FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

“The Tomb of the Patriarchs”

Today we had the opportunity to visit the “Tomb of the Patriarchs” in Hebron. You might now be asking yourself, “Who are the Patriarchs?” The Patriarchs (and Matriarchs) are usually associated with the fathers and mothers of our Faith; namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah.

The Patriarchs are central to Catholicism because they set salvation history into motion. The Book of Genesis recounts the covenant made between God and Abraham: “Then the word of the Lord came to him: No, that one will not be your heir; your offspring will be your heir. He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be. Abraham put his faith in the Lord, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness” (Genesis 15:4-8, NAB). It was from this covenant that a people were born. God’s covenant, however, did not only concern the Jews and Israel. God’s promise extends to us — the New Jerusalem — who are now children of God by virtue of our faith in Jesus Christ: “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” (John 1:12, NAB). Abraham was central to our visit. Unbeknownst to us, we had the opportunity to visit the site known amongst the locals as ‘the Oak of Abraham”  

"The Oak of Abraham"

 “The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oak of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: ‘Sir, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest under the tree. Now that you have come to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way.’ ‘Very well,’ they replied, ‘do as you have said.’ Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quick, three measures of bran flour! Knead it and make bread.’ He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then he got some curd and milk, as well as the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them, waiting on them under the tree while they ate. ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘There in the tent,’ he replied. One of them said, ‘I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.’ Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her menstrual periods. So Sarah laughed to herself and said, ‘Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?’ But the LORD said to Abraham: ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really bear a child, old as I am?’ Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah lied, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ because she was afraid. But he said, ‘Yes, you did.’ With Abraham walking with them to see them on their way, the men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom” (Genesis 18:1-16).

The Tomb of Abraham

Another event central to our Faith! It was through Sarah’s son that the covenant was fulfilled—a covenant later extended to all believers in Jesus’ name. The Church Fathers, recognizing the shifting numbers and identification of the visitors, actually saw the guests as the three people of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Either way, it is touching to be in a place where the heavenly encountered the earthly. A Russian Orthodox Church stands nearby the site where the guests appeared to Abraham as a testament to the ecclesial significance of this place. May we who encounter God’s grace, be moved to faith by the faith of our fathers!

THE BIBLICAL BEAUTY

           

Today we traveled to Neot Kedumin.  This is a nature preserve that has dedicated itself to recreating the landscape just as it was during biblical times.  The valleys and plant life are very impressive and it was probably one of the easiest walks we have taken so far.  All the trees in the area have been brought in from other places and planted across this area.  They said over 1 million trees so far have been brought to this preserve under their current project.

            

While we were there we had the opportunity to take hyssop and turn it in to spices using a simple mortar and pestle.  However, I think the highlight for all of us was the sheepherding!  We had the opportunity to divide into groups and attempt to herd sheep and goats through a sort of makeshift obstacle course.  It was quite funny to watch. 

At one point some of the guys equated the extremely frustrating experience of getting the sheep to obey to how God must feel when dealing with us at times.  Some of the guys even had the chance for a photo op with one of the small lambs draped across their shoulders. 

In all, today was a great day to really see some more of the beauty of the country side, and to have an amazing opportunity to get a glimpse into how the people we read about in scripture lived on a daily basis.

        

THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CHURCH 

Having completed our first full week in the Holy Land, we have begun to grow a little more accustomed to our surroundings.  We’re beginning to figure out how to navigate the twisting streets and hills, the Muslim call to prayer repeated throughout the day is becoming a little less noticeable, and we have had ample opportunity to pray at Holy sites. 

