AND IS IT TRUE, AND IS IT TRUE?

Whenever people say, sometimes in a rather superior way, “Oh, of course, you can’t prove Christ was born in Bethlehem – or even existed” my thoughts turn to the 6^th century Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Star in the cave beneath the sanctuary marking the place of the Incarnation.

The star may only have been added in 1847 but the cave (known as the Grotto) is the oldest continuously used pace of Christian worship in the world. Such was its power to draw people after the death of Jesus in ca. AD33 that a century later, in order to destroy Christianity, the Emperor Hadrian had it converted to a shrine for the worship of Adonis, a prime example of the archetypal dying-and-rising god and mortal lover of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of beauty and desire.

For over a generation, people had come there believing it was the site of the Incarnation and the choice of Adonis for the focus of Roman worship suggests that Hadrian who, at the same time had also ordered the building of a temple to Jupiter (or Venus) over the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection in Jerusalem, chose the dedication of this temple in the small town of Bethlehem with reason. At around the same time the early Christian philosopher, Justin Martyr, noted in his Dialogue with Trypho that the Holy Family had taken refuge in a cave in this area.

It’s impossible to ‘prove’ much from ancient history and belief in the Incarnation of God-in-Christ is a matter of faith not fact. But the fact that worship continued in this unremarkable town for two thousand years should cause us to wonder at the Grotto of the Nativity and regard the mystery it proclaims with humility, just as one has to bend in order to enter the Basilica first erected by Hadrian’s successor, Constantine, to protect the place.  This most stupendous mystery points to the truth of our potential and confounds those demagogues and dictators whose words and actions corrupt our humanity.  Made for divinity, to bow bend before this Mystery of Faith acknowledges we are more than mere flesh and blood: we are of such stuff as dreams are made on ... 

Low before Him with our praises we fall,
Of Whom, and in Whom, and through Whom are all;
Of Whom, the Father; and in Whom, the Son,
Through Whom, the Spirit, with Them ever One.

Peter Abelard, 12thc. translated from Latin J. M. Neale 1854

COME AND SEE - A Pilgrimage-retreat in the Land called Holy

Encountering Christ through the Land called Holy

A pilgrimage-retreat in the Holy Land

(with optional five-day extension to Petra, Jordan)

led by Fr. John-Francis Friendship

10^th – 21^st July 2017

(Jordan: 21^st – 25^th July)

Consequent to a successful Pilgrimage-retreat in 2015 I am pleased to announce that this will be repeated in 2017 – this time with the option of visiting Petra and other sites in Jordan!

The aims of this pilgrimage/retreat are to:

encounter Christ through the Land by travelling from Nazareth to Jerusalem and visiting many of the places associated with His life;

offer ways of encountering God through prayer, liturgy and meditation;

engage in an inner journey of ‘come and see’ in order to encounter Christ afresh in the depths of our being;

enjoy ourselves!

Visits will include Nazareth, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, Mt. Tabor, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Abu Ghosh. We will sail on the Sea of Galilee and make the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa.  In Jordan We will stay at the Petra Marriott Hotel and at the Jordan Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa, visiting Mt. Nebo, the Crusader castle of Kerak, the Treasury at Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash and Bethany beyond Jordan, celebrating the Eucharist at some of the holy sites.

Some comments following our last visit:

The Pilgrimage-retreat was a unique experience as a whole – for me, the celebration of the Eucharist , the Homilies, the Prayers& Hymns were central and to be held in a land where Jesus actually lived and walked were priceless.  So many tours to the Holy Land seem to lack the spirit of a true pilgrimage.  This was totally the opposite and that’s why it was so special. (GG-J, Australia)

I do think that the structure of reflection, liturgy and prayers really helped to help me connect with the geography and places we were visiting and therefore ‘journey with Christ’. Thank you very much for the services and prayers that were prepared for us to use. And I am also very grateful for the times of ‘space’ while we were out – giving me a real chance to meditate and reflect on the journey (the outer and inner experience). (MO’B, Glos)

