I was offered to join a FAM (Familiarization) trip to the Holy Land. (It is customary for tour companies to offer pilgrimage organizers a discounted “come and see” tour as a way to feature a particular destination.) Having already organized pilgrimages to (and been enraptured by) the great Catholic sites of Europe — Rome, Lourdes, Paris, Assisi — I really had never considered traveling to the Holy Land. A pilgrimage provider sent me as a visitor along with a group of Christian pilgrims, and I was excited about the idea of walking where Jesus walked.

It was nice being in the Holy Land — “neat” to be in the places you read about in the Bible. However, the narratives given by our tour guide were beginning to wear on me. The guide chosen by the tour company was not a Christian. His portrayal of all the sites we were visiting seemed like a mere historical account, rather than a connection with the person of Jesus Christ. I can’t really blame him. He didn’t even believe that Jesus was the Messiah — the Son of the Living God — and often openly questioned Catholic traditions and beliefs. He would say things like, “This church isn’t where this biblical event actually happened. It’s just an old tradition. Jesus really performed this act several miles away!”

Needless to say, I didn’t feel a good connection with the Holy Land, nor did I feel a desire to return with a tour group of my own. I was prepared to leave saying, “Okay, I did it. I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Now, I don’t care if I ever go back!”

But that began to change when our group visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the holiest place in Christian history. The place where Jesus died, was buried, and ultimately triumphed over death. As I was listening to my tour guide say, “This is not actually the location where Jesus was buried…” I overheard someone speaking about the Sacrifice of the Mass. Intrigued, I scooted closer to overhear what this other man was saying. My hair stood on end — I could tell this man was Catholic! I stood there soaking up his edifying words about the precious and hallowed ground within the Holy Sepulchre and what it meant for us, as Christians, to be physically present in such a place.

When I returned to the States, a priest in my diocese asked me to organize a trip to the Holy Land. Knowing I could not repeat my previous pilgrimage, I diligently spent many phone calls and emails seeking out a Catholic, Holy Land tour guide for the priest’s pilgrimage. (Catholic Holy Land tour guides are hard to come by!)

Even as I embarked on my next pilgrimage, I left thinking to myself, “Well, this will be the last time I will ever go to the Holy Land!”

But, boy, was I wrong…

With the Catholic tour guide, everything changed. Our pilgrimage became a living, family history, as opposed to a textbook. It was like sitting at my grandmother’s feet as she recounted memories of my ancestors, rather than listening to a genealogist read facts about them.

I realized what I had been missing. On my last trip, our group had been checking off a list of experiences; we had been “pounding pavement,” not “removing our sandals” and walking upon hallowed ground. Like the Ethiopian eunuch being asked while discovering the Scriptures, “Do you understand what you are reading?”, my heart was aching the reply: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31) Someone needed to “unlock” the Holy Land for me.

On that second pilgrimage, I finally understood why Pope Saint John Paul the Great called the Holy Land the “Fifth Gospel.” The place speaks to you — the culture of the time, the events, the faces of people, the truths of the Catholic Faith. The Word of God is now a lived experience for me, not mentally conjured images. God made us material, sensual human beings. That’s why He gave us the Sacraments, because we do have to feel and touch and smell, thus integrating the spiritual reality into our very bodies. The end of the pilgrimage is the beginning of a deepening in your relationship with Jesus. Your pilgrimage lasts in your heart and in your prayer for a lifetime.

Now, I believe every Catholic should go to the Holy Land…but with a Catholic guide!

Join our April 2016 pilgrimage to the Holy Land with our dear friend and native Nazarene tour guide, Amer Shehadeh, as he brings you as a guest to his homeland, his home parish, and “unlocks” the holy Scriptures and our Catholic Faith. The chaplain and host for our pilgrimage is Fr. Jeff Walker. 

Day 1: USA
We depart for our international flight to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.

Day 2: Tel Aviv
We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport where we are met by our tour escort and transferred to our hotel in Tiberius. Time before dinner to relax and get settled. (D)

Day 3: Galilee
Our exploration of the Holy Land begins with a cruise on the Sea of Galilee and visit Ginnorsar where we see a fisherman’s boat that dates to Christ’s time. We continue to the Mt. of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Our next stop is Tabgha, site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. We will also visit the Church of the Primacy of Peter and Capernaum. This afternoon we will journey to the Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Day 4: Jerusalem
Today we travel to Cana, site of the Wedding Feast. We continue on to Nazareth in Lower Galilee, the place where Jesus grew up and lived most of his life. We visit the Church of the Annunciation; built over the Grotto of the Annunciation, the place where early Christian tradition says the Angel Gabriel spoke to the Blessed Mother. We continue to Joseph’s carpentry workshop. This afternoon we head to the Carmelite Monastery at the Muhraka, site of Elijah’s altar. Paintings in the church dome depict Old Testament stories, including one of Elijah being swept up to heaven in a fiery chariot. We continue to Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea to discover the ancient Crusader and Roman town, its aqueduct and theatre. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B,D)

Day 5: Jerusalem
Today we begin with a view of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives. We then travel to Ein Kerem, where the Blessed Mother went in haste to visit Elizabeth. We will also visit the birthplace of St John the Baptist. We continue on to Bethlehem for an inspiring visit to the Church of the Nativity. Return to our hotel in Jerusalem. (B,D)

Day 6: Jerusalem
We begin the day walking the Via Dolorosa, which winds through the streets of Old Jerusalem and commemorates the path that Jesus walked on the way to His crucifixion. We visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, containing the tomb where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. We continue our tour with a visit to the Dormition Abbey and the House of Caiaphas where Peter denied Christ three times. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B,D)

Day 7: Jerusalem
We begin our morning in the Garden of Gethsemane. After Mass, we will head to Masada, the Dead Sea and time permitting Qumran. (B,D)

Day 8: Jerusalem / Rome
After breakfast we will pack up for our journey to Rome. Before we head to the airport we will stop at the steps of the old temple. Continue on to Ben Gurion Airport for our flight to Rome. (B,D)

Day 9: Rome
Today will consist of a half day tour of Christian Rome with visits to include the Basilicas of St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the walls, and St. Peter in Chains, and one of the Catacombs. (B,D)

Day 10: Rome
After breakfast we will head to St Peter’s Square for the Papal Audience (depending on the Holy Father’s schedule). In the afternoon, we will begin our tour of Ancient Rome, viewing such sites as Capitoline Hill, Forum, Colosseum (interior tour), Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Old Appian Way, and Palazzo Venezia. Dinner and over night in Rome. (B,D)

Day 11: Rome
Today is a free day for personal site seeing or shopping. Arrangements can be made to tour the Vatican Museum, for those interested, at additional cost. (B,D)

Day 12: Rome
After breakfast we depart for the Rome Airport for our return flight home. (B)