However, finding a quiet time to pray at some of those sites is another thing.  Every day, for example, hundreds, if not thousands, of people descend the steps into the grotto below the Church of the Nativity to touch the star that marks the spot where tradition holds Jesus was born.  It is a small, humble place.  The people that crowd into the little cave come from around the world.  Different languages give an idea of where they come from:  Polish, Italian, Arabic, French, English, and many others.  These represent the universality of the Church.  From this spot the good news of our salvation has spread to all corners of the globe.  And now the people who have received this news are drawn back to where it began.  For “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.”  (Is. 9:2)  

“HEAR, O ISRAEL…”

People leave their homes, familiar lands, and relatives in order to go out and cleanse themselves from all that hinders their relationship with Christ. A pilgrimage is a means to separate ourselves from our comfort zones by entering into the unknown, into the trustful surrender of God. This trust is at times the only means that we can get through difficulties. Even though we can plan our way ahead of time, have certain places and sights scheduled, it is important to place our lives in the providential hands of God and let Him be the Shepherd of our life.

Nevertheless, there are people who, for various reasons, are unable to make a long-distance pilgrimage. Some have never travelled outside of their place of living. The only trip they can make is between home and work. Moreover, there are the disabled who can only move within the corners of their house. And still, each and every one of us is a pilgrim. It is not so important how far we travel and how we get there, the key point is to do everything with the intention to please God alone by detaching ourselves from all that does not lead to Him in order that we could attach ourselves to Him deeper and deeper to the point where His will becomes our will, His desires become our desires, His actions become our actions, and His words become our words. As St. Paul suggests the only thing we should fear in our life is to offend God.

“Hear, O Israel: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength…”(Deut. 6:4-7) The test whether we love God is clearly seen in the love we have towards our neighbor, for we cannot love God whom we have not seen and hate our brother whom we have seen (1 John 4:20). To see Christ in each and every person that God’s providence places on our earthly pilgrimage is the task set for us. 

A PRAYERFUL EXPERIENCE 

Anyone who prays does not need to be in the Holy Land to pray, and many of us have seen hills, prairies, and arid landscapes before. What makes going to the Holy Land different? While it's hard to describe in detail there's something about walking in the streets that David, Ruth, and Christ walked in. Perhaps they didn't walk on the exact same stones we walked, but knowing that on this soil the great figures of our faith walked is an incredible feeling.

After the romanticism of it all settles, however, a new feeling comes to mind: the humanity of our faith. Ours is a faith situated in time and space and not in ideas and the ethereal. Walking through the streets one can hear someone yelling at someone else, and it could be friendly yelling, too. You can see friends hanging on each others shoulders, people gathered around merchants, and crowds of people sitting and talking. It's easy to see scenes in the Bible as stained-glass windows, images, or with clean production values, but there's really a sort of chaos to living in the Holy Land, and it's very refreshing. It forces us to reflect on Scripture in a new way.

We as pilgrims begin to see that Jesus lived in chaos, in dirt, in day-to-day life, and among flesh and blood people. It's easy to imagine, but there's nothing like living it. Certain forms of prayer call us to imagine ourselves on the boat, at the hillside, or in the synagogue, but there's an added layer of reflection when you're doing it yourself. We walk down various streets as the sun beats on our backs, we get dehydrated from going up and down stairs, and we get exhausted after a long day. But then we lay in our beds and, hopefully, feel like we experienced life in some small way like our fathers in faith had.

If we allow ourselves to we can put our whole bodies into our prayer and pilgrim experience. The soil beneath our feet echoes with all the passages of Scripture we've remembered and have forgotten. Discovering them again and placing them in our memory in a new, physical way has been one of the many blessings we've experienced.

VISIT TO THE FAITHFUL OF ISRAEL

 Today we had the fortune of travelling to two beautiful places.  The first was Mar Saba, an ancient Byzantine monastery operating continuously since its inception during the 500’s, The van ride into the canyon where it was situated became a life or death matter as our driver sped through the treacherous, windy roads as if he had a death wish (actually, it was perfectly safe).   Happy to be alive we approached the monastery built into the side of a mountain overlooking an impressive canyon opened up by the Jordan river.  The canyon was sprinkled with caves in which hermits throughout the years had made their home.  The monks having finished prayer, allowed us to enter through a narrow hallway leading to one of the most beautiful chapels many of us had ever seen.  It was adorned with icons lit by oil lamps and paintings of the finest skill covering every inch of the walls.  It was the antithesis of minimalism. One knew they were entering a sacred place in which the very construction and decoration is an expression of deep prayer.