I felt that sharing this pilgrimage was a special journey as I found I encountered Christ in every pilgrim who walked alongside me, shared meals with me and conversed with me throughout the trip.  The prayer, worship, meditation and reflection revealed such a deep spirituality and I believe everyone contributed to this wonderful experience. (CH, Essex)

My head has still been in the Holy Land for the last week. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go. I’ve come back a slightly different person to how I was before we left. (CP, London)

A COMPLETE BROCHURE for the HOLY LAND is available here and for PETRA AND JORDAN here.

Further information is available from:

Fr. John-Francis Friendship Tel: (020) 3583 9312

Email: jff2209@yahoo.com

Fully inclusive cost: £1870 (Jordan extension: £740)

Organised by:

McCabe Pilgrimages and

JOURNAL of a PILGRIM to the LAND CALLED HOLY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: Nazareth - Consider your Calling.

Today was the day we spent time in Nazareth, Considering Mary's - and our - call, as temp. climbed into the 30's.  Time at the Orthodox Church at Mary's Well before walking through the Old City and the souk to spend two hours at the Basilica of the Annunciation. Then time in Cana where people renewed wedding and partnership commitments.  Moving.  Eucharist back at the Convent of the Beatitudes.   Touched by deep sense of continuity as we encountered places still occupied by people over millennia.  Signs of Palestinian anger at Israel 's occupation evident even here.   We ended the day with moving hour of reflection in Chapel.   All early to bed tonight after not getting here until 2am this morning.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: Galilee - Living out our Calling.

Just back from our 'cruise' on the Sea of Galilee after Mass on the shore at the site of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.   This is the place where, sadly, Jewish extremists recently tried to set fire to the church but only a part of the cloister was destroyed.   I am told that there have been further threats to destroy churches unless the Pope abandons support for a Palestinian State and 'recognises' the areas occupied by Israel (i.e. the Territories which the UN confirms are illegally occupied by Israel).  Once again it is Christians who are caught in the middle of the struggle between Jews and Muslims.  O pray for the peace of Jerusalem!   And we have seen signs of the ongoing attempts at reconciliation.   So staying here seems very appropriate and we will have a time of reflection on the Beatitudes before supper.

So - Mensa Christi, Church of the Multiplication,  a visit to Capernaum and then a leisurely time sailing on the Sea/Lake.  And lots of silence between the laughter and liturgies.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Mount Tabor and Jericho - the Passion begins.

Left hot and humid Galilee  (38c.) and drove to Mount Tabor to visit Church of the Transfiguration where we celebrated Mass.  Such a beautiful spot where heaven touched earth and glory shone out.   But love also made itself known at the Jordan where we

stopped at the newly re-opened Baptism site.   And here I was truly moved for after travelling down mile upon mile of barbed wire border fencing between Israel and Jordan here all bathed in the waters of the Jordan just 12 feet wide.  And who urged Israel to reopen the site for Christians?   King Abdullah of Jordan  (and  'some" foreign governments  - I dare not hope one might have been our Government - might we ever regain any moral authority  - or interest?). 

So here we are at the Lutheran Hostel in the Old City where the Dome's of Holy Sepulchre and the Rock stand out just a stones throw away.  Tomorrow the Via Dolorosa after Mass in the acoustically wonderful Church of S. Anne

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem! '

Salve Regina sung in the most wonderful Church of S. Anne (at the request of one of the pilgrims)  whose acoustics are renowned; a Liturgy for Healing at the Pool of Bethesda; Stations of the Cross including prayers at Station 10 (the Coptic Patriarchate) beneath a banner in memory of the Copts murdered on the beach by ISiL, and walking down the Mount of Olives praying at the churches of Dominus Flevit, the Pater Noster until we reached the Church of All Nations and Garden of Gethsemane - a rich and full day.   At the heart of which - and the goal of this Pilgrimage  - to venerate Calvary and be present at Holy Sepulchre where we shall be at 6.45am tomorrow!  DV.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: 'This is my body, given for you.'

