The Call

Picture: Church of The Resurrection (Includes Calvary and the empty tomb)



Our evening prayer tonight focused on the call. We read about the call of Samuel at Mass today and had time to reflect on particular call as individuals. My call to be here at Tantur was a good start for me today. I haven’t thought of sabbatical as a “call” until today.

Tantur is translated “little hilltop” in Arabic. It’s listed as a reflective oasis in the broken and blessed Holy Land. Am I called to be here in this place? Yes, I am. It’s becoming more clear each day. My call at this sabbatical time in my life is a call to follow Jesus more closely. I choose to do this by stepping out of my land into the land where He stepped. What an opportunity this has become! If I want to know Jesus better and understand his word, I need to step into the place where Jesus stepped and try to understand where He lived and life at that time in history. I’ve tried to do this with open eyes and open heart.

We’ve participated in all sorts of “tours” and have had numerous presentations and lectures about the time and situation of this land then and now. It’s been most interesting and informative. Yesterday (as we’ve done numerous times) a number of my group stayed on in Jerusalem to be in the places of Jesus that we’ve learned about. We spent time at the sepulcher of Jesus reading the appropriated passages from scripture. We spent time at Calvary (located in the same church) reading about the death and Jesus. We spent time in the church remembering the denial of St. Peter and the rooster’s crow. We’ve reflected on his life in the hopes to get to know him better and hopefully be better Christians; not to mention better preachers and examples of his word. That’s how I’m answering the call at this point in my life.

I’ve been here before but each time it’s different with unique insights to “my call” at this time …what a gift!