Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Dec. 5, 2011
Dear Friends,
On Monday, December 5, 2011, at our hotel in Jerusalem, we woke up at 5:30 a.m. After breakfast we got on the bus and went to the Church which is built on the spot were Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We know that most Jewish people, especially those in power in Jerusalem, refused to welcome Him and instead they killed Him by nailing Him to the cross. Because of this Jerusalem was to be destroyed completely and many of the inhabitants would be killed. This happened in the year 70 AD when the Romans came and invaded Jerusalem, killed many people and destroyed the whole city including the big Temple. The Temple was never rebuilt up to today.
After Mass in this Church, we went to visit the Church of all Nations, a beautiful Catholic Church built in the Garden of Gethsemane. We saw the old olive trees in the garden and the rock on which Jesus suffered the agony. From there we went up the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Our Father where the prayer of the Our Father is written on long walls in over 100 languages. We had lunch at a nice restaurant and then we went to visit the place where Jesus was imprisoned in a dungeon. We also visited the Upper Room where Jesus ate the Last Supper with His Apostles and at that time He instituted the Holy Eucharist. This room is also the place of Pentecost when the Apostles were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
At the end of the day we went to Bethany on the other side of the Mount of Olives to the Church built over the home where Lazarus, Marta and Mary Magdalene lived; Jesus loved to go to their home to eat and sleep. After this visit we left for our hotel where we had a lovely supper before we retired to our rooms.
Message of Our Lord Jesus given on December 5, 2011
“I bless you, Melvin My brother, and all My brothers and sisters who are accompanying you on this pilgrimage and I also bless all My dear friends who live all over the world.
Melvin, you are now in the Most Holy City, Jerusalem, where the great Temple was built. It is also the place where I performed many miracles. It was in this city that I was condemned to die and where I carried My cross to Golgotha where I was crucified and died. After three days I rose from the dead and I appeared to the Apostles for 40 days in order to strengthen their faith in Me.
I am the One who called you, who are on pilgrimage, to come to the Holy Land so that your faith may grow strong. You have spent much time in prayer every day in all these holy places where great events took place. Come, My brothers and sisters, and offer yourselves totally to Me. It is this offering that I want from you. It is a similar offering to Mine when I offered Myself totally to the Father to do His will at every moment. I want your permission to do with you what I know to be the best for you. Take My hand, My friends, and let us walk together every day. In this way you will grow in holiness all the time. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin