Day 5, Jerusalem: Mt. Cavalry and more!

Day 5

Today started out scary for me. First, we got wake up calls at 4:30am (as if that wasn’t scary enough) so that we could celebrate Mass together at the Church of the Holy Seplachure. Thing of it was, I was to preach the homily. So picture walking in the pre-dawn hours through the Old City of Jerusalem to a huge stone church. Upon entry, we walked up a flight of very steep stairs to the site of Mount Cavalry where there is a Roman Catholic altar set just a few feet to the right of the massive stones on which Christ’s blood was poured out. There is no singing of any kind allowed at this particular altar, ever. Seriously, I was way out of my element and used to the more comfortable confines of our temporary parish chapel at Saint Albert the Great or the familiar Holy Trinity Chapel at KCHS. I don’t remember much of what I offered in the message but I remember talking about the scripture from Paul when he says, “to those that are given more, more is expected.” To be standing on the very site of Christ’s death was an incredible gift, similar, I think, to Thomas wanting to stick his hand in the Lord’s side. I have always accepted easily His death on a cross both historically, theologically, sacaramentally, and soteriologically. Now I have this added gift of seeing the actual place, walking the ground, being surrounded 24/7 by devoted pilgrims who all speak the same language of our common faith in Jesus Christ. So I can see things, even part of the oldest walls of Jerusalem that Jesus would have also seen. I have visited now the caves where the Holy Family came to its fullness in the birth of Jesus, in incarnate Word of God. it’s heavy stuff they’re serving up over here in the Middle East.

After we celebrated Mass, the sun slowly rose and drew light across the blue sky as we walked the traditional stations of the cross. As you walk from station to station, you have to dodge people, small narrow, diesel tractors hauling trailers filled with all manner of goods, and garbage everywhere. Some of the stations are clearly marked, as with Veronica’s wiping Jesus’ face, and where he fell the second time, others are marked only by a round steel emblem affixed to the stone walls under which we walk. We all took turns carrying His cross through these narrow steps, climbing always towards the Church of the Holy Seplachure. You should try to come here someday; the things that happen in your heart are surprising, cause great joy, and sudden sadness at times. While we were in the middle of the stations this morning, one woman began to sob, trying to conceal her grief. it was as if a wave came over all of us in that holy place... Many wiped tears away from our faces and even Fr. Charlie’s voice faltered a few times.
Once we completed the stations, we walked back to our accommodations and shared breakfast with a room full of pushy Germans who thought waiting in line was optional. I try to take these cultural differences in stride as I’ve traveled pretty extensively and know what to expect.

I took a nap after breakfast and awoke to catch our bus that took us to the Pools of Bethseda, where Jesus healed the paralytic in John 5:1-15. You sort of stand there, leaning over a steel railing and gaze down upon the ancient ruins of a Byzantine Church, a temple to a pagan God, and then you see this sign in the ground that spells out the site on which he cured a man who had suffered for 38 years. It slowly dawns on you that the scriptures are opening as a massive door, through which you’ve seen light through a crack for your whole life, sitting in the pews. The door swings open more fully as this realization comes to you in waves. You want to pray, you want to cry, you want to sing, you want to kiss the ground on which you stand... And then it’[s time to move with the group to the next spectacular thing, the Church of St. Anne where the Virgin Mary was born. It’s tough to hold it all together when you stand most of each day in front of a huge machine gun firing grace at you from all angles. I am physically weary from walking and climbing hundreds of steps as we move about, but what causes me the greatest fatigue is the work my mind and soul are doing. My horizon is shifting and changing always as I confront one scene after another. Now we descend into under the floor to visit the cave in which mary was born. I pray a quick Hail Mary, shoot a few photos and we move on to the Chapel of the Flaggelation where Jesus was whipped, tied to a pole. A few minutes later, we find ourselves descending again under ground to the actual site of the jail in which he stayed the night before he was crucified. The floor of this jail is covered with huge stones onto which horizontal grooves had been cut by Roman road crews (giving horses beter traction when wet) and mark the site called Gabbatha, where Pilot received Jesus, washed his hands of Him, and finally handed Him over to death. Like I said, it’s all heavy stuff to try to digest.

In the afternoon, we were all cut loose to do what we wanted. I went back, took a nap, and awoke in time for the good light that comes each afternoon and went out and shot for myself. I rarely do this even though I get immense satisfaction from it. I need to shoot for me more and not just for cash... I miss my family something fierce and wish I could talk to them on the phone a couple times a day. When it’s time to go home, I’ll be ready but I feel like I’m taking so much in each day here in Jerusalem.

