Pilgrimage

Bethlehem

Today may have seemed to most people an uneventful day.  Our visit to the orphanage was rescheduled, so we had class and Mass in the morning, and were free the rest of the day.

However, a day on pilgrimage is never ordinary.  And a day in the final nine days before Christmas, as we pray the great ancient O antiphons (also the verses of “O come, O come Emmanuel”, can never be ordinary.

During these final days before Christmas, the Church remembers her history through the eyes of ancient Israel.  The O antiphons remember all the ways in which God revealed himself to Israel, and pray for the promised one to come.  The Church remembers and relives her pilgrimage through history until the coming of Christ.

We also remember another pilgrimage – that of Mary and Joseph, from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Certainly as they were traveling, they too remembered how God had revealed himself to his people, in all the cities through which they passed – especially Jerusalem!

And they were coming here to Bethlehem, where the Davidic line began, and where it was about to see its most fitting end.

They were not only reliving the history of Israel, but they were becoming part of it themselves.  Indeed, every promise, every hope was about to be fulfilled in the child whom Mary carried in her womb.

Many of us took the opportunity to go to the Grotto of the Nativity to pray.  It was rather quiet and peaceful this afternoon, giving us a chance to stay a while.

We saw where our hopes have been fulfilled – the very reason why we hope today, because God has visited his people.  And we saw pilgrims continue to come, and families bringing their children to show them and teach them the faith, that they too would enter on pilgrimage, to join Christ from where he began his earthly pilgrimage, and one day enter into the house of the Father.

Gaudete in Domino semper

St. Catherine’s parish
Church of the Nativity

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice...  The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4-5)

Today, we celebrated the Sunday Mass in the parish of Saint Catherine, which is the Catholic side of the Church of the Nativity here in Bethlehem.

Yes, Mass was in Arabic.  No, I did not understand a word, nor do I read the Arabic language.

It was nice to have an easy Sunday.  After Mass, we met with the Franciscan pastor and some of the parishioners and talked about parish life for a while.

I arrived early for Mass and took a couple pictures of the Orthodox liturgy in progress on their side of the church.  It was quite something, since the Greeks were going in the main sanctuary and the Armenians (I assume) were in the grotto of the Nativity – both chanting away.  At one point, three masses were occurring simultaneously.  It was a beautiful thing just to be caught up in the sung prayer while I walked through.

Happy Gaudete Sunday to you all.  The Lord is very near indeed.  And so is Christmas!

Just another day in the seminary....

Probably an odd way to begin a pilgrimage post, but today it has some meaning.

Early this morning (5:00 am), my half of the class met the other half of the class as they arrived at the center. Needless to say, we were much more awake than they. But we remember yesterday!

It has been nice having the entire class together. In some ways, it brings back some familiarity to our experience here. Those of us who went to the Church of the Nativity yesterday were able to lead our brothers there today (by a much shorter path!).

While in the Blessed Sacrament chapel, we began the 33 day Total Consecration to Mary according to St. Louis de Montfort, which will finish the day of our visitation to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

When Eddie, Michael, and I returned from the Church of the Nativity and from doing a little shopping for essentials, we walked over to the edge of our property where we can see the foothills of the Judean desert. Eddie, commenting on how much we move from place to place in the seminary, said that it almost seems like it's just another day in the Seminary.



Of course, we know this is truly more than just another day.

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On another note, I've been learning how to be a photographer. As promised, some photos below. As I improve, so will the quality of my shots (especially in dark churches).

Inside the Church of the Nativity (Orthodox side)


Altar inside St. Jerome's cave where he translated the Bible into Latin


Blessed Sacrament chapel (Catholic Side)



Stained glass window in back of Church (Catholic side)

My Portion and Cup

Day 1
Bethlehem

"I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my only good." (Psalm 16:2)

I know many people would expect the first post about Bethlehem to be about the Church of the Nativity and the birth of Christ - but this is not what first came to me.

This morning, around 9:00am, I was praying night prayer in the Catholic side of the Church of the Nativity. (Yes, last night's night prayer. It was 1:00am back home.)

The first thing I prayed in Bethlehem was Psalm 16 - a Psalm of King David.

Keep me safe, O God; in you I take refuge
I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my only good.
Worthless are all the false gods of the land. Accursed are all who delight in them.
They multiply their sorrows who court other gods. Blood libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon my lips.
LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure.
Pleasant places were measured out for me; fair to me indeed is my inheritance.
I bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my heart exhorts me.
I keep the LORD always before me; with the Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure,
For you will not abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the pit.
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

I thought about David, how he could have sung this very psalm while tending the sheep in the hills. Around him were the pagan nations courting favor with their false gods. And here was simple little David in his simple little town with his sheep - completely trusting in God and in the will of God for David.

Perhaps this was written after Samuel had come to anoint young David as King.

David was a simple farm boy, standing on the verge of a great task at the call of the one God whom he served. He had a choice: to stick with the familiar - his family, his flock, his village - or to follow the call of the God whom he served. As the Psalm conveys, he chose to trust.

David trusted God, knowing that he needed nothing more than what the Lord would provide. And it was from this man - this faith - that Christ, the savior of the world, would come.

How fitting it was that Christ should come to this place! City of David, to whom the Messiah was promised. Born in humility, in a stable, and adored by shepherds. Could the coming of Christ have echoed more strongly the faith of David?