The book of Exodus contains some truly startling words: “Moses saw the burning bush and said to himself, ‘I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.’  When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ He answered, ‘Here I am.’ God said, ‘Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,’ he continued, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (Ex 3:3-6).

This was perhaps one of the most solemn moments of God’s revelation, when he begins the exodus of his people and reveals his Name to Moses for the first time.

For those of us who live in the Holy Land, it is also an important moment because it is the first time that the term “holy land” appears in the Bible. God’s revelation is tied to this land. If we look at it only through the eyes of sociology, history, archaeology, etc., we will never be able to understand the depth of this mystery: God wanted to link his passage through human history to THIS land, the Holy Land.

It is interesting that God asks Moses for a specific action in that place: “Remove the sandals from your feet.” I believe that we can interpret this command in two ways: one message is to be simple, since those who go barefoot are the poor, the humble, the single-hearted. The other is to touch the land directly, to have direct contact without any other mediators, not even sandals. There is no doubt that this recommendation is inspired by God… those of us who live here see how much spiritual fruit that simplicity and “direct contact,” that touching and experiencing, bear in pilgrims’ hearts. Both are expressed in different ways: going down to the Jordan River and touching the water, receiving the renewal of our baptism, experiencing cold or heat, dusk or dawn… all of these somehow involve touching with our mind and hands the holy places of God’s revelation in Christ, the places of our redemption.

After several years in this ministry of accompanying the pilgrims who come to the Holy Land, I also remember the Lord’s words: you, too, come to the Holy Land and “remove the sandals from your feet.”

In Notre Dame of Jerusalem, and soon in Notre Dame of Galilee (Magdala), it is a pleasure to welcome you as you experience your pilgrimage. These are days of a “special tourism” that will mark your lives with a “before” and an “after.”

From the Holy Land, I send a very special greeting to those who have already come, and a remembrance in our prayers. And for those who have not yet come, I extend our most cordial invitation.

Yours in Christ,                        
Fr Juan María Solana, LC