Just last year in November of 2022, I had the amazing blessing of going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Israel. The trip was brought to my attention by two of my good friends, and I knew immediately I had to take this opportunity to go.
With about 75 people going on this pilgrimage, we spent ten days in Israel traveling through and experiencing the very places where many stories in the New Testament took place. Growing up in the Greek Orthodox Church, I have heard the Gospel many times, however, the depth of what I experienced at each site felt deeper than the stories I have heard Sunday after Sunday. I suddenly had context to each site and story, making the Gospel that much more tangible and real.
As we entered the Old City, the streets were crowded - we couldn't walk anywhere without bumping into people. I could hear people praying, I could smell the fresh fruits, breads, and nuts that were being sold on the streets, and it was amazing to see hundreds of other pilgrims. It really put into perspective that just like when Jesus was on earth and crowds of people were rushing to visit Him, people still carry on the same faith today.
It is hard to fit into a few words every experience we had and everything we saw.
However, what I took from the trip is the beauty of the human life that Christ lived. This pilgrimage really opened my eyes up to the struggles that Christ and the Disciples went through when they were living out His ministry. Being able to experience the Gospel in this way made the stories I have heard time and time again real to me; Christ suddenly felt relatable, and everything I have heard my whole life felt like something I could hold onto rather than feeling so out of reach.
One of the places that made the Scriptures come alive for me was the Garden of Gethsemani; more specifically, the Church of Agony that is located right next to the Garden. As we entered the Church, it was so moving for me to think of His words, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me". In that moment, I realized that Jesus was here in the flesh as a person who struggled; He looked towards His disciples for support just like how I would look towards my friends. Being in the place where Christ went through some deep human emotion really put into perspective how He suffered in the moments leading up to His crucifixion; I understood for the first time that this salvation wasn't done without His struggle.
Another time when I felt the scriptures come alive was when we were in the Old City of Jerusalem and got to walk along the very path that Christ walked when He was carrying the Cross, known as "Via Dolorosa" (The Way of Suffering). This is one of my favorite memories from the trip. I suddenly realized that even when He suffered, Jesus did not carry out this mission alone; He relied on the help of those around Him to get Himself to where He needed to be. The visit to Via Dolorosa was a beautiful reminder to me that whatever our cross may be, we do not need to carry it alone.
Lastly, during one of the last days in Jerusalem, we stopped by the Tomb of Lazarus. Near the Tomb of Lazarus is a beautiful monastery with the very rock that Mary and Martha stood on while they waited for Jesus to visit them after Lazarus had died. When I was visiting the monastery and the Tomb of Lazarus, thinking about the four of them, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus, I saw them for the first time as a group of friends who are doing their best to be there for each other. Being in the very places where these events happened put into perspective that Jesus felt real human emotion as anyone else would; He cared for His friend and was heartbroken when He saw what happened to Lazarus. I left with an even greater appreciation for His humanity and His care for others, including each of us.
I knew I was going to learn a lot on this trip. However, I didn't realize just how much this pilgrimage would deepen my knowledge of the Gospel readings I have heard my whole life. What I found and still find so powerful about the Holy Lands is that regardless of the religion, whether it is Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, what brings millions of people together year round is that we all believe that something profound in our faith happened on the very grounds we walk alongside each other on. How incredibly beautiful.
Demetra Zouzas works full-time in the field of College, Career, and Post-Secondary Counseling. She is a 2021 graduate of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Leadership certificate program from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. Because of this program, she found her path to serve in the Youth and Young Adult Ministry through the Metropolis of Boston Camp and the Telos Project. She attends her home parish in Lowell, Massachusetts while also frequenting Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Boston, Massachusetts. Her pilgrimage in Israel gave her a greater understanding as to how she can incorporate the Gospel teachings through her service in Youth and Young Adult Ministry and she hopes to experience more pilgrimages in the future!
This is our final pilgrimage story - but if you have a story you would like to see featured on Axia there’s still time! You can send your story and any photos to axiawomen@gmail.com.