Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

As  I look out my window and see the hills of buildings here in Bethlehem I think of that morning, after the birth of our Lord, when Mary and Joseph started planning their next move to Egypt so they could escape Herod's massacre of all infant boys (Matthew 2:13-16).  I too will be leaving Bethlehem, in about two weeks, and traveling in the footsteps of our Lord.  While Egypt is not one of the stops my seminary classmates and I will be making we will be traveling to Nazareth, Galilee, and then Jerusalem.  We are making a pilgrimage, much like the one Mary and Joseph made from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt back to Nazareth and then Jesus' pilgrimage from Nathareth to Jerusalem.  During my pilgrimage it is my intention to write at least one blog a week as a way to reflect on my pilgrimage.  My seminary brothers are keeping a daily blog that you can follow here if you wish.  

One week has past since landing here in the city of David. I would have to say that the main theme that has stuck out to me this week has been the awesome spiritual tradition of our faith, specifically the monastic tradition, both East and West.  Almost every site that we visited this week either had or currently has a monastery.  When we visited Masada, an ancient fortress built by Herod the Great around 37BC, and since then many people have taken pocession of it for various reasons including an ancient Byzantine Monastery dating back to the 4th century.  This mountain was in the middle of nowhere, next to the dead sea, and it was so peaceful and quiet.  No wonder Monks went there for peace and solitude to reflect on our Lord.  As I stood in the ruins of this monastery I could feel the monks still praying on our behalf to the Blessed Trinity.  

This week we also visited Mar Saba, an ancient Monastery built in the 5th century, and the beauty of this place was breathtaking.  Even though the Lord is not calling me to monastic life I could definitely be a monk there.  Just knowing, and in the case of Mar Saba seeing, monks praying for the world is a beautiful thing.  These holy men don't leave their monastery, have no connected to the outside world at all, don't have any luxuries, and they are joyful and filled with the Love of Jesus Christ.  This is a Love I wish to cultivate in my own heart and God willing this pilgrimage is a time where I can start this cultivation.  

Please, keep my brother and I in your prayers as we continue traveling to various Holy sites and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  Be assured of my prayers for you.