Day 7: Journey to the Sea of Galilee

A journey without par. Walking from the small town of Illaniya to the Sea has been one of the most difficult feats that I have taken on this year. The Sun shone powerfully on me as I made my solitary walk.

 

 

The scenery became much more interersting as I drew nearer to the Horns of Hattin. There on a plateau that affords a precious first good view of the Sea of Galilee the Frankish King Guy was defeated by Saladin. As I neared the site of the battle I thought about how absurd it had all been. All that fighting to have a nearly empty Galilee and a State of Israel, neither Muslim nor Christian.

 

 

I climbed up Mt Arbel, the hightest point near or around the Sea of Galilee to witness the precious view from up above. It was beautiful and unforgettable. The crushing heat tired me out and I was just about incapable of continuing forward. It makes me consider the fact that a Pilgrim doesn't go on a Pilgrimage by his own volition. It's a vocation, a gift.

 

 

Finally I have arrived to the Sea of Galilee and visited the Magdala Center. The beautiful Pilgrim's center made for a special treat. I watched the sun set as I bathed in the beautiful lake upon which Jesus, my Lord and my God, walked. I hope to one day do the same.

Day 1: Western Wall to Bethany in Palestine

I was awoken by a beautifully delicious sunrise. I felt the gentle rays of light penetrating the curtains of my room.

 

 

The view from the roof of my whereabouts arranged for an instant panoramic experience.

 

I went for a quick job down some of the neighboring streets intent on getting lost and finding my way back. The shops were still closed and it seemed that the Holy City was still asleep.

 

I ran into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and went waltzing in. I walked right past a priest I recognized from my seminary days and feeling skimpy in my jogging gear I decided not to greet him just yet. I headed upstairs to see him begin Mass at the altar of the Crucifixion.

 

 

I headed downstairs and I found the sacristy to inquire about mass times at the Mount of Olives. This ended up with mass inside the Holy Sepulchre. There were just 6 or 7 of us inside the tiny cave of a Tomb where Jesus rose from the Dead.

 

 

I witnessed one of the pilgims pass out and fall over onto the altar. She awoke to my thinking: "We just witnessed a Resurrection…"

 

I visited the Western Wall - in Hebrew, "Ko-tel". I had brought a prayer with me from there and so I prayed it along with psalms from the Psalter.

 

 

After a long period with friends along the Eastern ramparts of Jerusalem we headed to the Last Supper Cenacle where Jesus celebrated the Feast of His Body and Blood. A flood of memories deluged my mind. A lot happened upstairs:

 

1. Jesus instituted the Eucharist
2. Jesus instituted the Priesthood
3. Jesus instituted the Apostolic Forgiveness of Sins
4. Pentecost: The Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and the Church was born.
5. The Apostles hid from the world.
6. Jesus showed up after his Resurrection and said, "Be not Afraid!"

 

I'm sure those were just a few of the things that happened.

 

 

 Later that day after having a Falafel from Heaven I had the chance to do some of my own traveling. I went on to Bethany in Palestinian Territory. It is a very difficult neighborhood and not easy to get to on your own. I prayed at Martha and Mary's Home and grieved the death of a friend along with Jesus. That was the place where it is said of Jesus, "And Jesus wept" (John 11:35). I had been able to make it to the Mount of Olives and to pray in the Garden of Gethsemani. This beautiful place moved me also to tears to think of a friend who was to offer his own life for ours. I'm speaking of Jesus.

 

 

I was able to make it back into Jerusalem and Israeli territory by the help of Spanish Pilgrims but otherwise things were looking not all so easy.

 

After a quick swing through the Muslim Market and getting my daily dosage of fresh bread (for my hummus) it was back to Jerusalem.

 

 

All in all a beautiful day. 

Back at Home: Arriving into Israel and Jerusalem

Arriving to Israel has been in fact a return trip back home. Riding the shuttle bus from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport to Jerusalem was an assertion of that point. Despite being pulled aside for two hours because of Israeli security (and I have a feeling I know why that happened - more about that at then end if you're interested…) or the massive hug I received from my travel companion upon arrival it was all about coming home. It was on that bus, surrounded mainly by Jews, that I discovered a beautiful gift:

 

"I am with my people….This is my Home."

 

Upon treading upon the land of Faith where Love for the One God emanated. It is the locus where our Faith took form in eleven restless apostles and where the Holy Spirit proved to the rest of the world that Love has no boundaries. The millions that come to Israel, or those that merely desire it, want to be part of something grand, something infinite.

 

 

Water has flowed through the hardened bedrock of this soil as a sign of its baptism in grace. Blood has also ravaged this Land, thicker always and crying out to God, "Have Mercy on us!".  Blood may be thicker than water but it is Grace and Mercy (Hesed) that overwhelms all hatred and anything less than love.

 

What do I hope to experience and live out in this, the Land of my People?

 

As Jesus asked the People of Israel, "What did you hope to see [in John the Baptist]?" I hope to give the latent answer that all of us have deep down inside:

 

I wish to Encounter the Living God.

