A Trip To Europe

I had many medical appointments over the past two days, and the doctors wish to begin radiation and chemotherapy within the next few weeks.  Radiation treatments will be 5 times a week for 6-8 weeks, and my hair will fall out around the third week.  Chemotherapy is taken in the form of a pill five times a month, and will last for 1-2 years.

Because the treatments are starting so soon, I have decided to take a trip from February 4 - February 16 to visit Lourdes, Nevers, and Rome.  Lourdes is the site of the Marian Apparition to Saint Bernadette, and Nevers is the location of Saint Bernadette's convent where her uncorrupt body rests behind glass.  Fr. Price's heart is also buried near her body in Nevers.

In Rome, I hope to present the Holy Father with a prayer card to Fr. Thomas Price for my healing after the Pope's General Audience on February 11th.  Providentially, this will be the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Please keep me in your prayers as I make this pilgrimage!

A Kind Message from Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR

In early January 2009, I wrote a letter to Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, after reading his touching book A Priest Forever: The Life of Fr. Eugene Hamilton.  Fr Hamilton was a seminarian suffering from cancer, and he was ordained a priest on his deathbed in 1997.  I have drawn much inspiration from Fr. Hamilton's pursuit of the gift of the Holy Priesthood, and I wrote to Fr. Benedict to tell him my situation and to thank him for writing the book.

When I checked the mail today, I received a very nice package from Fr. Benedict Groeschel.  Enclosed was a copy of his book "Arise from Darkness: What To Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense," as well as two very special letters from him.

The first letter is a message to me dated January 19, 2009:

Dear Philip,

I just had the opportunity to read your letter which I found extremely moving and I am sending you today a copy of my book, Arise From Darkness.  We also are not going to give up.  Just yesterday in New York, we had a miracle where 150 people landed in the Hudson River and none of them drowned.  So miracles do happen!

I think you have a very appropriate and virtuous attitude towards the whole thing.  Let's ask for a miracle and let's accept whatever comes along.  I have been around long enough and I have seen that miracle.

You did include in the letter a card for Fr. Thomas Frederick Price.  I believe he was one of the founders of Maryknoll, if I am not mistaken.  If you get a chance, you might write me a note and let me know if that is true.  If so, if he is the same Fr. Price, I have prayed at his tomb in Maryknoll when I taught there.  The co-founders were Fr. Walsh and Fr. Price.

Thank you for your promise of prayers for our Community, and I will be giving your name to all the brothers and sisters at our next meeting to make sure that they remember you especially in their prayers.  Don't be surprised that you may hear from some of them, but don't feel obligated to answer the letters.

God bless, and let's keep in touch!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Benedict

PS: I find out that we are both friends of St. Bernadette.  She is a very special friend of mine and I will be getting her to help me.  She almost never fails to come through.

Also enclosed was a fax that Fr. Benedict Groeschel sent to every house of Sisters and Friars in his Community:

From: Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR

To: Sisters & Friars

Date: January 20, 2009

Dear Sisters & Friars,

Following this letter, please find the letter I received from a young future seminarian with a brain tumor.  His name is Philip Johnson.  He needs lots and lots of prayers.  He has a very peaceful, firm faith that is most admirable.  Brother Bernardine's sister brought him to my attention.  We are praying to St. Bernadette for him.  So whoever your friends are up there, let's see if we can get a nice miracle of this.  After all, we just had another miracle for 150 people in the Hudson River.  Why not more miracles?

Thank you for your attention.  

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Benedict

Please pray for Fr. Benedict Groeschel and his community in thanksgiving for their charity!

Miracles

Ever since I received my "poor prognosis," there has been much discussion about miracles.  Miracles happen all of the time, but only when it is the will of the Father.  As I have commented before, it is not necessarily a blessing to live for many years.  The biggest blessing we can receive is to die in the state of grace and spend eternity in heaven with God.  Sometimes this happens early in our lives, but a "good death" is a blessing no matter when it may occur.  

In the Rosary, we ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us now, and at the hour of our death.  If I am to die soon, should I be sad that I have had so much time to repent and grow closer to God before facing Him for my judgment?  I think not!

The day after I received this difficult news from my doctor, I was in Philadelphia visiting St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and undergoing the necessary psychological evaluations for admittance to priestly formation.  As I was completing the written portion of the evaluation, I received a phone call from Bishop Burbidge.  He assured me of his prayers, and informed me that because he believes I have a vocation to the priesthood, he continues to support me as I pursue priestly formation and ordination.

The Bishop prays for a miracle, if it be God's Holy Will, and he gave me a beautiful reflection on Jesus' miracles in the Gospel.  He pointed out that whenever there is an account of a miracle, the focus is not on the actual miracle itself, but on the faith of those seeking a miracle.  I discussed this conversation with my dear friend Fr. Aidan Logan, O.C.s.o., and he pointed out an episode from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus did not perform many miracles because of the lack of faith of the people.  The people doubted Jesus' credibility and His ability to perform miracles, and the Gospel affirms: "[Jesus] did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith" (Matthew 13:58).

The Bishop's reflection led me to research Christ's miracles in the Gospel, and I was amazed.  When Jesus turned water into wine as His first miracle, The Blessed Virgin Mary had faith in Him and instructed the waiters to "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2).  When Jesus cured the Nobleman's son, "Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live!'  The man believed Jesus’ words and went" (John 4).  When Jesus instructed Saint Peter to "put out into the deep" to let down his nets for a catch, Saint Peter answered: "'Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing.   But if you say so, I will let down the nets.'  They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break" (Luke 5).  The miracles continued as the people showed their faith.

As Bishop Burbidge taught me, miracles require faith.  From now on, my prayer is to have more faith in God's perfect plan every day.

Will God grant me a miracle in my illness?  There is no way to know for sure.  I certainly pray for it through the intercession of Father Thomas Frederick Price and Our Blessed Mother, but in the "big picture," it does not matter if I live one year, two years, or twenty years.  God's Will is going to be done, and perhaps it is His Will that I die soon.  We may not understand why, but we know that God's Will is perfect.  After we depart this short life, everything will make perfect sense.

What matters most is that every day I pray to conform my will to God's Will.  I quoted my friend Fr. Willis in a previous post.  As he pointed out in a sermon (referring to a teaching of Saint Augustine): "Prayer is not telling God what we want and do not want, as if we are addressing Santa Claus in a department store.   Prayer is a petition to God, asking Him to conform our imperfect will to His Perfect Will."

Jesus meek and humble, make my heart like unto Thine!

Back from Philadelphia, and Biopsy Results...

I have just returned from Philadelphia, where I visited St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and underwent the necessary psychological exam for admittance to priestly formation.  Philadelphia is beautiful, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is absolutely wonderful.  It feels like living at a monastery, with quiet courtyards and gorgeous chapels, and the seminarians and priests were all very wonderful and kind.

My first evening at the seminary, I received a phone call from my Neurosurgeon.  He informed me that the biopsy results were worse than expected, and I have been diagnosed with a Grade 3 cancerous Astrocytoma.  Brain tumors are given a Grade of 1 (slow-growing) through 4 (fast-growing) to judge how fast they grow.  All of the doctors believe I have had this tumor for many years (since my brain has "re-wired around it" so far), so it is very likely that this Astrocytoma was a Grade I or II when I was younger, and later evolved into Grade III, which is typical of Astrocytomas.  

I immediately informed my diocese, and shortly after I received a phone call from my bishop.  The conversation touched my heart, and he informed me that he can "hear my vocation to the priesthood in my voice and in my words."  He assured me that this news does not affect his position on me applying for priestly formation, and then gave me a beautiful reflection about how God works miracles when we have faith in Him.

I will see my Neurosurgeon and an Oncologist this coming week to discuss treatment options, which include radiation and risky surgery to remove part of the tumor, which could result in paralysis or neurological defects.  There is no "right answer" and all doctors have different opinions on how to approach treatment.  I will have to make my "rounds" once again to many different Neurosurgeons in order to discuss options.