Awoken by the call of the minaret(s) from 4.30am!  These Jerusalem days start with invitations to pray which last until the booming bells of Holy Sepulchre begin 40 mins. later.   What to do apart from get up  - which 6 of us did - and go to pray with the Ethiopian's (and Copts, Latins and Armenians) in Holy Sepulchre. At least one can enter Christ's Tomb and pray there!

Later most of us attended the Eucharist at S. George's  (Anglican) Cathedral, which felt a bit like an Arabic outpost of the USA...  Good sermon from the Dean, Fr. Hosam, who preached on the text of the healing of the Syro -Phoenician Woman and drew out the parallels between the lengths she was prepared to go to have her daughter healed and the lengths Syrian mothers go to today to save their children.

After excellent buffet lunch at the College we split up for the afternoon with people visiting the Western Wall,  Armenian Cathedral (and how many people know of the Syrian Genocide of 1915?) etc.  I discovered that the S. Alexander Nevsky Church and Museum was open so visited there with some of the party - and was staggered to see a complete room from the days of Imperial Russia preserved there,  looked after by some young nuns of the Nursing Order founded by the Grand Duchess St. Elizabeth who was martyred in the Revolution.  And a solitary visit to Dormition Abbey and the State - run Chapel of the Upper Room.   Just a museum now...

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: Bethlehem - 'And we have seen His glory'

Today we're spending time in Bethlehem.  This meant passing through the Wall of Separation and considering what it means to be living in a virtual ghetto.  That's both Palestinians and Israeli 's for whilst the former suffer ongoing oppression and injustice (illegal Settlements, loss of  land,  destruction of property, curtailment of basic rights etc...) the latter are victims of their own violence and history.  

So, on the day we celebrated the Nativity of our Lord with Mass in the Shepherd's Fields we also reflected on how His members suffer today.  And, through an unfortunate event, we also experienced the way those members help each other when in need.   As we left the Fields one of our party talked of feeling unwell - and where should we be heading but to lunch at the (Christian run - but open to all) Arab Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Sahour, a centre which includes a hospital!!!  Immediately  (!) she was seen by a doctor, tests then carried out and results awaited.  Thankfully not serious and the doctors gave their all-clear 10 mins. before the pilgrims returned from visiting the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem. The angels were on our side!

But it gave me a chance to talk with the administration  manager who is Syrian Orthodox.  Having fled the Turkish Great Genocide (the generic name for that genocide which the Turks inflicted on minority religious groups in the region) in 1915 her family moved to Bethlehem and now fears the total destruction of their Church.  So many Christians leaving, little hope for the future in their countries, a minority Arab group amongst Arabs - who wants the Christians?  They are so grateful for our interest and support but now fear further take-over of their land - even in the Palestinian Territories - by the Israelis.  There was a deep and painful sorrow in her words and I remembered with sadness the way our government seems to have washed its hands of  (moral) responsibility to protect a deeply persecuted minority in this region.  God forgive our hardness of heart!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th: The Desert

Phew - another hot one!  This was to be our 'Desert Day', and the temperature was forecast to be in the 40's. But, in the event,  the sun was hidden all day by the effects of the 'shakir', a combination of events which brings a smog-like atmosphere throughout the region as fine dust from Egypt fills the air.  So at 8.30am we walked the steep path down (and up) the Wadi Qelt to the Monastery of S. George where Elijah is reputed to have lived in a cave.   Women with dresses and men in trousers were allowed in, together with a large group of Romanians led by their priest (in cassock - I felt I'd let the side down, being a wimp in shorts and polo shirt). Some of our group were allowed in and two came out an hour later glowing with wonder having shared in prayers with the Romanian 's,  been given a tour of the monastery (including seeing the skulls of the monks martyred by the Persians in the 7th.c.), and talking with one of the five - young - monks who seem to form the community. Others less modestly dressed walked further down the Wadi and wondered at the sheer silence,  beauty and sense of remoteness of the place which, in reality, is only a few kilometers from Jerusalem.  Yet it wasn't completely silent as all the time we heard the song of scores and scores of birds.

