Before the beginning of the virtual pilgrimage of healing, Father Juan, Mary Claire, Rocío (Magdala volunteers) and I hiked up mount Arbel. When we arrived at the height of the mountain, we were overwhelmed by the remarkable beauty of God’s creation. The sun had just risen leaving a blanket of pink and blue in the sky highlighting the landscape below. In the silence of the moment looking at the water reach the shores of Magdala, I felt comforted by the thought that God had heard my prayer.
During my last semester at Georgia College, in Milledgeville Georgia, I prayed to God for four things. To have a job where I could feel fulfilled and challenged so that I could share His love with others, to grow closer to Him in prayer and know Him better, and to grow personally and professionally. Most of all I prayed that he would bless and accompany me in this new stage of life.
I was surprised and delighted to see how He granted all of my heart’s prayers. He called me to His home, where His public ministry began. Here in Magdala, I became part of the Media Team where I was filming and editing videos for the Virtual Healing Pilgrimage.
One of my favorite moments here has been having adoration in Getsemani. On a weekend, Rocío, Guadalupe, and I went to Jerusalem to explore Holy Sites. We left a Magdala later than we thought and were worried that we would not get a chance to go inside the church. Sitting on the bus looking over the Jordan valley, we made our game plan to efficiently leave our things and run to Getsemani in the hope that we could ask them to sneak a peek. When we arrived in Jerusalem, we got on the train to leave us near Notre Dame so we could leave our bags and head to Getsemani. When we arrived at the Mount of Olives, we saw that there were special guests inside and they had security guards all around the street. We decided to wait and thought of leaving, but Guadalupe was determined to wait to see if we could go in. After a few minutes, everyone left and the door was left open. We weren’t sure if we were allowed in, but Guadalupe went in to see if we could walk around and pray. She later sent me a text saying that there was adoration. It was an incredible moment to be in adoration in Getsemani. We sat and touched the rock leid out in front of the altar. A deep sense of comfort filled my heart thinking that all of our crazy adventure to get to Getsemani was planned so that we could arrive at the perfect moment.
I am loving my experience in Magdala because I feel like I am actively living in my answered prayer. My work with the media team is constantly teaching me and challenging me to grow professionally. I have the privilege to live with a beautiful community with consecrated women, priests, and young women who accompany me in my personal and spiritual growth. Living in the Holy Land has allowed me to fully experience the gospels.
Jesus’s public ministry began in Galilee, and this new chapter of my life also began in Galilee. Sitting on a rock on top of Mount Arbel, gazing at the Sea of Galilee, I rested knowing that the Heavenly Father heard me and took care of me and will continue to accompany me every day.