While the average prognosis for a Grade III Astrocytoma is 18-24 months, my young age increases my chances, and most importantly, so many people are praying for me.  As a close priest-friend just wrote to me:

Phil,

This type of prognosis is for people who have no faith - or even for people who have little faith but no one with great faith praying for them.  You have no idea, not only how many, but the types of people who are praying, fasting, offering sacrifices, and doing penance for you.  For my small part, I have remembered you in an especially potent and deliberate way this week at the Memento for the living at the daily Masses.

Nonetheless, whatever lies ahead, you will only be prayed for more, and you will not have to go through anything alone.  Yes, our Lord will hold your hand, and so will His Blessed Mother.   Ultimately, you know that is most important.  But, I (and a lot of other people) are in this boat with you, and have no intention of abandoning ship.

Remain faithful, with my complete priestly love and support.

Thank you all for your prayers.  They are the reason I am able to carry this cross.

Leaving for Philadelphia...

This morning I am traveling to Philadelphia to visit St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.  Please keep me in your prayers as I travel!

FOCA and A Powerful Message from Fr. Corapi

This past weekend I was very glad to attend the North Carolina Right to Life March in Raleigh, NC.  After celebrating the Mass for Life at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Raleigh, NC, Bishop Burbidge offered an opening prayer before the March for Life in Raleigh - a march through the streets of Raleigh past the state capital.  As His Excellency commented in his Mass for Life sermon:  “As faithful citizens and disciples of Christ, we rally for life, we pray for life, and we march for life.”

With the Inauguration of a new President of the United States, many Christians find it important to focus on President Obama's views on life issues.  Many of us remember his presentation to Planned Parenthood in the Summer of 2008 when he discussed the "fundamental right" of "choice" concerning abortion.  On this so-called "fundamental" issue, he commented: "I will not yield, and Planned Parenthood will not yield."  He continued: "The first thing I would do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)."

God help us, and those who have no voice while they grow in the womb.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a document highlighting the six fundamental concerns with FOCA, which are summarized very well by the Diocese of Raleigh on the diocesan website: 

-FOCA will invalidate laws to protect a woman from unsafe abortion clinics and to ensure that she is informed about abortion.
-FOCA will require taxpayers to pay for abortions.
-FOCA will require states to allow “partial-birth” and other late-term abortions.
-FOCA will require states to allow abortions by non-physicians.
-FOCA will bar laws protecting a right of conscientious objection to abortion.
-FOCA will deny parents an opportunity to be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion decision.

In the coming years, we may be forced to sacrifice much in defense of Truth.  In my opinion, Fr. Corapi says it best (my emphasis):

As we prepare to enter a new era in politics and perhaps society in general, keep something in mind: WE WIN! No matter what political party is in power at a given point in time, in the end those that remain faithful to Jesus Christ win the war. We may have to fight many battles outnumbered and even despised and looked upon as criminals and outcasts by a society that is unraveling and degenerating into something no one could have imagined.

What matters is that we run the race to the finish line and fight the good fight. Don’t “go with the flow,” for as the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen reminds us, “Dead bodies float downstream.” More than ever we shall have to be strong in the faith. Regular and worthy reception of the sacraments, constant prayer, and rigorous study of the faith is now essential, not merely a luxury.

The front line and primary battle is going to be the fight for life: the dignity of every human life from the moment of conception to the last moment of natural life. If we lose that one, every other battle space will be compromised.  If the government succeeds in establishing abortion as an inalienable “right”, then the elderly and sick will be next.  It will then be a short and slippery step to the government deciding who lives and dies regardless of their inherent human dignity.

If you don’t already pray the Rosary every day, please start at once. The prayer of the holy Rosary is the prayer of the holy Gospel, and that means it is the prayer of the Good News Who is Jesus Christ, the LIFE of the world.  Many saints will be forged in the crucible of the coming years. Make sure you are among them.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi

Due to my brain cancer, this statement means a lot to me.  As one of the "sick," now considered by some to be "useless" in the world because I may not have long to live, I am thankful for my priest friends and faithful shepherds like Bishop Burbidge who recognize the value and potential in every human life.  In allowing me to pursue my vocation to the priesthood, and more importantly in supporting life in every way imaginable, they are giving a valiant testimony of what it truly means to be "pro-life."

Let us make sure we are among those who may be called to suffer for the Truth in the coming years, no matter what the cost may be, and let us be willing to do anything necessary to defend life despite a society fundamentally opposed to the dignity of every person.

Please Pray for My Bishop

Prayer For the Bishop of Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of charity, please pause right now and pray the following prayer for my bishop, The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, who has been very supportive throughout my illness and my desire to serve Our Lord as a priest.  When I met with him after my cancer diagnosis, his reply was "Philip, if God is calling you to be a priest, I am not going to stand in the way!"  Please pray for him by name:

Heavenly Father, in these trying times when the spirit of the age threatens Christian values, give our bishop holiness of life and wisdom to direct and guide our diocesan family so that we may grow in your love.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

If you would like, please log your promise of prayer for His Excellency on the comment page.  If you can, please pray daily for Bishop Burbidge by name.  He has promised to do so for me ever since we met two years ago to discuss my vocation.

Sacerdos in Aeternum

"Thou Art A Priest Forever"

To live in the midst of the world,

Without wishing its pleasures;

To be a member of each family,

Yet belonging to none;

To share all sufferings;

To penetrate all secrets;

To heal all wounds;

To go from men to God

And offer Him their Prayers;

To return from God to men

To bring pardon and hope;

To have a heart of fire for charity

And a heart of bronze for chastity;

To teach and to pardon,

Console and bless always--

What a glorious life!

And it is yours,

O Priest of Jesus Christ!

Author unknown

from an old prayer card

Source: EWTN

Taken from Roman Catholic Vocations

Kind Assurances of Prayers...

Today I received two kind letters from two Religious Orders.  Please remember them all in your prayers!

Dear Philip,

You are in our prayers before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  May He grant you healing and consolation in body and soul, according to His holy Will.  Thank you for the prayer cards.  We most certainly will be praying for you.  May the Lord grant you a holy and joyful New Year full of every grace and blessing!  Jesus loves you!

A day of prayer will be offered for you by The Nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery on January 18, 2009 at the request of Mother Angelica and the Nuns.

and:

Dear Mr. Johnson,

Praised be Jesus Christ!

We received a few days ago your kind letter, as well as your picture and prayer cards, and we thank you for them.

We cannot write much, and not having a computer, we do not have access to your website, but we can do better: we can pray.  As soon as we received your correspondence we began a novena to Our Lady of Sorrows for you.  May She, who stood faithfully at the foot of the cross of Her Dying Son, obtain for you all the graces you need to carry your own cross faithfully and with the greatest possible love for God and souls.

At your request, we will distribute Fr. Price's prayer cards.  May he show his powerful intercession with Jesus and Mary by obtaining your cure and the grace for you to persevere until the end.

With the assurance of our prayers,

In the Most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

The Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Trinity

Imagine Being a Priest!

January 11, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate the beginning of National Vocation Awareness Week.  During this special time, we renew our prayers to the Lord of the Harvest asking Him to provide the Diocese of Raleigh with more priests and an increase of vocations to Religious Life.  At the same time, we pray with renewed gratitude for the Priests and Religious Brothers and Sisters serving in our Diocese.

As we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord, we are reminded that, through our own Baptism, all of us are called to love and to serve God.  Throughout this week and always, we pray daily for the grace we need to know God's will and to live a life worthy of the call we have received.

We are also encouraged to help our children and young people discover their vocations.  As we walk with them as parents, teachers, catechists, youth ministers and faith formation leaders, let us strive to help them become aware of God's loving presence in their lives in order that they may hear and generously respond to His call.

To assist you in highlighting this special week in the life of the Church, the Vocations Office has provided materials and plans for your use as a family or as a class.  The lesson plans and materials can be found on the vocations website (www.raleighvocations.org) and are available for a range of ages.

