On Holy Ground

Today, we embark on our diocesan pilgrimage to Jerusalem. For generations, believers have dreamed of walking these holy paths. People have prayed for this moment, longed for it, and trusted God that one day they would stand where heaven touched earth.

Some people travel to escape. Some travel to rest. But we are traveling to return to the roots of our faith, to the foundation of our hope, to the story that shaped our souls. We’re not going backward; we’re going deeper.

This pilgrimage is an invitation to rediscover who we are. To reconnect with our Lord in a deeper way, to step into living Scripture. Stories we’ve heard since childhood will suddenly feel close enough to touch. The Word we’ve read will begin to breathe in a new way.

There is power in presence. Reading about Bethlehem is beautiful, but standing there changes something inside you. Reading about the Sea of Galilee inspires the heart, but gazing across those waters awakens the soul. Reading about Pentecost encourages us—but praying in the Upper Room stirs something holy within us.

Jerusalem speaks. Every stone has a story. Every path carries prayer. We will walk where prophets once walked. We will stand where Christ once stood, and we will remember again: our faith is not a myth, not a legend, not a philosophy—it is history sanctified by God’s presence.

We will walk through the Armenian Quarter, and we will be reminded of something just as powerful: that even a small nation, when it remains faithful, leaves an eternal mark. A people who carried faith through suffering, resilience through history, and hope through generations.

God often meets His people on the road. Abraham left his homeland, Moses crossed the desert, the disciples walked beside Jesus, and even the Holy Family traveled paths of uncertainty. Scripture reminds us that transformation happens along the way, when we trust God enough to step forward, to leave what is familiar, and to follow where He leads.

As we walk those ancient streets, may our faith deepen, our trust grow, and our love expand. May we return more peaceful, more hopeful, and more firmly rooted in Christ—carrying with us grace, quiet miracles, and holy encounters. May the Lord bless this journey from beginning to end.