Every Christian should visit the Holy Land at least once. Called the “Fifth Gospel,” Israel’s holy sites make the Scriptures come alive, reminding us that the story of our salvation, culminating in Christ, is not a myth or a beautiful idea, but actual events in specific places at particular historical moments.
Tag: holy land
Declining number of Christians in the Holy Land face many challenges
Many people think of the Vatican as the “Mother Church” of the Catholic Church, but Jeffery Abood points out that the true Mother Church is in the Holy Land.
Christian artisans in Holy Land sell religious items through Beloit company
In the lands where Jesus walked, for centuries the Christians in and around Bethlehem have earned a living by carving unique religious statues and images from olive wood and selling it to visiting pilgrims.
Order supports Christian presence in Holy Land
While we in the United States were devastated by the recent shooting of 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, there has also been continuing violence in the Holy Land.
A Catholic News Service (CNS) article published on October 29 said Holy Land Church leaders expressed concern in the wake of recent incidents involving the Christian community.
Holy Land pilgrimage: Walking on holy ground
Editor’s note: Three members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre from the Diocese of Madison went on a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Help preserve the places where Jesus lived
Easter is early this year (Sunday, April 1), so we will soon be starting Holy Week on Palm Sunday, March 25.
At this time, our thoughts and prayers turn to what happened in Jerusalem during Our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection.
A spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land through the Rosary
Editor’s Note: Lady Joy, LCHS, and Sr. William, KCHS, Exner are section representatives for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. in the Diocese of Madison. They are members of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff, where they are both lectors and involved in marriage preparation. Bill is a parish trustee, Rosary leader, and sacristan.
Our pilgrimage to the Holy Land last year was truly a life-changing event. In fact, we continue to experience it especially when hearing Sacred Scripture read during Mass, in the various liturgies, and in reciting the Holy Rosary.
Pilgrimage reveals challenges in Holy Land
Editor’s Note: Joy and Bill Exner are section representatives for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. in the Diocese of Madison. They are members of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff, where they are both lectors and involved in marriage preparation. Bill is a parish trustee, Rosary leader, and sacristan.
We just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and want to share with you some of our experiences.
Our observations focus mainly on the people living in the Holy Land rather than the holy sites, as it is the people who sustain these holy places and keep them alive.
Holy Land Principles: Powerful tool for justice and peace
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During his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the pope of surprises gave the world an unexpected powerful message.
On his way to celebrate Mass in Bethlehem, Pope Francis suddenly got out of his popemobile and walked toward the towering concrete Israeli-built barrier that divides Israel from the Israeli occupied territory of the West Bank.
Pope prays for world without walls
In a highly symbolic scene, with Israeli soldiers in a tower above him, Pope Francis touched the separation wall and prayed with head bowed at precisely the spot where spray-painted messages cry out, “Pope we need some 1 to speak about Justice Bethlehem look like Warsaw ghetto” and “Free Palestine.” Then he touched his forehead to the wall.
“This wall is a sign of division, that something is not functioning right,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi. And Pope Francis’ prayer there “signifies for me his desire for peace, for a world without walls.”
Peace in the Holy Land: Let’s pray and work for an end to conflict in the land of Christ’s birth
At this time of year, many of us put up our Nativity scenes as we prepare for Christmas. The scene from the stable in Bethlehem reminds us of that time long ago when Jesus was born.
The Holy Land of Jesus’ birth played such an important role in the development of our Christian faith. Jesus was raised in Nazareth and preached throughout the region. His passion, death, and resurrection happened in Jerusalem.
This area of the world is also sacred to people of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. For example, Jerusalem is mentioned 669 times in the Hebrew Bible. Many sites in the Holy Lane have been destinations for religious pilgrimages by people of these faiths for centuries.
Yet conflict and violence continue to plague this area of the world. It is always sad to hear about violence happening in the places where Jesus — the Prince of Peace — walked.