Lessons from Above & Abroad: The Holy Land

Last November, I had the privilege of joining my fiancé Elias and his family business Peter’s Way Tours to help lead a pilgrimage through the Holy Land. As if that opportunity wasn’t blessing enough, God created a way to add Reform Wellness to the journey, a way for Elias and I to combine our ministries. As a result, the pilgrimage was not only spiritually, but also physically and emotionally renewing.

From Jaffa to Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, the Bible came to life before our eyes with every step of our pilgrimage. We connected to our faith in ways we didn’t know possible. We literally walked the footsteps of Jesus, knowing exactly where they led for Him, and knowing that following His path and word would lead us there, too.

Throughout the pilgrimage, grace upon grace flowed over us. We received an engagement blessing in Cana; we meditated in Eucharistic Adoration in the Garden of Gethsemane; we recited baptismal prayers at the River Jordan. We sat in awe at the birthplace of Jesus. We walked THE way of the cross...and more. 

All the while, we also covered all of Reform’s wellness pillars—with God at the center. To play, we rode camels; to move, we swam in the Dead Sea and walked for miles around different cities; for nutrition, we ate all the hummus and farm-fresh veggies. In community, we spent time with Elias’ native family and bonded closely with pilgrims from all over the world. As we learned more than we bargained for about ourselves, one another, our faith, and our ministries, we experienced  personal growth. For stress management, we entrusted all of our responsibilities back home to Jesus. As we successfully combated jet lag, we focused on sleep by obediently adjusting to the time zone. We made space to escape from our regular world for nearly two weeks, diving fully into the foundations of our faith through fasting and prayer. With God at the center, and many pilgrims by our side, we are still unpacking it all months later.

I pray that this pilgrimage to the Holy Land was merely the beginning of many pilgrimages Elias and I will lead together, in order to offer people opportunities to reform their lives from the inside out. On this journey, I experienced a hunger for the Reform Wellness pillars listed above, from people from all over the world. I realized how much I needed them myself, in order to be well on the trip! With God at the center—of my heart, my ministry, my relationship, and my pilgrimage—the graces overflowed.

Below are some lessons I learned from this powerful experience. I hope that through my reflections, you will feel as though you walked as a pilgrim alongside us (and Christ!) and walk away with renewed faith and techniques to grow in (w)holiness.

12 Lessons I Learned in the Holy Land

1. Prepare the Way: Preparing for my trip to the Holy Land was intimidating. I felt as though there was so much to prepare, practically and emotionally, but I didn’t know how. This made me question: how do we prepare to receive Jesus? After grappling with this, I realized the answer: ask Him directly. Only He can offer us this wisdom, personal to each of us. In order to hear Him, we must create space in our lives. Just like we would in conversation, we must first talk (ask), but then be still, be quiet, and listen.

When I arrived in Samaria and stood at THE well, I thought about how Jesus approaches us, trying to reveal His thirst for (intimacy with) us, but we are often too busy. Or we believe we are not worthy; we doubt. Or we are distracted, seeking elsewhere. When He offers to satisfy our thirst, we decline. Instead of quieting the noise and making space for Him, we convince ourselves that the answer is elsewhere. We falsely believe that He can’t satisfy our thirst, at least not at this well (this current place in your life) and without a bucket (quick fix/tangible evidence). Spoiler: He’s already there and no ask is too much. When Jesus shows the woman at the well that He knows her, she comes to understand she is in the presence of someone special—the One she has thirsted for all her life. She allows Him to reveal Himself to her, and in this process she learns the truth of herself.

This is grace: when we see that we have been at the well for a long time and have long been thirsty. Can we prepare to receive God by acknowledging our thirst for Him? Will we allow ourselves to go to the well, drink the water—and never thirst again?

