Dear TLI Family,
As I sit down to write this week's message, I find myself in a place that feels simultaneously surreal and deeply familiar. I am writing to you from Israel, where I have been blessed to be part of a delegation of Catholic influencers invited to journey through the Holy Land.
Compared to the past, there are basically no pilgrims or tourists here. And the uniqueness of the situation allows for a very intimate experience with Our Lord at each of the holy sites here.
Since arriving on Sunday, I have had the absolute privilege of walking the very land where Jesus Christ lived, walked, and shared the Gospel. Words fall short of capturing the grace of these past few days. I stood and prayed for every single one of you from the serene olive grove of Gethsemane, the spot where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion. I have walked the sacred stones of the Via Dolorosa and stood in quiet awe inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Ad: Discover the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego. See her image. And join Archbishop José Gómez, Bishop Thomas Olmsted and Bishop Timothy Freyer for The Hour of the Laity 2026 in Mexico City.
Friends, to kneel, touch, kiss, and pray in the very spot where Our Lord Jesus Christ was laid to rest and rose again is an experience that will stay with me forever. I am deeply moved by everything I've encountered so far, and incredibly, this pilgrimage is only halfway complete.
Today, our path takes us to the Village of Magdala on the picturesque shores of the Sea of Galilee. Also on our itinerary is a visit to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, followed by Capharnaum, where our group will see the historic site of St. Peter's house. We are also scheduled to visit the Mount of Beatitudes today, that beautiful hillside site revered across centuries as the location where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. There is more packed into our journey, but I will share those details for when I write to you again next week.
This pilgrimage was completely unexpected and hardly on my radar. Given the current, delicate geopolitical climate, being thousands of miles away in this region was quite literally the last thing I suspected I would be doing right now. But as I am sure many of you will understand, this was an invitation and an opportunity that I simply could not refuse.
I am using these grace-filled days to pause, reflect, pray, and offer up every single moment of this experience to God. I am praying specifically for continued growth in faith and interior life. Most importantly, please know that I am holding each of you, yours and my family in prayer.
I lift up the intentions of the entire TLI family, specially our apostolate, Tepeyac Leadership, and our collective mission in prayer at these holy sites. Furthermore, I am praying earnestly for abundant fruits to come from our upcoming gathering, THL2026, in Mexico City in October.
Thank you for your continued dedication, your prayers, and for being such an extraordinary community of leaders. I look forward to connecting with you all again very soon.
Sincerely yours in Christ and Our Lady of Guadalupe,
P.S. Join Archbishop José Gómez, Bishop Thomas Olmsted and Bishop Timothy Freyer for The Hour of the Laity 2026 in Mexico City. In the videos bellow you will see what they have to say about THL2026.
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