An octagonal church on the Mount of the Beatitudes, a monument representing the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5), was built in 1938.

Here we met a Maltese Franciscan missionary nun of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who comes from Mellieha and who is in charge of the Sanctuary. Not far away is Tabgha, which reminds us of the miracle of the loaves.

The floor is covered with a beautiful mosaic of birds, fish and beasts, loaves, and flowers. Two hundred yards away is the Church of Peter’s Primacy, which Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and lately the present Pope Benedict XVI, visited. We then crossed the lake of Galilee by boat and could see the Golan Heights, Magdala, Capernaum and Bethsaida. We then had dinner at a kibbutz.

We renewed the vows of baptism in the River Jordan. On our way back to Nazareth we also visited the Sanctuary of Cana where, according to John (2 1-11), Jesus changed water into wine.

On our way back to Jerusalem, we stopped to take photos of the Mount of Temptations where Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the devil. In 1874, the Greek Orthodox monks established a monastery on this site. We passed Jericho, the oldest city in the world (8000 years BC). This reminds us of the meeting Jesus had with the publican Zaccheus (Luke 19 1-10) and his healing of the blind man (Mark 10 46-52). The next stop was the Dead Sea where we had some coffee and rested a while. This most salty water has no animal life and many swim in it for therapy. We then headed to Qumran, where an Arab Bedouin shepherd, Mohammed Edib, found the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. We could see the caves and the ruins left by the Essenes.

This journey finally ended in Bethany. In the Gospel we meet Martha and Mary whom Jesus loved so much (Luke 20 38-42), and at the church of the raising of Lazarus (John 11 1-44) we celebrated the Eucharist. It is important to note that on every sacred site one comes across either a chapel or a church or a basilica where one can celebrate Mass.

We spent our fifth day in Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means house of bread and house of meat in Arabic. Bethlehem is five miles south of Jerusalem and has a population of about 30,000. St Helena built three basilicas in the Holy Land, namely those over the cave of the Nativity, on Calvary and the tomb of Christ and on the Mount of Olives. The Church of the Nativity has the shape of a cross 170 feet long and 80 feet wide. Here, between 386-420, St Jerome translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, known as the Vulgata. In 1717, the Franciscans placed a silver star commemorating the Nativity of Christ in the grotto under the central altar, with the Latin inscription – Hic de Marie Vergine Jesus Christus Natus Est (Jesus Christ was born here from the Blessed Mary). In Bethlehem we also visited the Milk Grotto and the Shepherds’ Fields.

During this spiritual tour we also stopped at Ein Karem, the birthplace of St John the Baptist. Mary came here from Nazareth to visit her cousin Elizabeth. And Mary praised the Lord with the Magnificat, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…” (Luke 1 46-55). Architect Antonio Barluzzi designed the Sanctuary of the Visitation after the Franciscans acquired the property from a family who used it as a farmhouse. The Magnificat is written in 41 languages on the walls facing the church including one in old Maltese script.

In the vicinity of the Mount of Olives, we visited the Sanctuary of Bethphage that brings to mind the meeting of Jesus with Martha after the death of Lazarus and the departure of Jesus for Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jerusalem excites and stirs emotions, memories and glimpses of the past.

On the top of Mount of Olives in the Judean heights, we entered the Sanctuary of the Ascension. Pomenia, a noble Roman, built a church here commemorating the Ascension into Heaven. Later on the Crusaders constructed another one. During Saladin’s times it was transformed into a mosque and has remained Moslem property ever since. We also passed the Church of the Pater Noster where Jesus is said to have taught the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples. The Our Father is written in 62 languages including Maltese inside the church and on the walls of the cloister. According to tradition, the blessed Mary was laid to rest in the Kidron Valley where she had the privilege of being raised to heaven accompanied by the angels or what is known as her Assumption.

At the Church of Gethsemane we celebrated an adoration of the Eucharist. Besides, we had the opportunity to visit the Cave of the Apostles where Jesus came to meditate and pray before crucifixion.

We traced the Via Dolorosa starting from the Fort Antonia, where it is believed Pilate condemned Jesus Christ to death.

The Via Dolorosa, which leads to Calvary, is crammed with souvenir shops today. We recited the Way of the Cross along the narrow streets where a procession, led by the Franciscan Fathers, is held every Friday at 3pm. Not far away from the Antonia fortress is St Anne’s church, which was transformed into a Koranic school during the time of Saladin. Next to the church there is the Pool of Bethesda. Here Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for 30 years.

The climax of this pilgrimage is reached at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified and buried, “in a new sepulchre wherein nobody had yet been laid…” (John 19 42). The Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred site for us Christians. The Basilica also stands over Golgotha, in Hebrew the place of the skulls. One must ascend a steep flight of stairs leading to where Christ was crucified.

The excavations completed by the Franciscan P. Virgilio Corbo in 1961 indicate that in Jesus’ time this area was a malachite quarry. St Helena found the remains of the cross as well as the remains of the tomb. This magnificent basilica called “Martyrium” was erected by Constantine her son. The Cenacle, where Jesus and the apostles held their last supper is at Mount Zion. Not far away is the Basilica of the Dormition, which marks the site where the Virgin Mary passed away. In 1900, the Benedictine nuns took over the location. At Emmaus, where Jesus shared bread with Kleiofa and his companion, we entered a church built in 1902 over the remains of the basilica of the Crusaders built to commemorate the event. During this pilgrimage we also stopped at the Western Wall and the Memorial of Yad Vashem.

I must say that this pilgrimage strengthened our faith in the teachings of Christ. The readings from the Gospel, the history of the Biblical sites and the sacred places that we visited were of great spiritual insight and enriched our religious knowledge as Christians. It is a pilgrimage that every Christian must undertake once in a lifetime. Moreover, during these nine days, I prayed and enjoyed the company of the other pilgrims with whom I shared this memorable experience. A word of thanks goes to Fr Twanny Chircop for his eloquent and professional delivery of this holy trip.