2. Throw in the Towel: This was the simple and powerful advice my spiritual director gave me to navigate (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) through the Holy Land. Her rule: no work, no self-reliance, no wedding planning or preparing. She invited me to completely surrender this trip, including my intentions, my plans, my relationships, my work, and my life to Jesus. “Let this be the beginning of the new way of life, to totally entrust your life to God.” Her direction sounded so simple; yet, I wrestled with it. As an always-striving, type-A “doer,” relinquishing control is not easy for me. It took Fr. John Burns providentially guiding me to Matthew 6 upon our arrival to confirm the way I needed to reform: “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.... Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

After nearly a week in Israel, I finally surrendered it all and exhaled. The result was unexplainable peace, joy, laughter, presence, lightness, ease, and most importantly, connection. I connected with my surroundings, the depths of my heart, other pilgrims, my fiancé, and Jesus. Throw in the towel. Let go. Play. Pray. Rest. Be. Look up. Slow down. Unplug. Forgive. In some way, throw in the towel...and watch it all unfold in His perfect order.

3. Our God is a God of Surprises: God surprised me with His goodness throughout our pilgrimage, but most especially one night in Jerusalem. Before the trip, the opposition had frequently led me to question the direction of Reform. Worldly views hissed, "bigger, better, more" and comparison made me think, "You aren't doing enough; keep striving; work harder; do more..." But the Holy Spirit spoke in a more gentle voice. He reminded me, "Keep looking up; keep trusting God; walk the straight path and let Me lead you."

While in Jerusalem, we organized an impromptu Reform Wellness Seminar for the pilgrims in our group, after many had expressed interest in my ministry. Thinking maybe a handful would show up, I walked into what felt like a surprise party waiting for me. There I was standing before a room of 80+ pilgrims, who joyfully and voluntarily attended my seminar, even as they were exhausted after many full days of travel. It was time to Reform (in) Jerusalem! The response was amazing and the evening continues to bear fruit. If you had told me a year ago that I would be in the Holy Land with the one I love, learning, praying, and marveling at God together and getting the opportunity to do the work I love, I would not have believed you. But God! How I love how He works.

4. Humility: By definition, humility is a modest or low view of one's own importance. In Bethlehem (and throughout the Holy Land), we toured many churches. They were made for people generations ago and the entrances barely cleared three feet. As I bowed to enter (I’m just shy of six feet tall!), I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit in my head tell me: “Humble yourself...get lower.” During Holy Mass, as I contemplated the way I had just entered the church, I looked at the Eucharist and realized: Jesus makes Himself so small, giving Himself to us in the form of bread. Even our Savior, the Son of God, humbles himself before lowly sinners. 

Since that moment, I’ve thought about how little control we have and how much I need God, especially on days when I think I can do it all on my own or when my ego becomes inflated. I remember, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). It’s a lesson I continue to learn and one that only He can reveal to us, since it looks different for everyone. C.S. Lewis says it best: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” It’s not a bold display of “I am less,” but a quiet display of “He is more.” Jesus taught by His Own example, and willed that we should endeavor to imitate Him: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Matthew 11:29) 

5. Educate Our Youth: At the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, I attended the Pilgrim Shell Ceremony for members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Elias is one of them). During this ceremony, members renew their commitment to preserving and propagating the faith in the Holy Land. While there, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Latin Patriarchate urged us to keep our faith strong. How? According to him, by bringing it into schools! One of my biggest prayers upon arriving in the Holy Land was whether to bring Reform into schools as a main focus of my ministry. As a former teacher and lifelong educator, I was determined to bring wellness— namely, living with God as our foundation—to youth.

God knows I can be stubborn, so He made sure it was spoken directly to me: “Educate our youth.” Translated: Help form young men and women in Christ’s image. As St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross confirmed, “the imitation of Mary must be the goal of girls’ education.” Our youth may not be learning the faith at home; they may not be going to church; but they can discover God in their schools. The pilgrim shell signifies a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to maintain a Christian presence and to aid society. I received my own shell that day, my answered prayer: go home and serve through the schools; keep the faith in our education system.

6. Encounter: We were in Magdala, a first-century town believed to be the hometown of Mary Magdalene, located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We celebrated Mass at the unique, boat-shaped altar overlooking the Sea of Galilee. After Mass, we went to the lower level of Duc In Altum, which is dedicated to Jesus' encounter with all of us, as illustrated by the hemorrhaging women. It was there that I stopped in my tracks and was brought to my knees. “‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.´ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering." (Mark 5:28-29) This woman touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak and was healed. When we reach out to Jesus, sin, suffering and weakness stop seeping out of us, and we are healed; we are restored to full spiritual health and vigor.

St. Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite saints because she was saved by Him and became His most faithful follower, the apostle to the apostles. Whether we are like the woman hemorrhaging and in need of physical healing, or like St. Mary Magdalene and in need of spiritual healing and forgiveness, we must reach for Jesus. He gives us an open invitation to a deeper encounter with Him. He is waiting to save and heal us. He knows our needs and wants to respond. "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction." (Mark 5:34) 

7. Float On Alright: We arrived at the Dead Sea, covered ourselves in mud, and did all we could to keep the water out of our eyes and mouths as we entered the dense salt water. We even tried to sink, but we couldn't; we were forced us to stay afloat. I thought of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a woman who carried many worries and anxieties, like so many of us do today. She developed a prayer practice where she imagined herself floating on her back in the ocean. One by one, she would let her worries float off like a buoy, imagining that they floated into God’s hands. Each day, the buoy would return, so each day, she would go through the same meditation—until one day, the buoy (anxiety) didn’t come back.

I closed my eyes to pray about the buoys I would let go of, so that I could remain floating and free. Once I surrendered to total trust, it was literally impossible to sink. Just as the salt water kept us afloat, Jesus does. What worries do we have that we can let drift off like a buoy? How can we let God keep us afloat this season? With Him at the center, we’ll all float on (alright).

8. Joy in Finding Jesus: Every Monday and Saturday for several years now, I have prayed the joyful mysteries (my favorite mysteries) of the Holy Rosary. Since leaving the Holy Land, I have continuously felt a deep joy during the fifth decade: joy in finding Jesus. I always try to place myself in the scene and imagine what it was like to be there. The Holy Land made that possible over and over again. Scripture literally came to life before our eyes. While there, we learned that in the Jewish faith, before a boy makes his bar mitzvah, he spends more time with his mother. After bar mitzvah, he is to spend more time with his father to learn how to be a man. After Jesus’ ceremony, He did not go with his foster father Joseph. Instead, he went directly to the temple. He was gone, “lost,” for three days. I can’t imagine the panic and despair Mary and Joseph experienced trying to find a lost child for that long. When they finally found him, Jesus was surprised at their worry. He basically said, “um, I AM with my Father.” WOW.

Think of the joy we feel when we find something that is lost. It’s always a relief, and then we appreciate more what we have. This was the joy I felt in the Holy Land. After experiencing a whirlwind summer of celebrations, wedding planning, and heavy workloads, my fiancé and I arrived in the Holy Land feeling a bit lost and somewhat disconnected from ourselves. Through the power of faith and surrendering “the world”, we experienced the true joy of finding each other again. Really, we found the deep love of Christ within ourselves, and  exuded that love right back to each other. It was the best feeling ever, one I will never forget. I literally felt the power of this mystery inside and out.

Although it took going to the Holy Land for me to rediscover this joy, the truth is: joy is always available to us. God is always waiting to be discovered by us. Have we gotten distracted in the rush? Have the pressures and routines of each day shielded the light? Let’s rediscover joy today. 

9. The Cross of Love: Fr. Eamon Kelly, an Irish priest who resides in Magdala, gave us a beautiful blessing for our engagement. Immediately afterwards, he posed a question that spun the way I view marriage entirely: What is the most significant place in the Holy Land for couples? His answer: Calvary--the location of Jesus’ crucifixion. This puzzled me initially, but I felt a seed of desire in my heart to understand, so I began to pray about and meditate on the Lord’s passion. I discovered that when we look at the piercing of Christ, we find layers upon layers of significance and meaning.

Christ laid down His life for His bride: the Church. Blood (symbolizing sacrifice, death) and water (symbolizing the fountain of life) came out of Christ’s side when he was pierced. When we look at the piercing of Christ, we find layers upon layers of significance and meaning. “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.” We pierced Jesus, and we inevitably will pierce one another.

