Christmas in Bethlehem
A Chronicle of The Angelus Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
by Don Fantz
Wednesday, December 19th
Each year in December our thoughts take us in spirit to the place of Christ's birth. This year the opportunity came to readers of THE ANGELUS to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Father Carl Pulvermacher joined the members of our tour who had assembled at Chicago's O'Hare Airport from various parts of the United States. We flew on KLM's non-stop 747 to Amsterdam.
Thursday, December 20th
We were met in Amsterdam by KLM staff, who arranged for Father Carl to say Mass in the airport chapel. Soon after, we boarded another KLM flight to Frankfurt, Germany. From there we flew El Al's Boeing 720 jet directly into Tel Aviv. Heavy security regulations were in effect for this latter flight. Checks and double-checks were made on all passengers. We landed in Tel-Aviv at 11 p.m. Our tour guide, Mike Rock, and our motor-coach driver, Imram Napolse, met us and escorted us to our hotel, located on the Mediterranean.
Friday, December 21st
Early this morning we saw swimmers taking their laps in the olympic-sized pool adjoining the Mediterranean Sea. We were introduced to Israeli breakfast, which was to be our fare for the next three mornings: herring, sour cream, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, toast, coffee and juice—plentiful, if not typically American. Mike gave us a brief history of this land since Old Testament times. We learned of the twelve tribes of Israel and how each of them settled in a separate territory. We learned of the age-old wars and of the more recent ones; of how Great Britain withdrew her domain here in 1947; of the ensuing battles that took place between Arabs and Jews. When the Jews took military rule here they displaced thousands of Arabs in the Joppa area. These Arabs have fled into neighboring districts and countries and are still awaiting restitution for their confiscated properties. Tensions among peopls are evident. We passed through whole sections of devastated buildings left by the Jews as a reminder to the Arabs of the 1967 War. The Canaanite port of Joppa was the harbor for Jerusalem durng the days of King Solomon. It was from here that Jonah sailed for Tarshish. This was also the home of Tabitha, whom St. Peter raised from the dead, and of Simon the Tanner, in whose house St. Peter lodged.
We left Joppa and continued up the coast, stopping at Caesarea. This was originally a Phoenician trading post and later (25 B.C.) reconstructed as a harbor by Herod the Great. Herod named the port Caesarea in honor of the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, to give competition to Joppa Harbor and to establish a trading link with Rome. After Herod's death Caesarea became the seat of the Roman government in Judea. Pontius Pilate resided here during his reign as procurator. We saw the prison which held St. Paul before he was sent to Rome for his trial. In those days the bloody Roman games took place in the local amphitheater. In later times St. Louis, King of France, brought the Crusaders here to fortify the harbor and to use it as a place of retreat in their attempt to retake the holy places from pagan destruction. Today Caesarea is a beach resort; the Israeli Symphony gives summer evening concerts in the Amphitheater. Some of us climbed to the top of the stone seating area to listen to the beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" by other tour members.
After lunch we traveled the coast route along the Carmel Mountain Range. We saw the spot where the prophet Elias's sacrifice was consumed as a proof that he was of the one, true God. The pagan priests who were trying to deceive the Jewish people were all slaughtered and their remains cast into the Kishon Brook, 1,550 feet below. We turned from the coast and drove to Mount Carmel (the vineyard of the Lord) to visit the cave where Elias hid from Ahab. The forerunners of the Carmelites built a shrine commemorating this and in Christian times the church became a monastery. In 1799 the monastery was used as a hospital for wounded French soldiers. Outside the church stands a small pyramid over the remains of Napoleon's soldiers massacred in 1799 by the Turks during the French retreat. Across the street on a pillar 15 feet in height stands a bronze statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, erected by the people of Chile in honor of their Patroness. Our tour members met the Carmelite monks and received holy cards and scapulars.