By noon we had left and were at the site of another community - at Qumran - probably inhabited by the Essenes at the time of Jesus where John the Baptist may have spent time and which must provide one of the roots of early Christian monasticism.  Having considered some of their practices I was struck by certain commonalities, not least by the way we all practice ritualised washing - the Essenes with twice-daily purification baths; Muslims who wash before praying, and  Christians who, apart from the bath of Baptism 'wash' themselves with Holy Water on entering a church and then may throw it over people at Asperges!  

Finally we went on to wash ourselves in the waters of the Dead Sea - and smear ourselves in mud.  And our skin feels utterly renewed!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9: Ein Karim, Abu Ghosh - 'Did not our hearts burn within us!'

Today we journeyed to Ein Karim and Emmaus: the first the place of Visitation (between Mary and Elizabeth), the second where the eyes of disciples were opened on the day of Resurrection as they travelled, talked together and broke bread.

And that has been our pattern - to 'break bread' eucharistically (joyfully), break bread in shared meals and talk together.  So each evening - and all this afternoon - pilgrims have reflected silently, shared in pairs and then amongst us all as they have considered what this Terra Divina has communicated to us.  And today, after our Eucharist and lunch in the tranquil setting of the Convent of the Sisters of Sion (founded by a Jew who converted in 1845), we spent the whole afternoon in that simple exercise before attending Vespers in the glorious,  ancient, beautiful and sacred space of the Benedictine Abbey of Abu Ghosh, one of the sites of the village of Emmaus.  So our pilgrimage from the Annunciation to the Resurrection concluded with the haunting song ofFrench nuns and monks from le Bec Hellouin twinned, of course, with Canterbury Cathedral.

But our first stop at Ein Karim had seen us acknowledge the Visitation by singing the Magnificat and Ave in the beautiful church dedicated to that mystery and then walking through that - sacred - village, now haunted by the murder of so many Christians and Muslims in 1948 as Jewish brigades fought their way up to Jerusalem.  And houses once homes to generations of mostly Christian Arabs are now bijou residences for artists,  their Christian symbols defaced and the ancient mosque under threat of demolition.  One is never far from the realities of history and the pain of people's thwarted lives as one seeks to be open to this Land made Holy by God.

One final reflection.  Throughout it has become clear - by many conversations with different people - that it is not the obvious injustices carried out by those who exercise power and control but the gradual drip, drip of injustices - the development of illegal Settlements,  confiscation of small amounts of land, daily oppressive treatment of one people by another, obfuscation by the State - all this and more which is, slowly, wearing down a people until a sense of hopelessness sets in.  Or until people say enough is enough - which is when their pain and anger can erupt in violence.

We ended today's journey with a sense of sadness as we said farewell to Bassam Abdalla, our excellent Guide who, for nine days, had shared his faith and passion, as well as his wisdom, knowledge, hopes and fears for this Land.  Tomorrow our journey ends as we celebrate for one last time that meal which our Lord shared with His disciples in a room just metres from here.  And we shall take as our theme His Ascension which occurred from a spot we shall gaze upon from our roof top setting.  So finally we must say : O pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (Yr. C)

Sermon preached in the Church of All Saints, New Eltham

at Parish Mass on Sunday, 6^th January 2013

INTRODUCTION

‘A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, …’

So begins T. S. Eliot’s famous poem, 'The Journey of the Magi'.  In it Eliot gives voice to one of them as he recalls and reflects on their experience.  He tells of the terrible difficulties they experienced on their journey, the problems they faced in finding what they were seeking and, when they arrived, their confusion at what they encountered.

