Jerusalem 2019 (SPS Theology III)

Follow our Theology III seminarians as they experience the very places where Jesus was born, preached and was crucified. Please keep them in your prayers as they use this important time to prepare for ordination to the transitional diaconate.

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

January 21, 2019
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I have a bit of a reflection to share today. This morning, we visited Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We had the great privilege of being able to celebrate the Mass at the Grotto of the Manger, a small, intimate space where it is traditionally said the crib sat. Unfortunately, our hope for a […]

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Mass in the Holy Sepulchre

January 21, 2019
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Several days ago we had the opportunity to have Mass in the Holy Sepulchre – where Jesus rose from the dead. It was beautiful to realize that the reason so many millions of people come here each year is precisely because Jesus isn’t here – it is the Resurrection, the historical fact that Jesus rose […]

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Via Dolorosa

January 20, 2019
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Yesterday, we followed the footsteps of Jesus by praying through the Stations of the Cross. It is called the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of the Sorrows, and it marks the path that Jesus took to Calvary, the place of his crucifixion and death. It starts near the Chapel of Condemnation, which is very close […]

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Watch and Pray

January 14, 2019
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Today, we visited the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, the place where Jesus experienced intense agony before he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the guards on the night before his Passion and Death. After the Last Supper, in the night, he came here to pray. Jesus and his disciples were […]

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Let us go to the house of the Lord!

January 13, 2019
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I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give […]

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Upon this Rock…

January 9, 2019
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During the last couple of days we have had the opportunity to visit some extremely ancient sites: Tel Megiddo, Tel Hazor, and Tel Dan. “Tel” is a Hebrew word that means “hill,” and on these hills are cities that go back to the Bronze Age, around 4000 years ago (and even beyond), which is incredible. […]

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Pilgrim or Tourist?

January 9, 2019
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Going to various Holy Sites, we’ve seen signs such as the one on the right: “Admission is only allowed for pilgrims or tourists.” One of our brothers thoughtfully pointed out the distinction between the two – a pilgrim is not the same as a tourist. This has become somewhat painfully obvious as we’ve been travelling […]

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The Glory of Epiphany

January 6, 2019
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The last couple days have been incredible in our travels throughout the Holy Land. We had the great privilege of visiting Mount Tabor, Cana, and Nazareth, as we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. It was fitting that this wonderful feast occurred during our travels to these places, for we were able to witness how […]

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The Ascent of Mount Carmel

January 4, 2019
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The past several days we have been staying at one of the two Carmelite monasteries at the top of Mt. Carmel. While obviously associated with the religious order (of which my mom is a third-order member – hi mom!) Mt. Carmel is also of great importance in the Old Testament, being mentioned twenty-nine times. It […]

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A Visit to Joppa

January 2, 2019
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After landing safely in Tel Aviv last night, today was our first day of visiting sites in the Holy Land. Today, we visited Joppa (or Jaffa), a small, ancient city located right outside of Tel Aviv. It is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (pictured above), making it a beautiful location – not to […]

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