Day 4, Bethlehem!

Today we visted Bethlehem for the first time. If it was a small backwater town in the time of our Lord, it is still that today. It is cut off from Jerusalem by a huge electrified wall of steel and concrete fence. the fence was erected in the name of security but everyone seems to understand it was put up to keep those living in Bethlehem from the job opportunities that lay just beyond the wall in the more prosperous Jerusalem. Nabil tells us that to get through requires special papers that are difficult to get and often involves 4-6 hour waits to pass through the security gates. it was a sad thing to see as there is a great valley that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem: the Shepherd’s Field. We celebrated Mass in a small cave that just fit the 45 of us on that site, where the Annunciation took place. Luke 2, speaks of them being visited by an angel of the Lord who said, “You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news...” Again, I found reading the gospel on this site of this occurence no less than awesome. It was hard to keep track of my job as Deacon in the liturgy as my mind and heart kept running in circles around each other.

After visiting a small Christian shop in Bethlehem, we went next to the Church of the Nativity, devoted to where Jesus was born in a manger. The thing of it is, all I can ever remember growing up as a kid, and even now as an adult, was a sort of barn looking wood structure filled with animals and hay. It turns out that they were actually in a cave. The main opening area of the cave would have been for dwelling and cooking with plenty of access to light from outside and fresh air. This was also the area in which an Inn would have been placed for those needing shelter as they travelled. The more interior of the cave was for livestock. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem to report for the census, there was no room at the Inn, which is why they proceeded to the rear of the cave where the animals would have been kept. We all got to actually visit and touch the place of his birth, which is in a deep cave, hidden about 30’ below the main altar in the Church of the Nativity. Let me tell you that standing in this most holy of places really gets you. You come to realize how special a place this really is, set apart from all modernity, only being lit by candles. it took my breath away and made my mind do somersaults with my heart in tow. Think of it. It’s simply amazing to be a witness to that which I’d required faith to believe before our visit. We sang Silent Night with Fr. Charlie leading us. The Germans and others who were also there joined in. I can remember just three years ago, visiting the little church in Germany where that song was written, and how special it was to sing it there. And now to be singing Slient Night while staring at the back of the cave where the Holy Family came to be that night so long ago. Whew...

Under the Catholic side of the Church in their caves, we found small areas with altars set aside to honor St. Jerome who brought us the Vulgate Bible as well as the “Holy Innocents” that were killed when XXX was trying to execute all children up to two years old in an attempt to kill Jesus, thiniking that this would once and for all quash the Christian “cult.” In staring down into that cave, my heart was heavy for all children who have died through the violence of many wars and by all un-natural means.

Our last stop today was the visit the birthplace of John the Baptist as well as the site of the Visitation. Luke 1: 39 says Mary set out in haste for the hill country... and greeted Elizabeth.” They weren’t kidding! It was a mighty hill even though we only walked up the last 1/4 mile of the journey. While it was steep, it was worth the wait. The Franciscans are marvelous caretakers of all of these holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We found the site where there is still a well where John the Baptist was born, and then the Church of the Visitation which commemorates Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth to annoucne the good news. We prayed the Magnificat together in the place where Elizabeth’s words were first spoken. “My sould proclaims the greatness of the Lord...”

Day 3, Jerusalem!

We met with the Patriarch walking distance from the Franciscan “Casa Nova” where we are staying. He was very nice and spoke to us at length about the difficulties for the Christians living in the Holy Land. He then offered his prayers of us and Benediction. Our next stop was the Mount of Olives. Yes, “that,” Mount of Olives. We walked alongside a 1st century Christian cememtery and reflected on the four tears Christ shed for Jerusalem’s ultimate rejection of him as Messiah and Savior. We moved from there to the Garden of Gethsemane. Again, yeah, “that one.” It’s so totally radical to be speaking of these places not in abstract terms from the daily readingsm, but from the horizon of standing amid the olive trees some 2,000 years old. The Mount of Olives was a seminal moment for me as it was the first place we went in which I knew Jesus walked. Yes, “THE,” Jesus.
As powerful and full as my faith is, it may come as a shock to many of you that this has been a shock to me. I got on a plane three days ago with every intention of deepening my faith by putting my own eyes on these holy places and walking the ground itself. But it seems unreal to me even now to have done it. And even though I have now been to the Mount of Olives and to the actual Garden of Gethsemane, I still find it hard to get my mind around how to cope with this information. It’s not so much the historical significance our guide Samil is offering us, but rather what to do with my heart and the way it turns inside me as we discover Christ around every corner.

