Experience the Holy Land - from wherever you are

by Angela Santana, Ministry Coordinator

That chair you're sitting in? For a few moments, forget that it's there.

Imagine that it's the bank of a river. Take a few moments and breathe in the clean air. Smell the grass around you. Hear the water running gently. Feel the sun on your skin. See the gorgeous, blue sky. Now, imagine that you're sitting on the bank of the Jordan River - the very waters that Jesus Christ felt on his skin and hair as he was baptized by John.

That's where I'm going - and I'm taking you with me.

From Wednesday, October 27 through Wednesday, November 10, I am inviting you to experience Israel, Palestine and Jordan from wherever you are. You won't have to step foot in an airplane or pay a penny. All you need is Internet access and the desire to "come and see."

I work for a non-profit Catholic evangelization ministry in San Antonio called The Pilgrim Center of Hope. Through our Ministry of Pilgrimages, we take small groups (no more than 40 persons) to the Holy Land so that they can experience it. These pilgrimages are not "religious tours" but true, spiritual journeys. We maintain a prayerful attitude, keeping our senses and our souls open to meeting God in the place where he revealed himself fully through the person of Jesus Christ. For the upcoming two-week pilgrimage, we invite you to join us.

We will be posting blogs like these, with stories and spiritual reflections, as well as photos and videos that will chronicle our journey and bring you along with us. On our website, we offer you a daily Spiritual Pilgrimage guide that gives you a short description of each day's activities and a daily prayer. We especially encourage you to share your personal prayer intentions with us either by commenting on this blog or via email. Then, as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples, we will carry your petitions with us and offer them at each of the holy sites we visit.

This is a unique opportunity to seek God, to see the Scriptures come alive, and to meet the inhabitants of the Holy Land in a personal way. Come - join us; the first day is fast-approaching.


This post will be featured on the San Antonio Express-News blog. Visit MySanAntonio.com