From Mount Carmel we drove to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. After her betrothal to Saint Joseph, Our Blessed Lady went with him to Nazareth, where Joseph made his living as a carpenter. Their home, typical of the homes of that time, was built over a stone cave. The cave was a place of retreat from either cold or hot weather. We were privileged to see the cave of the Annunciation, revered since Apostolic times as the place where the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear the Saviour of the world. It was here that Christianity began. The house itself was transported by angels to Loretto, Italy, but the cave remains—simple in its beauty. Over the cave, on a second level, rises the Franciscan church, completed in 1966. Unfortunately, it speaks of the modern era, with semi-real depictions of the Mother of God and its meal table in place of the Altar of Sacrifice.
A few steps away we visited the cave where the Holy Family lived, as well as the workshop of Saint Joseph. The well where Mary drew water still stands today as does the ancient hall, marking the location of the synagogue which Jesus attended as a Boy. It is impossible to see the simplicity of life which the Holy Family lived and not be moved. All the members of our tour knelt spontaneously in these holy places. Some kissed the floor over which the divine footsteps passed almost two millennia ago.
Our motorcoach took us to the small village of Cana. We visited the Franciscan church built over the very spot of Christ's first miracle. The little church is operated by the Italian Franciscans. A children's choir, conducted by the Sisters, was rehearsing Christmas carols in Arabic. As we descended the steps to the lower level to view the location of the changing of water into wine, the choir sang St. Alphonsus Liguori's famous carol: Tu Scendi dalle Stelle—"You descended from a star, O King of Heaven." The priest in charge gave us a history of the miracle as we stood before the well where the six jars of water were placed: "Cana tells us something of Jesus' nature. He was so humble that for thirty years He lived in obscurity as the Son of a carpenter, fashioning farming implements and delivering them to people's houses. But His authority grace and majesty are as great as His humility. This becomes evident the moment He steps into the open and begins His public ministry. Jesus needs say but a word and water is transformed into wine—a miracle takes place. Behold, He commands and it is! Almighty is He, the Son of God. To this day He can transform every distressing situation—including every mental or spiritual distress. He can make the bitter sweet for us. Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ can do everything. The only condition for us to experience His aid and miracles is that we too take to heart the words, 'Whatsoever He says to you, do it.'"
We left Cana as the sun was setting and arrived into Tiberias and our hotel, the Golan, situated directly over the Sea of Galilee. Father Carl offered Mass that evening and we retired.
Saturday, December 22nd
We awakened to see the sun rise over the Sea of Galilee. We saw a small fishing vessel in the choppy water. It was easy to imagine the Apostles in such a boat, or on the nearby shore mending their nets. Later that day as we made the 40-minute crossing of the Sea by motorboat we were reminded of the storms on the Sea, of Christ walking on its surface, and of the Apostles' calling to Him as He lay asleep in the bottom of the boat.
We drove to the Church of the Beatitudes, situated on the mountain of the same name. Arrangements were made with the Franciscans for Father Carl to say Mass in the church there. We passed through the garden where some American Jesuits were concelebrating. The sanctuary of the church is untouched by the reformers. The hectagonal shape of the church reaches up to the domed cupola over the high altar, each side of which bears a stained glass window illustrating a Beatitude. Father Carl's sermon pointed out to us how blessed we were to assist at Calvary's renewal on such a hallowed spot. After Mass we walked around the portico of the church for a breathtaking view of the Galilean Hills and the rocky countryside beyond the sea.
We then continued for a short distance to Capernaum, where Jesus made His home after His public life began. This is the city which Christ cursed because of the infidelity of its inhabitants. Today, only ruins remain of what was once a thriving town, including the synagogue where Jesus preached and the home of St. Peter. Capernaum became the center of Our Lord's ministry after the people of Nazareth rejected Him. It was here that Christ first called His Apostles together. We saw examples of stone bathtubs used for small children. They were extremely heavy—made of millstone. This is the same millstone Christ made reference to when speaking of those who would give scandal to little ones.
Our lunch consisted of a delicious, freshly caught "St. Peter's fish" (Tilapia Galileo). After lunch we were driven through the center of Upper Galilee to the northernmost border of the Holy Land, Mount Hermon. This majestic mountain's snow-capped peaks dominate all Northern Israel. It is referred to by the Psalmist in the Divine Office for Christmas: "Thine are the heavens and Thine is the earth, the world and its fulness Thou hast created; Thabor and Hermon rejoice at Thy name." We stopped at the Hermon foothills to visit the ruins of what was once Caesarea Philippi. This is now disputed territory and is used as a picnic site for Israeli soldiers and their families. Waterfalls from the mountain cascade into various streams around picnic sites. Soldiers sat or walked with machine guns ready in case of attack. Two months ago snipers attacked the area, killing some local people. We were on the two borders of Lebanon and Syria.
After leaving this "hot spot" we traveled to Tabgha to view the hill where Christ fed the five thousand. There is a Byzantine church here dedicated to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. We could not enter, as it was under reconstruction. We did sample some of the local figs, dates, and bananas. We also tried some St. John's honey. The Jewish people have turned many desert areas into well producing farmland. Oranges and citrus fruits are especially delicious. Cotton, grapes, and wheat are also grown. The cattle here are well fed, in spite of the barrenness of much of the land. We could see that this is truly the "land flowing with milk and honey."
Sunday, December 23rd
We left Galilee early this morning en route to Jerusalem. Mike, our guide, has been a fountain of information. The Old Testament figures seem to come alive as he explains how their lives were in many respects similar to the lives of present-day inhabitants of the Holy Land. We passed the road to Emmaus, where Jesus made Himself known to His disciples after His Resurrection. We also passed by Janin, where Jesus healed the ten lepers. We stopped at the Greek Orthodox church built over Jacob's Well. Two weeks previously a bomb exploded at the well, killing a monk. Local authorities closed the church. We were fortunate enough to be allowed into the room where the well is located. The destruction caused to some icons and pictures nearby was evident. This well which Jacob, Isaac's son, dug, is located in Samaria—the same Samaria condemned by the prophets for its paganism and refusal to follow the Old Testament faith. Jesus, passing through on His way to Galilee, stopped here and asked a woman for a drink of water. Typifying the hatred between the Samaritan and Jew, the woman refused His request. Her contempt was answered by Jesus, "Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him shall not thirst forever." After her conversation with Jesus the woman became convinced of His divinity. She spread the news to her neighbors, who prevailed upon Our Lord to remain two days longer. Many in the city were converted to Jesus. We verified that the well runs deep, as is mentioned in the Gospel. Each of us poured a few drops of the water to the bottom of the well. It took approximately seven seconds for the water to reach bottom. We each had the privilege of taking a drink from the well.
As we continued our journey we passed by Mount Thabor, the site of Jesus' transfiguration with Moses and Elias, as witnessed by Saints Peter, James, and John. Mount Thabor is the only one of several surrounding mountains which stands mystically alone in its almost perfectly rounded symmetry. Saint John summed up Christ's transfiguration at the end of his life when he wrote, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth."
Next we visited Megiddo, whose summit affords a commanding view towards Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt across the Jezreel, the largest valley in Israel. This mountain has been of strategic importance in the defense of the Holy Land and has seen many fierce battles through the centuries. It consists of twenty cities, each built over the other in as many layers. The oldest of these cities dates back to 4000 B.C. Kings have died here. In World War I the decisive battle by the British for the conquest of Palestine was fought here. Megiddo is identified in the Apocalypse as the Armageddon where the final battle of the world will take place. We toured the ruins and saw the magnificent views into the once desolate swamp land, now converted into fertile fields by the new Jewish settlers. It took us 45 minutes to travel on foot from one side to another. We continued on our journey to the Pool of Shiloh, where Jesus told the man He cured from blindness to wash himself. Several of our group bathed in this pool or touched religious articles to its water. We proceeded to what is now the Moslem village of Naim, where Christ raised the widow's son to life. We then entered the Judean Hill district and the Holy City. As we entered Jerusalem our guide led us in singing the hymn, Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat. We passed through the old and new quarters of the city. Here, as in every major city of the Holy Land, the Jews have built their new subdivisions on high ground. For example, there is lower Galilee and upper Galilee. The reason for this is in case of insurrection of the local Arab population, the Jews will be able to keep effective control of the town.
