Introduction
“A dream come true, the most memorable trip, a
life-time experience!” Many people described their Holy Land trip with various
expressions while they shared their experiences in the bus. One thing is
certain that all are touched, all are moved by the Spirit, all have experienced
something which they will cherish all their lives. It was almost evident to all
42 of us that God was journeying with us in those ten days. Each one
encountered God in some way or the other: through places, people, circumstances
and through words and deeds.
The thought foremost on my mind
right now is “It is accomplished!” However, I can scarcely believe that it is
over. So fast those days passed! Wish I could stop time while I was at the Sea
of Galilee, in the Grotto of the Nativity or in the Holy Sepulchre. It is not
what I saw that is important; but what affected my being, how I was transformed
in and through this pilgrimage that is important. As I look at myself now, I
ask myself, “What have I gained? What do I carry with me?” And the answer is
“memories, memories and fond memories.” I have captured the memories in
photographs, I have gathered some pebbles from the shore of the Sea of Galilee
and taken some mud from the wall of Jerusalem. I have also recorded the endearing
and enthralling morning talks of Fr. Selva and also some interesting explanations
given by our guides.
זכר
(memory/remembrance) is a very important concept in the Hebrew Bible. God asks
his people to remember,
to call to their memory time and again what he did for them. Precisely, this
memory will accompany me all the days of my life. This is the fond memory of
the days when we walked on the path where Jesus walked; we touched and kissed
the places where Jesus sat; we smelt the fragrance of the Holy places and
tasted the divine atmosphere. It was as if we were living and moving in the
Lord. It was like doing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with eyes wide
open.
Words fail to describe this momentous
experience. However, here is my humble effort to put into words a few memoirs
of the Holy Places we visited from 7th – 17th November.
The pilgrimage consisted mainly of 7 action-packed days (9th – 15th).
I will concentrate on these seven perfect days. I was touched by seeing how Fr.
Selva Rathinam, SJ amazingly captured the essence of the whole experience in
his morning prayer in those days (+ 1 thanksgiving prayer service of “Gathering
the Fruits” on 16th). This was indeed the daily manna, the
much-needed spiritual nourishment for the hungry souls. I would like to spell
out Fr. Selva’s inspiration in the beginning of each day’s account entitled
“Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna.”
Preparatory days: 7th – 8th
Nov: Pune-Mumbai-Kuwait-Amman
The excitement was in the air. I was
doubly excited as it was my first foreign trip and what a privilege to travel
to the place closest to the heart of every Christian, the Holy Land! All were
on time for the bus when we left Pune. We began with a prayer and asked God to
be with us and indeed he listened to our prayers. We met Mr. Sunder and the
other members of our group from different parts of the country at Mumbai
airport. All the check-in formalities were completed and we flew to Kuwait by
KU 302. We were in transit for a few hours there, where we were well taken care
of in a luxurious Airport Hotel. We reached Amman by KU 561 and after a little
delay reached our hotel “Dana Plaza,” and had a very comfortable overnight
stay. Our journey was pleasant and memorable. I felt overjoyed because it was
the first time I travelled by air.
Day 1: 9th Nov: Jordan
(Madaba, Mt. Nebo) and Galilee (Cana, Nazareth)
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: The Way, the Dead Sea, the Miracles
We had begun our pilgrimage of faith;
we were ready to travel the way which Moses and the people of God travelled and
enter into the land where our savior was born. We learnt the lesson from the
Dead Sea that if we only receive and don’t give/share, we will die. We also
learnt that God works miracles through ordinary happenings as we got ready to
encounter the God of miracles.
Madaba
Madaba, the land of Moabites, the
land for water and fruit is popularly known as the Mosaic city. Our Muslim
guide Ibrahim called it the first Christian city, then known as Philadelphia
(in the first century). We saw the 6th century (the oldest) map of
the Holy land in the Greek Orthodox Basilica of St. George. This is an
invaluable map helping us to locate about 180 holy sites. We visited a
spectacular handicraft workshop on our way to Mt. Nebo selling mosaic and Dead
Sea products.
Mt. Nebo
The history unfolded before our eyes
as we stood on the top of Mt. Nebo gazing towards the Holy Land, the land
flowing with milk and honey. Indeed, Moses’ heart would have been overjoyed
overlooking the fertile plain of Israel after crossing the never-ending
treacherous desert. The memorial of the bronze serpent by Giovanni Fantoni, the
memorial of Moses (commemorating the unmarked grave of Moses), the twelve
springs from which the twelve tribes drank and the caves where they lived made
us feel one with the Israelites on the way to the Promised Land, hoping and
expecting the showers of blessings from the Lord. Unfortunately we were not
able to see the Basilica of Moses as the construction was going on. We had the traditional
meal of Jordan called “Upside down” and left for Israel.
Entry into Israel
We left Jordan, the land of Ammonites,
Edomites and Moabites and entered the Promised Land by crossing the King
Hussain Bridge. The tight security and heavy interrogation marked this entry
into Israel. It is still difficult for the People of God to enter the Promised
Land. We travelled through the Syrian-African rift (the lowest place in the
world leading to the Dead Sea).
On our journey towards Cana, our Israeli guide
explained to us the significance of the places we were seeing, through our bus
window. We saw Jezreel valley, the best agricultural land spanning 300 sq. km.
which has also been the place of war from the biblical times. We saw Gilboa
heights where King Saul and his sons were killed in the battle with
Philistines. If the places could talk, they would tell endless stories of all
the biblical prophets and kings living in those areas. However, we had to be
content with the tit-bits given to us by our guide. Some of us were too tired
to listen and fell asleep on the way.
Cana, the place of the first miracle
We were all delighted to see the
Church of Cana and were very happy to celebrate mass at the place where Jesus
performed his first miracle and brought joy to the embarrassed household and to
all the wedding guests. I felt myself fortunate to read the gospel account of
the wedding at Cana at the very site. During the mass, couples in our group
(not MBS group, but the larger group) renewed their marital vows. I was
particularly touched by the devotion of one African group praying fervently
touching the glass cabinet containing a stone jar.
Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus
Nazareth, Jesus’ own place is “the
most important place” according to the guide (because Jesus spent most of his
life over here). I could imagine child Jesus running up and down those winding
ways. Now the place is dominated by Muslims (known as “Arab capital of Israel”)
and some religiously offensive Islamic texts were displayed near the entrance
of the Basilica of the Annunciation. This Antonio Barluchi’s magnificent
building constructed in 1969 is built over the site of Byzantine-era and
Crusader-era Church. Fr. Selva showed us the house of the holy family. We saw
Marian devotional mosaic paintings from different countries. We were very
thirsty and wanted to drink water from Mary’s Well (mentioned in the Gospel of
James), the place of Annunciation according to Greek Orthodox Church. However,
unfortunately the place was closed. From Nazareth, we came to Tiberius and
spent the night in “Hotel Arazin”.
Day 2: 10th Nov: Important
places (Mountains, Sea and towns) of Galilee
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Mountains
As we were to visit two important
mountains (Mount of Beatitudes and Mount of Tabor), Fr. Selva instructed us
about the mountains as the places of experiencing God for all religions
(including Hinduism). Our God is El-Shaddai (אל שדי),
the God of the mountains. He is a
wombish and breastish God (merciful). His love is steadfast. He is always with
us (Immanuel), and he forgives us unconditionally.
Change in Time
The change in the national time between Jordan
and Israel made some of us get up an hour before expected time. For me, it was
the first time and firsthand experience.
Mount of Beatitudes
Showers of blessings from the Lord literally
descended on us for it was a rainy day. We were in the area where Jesus spent
most of his public ministry. I was supposed to preside over the mass at the
Mount of Beatitudes, but since the mass was not booked in advance, we were not
able to celebrate the mass. However, it was very pleasant being there
overlooking the Sea of Galilee. A French group of pilgrims sang beautiful
hymns, which helped to increase the devotion. We were not able to visit the
Church of the Multiplication of Loaves as it was closed.
Church of the Primacy of St. Peter in Tabgha on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee
My most beautiful experience in the
Holy Land was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is the place where Jesus
appeared to his disciples and prepared breakfast for them. This is the place
where disciples had a miraculous catch of fish and Jesus reinstated Peter. In
the drizzling rain, we entered into the Sea of Galilee. Lake of Galilee indeed
seemed like a Sea as there were waves and it brought to our minds many passages
in the Bible mainly calming the Sea and walking on the Sea, etc. Many of us collected
pebbles as Souvenirs. Something within me moved as I touched the water. I felt
full of life, exuberant and spirit-filled. It was great being there. Inside the
Church, there is a rock titled “Mensa Christi,” i.e. the Table of Christ where
Jesus dined with his disciples. We devotionally touched and kissed the rock.
Capernaum Village
“Capernaum, the town of Jesus” was
written on the entrance gate. This excavated town bears witness to many places
and events in Jesus’ life. The synagogue of Jesus’ time, Peter’s
mother-in-law’s house and the houses of the time of Jesus made Jesus event
alive for us. The enormous number of pilgrims and their faith inspired me.
Boating in the Sea of Galilee
With gentle breeze caressing our
cheeks, boat was swaying on the Sea of Galilee. It was a heavenly experience.
Fr. Xavier Alphonse led us into prayer imagining Jesus coming to us walking on
the Sea. The hoisting of the Tri-Colour on the foreign soil and singing the
national anthem was a special patriotic experience. It was a mix of spirituality
and patriotism. Our hearts were filled with joy and peace. Then we proceeded
for our lunch. On the way we saw the recently excavated town of Magdala from
our bus window reminding us of Mary Magdalene, the Apostle of the Apostles.
Eating Peter’s fish was an experience. After lunch, we enjoyed eating dates
from the tree near the restaurant.
The Baptismal site, Jordan River
Though the
water wasn’t very clean, we all enjoyed getting into the river and pouring
water on each other’s head. A Polish group of pilgrims bearing the name of
Christ the King was very prominently seen in their red robes and colourful
flags. The baptismal passage from the Gospel of Mark was written in many
languages including Hindi. Many people belonging to Protestant denomination
were getting baptized there. The joy was flowing on their faces of embracing
Jesus Christ as their saviour. After Fr. Xavier Alphonse poured water over my
head and when I opened my eyes, I saw something like a vision, the reflection
of Sun shining brightly on the water. It was a special feeling, a natural
phenomenon creating supernatural effect. I was reminded of Jesus’ Abba
Experience.
Mount Tabor (the Mount of Transfiguration)
“It is good to be over here.” Peter
told Jesus. I would fully agree with Peter. Although we had to wait for a long
time to get our turn to get into private vehicles ferrying us to the high mount
in Galilee, it was worth waiting for. When we reached on the Mount, we saw the
artistic Church of Antonio Barluchi, the main Church and two side chapels
dedicated to Moses and Elijah.
Besides the transfiguration, the
best part of the mount was the view of “Via Maris.” It was so clear. Fr. Selva
explained beautifully how Moses and Elijah showed Jesus the way to Jerusalem
and Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. The plan of salvation was wrought
over here. God the Father gave the command to disciples to listen to Jesus.
Indeed it was great to be there, but we had to go down to carry on our journey
in the Promised Land in the footsteps of Jesus.
We returned to the same hotel in Tiberius. After
supper, we twelve gathered together to celebrate the Eucharist and share our
experiences. It was indeed a special occasion. Each one was filled with joy and
enthusiasm sharing his/her experience with the group.
Day 3: 11th Nov: Outskirts of
Jerusalem and Bethlehem
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: The Trees in the Holy Land
As we were to visit the Garden of
Gethsemane today, Fr. Selva commented on the Olive tree, the Fig tree and the
Vine as the symbols of hope, faith and love. Olive tree never dies. It
symbolizes Jesus the Nazarene, the shoot of David. Fig tree is the place of
prayer and its strength symbolizes unwavering faith and the Vine symbolizes
love.
From Galilee to Jericho to Jerusalem
It was a little disappointing for us
as we couldn’t go to Megiddo, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jaffa according to our
Itinerary. Instead, we were already on our way to Jerusalem. Jesus, like any other
Jew travelled to Jerusalem from Galilee. We, too, travelled that way (in the
bus). We halted at Jericho. Jesus, too, had halted at Zaccheus’ house. We
didn’t get into the city as we planned to come there again. We saw the Mount of
Temptation from far away. From this mount Satan showed the whole world to Jesus
and asked him to worship him. The memory of the place will give us the strength
to withstand temptations from the evil one.
Then we saw the Judean mountainous
ranges starting from Jericho right up to Jerusalem. The passage of the Good
Samaritan came alive. Now a few Bedouin families stay there. These are a
nomadic people refusing to settle down at one place. No wonder, at Jesus’ time,
thieves and robbers would have found safe abode there. Then we got the vision
of the Holy City of Jerusalem as we came out of the tunnel. Our hearts rejoiced
at the sight of the blessed city. At last our feet were going to stand within
the gates of Jerusalem.
