Dear Magdala Family, beloved pilgrims, and friends,
I am writing these lines to you in mid-March. It is a vibrant month this year due to the coincidence of our Lenten pilgrimage, the novena of Saint Joseph, and Holy Week. We hope everyone is taking full advantage of this period of grace, which also coincides with the beginning of spring and brings the joy of flowers, green fields, and nature that fills us with enthusiasm and joy (at least in the northern hemisphere).
This year, we released the Novena of St. Joseph for the first time. St. Joseph, the saint of silence, is somewhat overlooked in the Gospels, yet he was granted all the treasures of God’s house and family. St. Joseph is the Universal Patron of the Church. I invite you to get to know and love this saint who does us so much good in our lives. Even with a few words, he fills us with grace and blessings from his intercession.
As we have explained in previous years in our virtual pilgrimages, Holy Week evolved over the centuries as a minor pilgrimage to the Holy Land to accompany Jesus during the last days of His earthly life, especially in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Paschal mystery of Christ is the foundation of our faith. St. Paul confirms this in his first letter to the Corinthians, Chap. 15, “The Gospel he himself had received…” Hopefully, this year, we will accompany Jesus with our whole hearts in an atmosphere of prayer and recollection and participate in the liturgy and sacraments, including confession and communion. Let us open our hearts to God, who wants to make us living stones of His Holy Temple.
I conclude with great news and an invitation; additional details will follow in subsequent communications. Encounter Magdala 2024, with the theme, “Lord Teach Us To Pray,” will take place in Puebla, Mexico, from July 25 to 28. Given the current circumstances in the Holy Land and our desire to continue preparing for our spiritual journey to 2033, we chose to organize our event in Puebla as it, too, has its ties to the Holy Land and Jerusalemite inspiration. Note it down in your schedules. It will be a fantastic gathering filled with many surprises and thousands of people who, like last year, will unite to Walk, Sing, Celebrate, and Share in their love of Christ and the Holy Land. We hope this itinerary will prepare us for the 2025 Holy Year and continue preparing us for our journey to 2033. Soon, we’ll share our entire program, how to register, and other details so we can meet in Puebla, Mexico, from 25 July to 28. In the meantime, we ask for your prayers so that this time of preparation may be fruitful and prosperous, and we fully understand what God wants for this event.
In the meantime, we continue our Lenten exodus, united as a family and a great praying community, to arrive at Jesus’ Resurrection on March 31.
Blessings.
Fr. Juan Solana, LC and the Magdala Team
Easter Triduum 2024
Easter Triduum liturgical services will not be livstreamed in English. If you wish to view these services live streamed please visit Vatican News here.
