Sharing: 2018 Pilgrimage to Holy Land

          The Holy Family Church arranged a pilgrimage to Holy Land for total 33 persons including Fr. Lu and myself.  Fr. Lu  invited me to join the pilgrimage so I asked to leave from Hong Kong after a Biblical Conference so we had direct flight Hong Kong-Tel Aviv on Nov 27.

Fr. Lu introduced me to our guide Sr. Jiang, who recognized me as I visited their convent in Baoding, upon arriving at airport.  She studied in Holy Land and had a pass to be a guide.

Here are our pilgrimage destinations:

1.   Caesarea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea)

2.   Mass and renewal of marriage vows of two couples at Cana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_Church_at_Cana)

3.   Haifa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa)

4.   Stella Maris Monastery on Mount Carmel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Maris_Monastery)

5.   Basilica of the Annunciation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_the_Annunciation) and St. Joseph’s Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph%27s_Church,_Nazareth)

6.   Magdala (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdala)

7.   Capernaum Synagogue (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaum)

8.   Mass at St. Peter’s Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Church,_Capernaum)

9.   Boating in the Sea of Galilee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee)

10.       Mass at Church of the Primacy of St. Peter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Primacy_of_Saint_Peter)

11.       Mass at Church of the Multiplication (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Multiplication)

12.       Church of the Beatitude (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Beatitudes)

13.       Church of the Transfiguration (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Transfiguration)

14.       Church of the Resurrection of the Widow’s Son (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Resurrection_of_the_Widow%27s_Son)

15.       Mount of Temptation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Temptation)

16.       Yardenit Baptismal Site (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yardenit)

17.       Floating on Dead Sea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea)

18.       Mass at St. Lazarus  Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lazarus_Roman_Catholic_Church,_al-Eizariya)

19.       Church of Bethpage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Bethphage)

20.       Mount Olives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives)

21.       Church of the Pater Noster (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Pater_Noster)

22.       Chapel of the Ascension (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_Ascension,_Jerusalem)

23.       Dominus Flevit Church (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominus_Flevit_Church)

24.       Mass at Church of All Nations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_All_Nations)

25.       Church of the Visitation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Visitation)

26.       Church of Saint John the Baptist (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist,_Jerusalem)

27.       Church of the Nativity and Mass at Church of St. Catherine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity)

28.       Chapel of the Shepherd’s Field (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_Shepherd%27s_Field)

29.       Chapel of the Milk Grotto (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_Milk_Grotto)

30.       Prayer at Western Wall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall)

31.       Church of St. Anne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Anne,_Jerusalem)

32.       Way of the Cross (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Dolorosa)

33.       Mass at Church of the Holy Sepulchre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre)

34.       Abbey of the Dormition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_the_Dormition)

35.       The Upper Room (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenacle)

36.       Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Peter_in_Gallicantu)

37.       Mass at Emmaus – Nicopolis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmaus)

38.       St. Peter’s Church Jaffa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Church,_Jaffa)

39.       Menorah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset_Menorah)

I couldn’t hold my tears at the Basilica of the Annunciation when I remembered that I was baptized on the Holy Saturday on March 25, 1989 and “Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38) which was the beginning of my vocation journey.

Fr. Lu decided to do baptism by affusion at Yardenit Baptismal Site but two young parishioners and I asked for submersion.

Each of of us got a letter from God and a piece of blank paper to write prayer to be placed at the Western Wall.   I wrote my gratitude besides petitions for the people I ministered to.

The eight Station of the Cross reminded me not to weep for Jesus, but weep for myself in the times of failing to do good and better (cf. Luke 23:28).

We met a Protestant group (with several Catholics) from Kalimantan so I was thinking to have a chance to meet an Indonesian that I know.  On the seventh day, I met the Indonesia Vice Provincial of Carmelites Fr. Hari at the Church of Visitation.  What a holy coincidence!  Another holy coincidence: this pilgrimage (Nov 27 – Dec 6) was in between a Biblical Conference (https://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2018/12/sharing-11th-international-bible.html) and Biblical Lecture (Nov 22-26) and a Biblical Lecture, which was organized by Hong Kong Catholic Biblical Institute http://www.sbofmhk.org/eng/Aboutus/hkcbi.html on Dec 7-8.  Fr. Fedrieic Manns, OFM (Biblicum Studium Franciscanum in Jerusalem) gave presentation on “The Research of the Historical Jesus: the Fourth Quest” and “The Discovery of Magdala: its Importance for the Research of the Historical Jesus.”  I also had been watching several documentary on historical Jesus on Youtube this year (https://anastasialindawatimm.blogspot.com/2018/12/article-christianity.html).

 I led several days of morning prayers and share my experiences besides doing English-Chinese translation during shopping time.  Fr. Lu was taking care the singing session during the trip.  Mr. Zhang was our group leader and the youth volunteer Ms. Liang was the organizer of this pilgrimage.

The tour agency arranged shopping trips to Dead Sea cosmetic shop and a jewelry shop.

Here is the link of the pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11848830@N02/

I am grateful for the opportunity to do pilgrimage to Holy Land, to visit the places of life and ministries of historical Jesus as a man for others. Fr. Lu and the parishioners are grateful for my accompaniment.

Hong Kong, December 12, 2018

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s help each other to live less waste living for better world