Church of Ascension
This Church
carries a special significance for us Jesuits because of the story of Ignatius
recounted in his autobiography. Ignatius bribed the Muslim soldier to enter
into the Church again to see in which direction the footprints of Jesus were. To
be at the place where our Father Ignatius visited and from where Jesus was
taken to the heaven, was heart-warming. This is the place where Jesus gave the
World Mission and told disciples that I will be with you always. I kissed the
footprints of Jesus again and again. The Church of Pater Noster was closed.
The Overview of Jerusalem
We came to a place near the Mount of
Olives. We could get the spectacular view of Jerusalem from there. The Israeli
guide beautifully explained the entire locale. We saw the Jewish, Christian and
Muslim graveyard and the Kidron valley. We located the house of Caiphas, Fort
of Antonio, the City of David, etc. It was a great and memorable sight.
Dominus Flevit Church
We walked
the way on which Jesus had once walked as he went to the Mount of Olives and
wept over Jerusalem. The Church is in the shape of a tear. The speciality of this
Church is that its altar is not to the East like other Churches, but to the
West. From the Church glass window, we can see the city of Jerusalem clearly.
In the vicinity of the Church, we saw some tombs and the ossuaries, the chests
containing human skeletal remains. The Church of Mary Magdalene belonging to
Orthodox Greeks was nearby. We didn’t visit it.
Garden of Gethsemane
The place of Jesus’ agony! We saw
some very ancient olive trees. Gethsemane was the place of Oil press. Being in
the magnificent Basilica of Gethsemane called the Church of all Nations and
praying near the rock where Jesus prayed and sweated blood was a great
spiritual treat for us.
The Upper Room (Coenaculum)
It was spiritually uplifting for me
as a priest to be in the place of the institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood.
Jesus gave love commandment from this place. The speciality of the place is
that it doesn’t belong to Christians and there is no Church erected on that
site and there are no Christian symbols displayed in that place. Only a statue
of olive tree is placed on one side as the sign of peace and harmony among the three
major Semitic religions.
David’s Tomb
We wore the
Jewish skullcaps and entered David’s tomb just below the upper room. Many Jews
come to pay their homage there. We met many playful Jewish children and clicked
photos with them. A though passed my mind that Jesus must have also been a
playful young lad like them. A beautiful statue of David playing the harp was
outside.
Dormitian Church
We came to
the Church of the Assumption of Mother Mary. A statue of Mother Mary lying down
is the main attraction. This place is also believed to be the place of the
Pentecost. We prayed together for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each place is so
unique and significant for our Christian faith. I can’t imagine I was in the
place where Mary and disciples prayed together and Holy Spirit descended upon
them.
Lunch at Bethlehem
We had late lunch at Shepherd’s
Hotel in Bethlehem, the house of bread. However, the food was not very
agreeable to our taste. To everyone’s delight, the hotel management gave
permission for ladies in our group to cook the Supper.
Shepherd’s field
“Gloria in excelsis deo!” The triumphant song
of Gloria was first sung there in Bethlehem, not by human beings, but by
angels. We also joined our voices and sang the heavenly song.
Milk Grotto
According to the tradition, a few
drops of milk fell down while Mother Mary was breast-feeding the Child Jesus,
escaping Herod’s persecution, turning stones milky white. The powder of these
stones is said to be miraculous as it helps the barren women to bear children.
Church of Nativity
“The most important place in the
world!” Thus St. Jerome described the place where Jesus was born. The door of
the magnificent Church is so small that all have to bend and enter. We had to
wait for about 2-3 hours to get the Darshan of the place where Saviour
was born. We had a spiritual treat as we discussed several theological points
with Fr. Selva. The visit to the Star of Bethlehem was memorable. Like Magi, we
paid our homage to the King of kings. However, I had nothing to offer except my
heart, filled with gratitude and love.
Day 4: 12th Nov: Jerusalem,
Ain Karem
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Suffering and Death
As we were about to walk the Via
Dolarosa, Fr. Selva explained the meaning of death, cause of death and purpose
of death for Christians. According to him, death is not destruction, but only
sleep; the cause of death is God and so we need not be afraid. The purpose of
death is the glorification of God because the power of God is displayed in the
resurrection of Jesus. This new understanding of death was comforting and soothing.
Pool of Bethsaida
We entered Jerusalem through
Stephanus gate (Lion’s gate) and went to the pool of Bethsaida. Archeological
finding has shown that there were five porticos as mentioned in John’s gospel.
