An orphan in the cosmos

Often we enter into an experience with one intention or aim only to discover that the Father had a different plan in mind.  When we discover such a divine plan, our task is to yield and allow Him to speak to us. My pilgrimage has been about listening to God's voice. 

Going into this trip, my imagination focused on the externals. I was excited to see and touch and feel the places of the Holy Land. I anticipated and did some modest research. I could hardly wait to see Nazareth, Golgotha, Galilee, and all of the great places from the Gospels. 

But the real pilgrimage experience God had planned for me was one of deep INNER conversion. 

In my life, I have had a number of personal conversion experiences. But I honestly was not expecting this one. Nevertheless. In infinite wisdom and mercy, God knows what we need to aid in drawing us each nearer to Him. And He certainly knew what I needed at this time in my life. 

In the past year, I have faced some tragic personal sufferings in the life of my family. Things which I could have never imagined have clouded every aspect of my life. In the days before the trip, I found myself feeling lost in life and without an identity. I felt like an orphan in the cosmos. 

All the while I tried to remain close to God. It turns out that God was calling me to much more. He was calling me to a communion with Himself through a deep and profound union with His Trinitarian family. He wanted for me to dwell in Him...and He in me. 

Because of my recent sufferings, I felt like a man without an identity. God has made it very clear to me now that he just wants me to re-define my identity as rooted in Him...to graft more fully to the vine...to truly embrace my divine sonship...to see myself not just as a member of a human family but as a member of an eternal divine family. An agape love fest if you will with Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and all the Saints. 

This interior discovery is not the external experience I expected but it is certainly God's plan for me right now. I am His son. He is my Father. Mary is my mother. THAT is who I am. 

And as part of my new identity, I felt inspired to begin signing my name always in lowercase...

ross dessert

Theology teacher at Bishop Miege 

The word is made flesh

"God became very small so that we could become something very great. " Mike said this a couple of times earlier this week but it didn't really hit me until today what this meant.  We were sitting in front of the cave of the Annunciation and it became very clear that God became very very small.  While we were there a group of Spanish pilgrims walked in and began to sing in Spanish the praises of Mary.  What was a little hilarious was the fact they weren't allowed to speak in the sanctuary.  But rules never got in the of many Latins.  Actually, it became a moment of realization of the far-reaching consequences of what took place in that cave.  

When we came up from the darkness of the chapel we journeyed to Galilee where we climbed the mount of the beatitudes and walks down to the sea where Jesus found Peter, James and John washing their nets.   It's one of the most human things to set up a home base. But what was remarkable was to realize that God himself as a man also set up the headquarters.  I'm speaking this blog post into the iPhone while I'm looking across the sea of Galilee at night. I can see the lights on the other side which I'm told is the country of Jordan and it is remarkable to think that our Lord spent many a night staring across the same waters watching and praying.  How could one refuse a few minutes every day to our Lord in prayer? This is the question that I will ponder for many days after this trip and I pray never to forget it.

"Watch and pray. "These words have been at going through my mind since last night.  We have a tremendous privilege of spending one hour of Eucharistic adoration at the church over the rock of agony just outside the Eastern gate of Jerusalem.   It was nighttime the moon was full and the olive trees shown like silver spears in the night.  I could almost hear the sound of the soldiers coming to find him and there we were adoring Him and asking for his strength at the same rock where he was strengthened by the angel.  Earlier that day Mike had taken us up the hill near the town of Bethany to the church of where Jesus wept over Jerusalem and he narrated the entire sequence of events starting from Palm Sunday going through Pentecost mapping it out in the panorama before us.   I can often forget the cohesiveness of the story of the Gospels and the power that they have when we read them continuously.  And then it comes rushing in, like it has so many times in the course of this trip. It's more than just a story its history, with real characters and real places that actually existed and they existed so that he might make us something very great, sons of God.  "And so we are." And we are ever more anxious to see what tomorrow will bring.

Trip of lifetime with my Mom!

