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Sixth Virtual Magdala Pilgrimage: Get to know the Land where Jesus lived
FEBRUARY 6, 2024, JERUSALEM – Under the theme “Lord, teach us to pray”, Magdala will carry out its sixth FREE virtual pilgrimage through the Holy Land, which will be broadcast starting Monday, February 12, 2024. The pilgrimage is available in both English and Spanish. American Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi Kathleen Nichols, director of Magdala’s English media team, will lead the English virtual pilgrimage; and Mexican Legionary of Christ Father Juan María Solana, director of the Magdala Center, will lead the Spanish virtual pilgrimage.
The on-going conflict in the Holy Land continues to keep pilgrims from visiting Jerusalem this Lent. Uneasy local Christians still don’t travel far from home, forgoing visits to pray at the Holy Sepulcher or the Mount of Olives. The holy sites in Jerusalem remain mostly empty.
Kathleen Nichols, director of Magdala’s English media team, explained that the Pilgrimage of Prayer will give people from all over the world, the opportunity to visit Jerusalem virtually this Lent. “Jerusalem resonates in hearts around the world. It is recognized as one of the holiest cities in the world. In Jerusalem, every stone, mountaintop, and olive tree has a story to tell!”
“ We are going to tour the Holy Land hand-in-hand with God. After Jesus spent whole nights here in prayer, what did he do? He came out of his prayer, he came out of his holy hiding place and went down here, to Galilee, where he found the crowds, the sick, the demon-possessed and he announced the Kingdom of God to everyone. May the heart of Jesus, who came out of here, from prayer and found people, also teach us to pray this Lent,” comments Father Juan María Solana, LC, director and founder of Magdala, from a Grotto of Mount Arbel, Galilee, Israel.
The daily 20-minute program in English (30-minute program in Spanish) will take virtual pilgrims to well-known holy sites, including Calvary, Jesus’ tomb, Mount Zion, Gethsemane, the Western Wall, and the Way of the Cross. From these and many other hidden monasteries and Churches in the Old City that most visitors have never seen, Kathleen offers a reflection on Christian prayer.
“Prayer in Jerusalem can powerfully turn our hearts back to the Lord, and this is the purpose of Lent. It was witness to the main events of Salvation History, chosen by God as his dwelling place, and the site of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection,” says pilgrim leader Nichols.
“Shofars, bells and muezzin sound out daily reminders of God’s presence, and what most lifts our hearts to the Lord are the voices of Jerusalem’s Christian communities at prayer,” says Nichols. From the city where Jesus taught the Our Father, virtual pilgrims will join local Christians praying it in Aramaic, Greek, Latin, Armenian, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, and even Ethiopian Ge’ez, the languages of Christian Jerusalem.
(You can find out more information and sign up here at https://www.magdala.org/ and follow along on Magdala’s website, Instagram account, and YouTube account.)
The staff at Magdala feel blessed to help bring the Holy Land to people’s homes and hearts this Lent.
The Virtual Pilgrimage of Prayer through Jerusalem, starts on Monday, February 12th with an introductory talk in preparation for Ash Wednesday.
The pilgrimage is free. To receive news, introductory talks, video of the day and extra materials that will complement the experience, subscribe on the Magdala website: www.magdala.org
IN SPANISH:
Father Juan María Solana is a Legionary of Christ priest, born in Puebla, Mexico. He has been living and exercising his ministry in the Holy Land for 20 years, where he was first director of the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem, and is now director of the Magdala Center. He will guide and accompany this new virtual Lent pilgrimage.
Through the Facebook page “Magdala en Español” ( www.facebook.com/magdalaenespanol ) and the YouTube channel “Magdala en Español” ( https://www.youtube.com/@MagdalaEspanol ) pilgrims will explore the fourth part of the catechism of the Catholic Church dedicated to prayer in the Christian life. They will immerse themselves in the richness of prayer, its importance and how to integrate it into their lives.
From Monday to Friday, 30-minute capsules will be broadcast with catechesis, interviews and spiritual talks; and on Saturdays there will be workshops that will serve as an opportunity to deepen what was learned during the week, offering practical exercises and additional reflections. Additionally, every day, at 08:00 a.m. (Mexico City); 09:00 hours, (Miami); and 4:00 p.m. (Holy Land, Israel) the holy mass will be transmitted from Magdala, Israel.
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