               

 Later we traveled to Shepherd’s Field where the angels had brought the good news of our Lord’s birth to the humble shepherds.  We celebrated Holy Mass and sang the Gloria which, in this place, had a special poignancy.  We continue to follow the unfolding of our Lord’s blessed entry into our humanity.  We walk with the shepherd’s seeking to find the Lord which in a special way walked among the very places we are so fortunate to visit.   

HERE, THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.

        I once asked my Church History professor, "what is the greatest historical event of all time." He responded by saying that it was the Incarnation. We had the privilege of celebrating Mass at the Church of the Nativity near the holy manger where the Word of God became flesh. Being at the place where Jesus was born, seeing the history of our faith come alive, brought much joy into our hearts. "Wow", I said to myself, "this is the place where Jesus Christ was born!" What an honor to be here. 

        We started at St. Catherine's (the Catholic side of the church), and were escorted in a solemn procession to the grotto. Walking in with my brothers made the experience that much more memorable. Pilgrims from all over the world saw us process in and out of the church, and they themselves came in and out singing Christmas carols in a multitude of languages. Though Mass was in English, I could see people looking at the spot where Christ was born while looking at us during Mass. We shared the same experience of awe although we speak different languages. There was a unity in all of us regardless of our differences with seeing the place where Christ was born.   

        After Mass, several of us stayed for a prayer of thanksgiving. For me personally, all I could think of was gratitude. Thank you, Lord, for giving me this opportunity to dig deeper. I thought of what my Church History professor said long ago.

Thank you, Lord, for becoming a human like one of us in the Incarnation. 

CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES

We began the “working” portion of our pilgrimage with classes today. Over the next ten-weeks, we will have classes related to scripture, liturgy, and interreligious dialogue. Classes will meet twice-a-week, and the first few weeks will focus on the Prophets and the Gospel of John.

It might seem odd that our pilgrimage is accompanied with academics. Should not a pilgrimage to the Holy Land be focused on purely spiritual endeavors? Fr. Robert Barron, Rector of Mundelein Seminary, has taken concrete steps this last year to foster a spirit of “contemplative learning.” In short, this system encourages a Faith-centered approach to the study of Theology. Can academics, however, be a vehicle to contemplation?

The spiritual classic entitled “The Way of the Pilgrim” offers some insights into this academic method. In the story, the nameless pilgrim is made aware of his not truly loving God by a spiritual master in Russia. Seeking a solution, the spiritual master offers the following,

“Now you can see that the root cause of your sins you read about is slothfulness, which keeps a person from studying the spiritual realities and stifles the very desire for this. If you want to know how to overcome this evil, then by every possible means seek spiritual enlightenment. You can do this by diligent study of the Word of God and the writings of the Fathers, by contemplation, by asking about Christ of the wise, and by spiritual direction. Ah, beloved brother, how many misfortunes we meet in life because we are too lazy to enlighten our soul…” (The Way of the Pilgrim, 117).

The focus of Theology is Christ. It would make sense, therefore, that our academic exercises provide the raw material for meaningful contemplation. These pursuits are only cast into a higher pitch of meaningfulness in the Holy Land.

This is a truly blessed opportunity. 

THE BEAUTY OF THE  HOLY LAND

            

We traveled to the sites of Masada and En Gedi.  Masada was the place where King Herod built a palatial fortress.  It was supposed to serve as a sort of impenetrable spot where Herod could hold out if things became too bad.  While we used the cable cars to ascend to the summit, you could look down and see just how difficult it would be to climb this mountain.  One of the neat things about Masada is that the top is a plateau that is not connected to anything.  This gave us one of the most incredible views that many of us have probably ever seen.  From the top one could look out on one side and see the glimmer of the Dead Sea, while on the other you could see the rolling hills and steep mountains that cover this part of the region.

