Pilgrims Among Pilgrims
January 16, 2019
As we begin our pilgrimage, I’d like to thank all of you for your prayers for our safe journey to the Holy Land. Please continue to pray for us as we enter into this journey of prayer to walk where Jesus Christ walked. Rest assured of our prayers for all of you as we visit, pray and contemplate the life of Jesus as we visit the Holy Sites for the coming days and weeks.
We’ve begun our pilgrimage by visiting Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus. We had the privilege to join a local parish community in Bethlehem for the celebration of the Eucharist. “All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” This passage from Psalm 89 came alive as we opened the scriptures and broke bread with the local community in Bethlehem in the celebration of the Eucharist. The fact that Mass was in Arabic did not stop us from worshipping the Lord.
How fascinating it is to see waves of people coming from different parts of the world to see the birth place of Jesus. People are on their knees, tears in their eyes and praying as they enter the holy ground where Jesus was born. All the nations shall come and bow down before you, O Lord.
Arthur Bautista
Archdiocese of Chicago