With the help of God's grace during this week of prayer for vocations, may we be renewed in our particular vocations and commit ourselves to encourage more individuals to surrender their lives in service of the Lord and His Church.  May Our Lord Jesus bless you and your family and keep you always in His care.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge

Bishop of Raleigh

Taken from: http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org/docs/news/LettertotheFaithful-English.pdf

Feast of the Holy Family

Today was the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the Ordinary Form, and the Feast of the Holy Family in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.  The Baptism of Our Lord became very real to me when I was able to visit the Jordan River in September 2008.  

Today, I was very glad to assist at Holy Mass offered by my friend Fr. Robert Ferguson, FSSP, who then came to our house to give the Epiphany house blessing.  It was very providential that Fr. Ferguson offered today's Mass, as this feast was a very special occasion for both of us one year ago in 2008.  How time flies!

For the Feast of the Holy Family in 2008, I served Mass for Fr. Ferguson at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Greensboro, NC.  This beautiful church is a treasure in the Diocese of Charlotte, and Fr. Ferguson offered the first Mass in the Extraordinary Form in this church in 40 years.  The following photos are from this Mass in January 2008:

A Priest Forever: The Life of Fr. Eugene Hamilton

Last week I finished reading a very touching book, which I highly recommend.  It is entitled A Priest Forever: The Life of Fr. Eugene Hamilton by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.  Many thanks to my priest friend who sent the book as a gift.  

Much of the book is taken from Fr. Hamilton's personal journal (he began an autobiography before his death in 1997, which was later found on his computer).  This book is the fulfillment of Fr. Groeschel's promise to Father Hamilton before his death: "Your sermon will be preached."  This "sermon," in the form of Fr. Hamilton's testimony to the Faith and the priesthood, is remarkable.

While his story is not exactly like mine, there are many similarities, so I draw strength and inspiration from his words.  Quite simply, he wanted to become a priest, and was not going to let cancer stand in the way.  He fought cancer for many years and was able to complete three years of seminary studies.  When it became apparent that he was about to die, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien ordained him a priest with special permission from Pope John Paul II.  Three hours later, Fr. Hamilton died.  The story is very touching, and it reveals the character of a young man who shows us what the Catholic priesthood really is - not a job or profession, but an eternal vocation.  

The whole book is definitely worth reading, but I found a comment from Fr. Hamilton's spiritual director very touching: 

"I always had the sense that [Fr. Hamilton] knew that this was God's plan.  It is almost as if he knew something that we did not know, namely that in him God was disclosing a new dimension of priesthood - perhaps not really new, but new in the sense that we seldom talk of it.  And this dimension was the dimension of the victim-sufferer, even the victim-priest....  So often we think of priesthood as our choice, our decision, our commitment.  In [Fr. Hamilton], the Lord was drawing us back to His definition of priesthood, defined in the person of the Suffering Jesus.  I think [Fr. Hamilton] knew that he was a player in a divine drama that transcended him, and that, in some way, was part of God's teaching us what the priesthood really is."

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to those discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

Heading home to NC...

Thank you all for your prayers during my surgery.  The surgery lasted around three hours, and the pathologist seemed pleased with the brain tissue sample.  With a needle biopsy, there is always a risk that no conclusion can be made from the small amount of tissue, making another biopsy necessary.  I should know the results within a week.

The CAT scan immediately following surgery on the 7th revealed bleeding in my brain, which caused two seizures early Thursday morning.  A CAT scan later on Thursday revealed that the blood was gone and there were no blood clots, so I was released Thursday night.  I have 30 days of medical leave to spend in NC with my family.

Again, thank you all for your prayers!

Post-op update

A few days ago Philip asked me to post an update after the conclusion of his biopsy today.

I spoke by 'phone with Phil's father just a few minutes ago who informed me that he came through the operation fine, his vital signs are "great" and he may be released from the hospital tomorrow.

The results of the biopsy may be available in a week.

Thanks to everyone for prayers.