     After leaving Masada we traveled to En Gedi.  This was the site where David dwelt as mentioned in the first book of Samuel.  After spending many hours traversing the hot desert around Masada many of us were exhausted and very tired.  The long steep hike through En Gedi leading towards David's Falls didn't help matters.  However, the farther in we traveled the greener it became and the cooler the air was, you just knew there was going to be something special at the end.  The hike towards David's Falls was breathtaking in itself, but I don't think that anything could have prepared us for what happened next.  After hiking up a very steep, often times slick and dangerous, terrain we emerged very suddenly into the grotto that held David's Falls.  We were told it was an oasis in the desert, however that was a huge understatement. To have traveled through such grueling and hot terrain at Masada, and again to get up to the falls, we were all taken aback by the grand beauty of this place.  Lush green fauna, large cascading waterfalls, and the cool breeze left all of us there speechless.  Upon entering this small Eden we were all exhausted, however it seemed as we left that each of us had been renewed and rejuvenated.  While we are only a few days into our pilgrimage it would seem that for many of us this has been a major highlight thus far.  At the end of the day we all returned safe and sound.  We closed our day with Mass during which all of you were in our prayers.  God Bless. 

       

INCREDIBLE REALITY

             After an eight-hour flight from Chicago to Paris, a two-hour layover at the airport outside Paris, another 4 ½ hour flight to Tel Aviv, and an hour-long bus ride from the airport, 32 members of the Mundelein Seminary Class of 2015 and our three priest guides arrived safe and sound to our home in the Holy Land around 8:00 in the evening.  Dinner followed and then everyone immediately disappeared into their rooms.  The following morning, starting around 3:00 a.m. or so, guys started to re-emerge, unable to fall back to sleep.  A few hours later we were at the Church of the Nativity where Jesus Christ was born over 2000 years ago. 

            A sentiment shared by most if not all of us is that it is difficult to grasp the magnitude of this place we suddenly find ourselves in.  On one level there is the strangeness of going from the seminary environment to this surprisingly dense, somewhat chaotic, less than tidy city (no longer a town) in the West Bank, thousands of miles from home, in less than a day.  And on a deeper level there is the significance of what Bethlehem, the City of David, means to us:  this is where Mary delivered to the world its Savior, Jesus Christ, where divinity meets humanity.  Yes, this is what our faith teaches us; and we have known about this place since the earliest years of our lives.  But it is a very different thing to be in the very place where Jesus came into the world, to see for ourselves the network of caves where the Holy Family took shelter, to look out at the hills just outside the city that they likely would have crossed. 

            And just as our minds can’t quite comprehend just how amazing it all is, so too do they fall short of grasping the reality of our faith.  For our finite human brains can only strive to fathom the infinite.  They can reach for it but never quite attain it.  How can anyone say they fully comprehend the mystery of the Incarnation, that God entered into his creation, that the infinite made himself, so to speak, finite?  That the all-powerful God would choose to become a helpless baby?  We can meditate on this mystery all our lives and still come up short when asked to explain it.  For all our striving to reach God, we can never do it on our own.  But in his love for us, God comes down to us, to lift us up to him.  Visiting Bethlehem gives us a sense of this truth in a more concrete, more incarnational way.  We hope that our ten weeks here in the Holy Land will help us to keep reaching up to God, and make us more aware of how, out of love, he is always reaching down to us.  

BLESSED ARRIVAL

We have safely reached the Land of Christ. 

AWAITING THE WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHRIST

Mundelein Seminary

In a couple of weeks our group will depart for the Land of the Lord Jesus Christ. Blogging will begin a few days after our arrival.