These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,
that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal 3:7-14)
“Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree” is a quote from Deuteronomy 21:23 about executed criminals. The “Scandal of the Cross” is that Christ’s death on the Cross meant that according to the Scriptures Jesus died damned by the world and damned by God. The Resurrection is God’s vindication of Jesus. We meditate and pray this Mystery of Faith in the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today we arrive in the Holy City, Jerusalem.
Today we land in Egypt and begin a four-day cruise on the Nile to visit the temples of Luxor and Aswan.
Today we land in Istanbul, Turkey. Today's picture is of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. Hagia Sophia was the cathedral of ancient Constantinople.
Today we begin our journey. First, we fly from Medellín to Bogotá in this morning. Then this afternoon, we board our overnight flight to Estambul, Turkey. We have a brief stop in Panamá, then we continue our flight and should arrive in Turkey around 5:00 pm on Wednesday. After arrival we head to the hotel, dinner and rest! Thursday morning, bright and early, we begin! (There is an 7 hour time difference between Turkey and the Eastern Time Zone of the USA.) I will be praying for all of you!
