Fr. Noel Muscat OFM reporting from Jerusalem

The diocesan pilgrimage organized by the Commissariate of the Holy Land in Malta has now entered its second phase. After two days in Galilee, the 4 groups of pilgrims, led by the Archbishop Paul Cremona OP, have journeyed to Judea, in the southern part of the Holy Land.

The pilgrims left Nazareth on the morning of Wednesday 2 April and visited the Mount of Temptations in Jericho, and the biblical town of Jericho. They then proceeded to the Dead Sea, where they had the unique opportunity of seeing this natural wonder of the Holy Land. At noon the groups had lunch at the Qumran archeological site and visited this famous place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.

From the Jordan Valley the pilgrims journeyed onwards to Jerusalem through the Judean Desert. Before reaching Jerusalem they stopped at the sanctuary of Bethany, which commemorates the resurrection of Lazarus. The Archbishop, together with the three Francsican Ministers Provincial and the spiritual guides of the pilgrims, celebrated Mass at Bethany. He stressed upon the human element of friendship in the life of Jesus, who often visited his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. The Archbishop also dwelt upon the three Gospel references to Bethany, namely the episode of Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), the episode of the meal offered to Jesus in the house of Simon the leper, when Mary anointed his head with pure nard oil before his burial (John 12:1-11) and the episode of the resurrection of Lazarus, when Jesus proclaimed himself as the resurrection and the life (John 11).

After Mass the groups proceeded to Jerusalem and then onwards to Bethlehem, where they will visit the sanctuary of the Nativity and celebrate Mass on Thursday 3 April.