Pilgrims in the Holy Land /1

MY cousins, Yolanda and Ferdinand

Lim, and I joined a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem and Bethlehem on Sept.

30-Oct. 7, organized by Catholic Travel Inc.

What made the trip particularly attractive to us was the

opportunity for reflection and prayer, as well as the presence of

eight priests aside from the Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, bishop

of Kalibo, Aklan, who served as pilgrimage chaplain, and Fr.

Renato Jose E. Lopez, SSL, who provided the points of

reflection and led the prayers.

(Father Lopez is the author of

a book titled ''Were Not Our

Hearts Burning,'' which

contains narratives,

reflections and prayers drawn

from the Bible, and which was

intended for the spiritual

nourishment of pilgrims. It is

the product of his serving as

chaplain in numerous trips to

the Holy Land and other shrines of Christianity.)

The group comprised two big delegations from Aklan and

Nueva Ecija, and it was appropriate that there were enough

priests to attend to the pilgrims' spiritual needs.

The four Aklanon priests assigned to the parishes of Ibajay,

Numancia, Banga and Kalibo oversaw the pilgrims from Kalibo,

Numancia, Banga, Ibajay and Panitan and Pontevedra in Capiz;

and the four Novo Ecijano priests assigned to the parishes of

Licab, Talavera, and Aliaga, the pilgrims from Talavera, Licab

and Cabanatuan City who were led by Msgr. Michael Feliciano

Veneracion.

There were other pilgrims from Quezon City, Manila, Ifugao and

Pampanga. The travel agency's general manager, Arlina Onglao,

was ably assisted by Dona Digna Rosario, a Baguio resident

who owns and runs a school in that city. Donna served as our

choir mistress, order-taker for souvenir items and payment

collector.

The flight to Tel Aviv took 13 hours, with a five-hour stopover

in Hong Kong. The pilgrimage actually took six days because a

day was gained from the Manila-Hong Kong-Tel Aviv leg of the

journey.

The itinerary generally followed the chronology of Jesus' life

and ministry, except for visits to certain holy places which

allowed the pilgrims to reflect on Mary's visit to Elizabeth and

on the events surrounding Jesus' birth. (The site of Mary's visit

and Bethlehem are only a few miles from each other.)

Day 1

After going through immigration and customs at the Ben Gurion

International Airport, we boarded two buses, each with a local

guide and a Manila-based escort, and proceeded to Natanya,

Israel, where we had a buffet breakfast at a function room of

Sironit Hotel.

The first stop was Caesarea Maritima, where the first Gentile

conversion took place. We savored the breathtaking view of the

Mediterranean Sea, stopping at Caesarea, site of a flourishing

early Christian community, where the ruins of past civilizations

are visible.

Caesarea was the Roman capital of Judea for 600 years and one

of the largest seaports in the Roman empire. Here, Peter baptized

the first Gentiles and Paul was imprisoned before being sent to

Rome for trial.

We reflected on and thanked God for the gift of faith

bequeathed to us. A Holy Mass was celebrated at the Stella

Maris (Shrine of Mary) Church in Haifa, where we entrusted our

pilgrimage to Mother Mary.

After lunch we proceeded to Muhraka, site of Elijah's contest

with the priests of Baal, which is now marked by a monastery.

We reflected on our responsibility to preserve and defend the

faith.

Next stop was Yardenit, the place of baptism, where the River

Jordan leaves the lake. Countless pilgrims gather here to

immerse themselves in the river's holy waters.

We went through the rites of baptism, with our pilgrim-priests

making the sign of the cross on our foreheads with water from

the River Jordan.

We capped the day with a buffet supper at the Howard Johnson

Galei Kinnereth north of Shore Eliat, where we spent the first

two nights.

Day 2

We went to Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus, where a Holy

Mass was celebrated at the Sisters of Nazareth Convent. Then

we proceeded to the Basilica and Grotto of the Annunciation.

Nazareth's skyline is marked by this basilica and grotto where

the Archangel Gabriel appeared before Mary to announce the

coming birth of Jesus.

We reflected on Mary as an example of loving self-sacrifice. We

prayed that, like her who heeded the call of God and dedicated

her whole life to Him, we, too, shall be ready to open our hearts,

and we asked the Holy Spirit to ignite the fire of love therein.

Next we visited the Greek Orthodox Church at Cana where Jesus

performed His first miracle of converting water into wine.

We reflected on His authority and majesty, evident in that He

only needed to say a word and water was transformed into wine.

To this day, He can transform every distressing situation,

whether mental or spiritual. The only condition for us to

experience His miracles is that we, too, take to heart the words:

''Whatsoever He says unto you, do it'' (John 2:5).

At the Church of St. Joseph and Mount of Beatitudes, we stood

on the site where Jesus poured the love of His heart upon His

disciples.

The Church of Beatitudes, built atop the mount, overlooks the

Sea of Galilee.

We reflected on the beatitudes--desiring poverty and weakness,

welcoming persecution, slander and sorrow so we would be

counted among those whom Jesus calls blessed.

We prayed for forbearance in suffering insults, discrimination

and violence on account of our Christian identity. We promised

to respect the dignity of every human being and the value of

each human life. We asked for guidance in forgiving our

offenders and assisting those in need.

The next stops were the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves

and Fish, where again Jesus manifested His power and glory,

and the Church of St. Peter's Primacy.

We ended the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, and we

gave praise to the Lord with songs.

Day 3

Holy Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Transfiguration

on Mount Tabor, where Jesus was transfigured before Peter,

James and John.

We reflected on this experience wherein the glory of God was

revealed and marked by the commitment to suffering, and

acknowledged that dedication to suffering produces

transfiguration and tremendous joy.

After lunch we passed by a sycamore tree which the tax

collector Zaccheus climbed in order to have a better view of

Jesus.

We proceeded to Qumran, the ruins of the Essene Community

Center, where caves had been discovered to contain Dead Sea

scrolls. Some of us then took a dip in the Dead Sea while others

collected water in bottles.

The Dead Sea is the saltiest sea in the world and the lowest spot

on earth. The high concentration of minerals and salts creates

unique buoyancy.

At the end of the day, we had a buffet supper and stayed

overnight at the Park Plaza Jerusalem.

to be continued...