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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Thanksgiving and Ongoing Conversion - Ascension Main Church - February 28th, 2019

When we returned to St. Louis, I celebrated Mass for some of the pilgrims.  We had a great pilgrimage, but now what?  Listen to my homily to find out what advice I gave for allowing us to continue to receive the grace of God through our pilgrimage and our ongoing conversion.


Thanksgiving and Ongoing Conversion - Ascension Main Church - February 28th, 2019
Click here to download the homily

A Wonderful Book Made from the Pictures of Our Pilgrimage

Ascension Main Church February 2019

Go to Holy Land Pilgrimage Page

Wedding Feast at Cana with Renewal of Wedding Vows - February 27th, 2019

Our last Mass in the Holy Land was at the Church of the Wedding Feast at Cana.  Many of our pilgrims renewed their wedding vows here. This was a fitting place to have our last Mass.  Listen to my homily to find out why.


Wedding Feast at Cana with Renewal of Wedding Vows - February 27th, 2019
Click here to download the homily

Couples who renewed their wedding vows at Cana

We loaded up the bus and said goodbye to Galilee.  Our first stop was Cana where we had Mass, and saw the ruins of a 2nd century church.  We went to Mt. Carmel, the headquarters of the Carmelites and the place where Elijah had stayed.  We had lunch at a cafe on Mt. Carmel.  Next, we went to Caesarea Maritima, where St. Paul was held in prison for 2 years and where St. Peter baptized the first Gentiles.  We saw the ruins of the Roman Amphitheater and other sites of ancient Caesarea Maritima.  Then, we went to Jaffa or Joppa.  We saw the church that commemorated how St. Peter stayed in Jaffa and was instructed to go to Caesarea Maritima to preach to and baptize Gentiles.  We had our final meal together in the Holy Land before going to the airport and coming back to the USA.

Church of the Wedding Feast at Cana

Mass at Cana

Roman Amphitheater at Caesarea Maritima

Other ruins at Caesarea Maritima

Entrance to Stella Maris on Mt. Carmel

Inside Stella Maris on Mt. Carmel


St. Peter's Church in Jaffa/Joppa

Inside St. Peter's Church in Jaffa/Joppa

St. Michael the Archangel Painting in St. Peter's Church






Pilgrims at their last meal together in the Holy Land

Transfiguration - Mount Tabor - February 26th, 2019

On our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we visited the site where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.  This event was to strengthen the disciples and prepare them for His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.  Listen to my homily to find out how that event applied to our pilgrimage.


Transfiguration - Mount Tabor - February 26th, 2019
Click here to download the homily

Group Photo on Mt. Tabor

Our first stop was Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration.  We celebrated Mass in the Basilica of the Transfiguration, then learned more about the site.  It was a great view from there.  Next, we travelled to Nazareth and had lunch.  We visited the Basilica of the Annunciation and the grotto of the Annunciation where the Son of God became the son of man, the Word was made flesh.  We also visited the Church of St. Joseph and the ruins of what was believed to be his workshop under it.  Before we returned to the hotel, we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  Lastly, some pilgrims joined me in visiting St. Peter's Church in Tiberius, which was founded in 1100 AD.  After dinner at the hotel, I blessed items for pilgrims and some of us shared with each other the graces we received from our pilgrimage.

Inside the Basilica of the Transfiguration

We had Mass on the Lower Level

The Main Entrance to the Basilica of the Annunciation

The Grotto of the Annunciation where the Word was made flesh

Statue of St. Joseph in the Church of St. Joseph


Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

St. Peter's Church in Tiberius Inside

St. Peter's Church in Tiberius Outside courtyard

Sermon on the Mount of Beatitudes - Galilee - February 25th, 2019

Preaching where Jesus preached.  I did not feel worthy to do so.  However, I did preach and I preached about preaching, or rather I preached about homilies and ways to help you hear a good homily regardless of who the homilist is.