In this place Jesus healed the paralytic. Our guide explained to us how water
was brought inside Jerusalem from Hebron.
Church of St. Ann
According to the tradition, Mother
Mary was born in Jerusalem at that place. We paid our homage to the Mother and
Grandmother of Jesus. Then we began the Via Dolarosa.
Mass at the Chapel of Flagellation
We had the first two stations in the
chapel of Flagellation. We celebrated mass there. Touching the stones from the
time of Jesus, the stones on which precious blood of Jesus might have fallen
during flagellation evoked deep sentiments in my heart.
Via Dolarosa
We had to walk through the
market-place praying at the Stations of the Cross. The slippery stone pavement
of Jesus’ time brought to our minds the three falls Jesus suffered. We
devotedly walked the way of the Cross. However, the ambience did not evoke much
spiritual sentiments in my heart.
Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
The last five stations are found
inside the Church. I could not believe that I was actually on the Mount
Calvary, the place where the salvation of humanity was wrought. Touching and
venerating the rock of the Mount Calvary was a special experience for me. We
also saw, touched and kissed the rock, where Jesus’ body was washed and laid in
the arms of Mary (Pieta). We touched and blessed the Holy articles and prayed
at that holy site. I was particularly touched by the devotion of a handicapped
lady lying down on the rock and praying fervently. Then we had to wait for a
long time to enter into the Holy Sepulchre, the burial and resurrection place.
Prabhat and I prayerfully recited rosary while we were waiting. Then we visited
the Chapel of St. Helena, where she found the Cross of Jesus. We also saw the
shattered rock of Calvary, broken at the time of Jesus’ death.
The Wailing Wall and the Golden Dome
The holiest place for Jews is the
Wailing Wall or the Western Wall of the temple. It is the place where they wail
and pray expecting the coming of the Messiah. An initiation ceremony was held
in the vicinity. Men and women prayed at the wall separately. Across the
Wailing Wall, we have the dome of Al Aksa Mosque, which contains the stone on
which Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. We had Indian dishes for lunch in
Commodore hotel in Jerusalem and proceeded to Ain Karem.
Ain Karem- the Birth Place of John the Baptist
I have a special devotion to John
the Baptist and hence I was very happy to visit the birthplace of St. John the
Baptist and the place of Visitation, the passage I had taken for my assignment.
I felt spirit-filled as I made a spontaneous prayer in the place where St. John
the Baptist was born.
We had an argument with our guide
regarding the shopping. He did not take us to Bethlehem market for shopping.
Anita’s sister had brought some eatables for us which we ate before supper.
Day 5: 13th Nov: Bethany,
Jericho, Dead Sea, Taba border
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Light
As we were about to cross the border
from Israel to Egypt, Fr. Selva reminded us how Jesus crossed the border from
heaven to earth. Besides, being the day of Deepavali, he took the theme of
Light. He showed how Jesus the light is our Way, the Truth and the Life.
Bethany, the house of Jesus’ friends
Sr. Santosh, the Bethany sister, was
overjoyed as we went to visit Bethany, the place of Martha, Mary and Lazurus.
We saw their house and the oil press. We prayed for Sr. Santosh in a very
special way. “I am the resurrection and the life” were the words written behind
the altar. We went through the narrow and deep stairway and saw the tomb of
Lazurus.
Jericho, the oldest city
We had our
lunch in the Temptation hotel. While we were passing though the city, we were
shown the Sychamore tree on which Zaccheus had climbed. It didn’t look that
old. We passed through Jericho and headed towards the Dead Sea.
Dead Sea, Qumran Caves, Lot’s wife
We had a very enjoyable time at the
Dead Sea floating on the Sea. We applied the mud containing healing properties on
our bodies and spent a good amount of time in water. It seemed like a picnic.
On our way to Negev, we saw from the Bus window the Qumran Caves and something
that looked like the statue of Lot’s wife.
Crossing the Taba border
We left the Holy Land and entered
Egypt. The young and intelligent guide, Mehmood, was very endearing. He called
us Habibi meaning friend or beloved. We crossed the border and came to
our hotel “Sonestar Beach Resort” in Sinai. Prabhat and I celebrated the
Eucharist in our room. Staying together created a bond between us.
