Warm Greetings to you all as you gather tonight for the first time since returning home.
Here these days I have had a deep awareness that the real pilgrimage of these days is happening back in New Zealand. Most of you will gather tonight. You will have many stories to share. Most of all, you have great company as you gather.
The days here have been full and rewarding. There are many times when I miss the OLV group, and the friends I had prepared with. Tomorrow morning (Israel time) as you gather I will head to the Church of the Holy Sepulcre to spend time in prayer for you all. This Church contains the probably site of the crucifixion of Jesus and the tomb of the resurrection.
What you have all been through does seem like a death: we together had so many hopes for these pilgrimage days together. The days since Singapore have been filled with grief, but also the deep companionship I have heard from many of you. In many ways you have formed Christian community at a much deeper level in the brief days together than we could have in three weeks of "normal" travel together.
WIth my prayer, blessings and love as you gather.
John
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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How I wished to be at the exact place you're at, at the moment, Father ! Please pray for us all and for all the intentions we were given.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Father, for the regular updates...
I can only imagine, in my mind and heart, the joy of being where you all are at the moment.
God Bless
Daphne
Thanks John
ReplyDeleteAs you'll see, I've just written up a new posting and Paul has added the photos from last night - I have to learn a new skill, and that's how to upload the photos. I can take them okay!!
It was a last minute decision as we were leaving home to go back for my camera. I'm glad I did.
It is good to pilgrim with you through your reflections on the blog. Thank you for continuing to do this for all of us. Until you were able to start adding the photos, I was trying to visualize your surroundings and these holy sites, then when I saw the photo of dawn over the Sea of Galilee my heart missed a beat. That was another one of "those moments" when the enormity of what happened became very real again.
Each day it gets a little easier, and after last night's gathering, we were filled with hope again.
Love, Marie