S. Matthew tells us that they presented three gifts to the child: gold, frankincense and myrrh, and tradition has said there were, therefore, three Magi who have been named as Melchior, Kaspar and Belthasar.  They came from ‘the East’: in ancient times this was held to be Babylon.  Whatever their number or their origin of these fantastic figures their story has become celebrated throughout the world.  Indeed, the great Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem was saved from destruction by Persian invaders in 614 because when they were about to destroy the church their commander discovered a depiction of the Three Magi attired as his fellow countrymen and commanded that the building be spared. 

And then, those gifts that were bought to the feet of the Holy Babe: they’ve become famed not just because of their spiritual meaning – gold for a king, incense for a deity and myrrh, that bitter perfume to anoint the dead Christ – but because the church has seen them as symbolising the way we are to present our gifts to Christ.  As they offered gifts most rare, we sing, so may we with holy joy, … all our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to thee our heavenly king.  What are the gifts that God has given to you?  What talents, abilities, aptitudes do you possess?  These are the gifts, your costliest treasurers, that God has given you and which, like those Wise Men, you are to bring to Christ. 

But there’s another aspect to this event I want to focus our attention on this morning, and that’s the journey of those Magi and what it might say to us.

THE JOURNEY

Eliot’s poem is focused on the journey.  He recounts the Magi’s travels as they left their summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet and experienced, on their travels, the cities hostile and towns unfriendly And the villages dirty and charging high prices.  At some point they almost despaired With the voices singing in (their) ears, saying That this was all folly.

The poem is, in a sense, the story of Eliot’s – and everyman’s – journey of faith.  He was a devout Anglo-Catholic whose faith was fundamental to his life.  Many of his poems deal with this matter of seeking to respond to God’s call and the way in which we respond.  In one of his most celebrated, ‘Little Gidding’, he says this:

And what you thought you came for
Is only a shell, a husk of meaning
From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled
If at all. Either you had no purpose
Or the purpose is beyond the end you figured
And is altered in fulfilment.

Those words might have been written for the ending of the journey of the Magi, for the conclusion of their travels was in confusion: were we led all that way for Birth of for Death?  So often the journey of life does not take us to what we expected to find but, rather, presents us with more questions that we need to contemplate if we are to deepen our understanding.  And here Eliot also points out that the goal of their seeking wasn't just an innocent baby but a man whose ultimate death – and resurrection – has drawn millions.

THE GOAL OF OUR SEEKING

Faith is a response to the hints and guesses that there is more to life than we see.  It is a response that requires of us movement.  To leave the comfort of our ‘summer palaces’ for an unknown destination.  To follow a star that draws us, we know not where.  In his book, ‘Markings’, Dag Hammarskjold wrote:

I am being driven forward
Into an unknown land.
The pass grows steeper,
The air colder and sharper.
A wind from my unknown goal
Stirs the strings
Of expectation.

Still the question:
Shall I ever get there?
There where life resounds,
A clear pure note
In the silence.

We are not just driven simply by our need for God, but beneath that need because His desire is drawing us deeper into union with all things.  And the important thing is the journey, for when we arrive we will have been changed by our abandonment to God’s movement in us.   

We know what we need in life – food and clothing, a roof over our head and loved ones to care for and who care for us.  But if we are not changed through all that, if we don’t grow in ‘wisdom’ as well as stature, what is the point of it all?  We have a physical and an emotional life.  But we have a spiritual life as well and the person who neglects to care for any part of their life will be stunted.  The tragedy, of course, is that they may not realise this.  No doubt those Magi could have lived on the slopes enjoying the sherbet brought them.  But they responded to that call and nothing was the same for them. 

We returned to our palaces, these Kingdoms,

But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,

With an alien people clutching their gods. 

Either you had no purpose
Or the purpose is beyond the end you figured
And is altered in fulfilment.