Inside the Church that is on that site it is very dark, on purpose. Most of the stained glass is violet in color, matching up very nicely with our current Lenten season. In the center of the sanctuary and at the foot of the altar is a huge piece of rock whicvh has been revered for centuries by millions of pilgrims as being from the garden where Christ wept, crippled with fear about hsi own death, all while his disciples slept through the night. Standing up to read the gospel from that votive Mass was difficult for me, reading once again the account of Jesus, abandoned in the garden by his supposed friends.

The image I most remember from today is the huge olive tree trunks in the Garden which is all fenced in now. They are massive and black and have been gnarled through 8,000 seasons and their 5’ round stumps show massive scars and evidence of damage through the centuries. But from some of the holes where great boughs once hung are now new growth branches, sprouting from deep within each stump. We are those new growth branches, seeking the light of Christ and to be fed by our Father in Heaven, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Each of us are part of yet another generation of disciples, trying to learn the Lord, trying to include Him in all we do each day, trying to make something real burn in our hearts from the old trunks of Tradition and the Holy Scriptures. It is good to be here in this place.

pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Day 1/2

Following delay on delay we have finally made it to our hotel in the old city of Jerusalem. We left Knoxville by bus from the Chancery at 10:30a on Sunday. It is now Tuesday morningat 6:30am and 12:30am back in Knoxville. glad to be here! We will have time for a shower and breakfast before heading out this morning... thanks be to God to have finally arrived at our destination almost one full day late.

I've been thinking a lot about where we've come from today and how far we have travelled to finally be in this ancient city of Christ. But no matter how far each of us has come and what kinds of financial hoops we have had to jump through to make it possible, there are three journeys that we've all embarked on. the first is to jerusalem, the second, we've gone on a journey away from our homes and all that is familiar, and last is most important: the journey into our hearts. Certainly Christ is everywhere but we will be constantly surrounded by reminders in the coming days of his physical presence, ministry, teaching, torture, death, and resurrection. It's too real to actually be here where He walked. Where He died. Where He rose to His heavenly Father, and where he awaits us to join Him in paradise. something to think about...

dpat

We have a Bishop!!!!

In the earliest Church, the bishop consecrated gifts on the altar of sacrifice and the deacons distributed the Body of Christ to the Faithful. In keeping with that tradition, one ciborium was purchased for each parish in the Diocese so that all of the leftover hosts from yesterday's Mass of Episcopal Ordination could be shared with all of the faithful of our Diocese, through my brother deacons carrying it back to each parish. Today, I will pick up the ciborium for my parish, Saint Albert the Great, but on my way from Sacred Heart, I will stop at the Holy Trinity Chapel at KCHS and mix in some of the consecrated Body of Christ from the Mass yesterday. In this way, our school will also share in the one table of the Lord from yesterday. May we recognize that we are part of one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and that our Shepherd has returned to us in the person of Bishop Richard F. Stika. As you come to Mass in our chapel throughout next week, realize you might be receiving a host consecrated by our new bishop in his Mass of Ordination. If you do, it's no different than what was already in our tabernacle...

because it's ALL AWESOME and ALL JESUS!!!

May this old practice give you newness of faith today.

Please pray for me as I travel on my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land for the next eleven days.

Vivat Jesus, dpat :)

Bishop Stika speaks to young people

What the Heck is Lent, Anyway?

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
JOHN PAUL II
FOR LENT 2003

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. Lent is a season of intense prayer, fasting and concern for those in need. It offers all Christians an opportunity to prepare for Easter by serious discernment about their lives, with particular attention to the word of God which enlightens the daily journey of all who believe.

This year, as a guide for our Lenten meditation, I would offer a phrase taken from the Acts of the Apostles: «It is more blessed to give than to receive» (Acts 20:35). What we have here is not simply a moral exhortation, or a command which comes to us from without. The inclination to give is rooted in the depths of the human heart: every person is conscious of a desire to interact with others and everyone finds fulfilment in a free gift of self to others.

2. Our age, regrettably, is particularly susceptible to the temptation toward selfishness which always lurks within the human heart. In society generally, and in the media, people are bombarded by messages which more or less openly exalt the ephemeral and the hedonistic. Concern for others is certainly shown whenever natural disasters, war and other emergencies strike, but in general it is difficult to build a culture of solidarity. The spirit of the world affects our inner propensity to give ourselves unselfishly to others and drives us to satisfy our own particular interests. The desire to possess ever more is encouraged. Surely it is natural and right that people, by using their own gifts and by their own labour, should work to obtain what they need to live, but an excessive desire for possessions prevents human beings from being open to their Creator and to their brothers and sisters. The words of Paul to Timothy remain relevant in every age: «The love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs» (1 Tim 6:10)!