We arrived at our hotel, the National Palace, in time for lunch. This is an Arab Christian hotel. The food, customs, and cordiality were welcomed by our group. It was here that we saw our first Christmas decorations. After lunch we traveled a distance of three miles to Ein Karem, a tranquil village on the western slopes of the Judean hills. Here we visited the beautiful Church of the Visitation, wherein is found the home of Sts. Zachary and Elizabeth. In front of the church are forty seven mosaics, each giving the "Magnificat" in a different language. It was here that the words of that hymn were first spoken by Mary. Here it was that St. John the Baptist was sanctified in his mother's womb. Before we entered the church Father Carl led us in chanting the "Magnificat." We also visited the place close by where Tradition tells us that the elderly Elizabeth fled her persecutors to give birth to her son. Eight days later Zachary's tongue was loosed when he insisted on calling his son by the name the angel had given him: John. His relatives were astonished as he spoke the inspired hymn, "Blessed be Thou, O Lord God of Israel..."
We were happy to see that the altar of this church remained untouched by the reformers. We left Ein Karem full of admiration for the long journey Mary made from Nazareth. Her trip over hills and through valleys must have taken two weeks by donkey. We were also impressed by the zeal of the Apostles in following their Master's example in preaching the Gospel under difficult conditions of travel, against the formidable odds of the hard-heartedness of the Jews, and the cruelty with which they punished anyone not in line with their law.
Monday, December 24th
We were awakened early this morning by the chanting of Moslem prayers. Five times a day these chants are broadcast from the local mosque throughout the city. Jerusalem is considered the third holiest city of the Moslems. This morning after Mass and breakfast we left on a tour of Jerusalem. Our driver stopped at the peak of a hill overlooking the city. We saw on the left the remains of the temple, never rebuilt since its destruction in A.D. 70. We viewed the golden dome of the mosque containing the rock where Abraham took his son Isaac to be sacrificed. We looked straight ahead to the area which was once outside the city walls, where Christ was crucified. We saw the gate where Jesus entered the city triumphantly on the Sunday before His death. We saw all of this from approximately the same place where Jesus sat when He wept over Jerusalem—the Church of Dominus Flevit. We remained here for twenty minutes, drinking in the history this panorama offered. We all agreed that we had to pinch ourselves once in awhile to be reminded that we were actually in the Holy Land, where God has shown His greatest favors to man. We passed by Stephen's Gate, where the young deacon was stoned to death, becoming the first martyr for Jesus Christ. We continued to the Garden of Olives and entered the church in which the top of the rock of the Agony is enclosed. This rock is the very one on which Our Lord had His bloody sweat as He prepared for His death. We saw the olive trees, some of which stood in Our Lord's time. We were then taken to the house of Caiphas, the high priest, where Jesus was led after His betrayal by Judas. The original church which stands over the house is exquisite in its beauty and still untouched by the reformers. A lower level has been converted into a Novus Ordo chapel. I asked the priest who resides there if the original church is still used for Mass. He replied that the lower level is now used because the acoustics are bad in the older church. The prison where Jesus was placed for several hours on Holy Thursday night was entered only by the prisoner being lowered through a hole with ropes tied around his chest. The prisoner's feet and hands were tied to opposite ends of a stone window, spread-eagle style, and he was beaten with leather cords thirty-nine times. This was Jesus' first scourging—mild compared to what He received later at Pilate's court. As we walked outside Caiphas's house we looked across to the Garden of Gethsemane and we could visually trace the route over which Jesus was led to this house. We saw the actual steps He trod from the bottom of the hill to the house. As I followed the ancient steps from one level to another, the words of the Psalmist came to mind: "In His steps is your salvation." We crossed the porch to the opposite side of the house and looked across the Kidron Valley to the place where the elders took council against Jesus. It was here that Judas betrayed Christ with thirty pieces of silver. It was here that Stephen's martyrdom was planned. This hill has been named "Hill of Evil Counsel" by the local people. Interestingly enough, the UN flag now flies from its summit; the local United Nations Command is headquartered here. As we looked to the left from Caiphas's porch we were shown the place where Judas hanged himself.
