Now that we are back in the United States, many have asked me what the pilgrimage to Jerusalem was like. I tell them it was a great joy to lead a beautiful group of people of deep faith and prayer, and to see them walk, pray, and support one another was truly moving. Their faith strengthened one another, and it strengthened me as well. As we walked through the Holy Land, one truth kept returning to my heart: from the very beginning of Scripture, faith is described as a walk.

At the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Chapel, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem When you walk into the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and walk down to the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Chapel, you will notice hundreds of tiny carved crosses etched into the walls. They are called Pilgrim’s Crosses. Each cross was carved by a pilgrim who came from far away. Some walked for months. Some sold what they had. Some took risks we can hardly imagine. They came to stand

At the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized, His public ministry began. Yesterday we visited the Jordan River, where the Lord Jesus was baptized and where His public ministry began. There, we celebrated the Armenian Blessing of the Water Service and sang the ancient hymn Ov Zarmanali (“O Wondrous Mystery”), which gently places these words on the lips of our Lord: “River, do not be afraid. It is I, your Creator. I have come to be baptized and to wash away sins.” Picture that