Something Smells Fishy

Today was another beautiful day in the Holy Land. We completed our stay in Nazareth and traveled to the Sea of Galilee where we begin the second half of our pilgrimage. The drive was easy. We started by ascending a mountain near the Sea Galilee. From this vantage we saw Tiberius, Mount Tabor, Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Hermon, Capernaum and other places. The view was beautiful as we reflected on Jesus’ ministry in the region.

Next, we travelled to Tiberias and celebrated Mass at St. Peter’s parish. Afterwards we saw a 1st century fishing vessel and took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The water was peaceful. On the ride we meditated on the events of Jesus calming the sea and walking on the water.

Once the ride was over, we ate lunch. Many of us ate “St. Peter’s Fish". This is local tradition in which the fish is cooked with the skin and head still intact. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but those who ordered the meal liked it. The meal is certainly an experience of a life time.

After lunch we finished our travels for the day and arrived at our residence for the remainder of our stay in Galilee. Our accommodations are at a beautiful pilgrimage house on the Sea of Galilee. As I sat on the patio that overlooked the sea and the sun began to disappear, the birds chirped and fish began to jump out of the water, and a slight breeze blew. It was a peaceful time allowing me to quietly reflect on the day, absorb the events of this life-changing pilgrimage, and pray.

Mary, Star of the Sea, Pray for Us!

Today we walked the streets of Haifa and Akko, seeing and smelling numerous things such as pomegranates, sea bass, pickles, and falafel, but I will remember it most for the etymology lesson that our guide Hani gave us. He said that the Hebrew word “mir” means star and the word “yam” means sea, and therefore the name “Miryam” means star of the sea. Miryam is the Hebrew name for Mary, the Mother of God, and our Star of the Sea. How beautiful is that? The name of Mary, our lady and mother is the star of the sea. Stella Maris is the title in Latin, and this is the name of the Carmelite Monastery which crowns Mount Carmel. 

Along the path to priesthood, Mary has played a significant role in many of our lives. I always think this is at least partially because seminarians often have holy mothers who pray fervently for us, their boys (don’t worry moms, we miss you too).

The fact is, God chose Mary, a lowly, young virgin in Nazareth to bear the Son of God. This is the beautiful mystery we ponder in Nazareth. Mary said yes to the will of God despite all of her fears, and this is the mystery we ponder in our own lives as we are on the brink of saying yes to God’s will at ordination. The Star of the Sea guides us on through the waves and breakers of the storm, and we trust that she, who reflects the bright light of her Son always, will lead us straight to Him. Some in our group have even pointed out how the dome of the Basilica of the Annunciation looks just like a Lighthouse.

This is the great and beautiful way we are walking here in Nazareth of Galilee. Through the mysteries of the Rosary, we enter into the mysteries of Christ’s life through Mary’s eyes, and now as we walk in his footsteps, I find myself pondering all that she first pondered in heart. How can it be that God took flesh? What is the meaning of this strong, peaceful and merciful God-man who brings life to so many? Who is Jesus and what does He ask of me?

Mary, Star of the Sea, guide us in the steps of your Son so that we may be more like Him, and lead us to his compassionate, merciful, and Sacred Heart. Then guide us home to our loved ones and those we are called to serve in the years to come. Stella Maris, Pray for us.

“Lord, it is good for us to be here…” (Matt 17:4)

Today we visited Mount Tabor where Jesus was transfigured, and we had Mass at the Basilica of the Transfiguration. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the transfiguration as “the mysterious event in which Jesus…was transformed in appearance…as a moment of disclosure of his divine glory.” Matt 17:1-8 describes the scene where Jesus was transfigured, and Peter, as well as the other disciples who accompanied Him, were transformed by what they witnessed up on the mountain. Peter probably had just had the best experience of his life. He was enjoying a moment of heaven as he witnessed God's glory. In seeing Jesus’ transfiguration, Peter saw Jesus’ true divinity.

Our Holy Land pilgrimage has provided us with many experiences that we all, at some point in our journey just like Peter, have experienced brief moments of God’s glory. God is so good to us that He constantly gives us a taste of His heavenly glory. For us third year men, this Holy Land experience has been full of many transformative opportunities during our visits to the holy sites. Having all these experiences, we also think of those spiritual experiences in our lives that have transformed us. Those experiences when we have felt God’s presence shining upon us. Perhaps it was a spiritual experience when we first felt God’s call or during prayer when we felt so comfortable, just like Peter, and wanted to remain there experiencing God’s glory. It is precisely in those moments when we feel peace in our hearts or that burning feeling inside us that is difficult to explain. When we are in that state of blessedness and so close to God, we do not want to go down the mountain to our normal routine. All these moments of transformation are necessary in our lives because they give us a taste of how heaven is going to be. The presence of God’s glory is the final goal of our lives.  This past month in the Holy Land, God has been showering us with countless blessings. He has been giving us new insights and preparing us with new experiences to go back to seminary and be ready for our upcoming ordinations.

We must go back down the mountain, our Holy Land experience, and we must take all these spiritual experiences into our daily lives, to the seminary community, to our family, friends and to our future ministries. Our experiences in the Holy Land, on Mount Tabor, and all the holy sites with Jesus definitely strengthen our faith. Whenever Jesus invites us up to the mountain to be closer to Him, we must have the confidence that He has something beautiful awaiting for us. Thus, if we are faithful to the teaching and guidance of Jesus, He will be faithful to us, and at the end of our journey, we will make a tent that will last forever, enjoying God’s glory.

Ash Wednesday at Cana

Ash Wednesday in Cana. Lent is now upon us, a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. Lent is a season typically associated with sacrifice and giving things up. Our pilgrimage today, however, brought us to Cana, the place of the Lord’s first miracle, where he “manifested his glory” (John 2:11). Quite the opposite of fasting, this is the place where Jesus turned a massive amount of water into wine (nearly 1000 bottles by today’s measure!).
As we prayed in that place, however, it became apparent that Cana has quite a bit to do with Lent, and can help us understand the purpose of our Lenten penances. We generally give up things that aren’t bad in themselves (chocolate, internet, alcohol, etc.), but we empty ourselves of some of these unnecessary pleasures so that space in us can be filled with something greater. The wine had to run out at Cana in order that the glory of Jesus’ miracle might be manifested and that the people feasting there might receive an even better wine. During Lent this year, may every little sacrifice we make create in us an openness to what is greater: the life and the peace that only God can give. May our emptiness be the occasion of our reception of God’s over-abundant grace and life. Thank you for your continual prayers. God be with you.

The Annunciation

        Fat Tuesday was indeed a very beautiful day for us here in the Holy Land with temperatures as low as 42 and as high as 62 degrees. Our day started with a celebration of Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation; it is the site where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Behold you will conceive and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:31)  After breakfast we had a tour of this two-story church which has a spire that towers high over the city. It is a site you would never miss when you arrive at the town of Nazareth. The interior is decorated with wall paintings that portray scenes in the life of Jesus during his formative years in Nazareth as well as mosaic murals of Our Blessed Mother from the different countries of the world. Next to the church of the Annunciation is a Greek Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel which claims that its church is built on Mary’s Spring which, according to this tradition, was the spot where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. A couple of feet away is the Church of St. Joseph’s built over St. Joseph’s home and workshop in Nazareth. This area is said to be the area where the boy Jesus worked with his father Joseph.

         Our visit at the Mount of Precipice was phenomenal! Tradition has it that this was the steep cliff from which the people of Nazareth tried to push Jesus to his death. Because this mountain is very high and because it was a very clear day, we were able to see the Mount Carmel mountain range to the west, the Jezreel valley to the south and the Sea of Galilee to the east. This marked the end of our morning.

         After lunch we visited Megiddo, a city which existed at least 1,500 years before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan. It is also known by the name of Armageddon.  We saw a scale model of the city showing its double gate system and its massive defense walls with towers all built on a 100 foot high hill for maximum protection against the enemy. Megiddo is often mentioned in the bible, for example, when Joshua defeated the king of Megiddo and allotted the city to the tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 12:21, 17:11), Solomon turned it into the headquarters for his chariot corps (1Kings 9:15, 10:26-29) and King Josiah was killed at Megiddo in a battle with the Egyptians (2 Kings 23:29).  One of the highlights of our trip to Megiddo was a trip down 183 stone steps that leads to a hidden spring, which to this day is still active.

          Overall a great day and because we knew that Ash Wednesday was just a couple of hours away and we would be giving up snacking, sweets and other things we love.   Some of us found a McDonald's restaurant where we had some nice food while others had some baklava and others some pomegranate juice. We now enter into a new phase of our pilgrimage as we begin Lent, as always thank you for your prayers and support, you are very much in our thoughts and prayers.

Reframing “Pilgrimage"

We have finished the first part of our pilgrimage. We are now moving onward to focus on the ministry of Jesus. The first part of our pilgrimage revolved around the Nativity and now we are highlighting the words and deeds of Christ. Today we visited “Muhraqa” which is on Mount Carmel, as well as Caesarea Maritima. 



We have been pilgrims for three weeks now. But, in all honesty, we have always been pilgrims. We are all pilgrims on a journey, not mere wanderers looking for a home, but a people chosen to live in God's presence. We are a people chosen to live in a presence that ceaselessly tugs on our hearts and summons us by name.

The word "pilgrimage" is constantly used and never actually elaborated on. A pilgrimage is less about something we “go on” and more about a very real summoning. It is a word that describes the gravitational pull from God, a movement towards him.

Everyday, the thirty-seven of us men (and Sister Judith) are pilgrims following Christ with ups and downs, with the mundane and the surprising.


We are Christians, followers of Christ trying to listen for a small, subtle voice in the midst of our own contexts. Here in Nazareth we are visiting holy sites, praying in community and studying the scriptures. Most importantly we are recognizing that God is constantly waiting for us. The real dynamic of pilgrimage is that Jesus Christ is the one summoning us by name. In the meantime we try to be as open as possible for what’s ahead on this pilgrimage in the Holy Land and on this pilgrimage we call life.

And Lead Us Not into Temptation

If someone were to ask me, "Are you content?" I would say, "No". In fact, many of us have been oscillating between periods of pain and contentment. There is even a kind of assumption amongst us that if you are not experiencing some kind of pain right now something must be wrong. Why is this? Because we are all being sifted and tempted in our own unique ways as ordination to the Diaconate approaches. This has been known to be a traditional time of increasing temptation. Certainly, Jesus too was in pain before his public ministry began. It is a comfort to realize this fact and to think about his experience on the Mount of Temptations.

Yesterday we visited a monastery built on the Mount of Temptations. The monastery is wedged into the cliffs of the mountain, seemingly suspended on the cliffs, as if the place itself spoke "I'm just barely hanging on!" The cells of the monastery line the cliff side and the main "hallway" itself is hewn from the cliff. From the entrance to the sanctuary you look out towards Jericho and far in the distance you see the mountains of Jordan. Inside the sanctuary, a large iconostasis commands your attention while the rest of the room is lined with choir stalls for the monks. However, on the side of the chapel there is an unassuming stairwell that you climb. At the top you will find a small chapel where sits the rock that Christ sat on during his temptation. 

Touching this place, praying in this spot, gives one comfort and strength. Christ underwent temptation, the worst and most fundamental of them all. Yet, due to his total dependence on the Father, and his certainty of identity of being the Beloved Son, he said "no" to these temptations. It is comforting to be where Christ was tempted because we are reminded that our own temptations are not definitive; they do not define who we are. At the end of the day these temptations can be conquered by a Love so profound and embracing that we too can say "no" to them, always remembering that just as He was loved by the Father in his temptation, so too are we in ours. While we may not be content, while we may be in pain, we have peace because the Father's love goes deeper than all of our temptations.