Fr. Noel Muscat OFM reporting from Jerusalem

Archbishop Cremona and the 170 Maltese pilgrims on a diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land have visited the various sanctuaries on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The pilgrims prayed at the sanctuary of Betfage, which marks the spot from where Jesus left on Palm Sunday to enter the Holy City of Jerusalem. They then proceeded to the summit of the Mount of Olives to visit the edicule of the Ascension, which though built by St. Helen in the 4th century, is now part of a Muslim “waqf”, but is open to Christian pilgrims. The 4 groups led by Frs. Anthony Chircop, John Abela, Marcello Ghirlando and Noel Muscat then continued to pray at the sanctuary of the “Pater Noster” and then started going down the Mount of Olives.

They stopped to admire the Old City of Jerusalem from the sanctuary of “Dominus Flevit”, and then continued down to the very bottom of the Kidron Valley, where they visited the Tomb of the Virgin Mary and the Grotto of the Apostles. The morning visit ended in the Basilica of the Agony in Gethsemani, where Archbishop Cremona celebrated Mass. During the homily he spoke about the Christian meaning of suffering, and the humility of Christ who humbled himself and became obedient unto death on a cross.

In the afternoon the pilgrims went to visit the two sanctuaries of the Birth of St. John the Baptist and the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin in Ain Karem. After supper the groups returned to the Basilica of Gethsemani for an hour of adoration in front of the rock of Christ’s agony, led by the Archbishop of Malta.