CONCLUSION

We have also responded to God.  We have been attracted by a ‘star’ which sometimes shines brightly, sometimes is dull.  And sometimes it disappears and we look to others for guidance.  The Magi went to Herod, that focus of evil, and were ‘helped’ on their way yet were wise enough not to be drawn by him.  Our journey of faith is the same. 

As we stand at the beginning of a new year (of grace) we might pause for a moment and reflect on how we have been led in the past.  How have we grown in our faith?  What has changed for us?  How have we sought to respond to our ‘star’ – to God who constantly invites us to seek Him?  Of course, there will be times when we need to rest but the journey calls us on.  So we need to look to the coming year and re-dedicate ourselves to responding to God who desires us with a love beyond words. 

When those Magi arrived at Bethlehem they realised the truth of those words:

And what you thought you came for
Is only a shell, a husk of meaning
From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled …

The Epiphany – which means shining forth – of the Lord is what has called to wise men (and women) for two millennia and more.  Indeed, humanity has sought God throughout time and those who have consciously given themselves to this search have found their lives changed in ways beyond their imaginings.  We may think we know what we seek, what we hope and long for.  But as we reach out to God, so God will change us.  Have that desire deep in your hearts this coming year.  Give yourselves again to the adventure of faith, that journey of a lifetime.  Let your desire express itself in your prayer.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.

So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

Amen.

MIDNIGHT MASS of CHRISTMASS

‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

Those who lived in a land of deep darkness – On them light has shined.’ (Is. 9: 2)

INTRODUCTION
We saw it from afar as we journeyed in the Land called Holy. In the darkness it was illuminated by light and in the day it declared its presence. The Wall. Some call it the Security Wall, others the Wall of Separation. Many consider it to be the true ‘Wailing Wall’. The Wall that strides across hills and through olive groves, that smashed its way through villages and embraces even the little town of Bethlehem.

Just over a month ago a group of us – pilgrims in the footsteps of Christ – were driven to the village of Bethany, the place where Mary and Martha lived and where Jesus wept over the death of his friend, Lazarus, to stand before this monstrous symbol of terror, anger and imprisonment. We stood before its 12 metre high slabs and read the messages that adorn it, painted by artists from around the world who have expressed their feelings about this statement in concrete of humanity’s fear of the other. Most poignantly of all was one by the street artist, Banksy: a dove dressed in a bullet-proof vest raising its wings in surrender. And we cried for the pain and suffering to which all this witnessed. Condemned by the International Court of Justice sitting in the Hague, the Wall surrounding the little town of Bethlehem – or ‘Santa’s Ghetto’ as some now call it – provides the background to the carols we sing about this place. Silent Night, Holy Night.

FOR A CHILD IS BORN TO US
Yet it is to such people that Isaiah prophesied: those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them the light has dawned … For a child has been born for us, a son given to us. And so we moved on from that place of separation to the place of inclusion – the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We, together with hundreds of others, waited to do what the shepherds had done two millennia ago. To worship at the place of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Already we had discovered that Jesus was born in the midst of a nation occupied by foreign forces in a cave in the Bethlehem hillside where animals were kept for safety. And, as we descended into the cave beneath the basilica to kiss the small silver star set beneath the altar of the Nativity where the vastness of divine eternity incarnated itself in human form, we sang the carol which speaks of that cordoned-off town of Bethlehem with fresh understanding. For, in these dark streets shines the hopes and fears of all the years met here tonight.

LEAPING OVER THE WALL
I guess that since man first walked the earth walls to separate and secure have been erected. Walls in Belfast and Berlin have sought to do that and, in the process, have created ghettos, prisons within which lie fear. And fear, which feeds on itself, cannot be the basis for our ultimate security. We seek to exclude. God seeks to include. We fear and demonise; God looks down and has compassion on our foolish ways. Yet the walls of separation do not reach to heaven.