Sermon on the Mount of Beatitudes - Galilee - February 25th, 2019
Click here to download the homily


Mount of Beatitudes - Preparing for Outdoor Mass

Before having Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes, our group went to Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus says to Peter, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Mt 16:18)  Then we went to the Mount of Beatitudes for Mass and a tour.  Next we had lunch at a local restaurant, and our main course was St. Peter Fish, caught in the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus had prepared similar fish at the site the Primacy of Peter, where our resurrected Lord appear to St. Peter and 5 other disciples on the shore and three times asked Peter if he loved Him.  We drove a short distance and arrived at Capernaum where Jesus preformed many miracles and gave the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6) teaching his disciples that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood (referring to the Eucharist).  The Eucharist was prefigured by the multiplication of the loaves, and we saw that site too.


Caesarea Philippi - Pagan worship site with temples to pagan gods 
and the cave was believed by the pagans to be the gates of hell.

Pilgrims at Caesarea Philippi

Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes

Pilgrims in front of the Church of the Beatitudes on the Mount of Beatitudes

St. Peter's Fish for Lunch

Primacy of Peter - This rock is believed to be the one used by the resurrected Jesus
as a table when He had breakfast with some of His disciples

Pilgrims at the Shore at the Primacy of Peter
 with the Sea of Galilee in the Background

Capernaum - Entrance to the Ruins

Ruins of rebuilt Synagogue where Jesus taught

Group Photo at Capernaum in front of a Statue of St. Peter

Multiplication of Loaves - the tradition is that the rock under the altar
was used (at this location) by Jesus when He fed the 5000

Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus - Bethany near the Tomb of Lazarus - February 24th, 2019

On February 24th, 2019, we departed from Jerusalem to make our way to Galilee.  However, our first stop was Bethany where we visited the site of the Tomb of Lazarus  and the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  We had Mass in the St. Martha chapel.  Listen to my homily from that Mass.


Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus - Bethany near the Tomb of Lazarus - February 24th, 2019
Click here to download the homily

After Bethany, we went to the Dead Sea.  Then, we went to the Jordan River to recall the baptism of Jesus and renew our baptismal vows.  Next, we went to Jericho and saw Mt. Temptation where it is believed that Jesus stayed during His forty days in the desert and where the first two of the three temptations took place.  We spent a couple hours on the road going through the Jordan River Valley as we made our way up to Galilee and then checked into our hotel.

St. Martha Chapel near the Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany

Some of our Pilgrims in the Dead Sea

Mt. Temptation as seen from Jericho

Renewal of Baptismal Vows at the Jordan River

Sea of Galilea as seen from the Leonardo Plaza hotel in Tiberias

Reflection on the Tomb of Jesus for February 23rd, 2019

The best part of the whole Pilgrimage for me, was celebrating Mass in the Tomb of Jesus on February 23rd, 2019.  From the moment the afternoon before, when I was told that we were able to have Mass in the tomb, I couldn't stop smiling.  Here my reflection on the Tomb of Jesus.


Reflection on the Tomb of Jesus for February 23rd, 2019
Click here to download the reflection

We started the day with having Mass in the Tomb of Jesus.  I was so excited!  Immediately after Mass we toured the Church of the Holy Sepluchre and saw many of the treasures there.  Then we went to the Church of the Dormition, where tradition holds that Mary passed away, before being carried in procession to her tomb.  We visited the Upper Room, which was rebuilt by crusaders where the original was believed to be.  Next, we went to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu and Caiphas' house, where we saw a dungeon that Jesus was kept in.  We had lots of free time in the afternoon.  A group of us went to the Shroud of Turin Exhibit at the Notre Dame Center.  We ended the day with a special dinner at the Christmas Hotel.

Fr. Lampe after Mass in the Inner Chamber 
of the Tomb where Jesus' Body was laid

Pilgrims in the Ante-Chamber of the Tomb of Jesus

Entrance to the Tomb of Jesus

Anointing Stone, Jesus' body was laid down and prepared for burial

Church of the Dormition Exterior

Church of the Dormition Interior Basement

Upper Room

Dungeon in Caiphas' House

Ancient stairs that Jesus likely walked on to Caiphas' House

St. Peter in Gallicantu Lower Level Chapel

Statue of the Man of the Shroud at the Shroud of Turin Exhibit
(The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the burial clothe of Jesus)

Dinner at Christmas Hotel

Dinner at Christmas Hotel

Dinner at Christmas Hotel

Dinner at Christmas Hotel

Last Posting for this Blog!

Hello Everyone, I was blessed to be at Ascension for 4 years and all my Sunday homilies, most Holy Days of Obligation homilies, some Vocatio...