St. Francis de Sales says, “Mount Calvary is the academy of love.” Scripture says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) And: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” Love is dying to yourself, for the sake of the other. Just like God gave His only Son and Jesus gave us His mother, we are to give ourselves entirely to the other. It requires sacrifice, with God at the center. But all the layers show us one thing: a God who "loved them to the end”—and that is exactly how we are called to love in marriage.

10. From Darkness to Light: On our last night in Jerusalem, we stayed overnight in the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. The entire experience was overwhelming and surreal. We entered by dusk, with the doors locking behind us; and were unable to exit until sunrise. We were forced to enter in the darkness and depart in the light. Here, we stood in the very place where Jesus was crucified; and moments later, we knelt over His tomb, where He resurrected. Needless to say, we experienced a wide range of emotions, reliving the darkest moment ever to the greatest joy—and all of the physical, spiritual, and emotional discomfort in between.

We experienced in our hearts our own version of His passion. The waiting, sitting with ourselves, unable to sleep yet fighting to stay awake, uncomfortable, fearful, hopeful. We experienced the polarities between death and rebirth, sorrow and joy, despair and hope. We learned and experienced resurrection is not a miracle of worldly comfort, delivering us from every pain or fear or doubt. Instead, it promises and delivers something greater: light in the deepest of darkness, life in the most hopeless, crucified places.

In the midst of isolation, we were reminded once again that: He is risen and is living by our side. He makes ALL things new. We celebrated Mass inside Jesus’ tomb at 5 AM and I felt like I was walking on a cloud. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. HE IS RISEN!

11. Come, Follow Me: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) Come, He said, Come and follow Me. We were on a quaint, peaceful, picturesque boat ride on the Sea of Galilee; it felt like something out of a movie. I thought about this verse and how the disciples saw His face, they heard the tone of His voice, and they all had a very real moment in which to ponder this life-changing call. “Come, follow me”—it’s an invitation, not a command. The disciples were standing face to face with this invitation. Our Lord’s call to me wasn’t so direct on that boat ride, but I felt a total conversion of heart right there like I know they did. A loving resignation of my will to the will of God.

His call to me (and you) is no different than His call to these men at the seashore that day: “I will make you fishers of men.” Despite my trepidation, the reality of who I know Christ to be remains. His grace is sufficient to save us, and it is sufficient to turn us into great disciples—each one of us, wherever we are. Like James and John, Peter and Andrew, we can allow Him to transform us into great souls, with a hunger to share His Love with the world. 

12. Ask BIG! At Cana, there I was standing over the barrel where Jesus performed His first miracle, where He turned water into wine at the wedding. His public ministry began after His mother had told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) Again, I felt Jesus and Our Lady confirm my calling to spread Reform’s mission and keep Christ at the center of my life and ministry. Standing over this barrel renewed my faith and brought me immense peace in a way I wasn’t expecting. It was so real—it IS so real. (Also, they had six of these gigantic barrels full of wine at the wedding!? Thank God we have some extra time to prepare for our wedding!)

I brought prayer intentions from my friends and family and decided to leave them right here with full confidence that He will answer their prayers miraculously. I imagine that the feeling I had there mirrors how Jesus feels when we ask Him to perform miracles in our life. Excited. Confident. Joyful. Peaceful. He can’t wait to deliver miracles in our life. He’s humbled by our asking. He can’t wait to exceed our expectations. Ask BIG; with God, all things are possible. I asked Jesus to bless our engagement—moments later, we were receiving a blessing IN Cana to prepare for our marriage.

Through all these lessons, this pilgrimage turned into one of total reform: of mind, body, and soul. In every encounter with Him, God reminded me of His promises, His goodness, and His love. I hope that after reading this, you can take some time to meditate on these stories from the Holy Land and journey with Christ in your own hearts this Easter and beyond. Even now, in the waiting, when the whole world feels uncertain, Christ is with us. At every moment, He calls us—to love, to peace, to Him. Will we follow Him? I invite you to say yes, to take your own pilgrimage to the Lord.