Christian pilgrimage is undertaken to encounter Jesus Christ. A Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land is taken to encounter Him in His own land. The places of His human life—where He lived, ministered and died—are holy because Jesus is God. Where Jesus walked is holy ground. It is not merely a trip down memory lane. Jesus is risen and alive forever, and so He can still meet us in His land. Remember the disciples walked to Emmaus? They were two dispirited disciples walking away from Jerusalem with their dreams dashed. The One they had loved and had hoped in was crucified and died. But then a stranger joined them along the way. After walking and talking and breaking bread “their eyes were opened and they recognized” Jesus, the One in whom they had hoped. “They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us?’” (Lk. 24:31-32). This is our story too. Jesus still wants to meet us along the way—along our way. He still wants our hearts to burn with hope. Thus, Christian pilgrimage involves the following:

• Openness to an encounter with the Risen Lord
• A journey to the sacred places of our faith—especially of our Savior’s life, death and resurrection
• “Touching” the very places the Savior touched, walking in His footsteps
• In “the land of Emmanuel” (Isa. 8:8) feeling anew how “God is with us”
• Experiencing the “spirituality of place” of each site and region
• Having the Bible come alive in a new and vivid way in the land called the “Fifth Gospel”

Catholic pilgrimage is all this and more. Catholics believe that the Church is a Family of Faith and a mystical Body. Christianity can never be a merely private affair. We are our brother’s keeper. We are part of a great Communion of Saints. Catholic literally means “inclusive” and “universal.” St. Paul wanted that “all the members [to] be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members shares its joy” (1 Cor. 12:25-26). As conscientious Christians we are called to be aware of and sensitive to the plight of the “living stones” (1 Pt. 2:5) who suffer there—the Palestinian Christians. They are our brothers and sisters in Jesus. Our presence lets them know they are not alone, not forgotten by the rest of the Christian world. Pope John Paul II said pilgrimage is “a sign of closeness and solidarity for the Christian communities that live there and that are in great need of your help.” “Do good to all—but especiall y to those of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). Catholic pilgrimage involves the following:

• Daily Mass as pilgrims and once with a local Catholic parish
• Daily Rosary as we pray for peace
• Growing closer to the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary & Joseph
• Learning Church Teaching about the Holy Land and the Catholic Faith
• Meeting the “living stones” and the Mother Church through local church communities
• Experiencing the Eastern Church and its forms of worship
• Reconnecting with the Eastern and Semitic roots of our religion
• Supporting the local Christian economies
• Having opportunities to practice acts of charity

Franciscan pilgrimage, our final dimension, connects us to the 800-year witness of Franciscans in the Holy Land as they serve pilgrims and tend to the Holy Places. St. Francis’ devotion to the humanity of Christ, especially the Incarnation and Passion of Jesus, eventually led him to the Holy Land in 1219. A humble and simple man, he loved the poor and crucified Christ. This spirituality influences how we do pilgrimage in the following ways:

• Visiting Franciscan shrines
• Discussing the Franciscan presence in and contribution to the Holy Land for the Catholic Church
• Emphasizing a personalistic approach to the Holy Land—trying to help needier shopkeepers, meeting local people—and avoid commercializing the trip
• Avoiding ostentation in accommodations
• Emphasizing the Incarnation by spending quality time in Bethlehem
• Emphasizing the Passion by spending quiet time in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and by conducting a prayerful experience of the Way of the Cross