Renewal at the River Jordan

THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS

My first glimpse of the River Jordan - WOW!

(Wow!  There it is!!)

(Wow!  It's so small...?)  That's called a 'deep creek' where I come from.  But what was I expecting?  The Mississippi??   Considering my reaction, I guess so.

I mean, it's SO FAMOUS!  I've been hearing about it all my life.  I must have projected a lot into it, like it should be bigger just because it's so well-known?   This is one of the reasons that I was so blessed to be given the generous gift of a trip to Israel by my mother!  Because to be there helped me to identify with the sites, with Jesus and with His life.

The river starts in the northern part of Israel and runs down into the Sea of Galilee separating Israel from Syria.  Then, exiting the southern end of the sea, it creates the border (for now) between Israel and Jordan as it flows down into the Dead Sea.

The River Jordan was a very important waterway in Jesus' time and is now.  We Americans, we forget that everyone in this world can't just turn on a tap and have water - safe, clean and unlimited!  I'm on a wonderful well at my house that has never once not given me cold, clean, fresh water in unlimited quantities.   I have never, ever worried about  running dry, so my water is completely free!

Water is an amazing thing!  We all understand being dirty and water's cleansing properties.  Water is refreshing, both to drink and to cool off when we are hot.  Water is soothing, when we are cold we warm up in a hot shower or bath.

If we don't get it when we need it we will get sick.  If we drink it too fast we will get sick.  We will die if we don't get enough of it, it can kill us if we get too much of it.

Water can be good or bad, a life-saver or life-threatening.  It can easily be too hot, too cold, too violent and just a few inches of it can kill us.

What a remarkable thing water is!

River Jordan

Thinking on this now, I remember a conversation I had with our Israeli Guide, Hillel.  He said he had spent 4 months in the United States, traveling all around and seeing the famous sites.  I asked him what was his favorite place and was surprised when he said "Niagara Falls".  Really?  I asked him if he had seen Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, the Badlands....he said oh yes, he'd seen all those places.  But he told me "I am from a desert country.  I've seen plenty of canyons and mountains.  But I have never seen a waterfall anything like that before!". 

It's all in perception.  Seeing something from someone else's point of view. And getting one of those "ah ha" moments of understanding of where another human being is coming from.

The Jordan River was life-sustaining for the people for thousands of years.  Water was precious.  Hillel gave us some background about the river, how the peoples used it over the years, conflicts over damning the water, etc.  And of course he related the story of John the Baptist and Jesus.

But none of this was in my mind as we arrived at the Baptismal Site on the River Jordan - called "Yardenit", which means "little Jordan" in Hebrew. 

To be completely honest - I must confess - what I was actually thinking was "what a tourist trap!"...I had looked this place up online ahead of time and it seemed really cheesy to me.  This was suppose to be a pilgrimage and I felt like I was in Disney World or something!  Like when you are on one of the rides and there are animatronic robots are making it look like you are in the jungle or in the future or in a haunted house.

Besides, hadn't we all already been baptized as infants?  You can't be baptized twice.  I understand renewal of the baptismal promises, we do it every year in Mass and also if you ever attend a baptism.  But the robes and the full immersion, people singing and swaying....it all felt so protestant to me!

But all my fellow travelers seemed so very excited and couldn't wait!  ???  Well, I had no intention of participating in this!  I would just watch from the bank, thank-you-very-much.

I went into the building with everyone and was surprised by the JOY inside!  My goodness!  It was a tangible, physical thing - the room was electrified with excitement and anticipation! Everyone was purchasing gowns and renting towels, trying to cox me into participating "come on, you must do it!".

First thing I know, I'm paying for a gown and towel and heading up the walk to the changing room (which was flat insanity - around 40 or so women chattering excitedly in a dozen languages in all stages of dress....it was CRAZY!).  I emerged from the bathhouse just as excited as anyone else, it was infectious!

Mom & I and our fellow Pilgrims about to renew our Baptismal Promises!

We stopped to have Hillel take a group shot of a bunch of us and then we practically skipped down the path to the water!  I'm telling you, I found myself to be full of anticipation, but nothing like the stressful oh-I-hope-I-make-a-spiritual-connection-to-this-site I felt at some of the other holy places!  This was like pure exhilaration!

Everyone was so happy and child-like, silly might be a good word, as we stood in line to take our turn with Fr. T & Fr. N.

Entering the water was a shock!  It was freezing!!!!!  I wasn't expecting that at all, I'd gone wading in the Sea of Galilee earlier in the day and the water was so warm (and that sea fed this river!), how could this water be so icy!!!   I thought, oh my gosh, how in the world am I going to be able to go under?!?!?!??!

But when my turn came, I waded right down to Fr. T & Fr. N and stood between them.  They each took an arm and with the words "I Baptize you in the Name of the Father..." and they pulled me over backwards and I was under!

It happened so fast, I was being pulled back up before the freezing water could even register on my brain!

And then back down, "And in the Son...."

and under into a surreal upside-down world,

and there was lightening-quick disorientation as my equilibrium was not keeping up with the physical movements,

and then strong arms pulling me back up, hands under my back holding me steady,

up and out of the water for a quick breath and I could hear them say "And the Holy Spirit..."

and the dizzying feeling of being pulled back down,

the soft enveloping of the water which by now had no temperature to me at all,

and again the safe and secure arms of the priests pulling me up and out into the light.....

Oh it was GLORIOUS!

It was a complete feeling of cleanliness~  it was like the moment you walk out of the confessional and you know you are pure of sin at that time!  And even though there was no confessing, no contrition, no penance, I felt completely clean, completely perfect in God's eyes at that moment!  And it was just beautiful!

It was so spiritually uplifting and I felt such oneness with my fellow pilgrims and with the water and the trees and the flowers and the grass and the sky and with God!  Such peace!  Such joy!

Everyone must have been feeling similarity because Di was yelling from out in the middle of the river "Come Swim with me!" and many of us went out into the water like children - splashing and laughing, cutting flips and dunking each other!  We were all just so exuberant!

Too soon we had to get out to get dressed.

It was an awesome bonding experience!  I think all my fellow travelers felt the same way.  I sat next to Vi and her mother for 8 hours on the plane coming to Israel, yet I felt closer to her now after those few moments shared in the water!

It was truly a mystical thing, a wonderful spiritual event that I will never forget - one that I can reconnect with every time I dip my fingers into the holy water font and bless myself as I enter the sanctuary with the words "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".  

Oh Lord, thank you so much for that wonderful spiritual gift on my trip, a souvenir I hope to cherish forever and ever!  Amen!

 Matt 3:13-17     Mk 1:9-11     Lk 3:21-23

2012 Pilgrimage to Israel - Day 5