And so it was that God overcame the barriers we had erected by revealing himself through the powerlessness of a baby born in a cave to a young, unmarried mother, in a remote village, in an occupied country.

THE BIRTH OF A BABY
A child is the promise of new life for the world. And this child, this Holy Babe, is the fulfilment of God’s eternal promise: ‘a child will be born for you, a son given to you and dominion will be laid on his shoulders’. For ‘in him was life, and that life was the light of the world.’ (Jn. 1:4)

So forget the tinsel and fripperies of Christmass – they are but the icing on the cake – and know that this child cries out to you to let down your walls and let him in. He invites us to receive him into our arms and into our lives tonight.

RECOGNISING GOD’S GIFT
His love seeks to embrace us, and seeks a way for us to take him to ourselves, to enable him to live. The choice is ours (though God has made the first move). He is the divine stranger who comes knocking at the door of our hearts seeking our hospitality. Will we open them to him this night? Or are we afraid? The innkeeper said, “No room!” and God’s gift of life was first welcomed by shepherds who no one else bothered with.

So the shepherds were drawn to the innocence of a baby and saw, reflected in his eyes, their own lives. Saw the hopes and the fears. And saw that God had a promise for them: ‘In him is life, and that life is the light of the world’. This baby is as unique as any baby: his vulnerability holds the source of life for all. He is the gift of the ages, that gift promised by the prophets: ‘a child will be born for you, a son given to you’.

But, the fact is, tonight God has chosen to come and be intimate with us. He wants to overcome our walls – to embrace us. To have all our hopes and fears held by Him. Our hate and anger, bitterness, envy and all the rest. Our stories of hurt and failure, for being fully human is about owning the complexity of our nature. And God saw all that he had made and said – ‘I made you and I love you for, in the end I know you are good’.

CONCLUSION
So tonight we gather to pause for a moment on the edge of our festivities and remember why we’re doing this. Because God has spoken a Word which has been heard in spite of all the barriers we erect. A Word that assures us that the world can be made new through this child born for us, this son given to us. For this Word has been made flesh and dwells among us.

And here at this altar, as at every altar whenever Mass is celebrated, we proclaim that God’s love is present. ‘This is my body, this is my blood, given for you – shed for you’. And as you and I like the shepherds of old kneel before this mystery; as we reach out our hands and make another cradle to hold the sacred babe, we become Bethlehem (which means the House of Bread). And we affirm that nothing in heaven or on earth, no walls or prisons, no hatreds or fears, can separate us from the Love of God made known this night in Jesus.

Amen.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND led by Fr. John-Francis Friendship

PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY – 9th to 18th November 2010

Tuesday 9th November JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND
We depart Heathrow at 1430 hours arriving in Tel Aviv at 2105. Transfer on arrival to our hotel in the Galilee. Three night stay at the Ron Beach Hotel by the Sea of Galilee with visits to places associated with Jesus' early life and ministry.

Wednesday NAZARETH
We ascend Mount Tabor in t axis to visit the Basilica of the Transfiguration and enjoy magnificent views over the plain of Armageddon. We continue to Nazareth where we visit the Nazareth village (including reconstructions of 1st Century Galilean life) and have lunch at St. Margaret’s Guest House. We visit St Gabriel’s Church (Mary’s Well), the Synagogue Church and the Basilica of the Annunciation. We celebrate Mass in the Anglican Christ Church. We return to Tiberias visiting Cana, scene of Jesus first miracle, en route. Here we have opportunity to renew marriage and partnership vows in the Wedding Church.

Thursday THE LAKESIDE MINISTRY
Today we visit the sites associated with Jesus' life around the Sea of Galilee. We drive to the north of the lake and visit the ruins of Capernaum, Jesus’ Galilean base. We continue to Mensa Christi (where Jesus appeared to his disciples after His resurrection) and celebrate Mass on the shores of the lake at Tabgha beside the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. Lunch is at the Convent of the Beatitudes. We visit the church and garden which commemorate the Sermon on the Mount. After lunch, we walk down to the lake and sail back across the Sea of Galilee to the hotel, returning by mid-afternoon to allow time to relax and swim.

Friday JORDAN VALLEY, JERICHO and MASADA
We leave Tiberias and drive down the Jordan Valley to Jericho. En route we also visit Herod ' s desert fortress of Masada, which we ascend by cable car. We have an opportunity to float in the therapeutic waters of the Dead Sea before lunch in the Kibbutz Ein Gedi. We then continue to Jerusalem. Six night stay at the Golden Walls Hotel close to the Old City and the Biblical sites we shall be visiting.

Saturday AN INTRODUCTION TO JERUSALEM
We drive to the Mount of Olives where we have a panoramic view of the walled city. As we look across the Kidron Valley we see the Golden Gate, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On the Mount of Olives we visit the Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit Chapel, and the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. We enter the Old City and visit St Anne’s Church (Mass) and then have lunch in Ecce Homo. We spend the afternoon following the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa through the lanes of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Sunday MEET THE PEOPLE
Some may wish to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the early morning to experience and share in the variety of liturgy. We then have the opportunity to join with the local congregation, for example at St George’s Cathedral. We lunch at the Jerusalem Hotel. Afternoon choices include a visit to Bethany to see the Jeel al-Amal Boys Home and the Lazarus Girls Home in Bethany, both supported by the McCabe Educational Trust.

Monday BETHLEHEM
We cross into Palestinian territory to visit Bethlehem. We celebrate Mass in the Fields of the Shepherds and have time to shop in the olive wood co-operative. We have lunch at the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Jala. In the afternoon we see Manger Square and visit the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity and St Jerome's Caves.

Tuesday FREE TIME IN JERUSALEM
We have a relaxed walking tour around the Old City area in the morning and the afternoon is free for leisure time. Opportunity to reflect on the pilgrimage, to spend time wandering in the bazaars or to revisit sites of special interest.

Wednesday WEST JERUSALEM and EIN KAREM
We begin our day at the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu on Mount Zion. We then drive out to West Jerusalem and celebrate Mass at the Crusader church of Abu Guosh (a possible site of Emmaus). We continue to the picturesque village of Ein Karem where we lunch at the Sisters of Sion convent and spend time visiting the Church of John the Baptist and the Church of the Visitation. We continue to the Israel Museum to visit the model of Ancient Jerusalem. We also see the Dead Sea scrolls (housed within the Shrine of the Book).

Thursday 18th November HOMEWARD BOUND
A relaxed start as we leave around lunch time for the airport. During the morning we celebrate a farewell Mass on the hotel roof terrace. Our return flight departs at 1715 hours arriving into London Heathrow Airport at 2045 hours.
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The cost of this tour is£1,345 sharing a twin-bedded room with private facilities.It is being organised by McCabe Travel.

We stay in two family owned and managed hotels. In Jerusalem, the three star Golden Walls Hotel overlooks the Old City walls and is walking distance of the Holy Sepulchre. In Tiberias, we stay at the four star Ron Beach Hotel in a wonderful situation right on the lakeside. The tour is on a full-board basis with buffet breakfast, lunch and table d'hôte evening meal included daily. Touring is in air-conditioned coaches and we will be accompanied by a local guide who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel check-ins etc. All entrance fees are included. Flights are with EL AL Israel Airlines between London Heathrow Airport and Tel Aviv. All airport and security charges are included and a complimentary visa is issued on arrival in Israel.

We have included most expenses in the tour cost but some items are listed separately. The travel insurance premium is £49. Everybody travelling should be insured but some may have annual or another suitable insurance. You should budget for an amount of £40 per person for a group gratuity fund which we will disburse

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact the tour leader, Fr. John-Francis Friendship, The Rectory, 119 London Road, Romford, RM7 9QD Tel: (01708) 741256 Email: francis.jon@btopenworld.com