Day 11 ~ And Beyond ~ Epilogue

"Nothing is Able to Separate us From the Love God" Romans 8:39

 As our Blessed Sacrament Parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land comes to a close, we are left with a profound sense of gratitude and awe. We have witnessed moments of beauty, faith, and love that will stay with us forever. Through our journey, we have grown to know each other on a deeper level and have forged bonds with all the pilgrims on our Catholic voyage. As we depart from this sacred place, may we carry with us the memories and lessons we have learned, and may our faith continue to guide us on our spiritual path of growth and renewal for all of us at Blessed Sacrament Parish Family.🙏🕊️💒

As promised we pilgrims prayed for all of you, all of your friends and families, and for all of the prayers in our Blessed Sacrament Parish Book of Intentions. May Jesus touch all of your hearts and heal all of your wounds and hurts. We fervently pray that God will continue to speak to us and guide us for all the days of our lives, revealing the startling mysteries of his love.

We hope to have shared how it felt like to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and the immense religious significance the Holy Land held for all of us in our Catholic faith. May God Bless You All⛪🙏🕊

Day 10 ~ ( part 2)

Day 10

Here are a few additional facts and photos of our last day.

First stop - Holy Mass at the Tomb of Lazarus. We pilgrims have been blessed with daily Holy Mass at many meaningful and thrilling Holy sites; it doesn’t get much better!

Next stop -   Masada National Park

Masada is an ancient fortress in southern Israel's Judean Desert. It’s on a massive flat plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. A cable car and a long winding path climb up to the fortresses built around 30 BC. Among the ruins are King Herod’s palace, which sprawls over three rock terraces, and a Roman-style bathhouse with hand-made ceramic floors.

To be continued on the bus to the airport!

Day 10 - Last Day!

Today was our last day adventuring Israel, and a short one at that! 

We started off the day bright and early with mass at the Church of Bethany.

Then, we ventured to Masada National Park to view old fortress ruins belonging to King Herod. We had to take a cable car to ascend the mountain, and took in amazing views of the Dead Sea.

To end the journey, the group got to visit the Dead Sea. Some were dipping toes in, while others were floating and applying the mud onto their bodies. 

What a wonderful 10 days it has been for this Pilgrimage. We experienced so much together, bringing us closer to our Lord. We will forever cherish this trip in our hearts. Thank YOU, the reader, for following along in our journey. Until next time! God bless you always ❤️

House of High Priest Caiaphas

 Fr. Larry read scripture and prayed with the pilgrims in the dungeon where our Lord Jesus was lowered and imprisoned before His trial.  

How hard it was to be in this place!

 Oh my dear Jesus, how you suffered for us.

Day 9 Books of Intentions

  Remembering the prayers being offered up from the Books of Intentions at every Mass.  

 This morning’s Mass was celebrated at the Church of the Flagellation which marks the beginning of the Via Dolorosa. 

 We continue to pray for you, please pray for us.

 

 

Day 9 ~ (continued)

 “No one has gone up to heaven, except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:13-17

    Holy Mass at The Church of the Flagellation🙏🕊️

Traveling in the footsteps of Jesus - Stations of the Cross, Via Dolorosa

Day 9

It was another packed, yet rewarding day for the Blesse Sacrament Parish pilgrims!!

The group first visited the Church of Saint Anne and the Pools of Bethesda, commemorating the site of Mary's birthplace. 

We then visited the Church of Flagellation and Condemnation where we celebrated mass. It was also here where we took a group picture :) 

Church of Flagellation: 

This was also the starting point for us to walk the Via Dolorosa, "Way of the Cross", the path Jesus took towards his crucifixion through the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Praying at the 6th Station:

Praying at the 7th Station:

As we moved through the Stations and to complete it, we entered into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. 

View inside the Holy Sepulcher:

Inside the Tomb of Jesus: 

Site of the Crucifixion:

After completing the powerful walk of the Via Dolorosa, the group took a nice stroll through the markets and visited the Jewish Cardo. 

Finally, we ended our day at the Western Wall for a moment of prayerful reflection. 

One more day to go! Where will our journey end tomorrow?! 

Day 8

The BSP pilgrims headed out again in Israel with another busy schedule! 

We started off our day visiting the Church of the Pater Noster, the place where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer.Here, we could see the Lord's Prayer in many different languages! 

We then walked as Jesus did during Palm Sunday, walking alongside what is believed to be the path he took. 

We then visited Dominus Flevit, the church where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. 

We then visited the Church of the Tomb of Mary. It was here where the group celebrated mass. 

After that, the group visited the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of Agony. 

Later on, we visited the Chapel of the Ascension. Inside, the group reflected upon a stone with the impression of a footstep said to have been made by Jesus ascending into heaven.

In the afternoon, we ventured to Mount Zion. We first stopped by the Dormition Abbey, believed to be the home of John the Apostle, who took Mary into his home after Jesus' crucifixion. 

We then visited the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper. 

Lastly, we went to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, believed to be the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. It was also here where the group had a moment of prayer in the crypt. 

Hard to believe there are only two days left!! What new places will this adventure hold?