“Whoever truly welcomes the Lord does not stand still, but sets out on a journey.”
On Saturday, May 30, in an atmosphere of recollection and faith, marked by the truce in the conflicts but still devoid of the presence of international pilgrims, the Franciscan community and local faithful experienced an intense day, combining the memory of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary with the traditional conclusion of the Marian month.
In the morning, the Fr. of the convent of San Salvatore, together with the religious of the neighboring convents, went on pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Visitation in Ain Karem. The celebration, which usually occurs on May 31, was anticipated this year to the 30th, since the usual date coincided with the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
In the recollected silence of the sanctuary, and in the absence of the large flows of pilgrims that normally characterize this feast, the celebration took on a particularly intimate and profound tone. Alongside the Fr. of the Custody, the local Christian community and some religious sisters were present, gathered to commemorate the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, an evangelical moment rich in joy and recognition of the mystery of salvation.
In his homily, the Custos of the Holy Land underlined how the encounter with God always sets one in motion: “whoever truly welcomes the Lord does not stand still, but sets out on a journey.” Mary, in fact, “arose and went with haste,” becoming a sign of a living faith that translates into proximity and service.
The Custos then recalled that in the Visitation “it is not Mary’s words that cause all this, […] but her presence. Through Mary, Jesus arrives,” highlighting how the first Christian testimony is a presence “inhabited by Christ”. In a complex context like that of the Holy Land, he added, “our mission remains to bring Christ to the men and women of our time,” even when words prove difficult or insufficient. Finally, recalling the words of Elizabeth, “Blessed is she who believed,” the Custos invited everyone to rediscover the beatitude of faith, which makes every believer capable of “generating Christ in the world” through their own life. In the afternoon, the community gathered again at the convent of San Salvatore for the solemn conclusion of the Marian month.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of the Custos of the Holy Land, the Apostolic Nuncio, and numerous religious men, women and local faithful. For some years, due to the large number of participants, the large courtyard of the convent has been transformed into a real open-air church. The main altar and the space of the presbytery are the result of the patient work of the masters of ceremonies and the workers of the convent who, with dedication and devotion to the Virgin Mary, contribute every year to creating an atmosphere of profound prayer and solemnity.
At the end of the celebration, the traditional procession took place through the streets of the Christian quarter of Jerusalem, with stops for the blessing with the icon of the Virgin. A particularly heartfelt moment, in which prayer became a shared journey through the streets of the city.
Concluding the day, the Patriarch addressed a heartfelt invitation to those present to remain united in prayer, especially in view of an still uncertain future: days that may be difficult, but which must not inspire fear, because Christ and his Mother walk with their people. In this Jerusalem marked by trial but sustained by faith, the memory of the Visitation and Marian devotion continue to be bright signs of hope and communion.
Source: Custody of the Holy Land / Fr. Alberto Joan Pari
