My Pilgrimmage to the Holy Lands

It has been a long time since I last posted, but it has not been without good reason.

I have just returned from my 10 day pilgrimmage to the Holy Lands.  It was an awesome experience.....hmmm....I can do better than that.  It was an

AWESOME Experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first heard about this plan to go to Israel, I was not that excited about going.  I couldn't stand the thought of leaving my family for that amount of time, and I thought that it was too much to ask of them.  If it were not for my God-fearing wife, family and friends encouragement, I would not have gone.  They encouraged me because it would be a unique time to go since it would not just be with a random touring company, it was specifically with my parish family and priest.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing photos and experiences with you from my journey.  Fr. Troy said that a pilgrimage is not a personal endeavor, but one that should be shared with those that you return home to.  With that in mind, I feel that it is my obligation to share with you some what I experienced and what I saw, and what I learned - about myself and our Lord.

The overall unescapable feeling that I had was this stuff is for real.  Now as a practicing Christian for all of my life, that may sound weird.  It may sound like I didn't have a real faith in Christ or the Scriptures.  I don't think that is the case.  I do not doubt the faith that I had before my trip.  Instead, I think there is a big difference in reading the Scriptures and actually seeing the places where these things took place.  It has solidified my faith even more than before.  I know that these places exist.  I have seen them.  I have touched them.  I have walked the same city that Our Lord Jesus Christ have walked, breathed the same air, wept in the same places that He wept.  And I do believe that I am changed because of it.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre :- Stone of Anointing

God bless....