Preparing frantically

Dear friends,

Preparing for this pilgrimage has got me thinking about things. We are leaving on Thursday, and when we finally arrive in Jerusalem, it will be Saturday. We could start at the inconvenience of a 12 hour layover in Zurich. However, technology really makes it very easy to travel to the Holy Land. The distance we are able to cover in two days would have once been many months for pilgrims of old. They would have had to travel by land and sea in dangerous conditions or in hostile territory.

Have you seen some of the pictures of Pope Benedict visiting Turkey? I really believe that he is doing Christ's work there in his typically quiet and unassuming way. I hope that we keep the Pope in our prayers until he returns to Rome on Dec. 2.

I am about half-way through packing. I have to try to balance my textbooks and other dense objects between two bags. These weight restrictions are a good things for the airlines, but also for my back. I have to make choices about how much I can carry, but really I am allowed plenty of space in my luggage to be comfortable. What concerns me more is the baggage of my heart. What do I need to shed in order to discover Christ on this journey? How can I grow so that the struggles and joys of others become my prayers, my desires? Please pray that I can lose my life in order to find in Christ.

Introduction

Dear Friends,

This first entry is to welcome all of you to this blog site. I will be posting my thoughts and pictures of my upcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land. All that I ask is for you prayers. I go as part of a group of 41 pilgrims from Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. Your prayers for our safety and growth in holiness would be most appreciated.

I hope that this blog makes some unity of thoughts and words possible between us. As I travel for the next three months, I hope to carry many of the prayer intentions of my family and friends. Please feel free to email me at bdulli@usml.edu with your prayer intentions, or just to say "hi", of course. You may not want to list intentions on this blog for the world to see, but I certainly encourage you to email me.

I truly believe that my ministry for the next three months will be a ministry of prayer. I will be praying for peace, for the Holy Father, for religious understanding between people, and for the specific intentions of all of my relatives and friends. It is truly a gift for me to pray for you and to pray through the memories and affections I have for each of you.

This begins a brief compact that I make with you who are my friends. May we grow together in faith, hope and love.

Sincerely,

Brian Dulli