Excerpt from "Journey to Jerusalem"

From the Introduction to Journey to Jerusalem

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:51)

A journey has a destination, a goal. At one point in the gospel, Jesus sets out resolutely on the road toward Jerusalem, preparing to do what he must to fulfill God’s work of redemption. There will be healing and teaching along the way, but ultimately it will lead to the cross, and through the cross.

In fact, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, recalling God’s mighty deeds at the time of the Exodus. The feast commemorated how God delivered his people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. It was at this time of year that Jesus was crucified. It was at this time that his followers experienced a new kind of deliverance, a new “passing over” from death to life, a mighty act of God that changed their lives forever.

This journey to Jerusalem is a road to our own souls. It calls us to examine our lives, to look within, to appreciate the personal invitations and insights God gives to each of us. It calls us to value our travelling companions and to serve our neighbors. It also demands that we not avert our eyes from the ways we need to change. It asks us to turn from what is destructive in our lives and welcome the gospel message of hope.

Travelling this road is, therefore, not easy work. And yet, it is a celebration. It is meant to be healing for our wounds and renewal for our minds. It is infused with God’s compassion and guidance. It brings wisdom and growth.

As disciples, we are invited to accompany Jesus on this journey. What do we need to learn from him at this point in our lives? How is the Spirit leading us?

This book is meant to be a companion for personal prayer. You can use it as a private retreat. Find a comfortable place to pray. Light a candle. Read a reflection. Thoughts or questions from your own experience may arise. Bring them to God in a spiritual conversation. Then, take time to just listen. When you are ready, close your session with the Lord's Prayer or any other prayer you like.

All Christians can find nourishment in these reflections rooted in our common Scriptures. For those who observe the liturgical seasons, these reflections are especially apt for Lent. You can begin the “Prelude” during the week of Ash Wednesday. The six sections, each with seven reflections, can correspond to the weeks of Lent.

We are always on our spiritual journey. That journey signifies the way of discipleship and prepares us for what we cannot yet see. It is the road that leads to Jerusalem, in the footsteps of the one who went before us.

Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

Mark A. Villano