Sunday, December 11, 2011
My Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Dear Friends,
I left my home in Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 28, and went to sleep in Charlottetown, the Capital of the Island. The next morning at 6:00 a.m. our airplane took off for the city of Montreal. At 8.00 a.m. I boarded another plane for Toronto, Ontario, and arrived there around 9:00 a.m. At 1.55 p.m. I boarded another plane for New York City and we arrived at just about 4:00 p.m. There I met the group and we were all on the plane which left New York at 11:00 p.m. The flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, took 12 hours and there is a gain of 7 hours. So we arrived in Israel around 2:00 p.m. the next day, Wednesday. From the airport we boarded our bus and went straight to our hotel in Jerusalem. We had supper and before going to our rooms, I celebrated Holy Mass in a room in the hotel in thanksgiving for a pleasant flight to the Holy Land. After we went to bed because we were all tired.
The next morning, Thursday, December 1, I got up at 5:00 a.m. I washed and had breakfast and then we took the bus for Bethlehem at 7:00 a.m. We arrived at the Church of the Nativity at 7:30 a.m. and at 8:00 a.m. I celebrated Holy Mass at that Church. After Mass we visited the old church built in 330 AD; it was renovated a few times during the centuries. Then we went to the back of the church to the place where Jesus was born. It used to be a cave where the local people kept their animals at night. We all kissed the floor where Jesus was born, saw the manger where His Mother laid Him in swaddling clothes, and we prayed a decade of the rosary to thank the Lord for being born among us, and we also thanked Our Blessed Mother for giving Her ‘Yes‘ to the angel at the Annunciation.
On that day we also visited Ein Kerem where Our Lady‘s cousin Elizabeth lived. It is here that Our Lady came to visit her when Elizabeth was pregnant with St. John the Baptist. We visited the two churches in this small town. From Ein Kerem we went back to our hotel to eat the evening meal and to rest.
The Message of Our Blessed Mother at Bethlehem on Dec. 1, 2011
“I bless you, My son Melvin and all those who are traveling with you. You are here visiting Bethlehem, the little village where I gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. As your Mother, I call you all to believe in Jesus, My Son, and to open your hearts to receive the graces that He wants to give you today and everyday. He is the only Savior of the world and He came on earth in our human nature to offer Himself in sacrifice for all your sins and to open heaven for you. His birth, life, death and resurrection are not fairy tales as so many believe today but as the holy places show you, they are all very real and express a great truth to everyone of you. The truth is that God loves you all and He sent His Son to earth to show His everlasting love by dying for you.
I love you too with all My Heart as you are all My sons and daughters, and I pray and intercede for you all before My Son that you may receive the graces and gifts from Him that you need to advance in holiness every day. Come, My children, and pray every day from the heart, glorifying God, Your Father, and His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Pray your rosary every day and participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist as often as you can and receive Jesus in Holy Communion after you have repented of your sins. I love you and bless you all, My children, the joy of my heart and the followers of My Son, Jesus.”
Father Melvin