In the Footsteps of Christ

In the Footsteps of Christ

It is a known fact that one of the duties of
every good Muslim is to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, . . .

. . . the birthplace of Mohammed, at least once in his lifetime. Although there is no similar prescription for Christians to make a pilgrimage to Christ’s birthplace, Bethlehem, such a spiritual journey can be a source of true Christian fulfillment – as in-deed it was for me last spring, as I walked the streets of Bethlehem, in Judea, and offered Mass in one of the grottoes that dot the surrounding hills where; two thousand years ago, the Shepherds tended their flocks on that first Christmas night.

It may not have been the exact cave, or stable, or spot where Christ was born. But for me it was close enough to relive in my own heart that First Christmas Night!

A Pilgrimage

I had waited for more than forty years for this opportunity. It came in the form of an invitation from the “Catholic Golden Age” organization, in Scranton, Pa.  They were in search of a chaplain to accompany their scheduled Holy Week-Easter Week pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I had no difficulty in securing the necessary permissions from my Religious Superiors and even less in preparing my bags for the exciting trip. After all, I’ve lived “out of a bag” a good part of my life anyway. As for being a pilgrimage director, I had conducted more than twenty pilgrimages to the Shrines in Europe – but never to the Holy Land.

One of my concerns was that it should be a pilgrimage and not just a tour of the Holy Places. I was reassured when I discovered that our guide was an excellent Christian layman, born in Bethlehem, and with an excellent Scriptural and “Franciscan” back-ground. As you may know, the Franciscans are, and have been since the time of St. Francis, the custodians of the Holy Land, i.e.. guardians of the most holy places connected with Christianity there.

One of the marvelous effects of a Holy Land Pilgrimage . . .

. . . is that it makes the Scriptures come alive. For me, it was like walking in the footsteps of Jesus, Mary, the Apostles and the First Christians. The privilege of walking through the busy streets of Nazareth and to offer Mass in the splendid basilica of the Annunciation -where it all began! -was a truly humbling experience. To visit Cana, in Galilee, where Christ performed His first miracle, at Mary’s request, and to read the words at the entrance to the Latin church: “Let us enter the place where the Lord’s feet trod,” was a joyful moment.

Holy Land Pilgrimage

To cross the Sea of Galilee, on a calm sunny morning, and to a few Scripture passages relating to events that took place on this lake made me wonder if my own faith was any stronger than that of Peter, the day he began to sink into the waters on his way to Christ!

To walk within the confines of the ruins of the Synagogue at Capernaum where Christ had declared: “This day in your very hearing this text has come true,” and to climb the Mount of Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, were unforgettable experiences to say the least!

To say an outdoor Mass on the very shores of the Lake of Galilee, on the very spot where, after His Resurrection, Christ confirmed the Primacy of Peter; to climb Mount Tabor and to pray on the traditional spot where the Transfiguration took place; to walk the streets of Jericho and to go up to Jerusalem (with a brief stop at the Good Samaritan “Inn”).

The Way of the Cross

To walk up and down the streets of Jerusalem, to make the Way of the Cross, “in the footsteps of Christ,” on the Via Dolorosa; to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre-the most hallowed spot in all of the Holy Land- the traditional spot of Calvary and the Tomb from which Christ rose; to pray in the Cenacle where the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and to celebrate the Eucharist in the nearby “Upper Room” of the Last Supper … to visit and pray in all these places and many others, with the Scriptures in your hands is an over-whelming experience in Faith!

If you’ve been wanting to make this pilgrimage for a long time now and you’ve been putting it off- maybe now’s the time for you to make it. I can guarantee you the spiritual experience of your lifetime! You’ll be glad you did!