PRAYER REQUEST FROM FR. JAY…

I ask you all to help me and 49 other priests from the Archdiocese who will be leaving this week, along with Cardinal Dolan, for a pilgrimage/retreat in the Holy Land. I ask your prayers for a safe journey, a safe time in a troubled land, blessings on all of us during our retreat and, the fact that we will still be talking to each other when we return – you know what can happen on family trips!

On a more serious note, please know that all in our parish will be in my prayers and in all the Masses I will say in these very holy places. This is my third opportunity to visit the Holy Land (hopefully with many more in the future) but the first time that I am able to go as a participant in the pilgrimage instead of as the leader or spiritual director. I am looking forward to the change in roles – I can relax as others have to solve problems instead of being the one who has to solve them. Pray I don’t get too used to that role!

I will be leaving on Monday and will spend some time in Tel Aviv, a city I have not yet visited. I will meet the group when they arrive on Thursday morning. We will then travel North to the Sea of Galilee for 3 days. From there we will visit Mt Tabor, Mt. Carmel, Nazareth and Cana. We will also travel to sites along the shores of Galilee and the River Jordan. On Sunday, we will head South toward Jerusalem where we will stay for the remainder of the trip and visit the city itself and the holy shrines of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, walking the “Via Dolorosa” the route Jesus was forced to follow on his way to the Cross. We will also visit some of the secular shrines (e.g. the Holocaust Museum which says a great deal to reinforce our Church’s position on the right to life). We will visit Bethlehem and Bethany and the Dead Sea – probably no swimming this time! While in Jerusalem, we are scheduled for lectures from some of the scholars and Church officials there. The tour ends on Thursday evening after dinner when the group will catch a late night flight to New York. I will stay on in Jerusalem for an extra day and return late on Saturday afternoon in Newark. I will be back for Masses (the last two!) on Sunday

Please pray for a time of prayer, spiritual insights and blessings for us all.

Shalom,

Fr. Jay