Today's itinerary was all about our Mother Mary and it was so special to me because I got to spend the day with my mother, Evelyn.  I attended the trip with my Mom and it's been very special.  While visiting the Tomb of Mary, and St. Ann's Church, I was able to reflect deeply on my mothers devotion to Our Mother, and her ability to raise her kids with an abundance of love, modeling Mother Mary.  It was also special being Fathers day, although I miss my family, I can't think of a more amazing thing to do as a Father's day gift.  My children have an unbelievable grandmother as well and I was able to reflect on that at St. Ann's Church, the grandmother of Jesus.  The pilgrimage has been the most spiritually uplifting few days of my life.  Every day I am amazed at the way Scriptures are coming to life, and being able to be present and in the moment, and in the literal place of many Gospel  passages.  It is with deep gratitude and a sincere thanks to Trinity Travel, Mike S., and all benefactors that made this pilgrimage possible!  If you're reading this and are contemplating a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, my advice in an instant is GO, GO, GO!

Down at the river...

Wow what a day...it began at the Jordan river and we remembered Jesus' baptism. This was an experience that was so overwhelming and humbling and one I'll never forget. 

As we sat in the early morning desert sun  and listened to Mike read the scripture I was mesmerized by the river. I was mere feet away from where Jesus was baptized. Listening to the words and being in the spot was so emotional and amazing. I got choked up thinking about the gift of life Jesus gave us through his own baptism. We renewed our baptismal vows and it was surreal to think this was actually happening on the river Jordan. Fr. Drew took a switch from the bank and sprinkled water on us like it was Easter morning.  And just when you thought it couldn't get any better we put our feet in. Talk about immersing yourself in history!!!

We aren't learning the gospels...we are experiencing the gospels. Living the gospels.  They are coming alive in ways that I never imagined and in ways that I'll never forget. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. That is our call to ministry as Catholics.  How cool it was today that we renewed our commitment to our ministry in the place that Jesus began his. 

Thank you for this amazing experience. You are in my constant prayer. 

Angela Herman, Hayden High School

Making scripture tangible

"your promise is sweeter to my taste than honey in the mouth" This psalm even took on greater meaning for me during breakfast shared with the high school teachers as we could taste with our senses what scripture was referencing. The quality of honey is so much more pure and sweet here! So too the images and realities of scripture continued to come alive and concrete throughout the day. We began in the hill country of Judea where Mary traveled to meet Elizabeth. Mike says this pilgrimage is the fifth gospel and so too I might add that it is the fifth set of mysteries where you step into and experience the decades of the rosary. Later in the day we prayed the rosary entering the church of the nativity where God became man and the mysteries I have always prayed to Our Lady became a living reality. The spirit of the Lord is truly present here. God is good and this trip is a tremendous gift for all of us. Those of us who teach and minister to our young people knelt in humble adoration where the Word became flesh. This land shows and reminds us of our great and final destination. We strive to reach that heavenly Jerusalem and bring others along with is. We look forward to a land flowing with milk and the best kind of honey you'll ever find. -Annie Tompkins. 

Jerusalem or bust...

Blessed is the man whose heart is set on pilgrimage. 

Psalm 84

We didn't arrive by donkey.

We didn't arrive to waving palm leaves.

Rather we arrived as pilgrims with backpacks, name tags, and water bottles. Weary and ragged from a transatlantic flight. Overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord - the deep joy that must surpass all understanding and all human circumstances...including exhaustion and motion-sickness. Joy to be in the city of the Prince of Peace. 

Hummdallah - Arabic for Thanks be to God. 

Hummdallah that both flights of pilgrims arrived safely.

Hummdallah that our families and friends back home said yes to allowing us to venture across the world. 

Hummdallah for pilgrimage. 

Hummdallah. 

-Stacey Chik

Thank You Donors!

We give thanks to God for the immense generosity of those who made it possible for the School of Faith to take 28 Catholic High School theology teachers plus a high school chaplain to the Holy Land to walk in the footsteps of Jesus in the very places He lived, taught, worked miracles, died and rose from the dead victorious. The theology teachers will be blogging about their daily experiences here and we invite you to follow us everyday. 

 -Mike Scherschligt, Director of Holy Family School of Faith