From here we continued through the city to the Church of the Pater Noster. We saw the cave where Jesus first gathered his Apostles when they came to Jerusalem. He taught them how to pray to His Father. There are sixty-eight mosaic plaques around the grotto, each proclaiming the "Our Father'' in a different tongue.
From there we were escorted to the tomb of Mary, now housed within the confines of the Church of the Dormition. As we entered and walked down the long stairway leading to the tomb, we saw and heard a group of Ugandans dressed in white robes chant the beautiful Gregorian Salve Regina in flawless Latin. We saw a group of Moslems here as well, demonstrating their devotion to our Blessed Mother. We then visited the Cenacle, or Upper Room, where the Last Supper took place.
Later this afternoon we visited the Shrine of the Book to view the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls were discovered in 1948 in Qumran, northeast of Jerusalem, by a shepherd. The Israeli government has brought the scrolls to Jerusalem and has placed them in a museum, the top of which is shaped exactly like the top of the cylinders in which the scrolls were found. The scrolls are copies of Old Testament books and philosophical writings compiled by the Essenes, a sect of early Jews whose civilization was destroyed. Recent excavations in Qumram have uncovered artifacts and more writings telling of their life.
We returned to our hotel for Christmas Eve dinner and a visit with another large group of pilgrims from Mexico City.
Tuesday, December 25th
We left the hotel early this morning for Bethlehem. Our excitement grew as we approached this town nestled in the Judean Hills. Imram parked our motorcoach in Manger Square and we walked to the Church of the Nativity. We had to stoop down to enter the church. In earlier days when invaders attempted to destroy the holy places this entrance was placed before this church to keep out marauders on horseback. There are three groups who have dominion over this shrine, the Roman Catholics, the Greeks and the Armenians. Under the Roman Catholic side of the church is a series of caves where St. Jerome lived while he translated the Scriptures into the Latin language. Father Carl offered his first Christmas Mass in the cell where St. Jerome had his chapel and labored over the Scriptures. The catacombs were crowded with priests and faithful as Masses were offered throughout the day. After Mass we visited the silver Star of Bethlehem, located on the floor of an adjoining cave. Around the Star are inscribed the Latin words Hic de Maria Virgine Jesus Christus natus est ("In this place Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary"). The emotion we all felt was inexpressible. It seemed incomprehensible that we were kneeling, touching, kissing the very place where the Infant Saviour was born. We could only remain speechless as the many bells in the church above pealed out the news to the world once again the news of the birth of its Redeemer. We saw the place where the Holy Family left on their journey to Egypt and the mammoth recessed cave where the bodies of the Holy Innocents were thrown. A few blocks away we entered the Milk Grotto, so named because it was where the Holy Family sought refuge from Herod's soldiers. The cave is pitch black outside and inside the atrium. Local tradition tells of how the interior of the innermost recess turned pure white when a drop of milk from Our Lady's breast fell while she nursed her Divine Child. A shrine depicting Mary nursing the Child Jesus is located at this spot.
After our visit to the Milk Grotto we traveled two miles to the Shepherd's Fields. Here in the Franciscan church we assisted at Father Carl's second Mass. Later we heard Latin Vespers sung by the Franciscan community. They began with a beautiful Gregorian rendering of the Angels' Hymn: Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Here was another chapel untouched by the reformers, with beautiful murals of the visit of the angels to the shepherds and of the shepherds' visit to the Christ Child. This day ended at our hotel with Father Carl's third Mass, as the bells of Jerusalem rang out their Christmas greetings.
