Greetings from Jerusalem:

I arrived safely yesterday in the early afternoon which was Monday Jan. 23rd. One notices the white stone of all the buildings here in Israel and the rocky soil and landscape with hills and valleys and houses built up the slopes with more types of trees than I thought.

Today Tues. morning Jan. 24th we went early on a trip to Bethlehem the place where Christ was born and the beginning of our spiritual and physical pilgrimage. It was beautiful morning with clear blue skies and warmer than yesterday. Leaving West Jerusalem we had to go through a check point as Bethlehem is in the Palestine territory with a high wall you enter through. The first stop was The Grotto of Milk a beautiful place with a chapel in the caves. The Basilica of the Nativity where Christ was born a short walk from the grotto was our next stop. This is the oldest existing church in the world for the Persians did not destroy it along time ago. Jerusalem for example has been destroyed at least six times. The Greek Orthodox look after the main church and there is a Catholic section that the Francisians look after as well as the The Grotto of Milk in Bethlehem.

We celebrated Eucharist together in the Grotto of St. Joseph down below in one of the cave rooms. One does notice the many tours that are going through the same holy sites as a group can be ahead and behind your own group. Although there are not as many pilgrims that this time of the year as it cooler weather.   After leaving we stopped at the Shepherd's Field with a little chapel and one in a cave where the shepherds would live along with their animals in the back section of the same cave. The Shepherds field is where the shepherds kept guard over their sheep. One can see the pattern of following the footsteps of Christ.

The group of priests on the course is is mainly Spanish speaking with the majority from Mexico and only about 9 English speaking. Our conferences are usually given in Spanish with a translator for the English. Tomorrow we are to see the Wailing Wall, and the the Temple of Jerusalem the pool of Bethesda and the Basilica of St. Ann

In closing we are going on a retreat to the Arch of the Covenant retreat centre till Saturday night Jan. 29 and than on Sunday we are off on the pilgrimage to Galilee for 3 nights. So if yo do not hear from me for a few days you will know why as I am on retreat.

Fr. Mike