Exploitation of others, indifference towards the suffering of our brothers and sisters, and the violation of basic rules of morality are just a few fruits of the thirst for gain. Faced with the tragic situation of persistent poverty which afflicts so many people in our world, how can we fail to see that the quest for profit at any cost and the lack of effective, responsible concern for the common good have concentrated immense resources in the hands of a few while the rest of humanity suffers in poverty and neglect?

Appealing to believers and to all people of good will, I would like to reaffirm a principle which is self-evident yet often ignored: our goal should not be the benefit of a privileged few, but rather the improvement of the living conditions of all. Only on this foundation can we build that international order truly marked by justice and solidarity which is the hope of everyone.

3. «It is more blessed to give than to receive». When believers respond to the inner impulse to give themselves to others without expecting anything in return, they experience a profound interior satisfaction.

The efforts of Christians to promote justice, their commitment in defence of the powerless, their humanitarian work in providing bread for the hungry and their care for the sick by responding to every emergency and need, draw their strength from that sole and inexhaustible treasury of love which is the complete gift of Jesus to the Father. Believers are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who, in perfect obedience to the will of the Father, emptied himself (cf. Phil 2:6 ff), and humbly gave himself to us in selfless and total love, even unto death on a cross. Calvary eloquently proclaims the message of the Blessed Trinity’s love for human beings of all times and places.

Saint Augustine points out that only God, as the Supreme Good, is capable of overcoming the various forms of poverty present in our world. Mercy and love for one’s neighbour must therefore be the fruit of a living relationship with God and have God as their constant point of reference, since it is in closeness to Christ that we find our joy (cf. De Civitate Dei, X, 6; CCL 39:1351ff).

4. The Son of God loved us first, while «we were yet sinners» (Rom 5:6), with an unconditional love which asks nothing in return. If this is so, how can we fail to see the season of Lent as a providential opportunity to make courageous decisions inspired by altruism and generosity? Lent offers us the practical and effective weapons of fasting and almsgiving as a means of combating an excessive attachment to money. Giving not only from our abundance, but sacrificing something more in order to give to the needy, fosters that self-denial which is essential to authentic Christian living. Strengthened by constant prayer, the baptized reveal the priority which they have given to God in their lives.

The love of God poured into our hearts ought to inspire and transform who we are and what we do. Christians must not think that they can seek the true good of their brothers and sisters without embodying the charity of Christ. Even in those cases where they might succeed in improving important aspects of social or political life, without charity every change would remain short-lived. The possibility of giving oneself to others is itself a gift which comes from the grace of God. As Saint Paul teaches: «God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure» (Phil 2:13).

5. To modern men and women, often dissatisfied with a shallow and ephemeral existence and in search of authentic happiness and love, Christ offers his own example and issues the invitation to follow him. He asks those who hear his voice to give their lives for others. This sacrifice is a source of self-fulfilment and joy, as is seen in the eloquent example of those men and women who, leaving all security behind, have not hesitated to risk their lives as missionaries in different parts of the world. It can also be seen in the response of those young people who, prompted by faith, have embraced a vocation to the priesthood or the religious life in order to serve God’s plan of salvation. It is likewise the experience of the growing number of volunteers who readily devote themselves to helping the poor, the elderly, the sick and all those in need.

Recently, we have witnessed a praiseworthy outpouring of solidarity for the victims of floods in Europe, earthquakes in Latin America and Italy, epidemics in Africa, volcanic eruptions in the Phillippines, as well as for other areas of the world scarred by hatred, violence and war.

In these situations, the communications media play a significant role by allowing us to identify with and offer ready help to the suffering and those in distress. At times it is not the Christian command of love, but rather an innate sense of compassion which motivates our efforts to assist others. Even so, anyone who helps those in need always enjoys God’s favour. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the disciple Tabitha was saved because she had done good to her neighbour (cf. 9:36 ff). The centurion Cornelius obtained eternal life on account of his generosity (cf. ibid., 10: 2-31).

For those who are «far-off», service to the needy can be a providential path leading to an encounter with Christ, since the Lord abundantly repays the good deeds done to one’s neighbour (cf. Mt 25:40).

It is my fervent hope that believers will find this Lent a favorable time for bearing witness to the Gospel of charity in every place, since the vocation to charity is the heart of all true evangelization. To this end I invoke the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church and pray that she will accompany us on our Lenten journey. With these sentiments I affectionately impart to all my blessing.

From the Vatican, 7 January 2003