Fr. Martin's Holy Land Pilgrimage
2008
| October 18, 2008 |
Hi Everybody,
Shalom!
We finally got here in the Holy Land with a long layover at Amsterdam. As a spiritual director of the group, I am attending to their spiritual needs as we have our Masses and morning prayers and other
stuffs. With full of intentions especially parishioners’ intentions that I brought with me in this Holy
Land, the home country of Jesus, I always keep them and offered them to God everyday as we go
follow the footsteps of Jesus. The first day of our Tour was really tiring after having two sleepless
nights but with God’s grace, we were able to survive with full of spiritual inspirations and knowledge
about the Man, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Continue to pray for us as I do. To let everybody know, these are the following pilgrims who are with
me: David and Alida Hrivnak, Lois Jean Brittenham, Barbara Jupina, and Helena Castillo.
With the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ be always with you!
Love and prayers,
Fr. Martin
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First day in Caesarea, when I was weak leaning back on a pillar so that I can become stronger! |
This is our group! |
The Sea of Galilee is where Jesus walked and rode on a boat to teach the large crowds. |
Inspired by the Word of God and filled with Jesus, this is a pose full of smiles after the Mass outside
the Church in the Mount of the Beatitudes. |
I think this is a sweet and true smile, he, he, he…this is a sample of the tent made up of palm leaves where they will eat everyday on the Feast of Tabernacles. |
Who is this guy? I don’t know him! |
We are leaving the town of Peter! |
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| October 22, 2008 |
Hello St. Isidore Parish,
Our group is very very happy to share our trip and pictures with you. Thanks to everybody for your prayers and support to all of us. Here are some pictures more pictures. Again a million thank you to all.
In Christ, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Martin |
Lois Brittenham seems very attentive listening to our Tour guide Claudia explaining the synagogue in the Town of Peter. |
Because of Christian faith and love for the Lord Jesus, young and old can climb up and down Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in Israel where the water source of the Jordan River is found. Also, the famous biblical site for Jesus and Peter: “What do people say about me?”… Peter confessed: “You are the Son of the living God.” |
Dave and Alida Hrivnak of St. Isidore’s and Alton and Barbara Laplante of Nevada City renewed their Marriage Vows at the Church of Cana, a place where Christian couples, man and woman, strengthen their bond of marriage which God has joined.
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Behind us are a sample of the jars that they filled with water that turned to wine, the first miracle of Jesus in his hometown. |
Behind this stranger in red (he, he, he) is the Mount of the Temptation of Jesus. |
As we walk up to the Church of the Visitation in Ein Kerem, we prayed the Rosary as a tradition.
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We also said the Mass on the second floor and recited together the famous Magnificat on the wall outside the Church.
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Led by Barbara Jupina, we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the waiting lounge.
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| October 31, 2008 |
Hello St. Isidore Parishioners,
We are back, arriving on October 29 and spending some time readjusting to Pacific Daylight Time here back home. Here are some closing pictures of our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Thanks for viewing! A million thanks for all your prayers and inspiration! We hope you enjoyed these pictures as indeed you joined us spiritually in our pilgrimage! May God bless you abundantly with His love and mercy!
In Christ, Mary and Joseph,
The Fr. Martin Pilgrimage Group 2008 |
Before going into the Church of the Sepulcher, there is a smile and determination on our faces to see the Crucifixion site and the Holy Tomb of Jesus. |
Jesus offered Himself for us in a through his torture and death upon the Cross. In the Holy Mass, we also offered the unending Sacrifice of Jesus in an unbloody way as we celebrated the Eucharist at the Chapel of St. Magdalene, which is right next to the Holy Tomb of Jesus! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! The Lord is risen! Alleluia! |
There is joy in waiting! Why? Because Earleen Moore (from Spokane, Washington) started to read the Bible as we wait for our turn to enter the Tomb of Jesus. |
That was a long walk and waiting time! but everybody still managed to render smiles as we were heading out! As the father of the group and the youngest (I really mean it!), there is no indication of tiredness and complaints among us about the journey inside the Church of the Sepulcher! |
After a long, steep journey and spiritual nourishment from the Stations of the Cross, to the Holy sepulcher, renewed and transformed by what everybody experienced, the St. Isidore's Pilgrims posed as we wait for our physical nourishment. |
Oops! At the end of the long day, everybody received his/her Ecclesiastical Certificate from the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. We made it! To all of you, Congratulations! |
At Mount Nebo, Jordan, where Moses climbed at the end of his life to see the Promised Land (Deut. 34), a beautiful and astonishing panorama (it's hazy though, but you have an idea) of the Holy Land, the Promised Land, overflowing with milk and honey! On this mountain, we also celebrated the Mass to commemorate the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land, a place where Moses was not able to make it. |
Did you watch the movie Indiana Jones? This is one of the locations! At the dead end of this natural gorge of spectacular geological formation served as a religious passageway into Petra, there is found a beautiful and an amazing facade of the Nabataeans' architecture and art. |
The following pictures are of our transfer from one border to another. Used to American efficiency in immigration, we least expected the delay and lack of of coordination and also observed a process of custom checks, as we waited for our travel agent to pick us up (a learning experience!).
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Celebrating my priestly anniversary on the roads, borders and buses, it is also in this border in Israel from Jordan that David Hrivnak, in the name of the group, presented to me their token and gift for my First Priestly Anniversary. Thanks! |
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It is in this hotel that we celebrated Mass on the occasion of my First Priestly Anniversary. In the itinerary, Mass was not scheduled. It was frustrating since it was a Sunday and my Anniversary. But there was a surprise with presence of a pilgrimage group from Guadalajara, Mexico in St. Catherine who offered Mass that night. I asked the priests if they could lend me their Mass kit. Lo and behold, God sent this group to me. God did not want me to be frustrated on my anniversary without being able to say Mass. So I offered a bilingual Thanksgiving Mass.
¡Muchas Gracias mis hermanos sacerdotes de Guadalajara! ¡Ustedes son el don y regalo de Dios a mí en mi aniversario sacerdotal! |
Egypt welcomes and wishes us a great journey! This is the final lap of our pilgrimage! |
A 45 minute walk on a mountain trail and only 8 made it to see the crags of Mount Sinai in Egypt. We did not go to the top, though! On this site, we read the text on Moses receiving the Decalogue. Also, the burning bush is found here. |
I don't think that is an Egyptian pose! It looks like being arrested by a police officer! Anyway, at the back are the great pyramids in Cairo, Egypt. |
The sisters (Lois and Earleen) had their hair done by a free natural hair blower! |
Since there was a "No Pictures Allowed Policy," here is the facade of Egyptian Museum. |
An unforgettable Egyptian head accessories of the two ladies. |
Is this a Priestly pose? |
A Christian couple pose! |
Is the Tour Guide upset or just explaining? |
The Hrivnaks pose with Auntie Florencia's daughters, Natividad and Imelda. |
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Dancing queens! |
Another self-picture with the pilgrims in the background. |
And finally, the Cross or Crucifix (called the Vocation Cross), for the Prayer for Vocations, purchased by our generous parishioners and blessed by Fr. Martin in the Holy Land. The cross will visit homes in our parish. |