Day 6: 14th Nov: Mount Sinai,
Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Cairo
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Ten commandments, ethical monotheism; miracles
As we were on our way to visit Mount
Sinai where God gave Ten Commandments to Moses, Fr. Selva explained how
Judeo-Christian tradition practices ethical monotheism. He also mentioned how
the miracles in Egypt were basically natural phenomena brought about by God who
doesn’t normally suspend the laws of nature.
St. Catherine’s Monastery
A long journey upward took us to Mt.
Sinai where St. Catherine’s Monastery is situated. 33 monks stay there. We were
lucky to get entry into the place. We saw Moses’ well and also the burning
bush, looking like a young green creeper. I couldn’t imagine that it is 5000
years old bush, yet I believed. The importance of the place strikes me now as I
reflect over it. We saw the Mount where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments
from far away.
Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea and the long journey to Cairo
We travelled for a long time. On the
way we saw the beautiful Gulf of Aqaba also known as the Red Sea. The Gulf is
called the Red Sea because of the surrounding red mountains. We passed through
the tunnel under the Suez Canal and entered into the Continent of Africa. We
reached Cairo and spent night in the hotel “Grand Pyramids.” Prabhat, Kumar and
I celebrated Eucharist. It was Kumar’s mother’s 1st death
anniversary.
Day 7: 15th Nov: Egyptian
Museum, Holy Family Church, Giza Pyramids, Nile Cruise
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Family
Today we visited the Holy Family Church where
the Holy Family is believed to have stayed. Hence, Fr. Selva took the theme “Family”.
He beautifully explained the biological and covenantal family. We are all related
to Jesus and hence we are also related to one another as a Covenantal family.
Egyptian Museum
It is as if we got a dip into the
culture and history of Egypt while we were going through the Museum seeing the
preserved mummies. Our Egyptian guide Mehmood explained several important
artifacts. According to him, the latest artifact is 3000 years old. The Stele
of Ramses II’s son about driving the Hebrews and Tutankhamun’s treasures buried
in his tomb were indeed interesting to see. It was an amazing trip looking at
the advancement in art and architecture of Egypt in ancient times. I felt great
admiration for their culture. They too believed in life after death.
Holy Family Church
In their
flight to Egypt, the Holy Family is believed to have stayed in the place where
Greek Orthodox have built a Church now. The atmosphere was very prayerful. I
liked the place very much.
Giza Pyramids
It was
exciting to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The mammoth size of the
great pyramid left us speechless. Pyramids are literally roads to heaven. Kudos
to ancient Egyptians who have created such marvellous masterpieces! We also saw
the Sphinx.
Nile Cruise
Inside the cruise ship, it was very
congested, although the belly dance and folk dance were interesting. After some
time, we came on the deck and had a pleasant time. We had to wait for a long
time to serve our food. Overall it was a good experience.
Concluding days: 16th – 17th Nov: Cairo – Kuwait – Mumbai
Fr. Selva’s Spiritual Manna: Gathering the Fruits
Each one has got some experience of
God. Some may have received spectacular experiences; some may have got gentle
and quiet experiences. Both are important and have to cherished and reflected
upon to deepen these experiences. Fr. Selva appealed to us to gather and
cherish the fruits of this memorable Holy Land Trip.
Journey home
The return journey was quite
pleasant. We were relaxed and happy. God had indeed blessed us quite a lot. At
Kuwait airport, I met a Philippino couple, Albert and Genelia. They were on
their way to Dubai to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They were
quite excited to know that I had gone to the Holy Land. They, too, expressed their
wish to go there for “once in a life-time experience.” I am grateful to God for
giving me this opportunity.
Conclusion
When I look back on the experience,
I can feel the richness of the experience. It was not international trip, but
an intercontinental trip. We visited 5 different countries (if we give
Palestine the status of a country). We encountered different cultures, tasted
different food dishes. We met so many people of different ethnic background.
Right within our group, we were a mixture of different cultures. I was particularly
edified by the faith of the pilgrims from various countries and their desire to
experience God.
Personally speaking, for me, as a Jesuit,
this trip was very important. Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises speaks about
the composition of place and the application of senses. Ignatius drew these
reflections based on his personal experience of the Holy Land. I am sure my
contemplations and my Bible reading will also become more real and alive after
having this experience. Indeed, this was a unique experience, which I will
cherish all my life. Thanks be to God! Thanks to JDV, Fr. Selva and Fr. POSA
for giving me this opportunity.
A.M.D.G.
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