found in the arms of Mary. Lord, may You be born again in our hearts!

PRAYER

Olive wood artisan in Bethlehem

Ancient City of Jerusalem

NOV03 Today, the group will have a private Audience with

Bishop William Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He will briefly speak about the Mother Church (the Church of the Holy Land) and bestow his blessing upon the pilgrims.

The remainder of the morning will be spent at an area called St. Peter Gallicantu, where Jesus spent Holy Thursday evening in prison, awaiting the trial of Good Friday.

Site of our Lord’s scourging in Jerusalem

NOV03 In the afternoon, the group will spend time in the ancient

city of Jerusalem visiting the Chapel of Flagellation and the Palace of Pontius Pilate, today called the Lithrostos(“stone pavement”). It is here where our Lord was scourged by the Roman soldiers. Today, a chapel is built over this area and the group will have Mass at this holy site. Nearby is the Church of St. Ann, built over the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

NOV03 Jesus, You came to tell us of the Father’s love. Have

mercy on us! We pray for the spiritual renewal of our families and for the sanctity of life. Thank You for the gift of salvation; we pray that many will experience a desire to know You and love You. Amen.

PRAYER

Steps climbing Calvary

NOV04 Early in the morning, the pilgrim group will walk the Via

Dolorosa, carrying a large wooden cross, ending with Mass in the Tomb of Christ located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Holy Sepulcher Church in Jerusalem

NOV04 After breakfast, a visit at the Upper Room and Dormition

Abbey (a beautiful Benedictine church to commemorate Blessed Virgin Mary’s Assumption) are an important part of the pilgrimage.

Then a visit to the Western Wall or Wailing Wall.

Palestinian Women’s Solidarity Project (CRS)

NOV04 Later in the day, three women of the three monotheistic

faiths in the Holy Land (Christian, Jewish, Muslim) will speak to the group about their lives and hope for their future.

The Tomb of our Lord Jesus

NOV04 Lord of Life, we are Easter Christians and “Alleluia” is

our song! May the light of Your Resurrection shine through us! He is truly risen! Alleluia!

PRAYER

Garden of Gethsemani

NOV05 Today, we spend the entire day on the Mt. of Olives.

Beginning at the top where our Lord ascended,walking down to Dominus Flevit where He wept over Jerusalem, ending in the Garden of Gethsemani, spending time with Jesus in silent prayer, praying for God’s will in our lives. Mass today will be in the Basilica of Agony, the site where the rock upon which our Lord spent his Hour of Agony is located.

NOV05 How many times, Lord, do we cry out: “What is life

about?” Or, “In which direction shall I go?”

Lord, by Your example of praying for the Father’s will, give us the courage and patience to persevere in our pilgrimage of life. We ask forgiveness for the many times we have failed to reconcile with others or have failed to love.

PRAYER

The Hills of Judea

NOV06 The group will travel outside Jerusalem to the Judean

Hill country to a village called Ein Karem, where St. John the Baptist was born, and the location of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. Crossing over to Jordan—near Jericho—the first stop will be Bethany, the River Jordan, site of Our Lord’s Baptism by St. John the Baptist.

Walking to the River Jordan

River Jordan

NOV06 The group will renew their Baptism vows where St. John

the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. John 1:28 speaks of “Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptising,” while John 10:40 mentions an incident when Jesus escaped from hostile crowds in Jerusalem and “went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had first baptized ...” The site of this Bethany beyond (east of) the Jordan River is not to be confused with Bethany near Jerusalem, which was the hometown of Lazarus.

NOV06 Lord Jesus, through Your Baptism, we are given the gift

of our own Baptism. In becoming members of the Church, we belong to the family of God. Give us the grace to live our baptismal call as sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of faith, for the gift of learning more about You. Please give us Your guidance & the grace to live as Your disciple. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You for the Holy Spirit!

PRAYER

Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo

NOV07 This day will be dedicated to two sites: one related to the

Old Testament, Mt. Nebo and the other to the early Christian Church, Madaba.

Moses lived out his remaining days and viewed the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-8). Mt. Nebo offers a fantastic view westward, with a view that includes the Dead Sea, the West Bank, the Jordan River, and, on a clear day, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

NOV07 Outside the church building is an enigmatic Serpentine

Cross. The figure represents the bronze serpent taken up by Moses in the desert, as well as the cross upon which Our Lord Jesus was crucified. Today the Franciscans are the custodians of the church on Mt. Nebo.

Madaba

NOV07 Madaba’s real masterpiece is within the Orthodox Church

of Saint George—the 6th century A.D. mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land—the earliest religious map of the Holy Land in any form to survive from antiquity. With two million pieces of colored stone, the mapdepicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta.

NOV07 Heavenly Father, You chose Moses to lead Your people out

of bondage and gave us the Ten Commandments as the way to live as Your child. In Your Son, Jesus, You gave us the New Covenant, the gift of the Catholic Church. Grant us the faith and hope needed to receive this gift and share it with others!

PRAYER

Petra, Jordan

NOV08 The entire day will be spent in Petra, 115 mile journey

from Amman.

Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

NOV08 Thank You, Heavenly Father, for creation! We praise You,

Father! We thank You for Your presence and Your mercy!

PRAYER

Amman, Jordan

NOV09 Today is dedicated to the local Church; the group will

meet with a Catholic group in a local parish. During his pilgrimage to the Holy Land & Jordan, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Jordanians upon his arrival at the airport in Amman: “I came to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of Biblical history. At Mount Nebo, Moses led his people to within sight of the land that would become their home, and here he died and was laid to rest. At Bethany beyond the Jordan, John the Baptist preached and bore witness to Jesus, whom he baptized in the waters of the river that gives this land its name...

NOV09 In the coming days I shall visit both these holy places, and

I shall have the joy of blessing the foundation stones of churches that are to be built at the traditional site of the Lord’s Baptism. The opportunity that Jordan’s Catholic community enjoys to build public places of worship is a sign of this country’s respect for religion, and on their behalf I want to say how much this openness is appreciated. Religious freedom is, of course, a fundamental human right, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that respect for all the inalienable rights and the dignity of every man and woman will come to be increasingly affirmed and defended, not only throughout the Middle East, but in every part of the world.”

NOV09 Lord, bestow upon us a desire to have Your Word burn in

our hearts and in our minds. Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see You in every Eucharistic celebration and in your people. Come, Holy Spirit, renew our faith and help us in our daily walk with Jesus!

PRAYER

Departure

NOV10 Although the pilgrims return to their homes, their

pilgrimage continues—it never ends! It is the same with each one of us; our journey in life is a pilgrimage to the House of the Father. Our destination is the Heavenly Jerusalem.

NOV10 We pray, Lord, stay with us. Mary, pray for us to remain

faithful. St. Joseph, be our guardian in the faith and protect our families!

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be to the Father…PRAYER