 

I don't want to encounter Him in a perfect situation: friendly (or not so friendly) tourists, Middle East delights, intense Israeli security but rather in the quiet of my heart. In prayer and harmony.

 

 

*So a little bit about why I think I got held up in Israeli security for questioning:

 

Once upon a time having worn a Roman Collar as a religious/seminarian for years upon years I have a passport photo  accordingly so thus when I would say that I was here for vacation as opposed to "religious motives" they started taking a look at whether or not I had stolen someone's identity. Upon arrival I was pulled aside at the terminal and then again at customs. The questionings were momentary but the whole process took two hours with different questions about family and travel. What matters is that I'm here.

Why I want to go to Israel this Summer: Mystery (Part 2)

Continued from Why I want to go to Israel this Summer (Part 1)

What does it mean to Encounter the Risen Lord? Where can I find God?

The Greeks of John 12 didn't seem to meet with Jesus. It is mysterious that Jesus would become all of a sudden cryptic, mystical and not down-to-earth. But maybe we are overlooking what is just under our noses. Mystery.

The term lost its touch indefinitely with the English Romanticists (think Conan Doyle or Poe). "Mystery" has merely become the catch word for all literary and theatrical genre in which there is something to be solved. This is perhaps the fruit of French Enlightenment which stood by the fact that all mysteries could be solved, all knowledge could be plumbed. A "Mystery" however is not that. A mystery is a problem that exceeds a solution. The Greek word "Mυστήριον" (mysterion) means secret or enigma. It in turn could be derived from an interesting set of words:

μύω (myo): to close or shut [one's wounds or eyes]

 στερεός (sterion): Solid  

Mystery is a genre in which we shut our eyes. We don't know. Who can plumb the depths of the Mystery of God, the Holy Trinity; Father and Creator, Father of Mercy; Son and Redeemer, made Incarnate for us; Holy Spirit and Counselor, Giver of Life? The simple answer is that no one can. Mystery is the place where we close our eyes. At this point it is not we who figure God out but God who lets us get to know about God.

Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven (Bl. Fra Angelico)

Where can I find God? In Mystery. It is the specific locus where God descends to us. Throughout the ages Saints and Scholars have used the term to plumb the depths of God-become-man: The Mystery of the Incarnation; The Triune Godhead: The Mystery of the Holy Trinity; But most originally Jesus himself would speak of "The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven" (cf. Mt 13:11 also see Strong's Lexicon for all uses of "mystery") among other New Testament authors. 

"πνεῦμα ὁ θεός...God is Spirit" (Jn 4:24)

To get to know God doesn't mean to 'go somewhere' and get to know Him. Even reaching Heaven requires that we detach ourselves from the categories of when and where (through death) so as to encounter the God that transcends time and place. Heaven is where we no longer speak of "where" or "when". It is to be brought into the timelessness of God's "I Am" (cf. Ex 3:14; Jn 8:58). It is to be in the present tense yet exceed the present in Eternity.

But How can I meet Jesus here and now?

To be Continued...

Why I want to go to Israel this Summer (Part 1)

Of recent some people have heard that I was going to the Holy Land and have been curious as to why I have decided to take on this sojourn and what I was planning to do when I am there. Here are my poor efforts at unpacking an answer fit for a good question and an even better enquirer.

Israeli Desert

The average temperature in Israel in the month of July could boil and then fry an egg concurrently. The arid turf has the tough and rugged Mediterranean feel to it and pretty much is welcoming to your typical spaghetti western runaway bandit or lost Prairie Indian. Other naysayers have averted to the possible dangers that lie in an overseas trip to the Middle East, i.e. terrorist attacks on Christians, Arabic habibis (don't ask), and the myriad of infinite possible things that could go wrong.

Thus I agree with the Major Premise: It is not the ordinary challenge I would take on...I would rather do it in another part of the world more rugged and beautiful.

Something like this for example would suit my fancy (Mt. Kazbegi, Republic of Georgia)

There is however something so special about Israel, so much so that it is referred to as "The Holy Land" by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. "Holy" because of historic reasons. "Holy Land" because of its sacred nature as hallowed ground for several civilizations mutually considering it their own. Most importantly for me and - I hope for every Christian - is that it be the locus of their encounter with the Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ and Risen Lord.

What does it mean to Encounter the Risen Lord? Where can you find God?
St. John's Gospel narrates that Greeks came to meet Jesus. They said to Phillip:

"Κύριε, θέλομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδεῖν...Lord, we wish to see Jesus."(Jn 12:21)

Phillip turned to Andrew and they in turn presented the petition to Jesus.

