Desert
Formation
Experience
Brandon Yanni
L
ast summer, I was fortunate enough to be a participant in Sacred
Heart’s Desert Formation Experience. Along with seven of my
classmates I spent three and a half weeks traveling through the Holy
Land, visiting the locations of the life and ministry of Jesus. The trip
culminated in Rome, visiting the major churches of the city so central
to our faith. The trip was easily one of the most profound experiences
of my life and has impacted me in ways which I continue to process.
Prior to the trip I would often tell peo-
ple that we are separated from ancient
Palestine chronologically, geographi-
cally, and culturally, and that this trip
would allow us to minimize two of these
factors. Upon arriving in Israel, one of
the first things that struck me was the
natural beauty of the landscape.
Our Lord chose a very beautiful part
of the world to become Incarnate! Al-
though very different than the Michigan
environment in which I was raised, the
deserts, plains, and hill country of the
Holy Land have a very distinctive appeal.
Within hours of landing we had arrived
in Jerusalem, staying on the Mount of
Olives overlooking the Old City. It was
a somewhat surreal experience walk-
ing through the city that night, being
exposed for the first time to the sights,
sounds, and smells of Jerusalem.
Over the next few weeks we would see
much of Israel, from the Negev Desert in
the south to the northern regions around
Caesarea Philippi. Nazareth was especially
impactful for many of us, seeing the place
where the Holy Family had lived. We
were fortunate to have the opportunity to
spend a night in the Holy Sepulchre, the
church housing the location of both the
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ,
and each of us had the chance to spend
considerable time praying in the tomb.
Of all the places we visited, Galilee was
among the most significant. For those
discerning the priesthood, praying on the
very shores where Christ called the dis-
ciples was very affirming. I can remember
sitting on a rock near the water praying
with the passage in the Gospel of Mat-
thew where Jesus invites Peter and An-
drew to follow him. The air had a fresh,
oceanic smell which reminded me of my
home, resulting in a very intimate reflec-
tion on my own vocation.
Later in Rome, the memory of Galilee
took on additional importance. While
walking through St. Peter’s Basilica,
Msgr. Daniel Trapp, one of the priests
accompanying us on the trip, remarked
Theology I seminarians depart
for the next Desert Formation
Experience on April 29.
Follow their journey at
www.desertformation.org
that the importance of the cavernous
basilica lay in the witness of St. Peter,
whose human remains were buried deep
below the main altar.
The Gospel of Luke recalls how Peter in
Galilee, after having caught a great num-
ber of fish at the command of Christ, ex-
claims, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am
a sinful man!” The same Peter who, while
Christ was awaiting trial and execution,
denied the Lord three times.
Despite this, we found ourselves walk-
ing through the largest church in Chris-
tendom, built on the spot of Peter’s
own martyrdom. Suddenly the pilgrim-
age had taken on a very Petrine charac-
ter. The same Peter who had asked the
Lord to depart from his presence and
later denied him had also given his life
in witness to one thing: the fact that Je-
sus Christ is Lord. In a time when the
Church is suffering greatly, the impor-
tance of this truth was clear, testified to
by the magnificent basilica.
The Desert Formation pilgrimage was
one of the greatest experiences I have
ever had. From our first night in Jeru-
salem, to travelling throughout Israel,
befriending our bus driver, praying in
the empty tomb of Christ, and ending in
Rome, the trip had a profound impact
on me and my classmates as we continue
to move towards the priesthood.
Brandon Yanni is a Theology II seminarian from
the Diocese of Marquette.
shms.edu
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