Wednesday, December 26th
Our weather until Christmas Day was sunny and warm. A chill wind blew in from Cyprus, threatening snow on Christmas Eve. Wednesday was a free day for our group. This evening we went to an Israeli folklore show. The colorful music and dance from the various regions of Israel were superb.
Thursday, December 27th
Our first stop this morning was the house of Saints Joachim and Anne, the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The acoustics in the main church are phenomenal. After a brief prayer, we sang the Marian hymns, "Immaculate Mary," "Hail, Holy Queen," and the Gregorian "Salve Regina."
Next we visited some of the shrines dedicated to the Passion of Our Lord. We saw the Praetorium, where Jesus was condemned. We visited the place where He was scourged and crowned with thorns.
From there we walked to the Ecce Homo Arch, where Pilate, on seeing Jesus exhausted and covered with blood exclaimed to the crowd below, "Behold the Man." We were then taken to the place, close by, where the cross was placed on His shoulders. We entered the convent of the Sisters of Zion, wherein are preserved the very stones Our Lord walked on towards Calvary. We ourselves walked these stones and came out onto the present street at the third station. We traveled on foot the narrow, muddy streets to Golgotha. It was easy to imagine that first Good Friday as we passed from the fourth to the ninth stations through the crowds of turbaned Arabs riding their donkeys, through the bazaars where vendors shouted their wares—through the streets patrolled by khaki-clad soldiers with machine guns slung over their shoulders. At last we reached the summit of Calvary, where we encountered a large oil painting showing the horror on the faces of the holy women as they saw Jesus crudely stripped of His clothing. We then walked a few steps to the eleventh station where a similar painting revealed to us the agony of Christ as the final nail was driven into His flesh. A few paces beyond, and we saw the hole where the cross was lowered into the rock. The shock of the sudden descent of the cross, landing on a lower level of solid rock, was felt in every fiber of Our Lord's Body. We were able to kneel and kiss this sacred spot where man's redemption was won. To the right of the altar of Crucifixion is a beautiful icon of Our Lady of Sorrows, marking the place where Christ's Body was placed into her arms. From here we walked down a flight of stairs to the place of Unction. It was here that Our Lord's Body was hastily anointed and prepared for burial a short distance away in the holy sepulchre. Each of us was admitted to the sepulchre area. We touched our rosaries and objects of devotion to the top of the tomb, which is protected by an enclosure. We then visited the tomb of Nicodemus, now empty and in its primitive state. It gave us a clear idea of Christ's tomb at the time of His burial and resurrection. As we left these shrines, all of which are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we passed by the former garden where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. Close by is a chapel containing a column on which Our Lord sat as He was mocked and crowned with thorns.
After lunch we visited the remains of the temple, built by Herod the Great over the remains of Solomon's Temple. The only part of this edifice still standing is the Western Wall, now referred to as the Wailing Wall. We noticed many Jews bowing and praying as they read from the Torah. They literally "wail" their prayers here as they ask for peace for Jerusalem, the coming of their messiah, or help for sick friends. The men of our tour group were taken into the interior of the building adjoining the wall to see hundreds of rabbis praying and reading the Old Testament. The women in our group were permitted to go to the right hand side of the wall where Jewish women were chanting.