Fr C

Leaving for Surgery...

I am heading to the hospital now for my surgery.  Yesterday I had plastic "nodes" glued all over my head for the MRI, and I have to keep them on through the surgery.  They give the surgeon a reference for the MRI picture so that he can be more accurate with the needle.

Thank you to all who are offering Masses, prayers, sacrifices, and fasting for me.

My good friend Fr. Gregory Gresko, OSB drove from Richmond last night so that he can hear my confession, offer Mass, and anoint me before we go to the hospital.

God's plan for our lives often does not make sense - at least not immediately.  While I do pray (and ask others to pray) for a successful surgery, I must only ask God to conform my will to His.  It may be God's Will that I live through this surgery, live many more years, and serve Him as a Catholic priest.  It may also be God's Will that I do not wake up from the surgery.  If this is the case, I will face God for my judgment after having two months of this illness to repent of my sins, receive the Sacraments, and prepare my soul for this meeting which every person will eventually face.  Could I ask for better circumstances?

Our main goal in this life is to know, love, and serve God in this world, die a good death, and spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Everything else is temporal and fleeting.  

Oremus pro invicem, in caritate non ficta!

A Kind Message from Bishop Rene H. Gracida

Please say a prayer for Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas.  Bishop Gracida sent me a very kind email assuring me of his prayers: 

Philip, I pray that God will grant you delivery from the threat of a brain tumor, and that you will realize your goal of entering the seminary to begin your studies and formation for ordination to the priesthood of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Blessings!

+Rene Henry Gracida

Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi

Bishop Gracida has long been a champion of the pro-life movement.  Many may remember his radio message before the 2008 election: "This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience.  A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate."

Please keep His Excellency in your prayers!

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

In September of 2008 (one month before I learned I had a brain tumor and was sent home early from deployment), I was blessed that my ship made a port visit to Haifa, Israel.  The following pictures are from my pilgrimages to the Holy Land and other religious sites during this trip.

The ship pulled into Haifa, which is the location of Mount Carmel.  Mount Carmel is the location of Elijah's cave, and the Carmelites built a monastery around it in the 12th Century.  Saint Simon Stock (who received the Brown Scapular from the Blessed Virgin Mary) lived at the monastery in Haifa towards the end of his life.

Here you can see Elijah's cave below, with the High Altar on the second level in the Carmelite Stella Maris monastery:

Our ship's chaplain, Fr. David Daigle, offered Holy Mass in one of the side chapels of the Monastery:

A view of Haifa from the top of Mount Carmel:

The side of Mount Carmel:

A view of Mount Carmel over my shoulder from the ship:

The next day I took a bus tour of the Holy Land.  First we travelled to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.  This church is built on the location where The Blessed Virgin Mary was told that she was to become the mother of God:

The Church of Saint Joseph in Nazareth is traditionally held to be the home of Mary and Joseph:

Remnants of an earlier church built on this site, and likely the location of St. Joseph's workshop:

Next we went to the Mount of the Beatitudes in the city of Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee.  This picture is from the church built on the location where Jesus gave the famous "Sermon on the Mount."

The church is surrounded by plaques with each of the Beatitudes written in Latin:

Next we travelled to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha.  The altar is built over the rock where the miracle is believed to have taken place:

Next we went to the town of Capharnaum, where Jesus chose his first five disciples:

A statue of Saint Peter in Capharnaum: "Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church."

A view of the Sea of Galilee from Capharnaum, where Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen before following Jesus:

The Jordan River:

The next day, I took a bus trip to Jerusalem.  Here is a picture overlooking the city:

The garden where Jesus underwent His Agony before being arrested and crucified:

The "Via Dolorosa" or "The Way of Suffering" in the Old City in Jerusalem.  This is the path that Jesus walked carrying the cross on the way to His Crucifixion.  Of course, it is now full of street venders:

Calvary - the site of Jesus' Crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: 

The Stone of the Anointing, where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea:

The burial tomb of Jesus, also in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher:

In front of the entrance to the Church: