Advent Pilgrimage: A Journey from Eden to Bethlehem

Welcome letter from Bill Snyder & Charbel Raish

We are excited to present to you the first Advent Pilgrimage – A Journey from Eden to Bethlehem!

Bill Snyder, co-author of A Contemplative Las Posadas, dreamed of sharing a 9-day novena with the world. Parousia was planning an exciting, new type of pilgrimage – an advent Jesse Tree!

The Holy Spirit inspired them to join forces and help thousands of Catholics prepare for Christmas.

What is Las Posadas?.

The Posada Navideña is an Advent novena tradition primarily celebrated in Mexico and Hispanic countries. Like a procession or a play, it re-enacts the journey of St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother with Child from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Pilgrims generally walk from house to house singing a special song; they request lodging, and are rejected several times. Finally, a reluctant ‘innkeeper’ welcomes them into their home for a celebration.

The Church celebrates a liturgical season with daily scripture readings. There is typically a 3 year cycle in the Roman Catholic Church, where almost all of the bible is covered.

Advent is the start of the liturgical year and so its a great time to renew your faith and adopt good daily habits. Advent also has a four week cycle with 4 candles. 3 purple, and a rose colour. The Christmas Candle itself is white.

Symbols like the Candle wreath and the nativity scene are common each year. Some only bring out the Christ Child on Christmas day. Others use a Jesse Tree.

What if we combined all these traditions together?

Welcome to the Advent Pilgrimage – A Journey from Eden to Bethlehem.

Each day, you will get video meditations on Salvation History from Adam to Jesus. Like the Jesse tree, we will revisit the Old Testament figures who foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah.

Following the lineage of Jesus, and reach Zachariah the father of St John the Baptist by December 16.

On December 17 we change focus to the New Testament and begin the Las Posadas Novena, coinciding with the change of scriptural readings in the Church.

This will lead us right up to Christmas Day on December 25 – completing the nine day novena and the advent long pilgrimage.

Speakers & Teachers

This pilgrimage will feature some of the world’s top speakers and teachers on scripture and the Catholic Faith. The online event is brought to you by Parousia and Patchwork Heart ministries, with the assistance of SmartCatholics.

Register for free to watch the videos and pray along with other pilgrims. Enjoy weekly live interviews, and a downloadable Pilgrimage Guide with the daily scripture reading references, and space for note taking.

Let this be your best Advent ever!

God Bless
Charbel Raish and Bill Snyder