"23ὁδὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκρίνεται αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα ἵναδοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου...And Jesus answered them saying, 'The Hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified'"(Jn 12:23)

 The Encounter has not occurred as of yet but Jesus prefaces it with something very special. That those who have not encountered him upon encountering him would bring Him glory, that Jesus' Mission would be fulfilled.  Jesus then in a cryptic way says:

24ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν,ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ,αὐτὸς μόνος μένει: ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει...Amen Amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies upon it...it remains one. If it dies however, it bears much fruit." (Jn 12:24)

 This affirmation is not followed by a narration of Jesus' Encounter with the Greeks. In fact, no meeting is scheduled. Whether the following words were uttered in the Greeks' presence or not it is not clear. Whether it was John's senility upon writing the Gospel or if that those were simply the chain of events to occur are not certain. My simple reading of the situation is such: For us to meet Jesus...Jesus gave up His Life for us so that He could be even more accessible and 'user-friendly' to us. To state the case even more clearly: Jesus died for us so that we could say "We" with Jesus. Let's make things crystal clear: Jesus uses the image of the dying "grain of wheat" as his own life paradigm. Jesus' Death and Resurrection gives unto the eternal Multiplication of the Loaves, the true Miraculous Catch, or the Leaven of God's Kingdom.

This astonishing causation explains how we Encounter Jesus but we still do not have the answer to the question: What does it mean to Encounter the Risen Lord? Where can you find God?

To be Continued...

There and Back Again: Part 2 (Medjugorje)

The Titanic

I've never slept on a boat before. We crossed the Adriatic to Croatia to the Ancient City of Split...pronounced just as you would in gymnastics. Summer home of Diocletian...etc.

We were soon on our way to Medjugorje. The views were spectacular...they're up there with the Amalfi Coast, but in this case it was a bit cloudy...

Croatian Coastline

The Shire

Medjugorje is a special town. First we crossed into Bosnia-Herzegovina (we were in the Herzegovina side of the country) which contrasted so much from the more-or-less wealthy Croatia. With a population of around 4 - 5,000 people the Shire-like town receives 1,000,000 pilgrims yearly. Obviously that means that there are too many hotels for its own good and what may seem like an apartment is most evidently and most frequently a Hotel, Hostel (Pansion), or B&B. To add to that the quantity of street vendors of religious articles is...best left aside...as it is in just about every well visited pilgrimage site I've ever been to (Assisi, Rome, Knock...what I've heard of Fatima and Lourdes).

In the life of a Christian what matters most is not what happens "on the outside" or "what others say" but what "The Other" says, God. There is no way to know for certain if the apparitions in Medjugorje are for certain or true but what matters (and this I did witness) is the right attitude many many pilgrims had on going on this pilgrimage.

The White Cross

Mom and Dad

We began with a fast and while there we decided the first thing we would attend would be Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. In the days successive we climbed both Hills (Apparition and the Cross). What I felt most in prayer was a desire to give thanks to Our Lord and Our Lady for all they had done in my life...too much. I brought some 5 pages of prayer intentions-causes with me and I left them under a rock on Cross Hill remembering to pray for all those who sent me the intentions.


I don't know if I'll return to Medjugorje but I can say that it left a footprint in my heart. 

PS: Finally, I'd like to thank my uncle and aunt for so graciously inviting me along on this pilgrimage.

Me - Split, Croatia

A Journey to the feet of a Mother

There is a small shrine in the Vatican Gardens unknown to many dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in which an sculpture of St. Juan Diego holds the tilma with Our Lady before the Franciscan Bishop of Mexico City. Mary can do great things through small people. If you would like to see what God can do with an 'insignificant' young girl from a remote corner of civilization, please see exhibit A: Mary, Our Mother.

 

View of St Peter's Basilica from Pope Benedict's new residence

 

In a few days I will be going on a journey, a pilgrimage, to Medjugorje. A few family members are coming to Rome on a pilgrimage and have graciously invited me to accompany them in their Marian Pilgrimage. Personally I don't really have a personal devotion to a geographic Madonna but I can say with great satisfaction that I have always loved Our Lady and, better yet, Our Lady has always loved me.



Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Vatican Gardens

Just like my trip up Gran Sasso (click here to see how that went) I would like to invite you to come along spiritually. I'm leaving on Thursday and I'll be back on Tuesday of the following week. I would love to collect your prayer intentions to bring with me so that I can remember all of you in my prayers and offer them to Our Lady.

 

Here are a few that come to mind:

 

1. For a cousin who will be defending her doctorate in Theology soon.

2. For all seminarians that they persevere despite the hardships they endure.

3. For all those soon to marry, but especially Vanessa L. and Ray D. as well as Simone R. and Alessandra

4. For Life, from the womb to the tomb.

 

I would be honored if you sent me an intention, please send it to brotherjohnlc@gmail.com

 

Thank you!

God bless, Brother John LC

 

Summit to Pray

Gran Sasso, Abruzzo National Park

Dear Friends,

On Sunday I will be climbing Gran Sasso, the tallest mountain in the Appenine Mountain Range. At 9554ft (2900m) it will be the highest peak I will have attempted. I am hoping to summit at 12pm regional time (6am Eastern US-Canada Time).

I hope to make this climb-pilgrimage to pray for several intentions and for several causes.

Here are a few:

- For Leah, the youngest and newest member of my extended family
- For my mom and my brother Andrew
- For our new Pope Francis
- For all Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members

If you would like me to climb for a cause or a prayer intention please send them to me. For the FB event click here. To email me the intention click here.

 

Thank you!

 

in Christ, Brother John Choi LC

 

PS: Here below are a few more images of Gran Sasso