In the Holy Land, together with Saint Joseph
In this Holy Year dedicated to Saint Joseph, I would like to invite you on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Together we will follow the footsteps of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The footsteps of Saint Joseph in Holy Land
Visiting the Holy Land, we will find traces of the life of the Holy Family in Nazareth. At a distance of about 200 meters from the Basilica of the Annunciation, there is a church of St. Joseph, which was built in 1911 on the ruins of the previous church from the times of the Crusaders. In 1950, the temple was decorated. The fresco in the central apse shows the Holy Family. The side apses contain scenes of the dream of St. Joseph and his death. The stained-glass windows in the church illustrate the Litany of St. Joseph. The sanctuary is therefore connected with the house of St. Joseph, where the Holy Family lived.
Also, in Bethlehem, at some distance from the Basilica of the Nativity, at the convent of the Franciscan Sisters, there is a chapel - the House of St. Joseph. The Holy Family lived in this place for some time. At the time when the Magi from the East arrived in Bethlehem, the "newborn King of the Jews" was no longer living in the grotto. The Magi paid homage to him already in the aforementioned house. “They entered the house and saw the Child with His Mother, Mary; they fell down and worshiped him” (Mt 2:11).
In the Basilica of the Nativity, near the grotto where Christ was born, there is the Chapel of St. Joseph. It commemorates the event when an angel appeared to Joseph while he was asleep to warn him of the danger of King Herod.
The last evangelical scene in which we see the silent St. Joseph, is the scene of finding the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple. A little digression here: The Village Al Bireh is located on the 16th kilometer of the road from Jerusalem to Galilee. There is a spring in front of the estate. At this spring, caravans and pilgrimage groups returning from Jerusalem via Samaria to Galilee made their first stop. Most likely, it was in this place that Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not among the pilgrims. So, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. They found Him in the temple.
The rest of the information about St. Joseph was handed over to us by the Christian tradition. Unfortunately, neither tradition nor the Holy Scriptures mention the place where St. Joseph was buried. In the area where the convent of the Sisters of Nazareth stands today, there is the alleged tomb of St. Joseph. Alleged because during the construction of the monastery, the burial ground was discovered, and a Jewish grave carved in the rock was found. According to the Sisters' judgment, it could be the tomb of St. Joseph. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of this so far.
The Land of Gospel
The pilgrimage to the Holy Land is one of a kind. It is a land beloved and chosen by God. The land where the Gospel was born, where our faith is rooted. Visiting sanctuaries related to the earthly life of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Apostles is a return to the cradle of the Christian faith and the nascent of the Church. It is a mosaic of people following the Mosaic, Muslim and Christian religions.
Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana of Galilee, Capernaum, Jerusalem - places known from the Gospel, often referred to during liturgies or catechesis. Beautiful, ancient cities with a rich history. But most of all - holy cities. What makes these places called holy places, and the area on which they are called the Holy Land? Of course, the answer is obvious. They are holy primarily because they are marked by God's presence. They are holy, because Jesus' feet walked on this patch of land, it was here that He was born, here he lived, preached his teaching, and here the mystery of the Passover was fulfilled - His passion, Death and Resurrection.
It is mainly because of these facts that every year countless people make pilgrimages to these places, wanting to see them, get to know them, and at the same time touch the atmosphere, buildings and objects among which God walked. Many Christians dream of being where Jesus was, to follow in His footsteps, to walk in the ways He walked, and to look at the places He looked, to better understand the events that the Scriptures describe, to be able to better imagine and locate them and to deepen our faith and make Christ's life more real in ourselves. But there is something else; the Holy Land is holy because there are Christians there. Her holiness is based on the presence of those who proclaim the truth about Jesus and guard the places where he has been. It is based on those who keep these sites in good condition and accessible to visitors. For those who remember and show that the Word of God was incarnate in a specific place and time, that what we read in the Gospels is a fact. Without the witnesses living there, the Holy Land wouldremain only as a pile of stones. For if no one preaches how great things have happened there, who will appreciate their value, respect their holiness? Who will ponder the fact that God has chosen to share his life with man right there?
Pilgrimage to Holy Land with us – August 02 - 11, 2021. Only $2,500,00
Why should we go on a pilgrimage? The road to the Father's house is not a convenient highway. It is the path of our whole life, where there are health and diseases, sin and conversion, loss and joyful returns, prayer and dryness. The pilgrim trail is written by human choices. Every year, and thanks to Holy Father Francis, this Saint Joseph’s Year, we invite you to be with Him in our pilgrim’s road. Let us follow the steps of Jesus and Mary with Saint Joseph. Our pilgrimage is scheduled from August 02 to August 11, 2021.
This is our thanksgiving pilgrimage. Therefore, The Lay Institute of Divine Mercy, Inc. thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, is able to subsidize $ 750.00 to each person for only 35 participants. Your price is only $ 2,500.00. Reserve your Place as soon as possible. The space is limited. It only depends on you whether you will be a participant in this pilgrimage.
What you need to do?
Please see attached Itinerary and Registration Form. Follow the instructions on the Registration Form.
Saint Joseph, Pray for us.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george