Holy Land Pilgrimage

St. George's Cathedral, in Jerusalem

Almighty God, you give grace to the Church, the Body of Christ, to upbuild itself in love through the mutual service of those who have faith in him: Give the fullness of your blessing to the members of the Fellowship of Saint John, and enable us, by means of our fellowship with one another, to grow in freedom from the world of sin and to be more faithfully united to you in that holy love to which you call us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My very first post ever on this blog was on January 3, 2010. Then, as now, I was procrastinating packing for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This blog was basically created as a way to share photos and reflections with family, friends, and parishioners back home. Since then it's become a place to share reflections and sermons, but for the next two weeks or so it will again become a kind of travelogue.

This time I am traveling with the brothers from St. John the Evangelist, and members of the Fellowship of St. John, including three other priests from my diocese. The two prayers above are prayers offered by the brothers as we begin this journey together. I invite your prayers as well and welcome you along on the journey.