Later we visited the Dome of the Rock. A magnificent mosque has been built over the actual rock used for the official sacrifices of the Old Law. It was constructed by the Moslems after the destruction of Jerusalem to show their reverence for Abraham, whom they consider their father. This mosque rivals the Taj Mahal in beauty. It was on this rock that Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed; it was here that Melchisedech met Abraham and offered the sacrifice of bread and wine to God instead of slaughtered animals. We walked under the top of this rock into a chamber where two altars are still standing—one of Abraham, the other of the Prophet Zacharia. It was here that the Ark of the Covenant was formerly kept.1 In front of this area, called the Holy of Holies, hung the mammoth temple veil, which was torn from top to bottom at the instant of Christ's death. This symbolized the reality of the completion of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. From this point on, the graces of the New Covenant would be available to every soul disposed to receive them in every renewal of this sacrifice, perpetuated by priests of the New Law, ordained according to the Order of Melchisedech. The new Ark of the Covenant would be the tabernacle in each church containing the reality of the Saviour under the appearance of bread.
Friday, December 28th
Today the weather turned warmer. We travelled to the lowest spot on earth—the Dead Sea. We tasted the bitterness of its water. We visited Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The wilderness here reminds one of the Arizona/New Mexico mountains. We looked across the Sea to the Moab Mountains where Moses was buried prior to the Israelites' entering the Promised Land. Mount Nebo rose in the distance. We continued to Jericho, where Josue's troops conquered the local inhabitants. When we examined the remnants of dirt and hay which made up the city walls, we could easily see that the blasts of Josue's trumpeters was sufficient to help crumble the walls. We had lunch in a garden of the new city of Jericho. The local vegetables and fruits rival those of Texas in size. From Jericho we passed by camel trains and Bedoin settlements to the inn mentioned by Our Lord in His parable of the Good Samaritan. Our Lord must have known this inn, as it lies midway between Jericho and Bethany, where He often visited. We then visited the tomb of Lazarus in Bethany, as well as the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
Saturday, December 29th
Today was a free day for revisiting places we wanted to see again or for reflection. It is easy to see that the tensions which exist among the Christians, Jews, and Moslems can eventually lead to a major war. The members of our group also agreed that the dissensions among Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Syrian communities over their rights in the Holy Land contribute to the unrest. More ominous than this is the fact that the present-day corrupters of the holy places are those who are promoting false belief through false worship. The I has taken deep root here. Catholics are in a minority in Israel. We asked ourselves what will become of these shrines in another generation when Christ will be "just another good man"?
Throughout this pilgrimage we have prayed the rosary. The meditations, the Stations of the Cross, the prayers of the Mass—all have taken on a more profound meaning than they ever held before. For example, when praying the Communicantes, I used to look back in time to all the saints mentioned in that prayer. The effect of this trip is that here in the City of Jerusalem it seems easy for one to have a forward perspective from the time of the Apostles to those later Saints Cletus, Lawrence, Chrysognous and Damian. Our guide has helped us to gain an almost eternal concept of time. To him and to the local people here Abraham is a spiritual father. The era of Christ seems fairly recent to them.
Sunday, December 30th
After breakfast we repacked our bags. We left Jerusalem for Tel Aviv Airport and KLM's dinner flight to Amsterdam. We stayed overnight in the comfortable seventeenth century Hotel Arthur Frommer.
Monday, December 31st
Father Carl said Mass for us for the last time before our transfer to Amsterdam Airport and our return 747 flight to New York. From there we all flew to our hometown.
1. The Ark of the Old Covenant contained the rod of Moses' brother, Aaron, which turned into a serpent before Pharaoh's soldiers. The serpent is a prefigure of Christ, with arms outstretched, as on a cross and is still used by the medical profession as its insignia of healing. Also in the Ark were fragments of manna rained from heaven onto the Israelites and the tablets of the Ten Commandments. After the captivity of the Jewish people by the Babylonians Jeremiah hit the Ark on Mount Nebo.
THE ANGELUS is extremely grateful to Mr. Fantz and to Tara Travel for arranging and conducting this tour to the Holy Land. We are planning another such pilgrimage to the Holy Land during Holy Week, 1981. If you are interested in joining the pilgrimage, please send your name to Mr. Fantz, Tara Travel, 1243 Alpine Road, Suite 120, Walnut Creek, CA 94596.
Current Issue
