THE P RTAL
December 2014
UK Pages - page 13
Dead Sea scrolls. From here, we made pilgrimage
to the site where John the Baptist baptised Jesus.
At this point, the River Jordan is barely fifteen yards
wide! It is a holy spot and conversation was muted here.
As at all the sites we visited, we read the scriptures and
said our prayers. The young soldier on duty here was
more than happy to have his photograph taken with
Ronald, an opportunity he was more than happy to
inexpressible emotions
take! Once a day Mgr Keith Newton and Fr Nicholas
A little way outside the city, we visited the home of Leviseur celebrated mass with us at one of the Holy
Elizabeth and Zachariah, the birth-place of John the Sites.
Baptist and the place where Our Lady met Elizabeth.
The drive north made us aware
of more contrasts in this Holy
The drive to Bethlehem brings
Land. As we drove north along
one face to face with the current
the Jordan valley was saw barren
problems in this beautiful country.
desert on one side of the road,
We passed through the infamous
and flourishing crops on the
“wall” and a few checkpoints.
other. It gave substance to the
At one of them our coach was
claim that Israel has “made the
boarded by two police officers, one
desert bloom”.
male and one female, the male one
carrying an automatic machine
nun on the run
gun. The town of Our Lord’s birth
We arrived in Cana on Sunday
is poor and rather like a gigantic
and it was closed. Still the church
prison. The only real source of
is open for pilgrims from noon.
employment is tourism, so one is
We arrived at 1157 and were
chased in an attempt to get one
well and truly told off by the
to buy a suitcase, bottled water or
nun on duty. Nazareth was a different matter. The
religious artefacts made of the local olive wood.
church of the Annunciation has a large icon of Our
a peaceful place
Lady of Walsingham with Lady Richeldis prominent.
Amid all the bustle of Bethlehem, Shepherd’s Fields We celebrated our mass right next to it. We prayed at
is a peaceful place, and Manger Square and the Church the cave which is all that is left of the house in which
of the Nativity are as special as you would expect.
the Holy Family lived. It is little more than a cave, the
house part of