It has been 3 weeks since I returned from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and as I sit and reflect on my time I feel truly blessed and thankful. 

My thanks goes to DOSCEL, for the opportunity to participate in the Scripture Course at the Centre of Biblical Formation in Jerusalem, and to the St Michael’s School Community for the support that I was given as I went on my way. 

My time in Israel was full of learning and encounter. The learning took place at every moment of the day. My time in the classroom was pivotal as we explored Jewish - Christian relations, Jewish tradition, Islamic culture and the history of the country. All of this information formed the lens with which I explored and encountered the country. As a group, we read, discussed and made connections with the scripture, in particular the Gospel of Mark - all of which made so much more sense with a new understanding of the people and the land.

As I travelled to the many different places both in the Old City of Jerusalem and out into the desert I was in awe of the age of the structures that I saw and the depth of history that we learnt about. This rich history created the setting for the ministry of Jesus. Seeing the actual countryside that these stories took place made sense of the journey that Jesus had during his life.

Visiting the many sites where the stories from scripture happened will forever change how I hear the stories from the Bible; understanding the climate, the terrain, the distance between the towns will create images that I did not have before my trip. During my course I spent 3 days in the Galilee region; this is where most of Jesus’ ministry took place. I was able to hear the force of the wind on the Sea of Galilee, see the waves that it created and it placed me on the boat with Jesus and his disciples during the storm. We visited the site where Jesus delivered the Beatitudes to the crowd, seeing the hillside that naturally projects a voice up the hill. So many different stories and so many different connections.

One of the most powerful things that I was able to experience was to walk the journey of the Passion. Beginning up on the hillside at Mount Zion we walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane and sat among the Olive Trees just like Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. We then walked into the Old City along the same path that Jesus would have with the soldiers. Early the following morning a small group of us walked the Way of the Cross, stopping to reflect and pray at each Station. We continued through the steep city streets until we reached the Holy Sepulcher. This is the church built on the site that they believe Jesus was crucified and then laid in the tomb. Wow, what an incredibly moving experience!

My greatest hope as I share some of my journey with the children is that I can ignite a curiosity about life in another part of the world and share a new insight to the stories that they hear from the Bible. 

Thankyou for keeping me in your prayers.

Sue Rickwood