For thousands of pilgrims, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is often a lifelong dream. Walking in Christ’s footsteps, feeling the air He breathed, touching those places He frequented with your own hands … To go there is to come as close as possible to the human figure of Christ, to realize that God became man and lived among us.
From the beginning of the Christian era, the faithful have been gathering in significant places once visited by Christ. Although the exact locations haven’t always been proven accurate, that’s not really essential, as traditions have great power. The important thing is to be able to tangibly experience places where Christ Himself once walked, performed miracles, or was even laid to rest.
Over the centuries, shrines have risen to mark these sacred spots: from the house of the Virgin Mary where the Angel Gabriel came to tell Her the good news and the cave of the Nativity where She gave birth to the Child Jesus, to places near Lake Tiberius, where Christ performed miracles. In Jerusalem, a sacred place by definition, people go with fervor and emotion to the tomb where the body of Christ was placed. Through His journeys, Christ transformed this simple land into a Holy Land frequented today by thousands of faithful from all over the world.
To discover what remains of the places where Christ once walked and the shrines that have been built nearby, click on the slideshow:
And today we celebrate...