The Catholic churches in the Kingdom marked Christian and national pilgrimage day at the Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ on the Jordan River on Friday January 16, to celebrate the birth of the Lord, an annual tradition held since 2000.

Latin Patriarch of the Holy City, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus Fouad Twal celebrated Mass at the Church of Jesus Christ Baptism on the east bank of the Jordan River. Latin and Catholic bishops, as well as a number of the faithful will participate in the Mass.

Following is the text of Patriarch Twal's homily marking the annual pilgrimage to the Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ :

Bishops, priests, religious men and women,

Dear faithful, arrivals from all parts of the Kingdom, Syria and Iraq,

Good morning, and happy anniversary.

At this site, on the east bank of the River Jordan, Lord Jesus Christ was baptized, and here groups of pilgrims came over the past centuries. At this site, the meeting between God and human beings took place through the Baptism of Lord Jesus in the River Jordan. Here John the Baptist met the Savior, and here groups of the baptized met with John, who viewed himself inferior before the glory of the Lord and he said to the crowd who thought that he was the Savior: "I am not Jesus Christ, and I am not worthy to untie His sandals.''

Pope Francis' pilgrimage:
Four great popes came to this very site and one of whom was canonized, namely Pope John Paul II while Pope Paul VI was beatified. At this very place and in this church in particular Pope Francis made his pilgrimage. He was accompanied by His Majesty King Abdullah II, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Ibn Abdullah. The Pope made history when he prayed touching the river water where he got blessed and blessed the masses of young people, the sick and the elderly who were in this church, as well as our brethren from Syria and Iraq.

At this moment, Pope Francis said: "The place where we are staying is reminiscent of the baptism of Lord Jesus. With His coming to Jordan and baptism by John, Jesus unveiled His humility and compassion on the multitudes. He also unveiled His sympathy with the suffering people and His intention to heal them.'' After touching the holy water, the Pope wanted to mingle with the people and share with them their concerns as well as their physical moral and national pains.

The pains of the Orient:
Among the bloody events that took place in the Orient is the displacement of our Iraqi brethren who fled last year to Jordan because of their faith and their baptism. Christian faith is not a commodity for sale, purchase and bargaining. Our Syrian and Iraqi brethren--particularly those who recently fled their homes due to extremism and terrorism--are our brothers, guests and relatives.

I would like, before you, to convey my greetings to and those who run Caritas including its staff and volunteers. Caritas is the right arm of the Catholic Church that does its utmost for the displaced through its offices in Amman and in the governorates of Jordan. I also pay tribute to all local and international church and public institutions that contribute to the restoration of dignity to the pained brethren.

Year of the consecrated life:
Brothers, this year is the year of the consecrated life. We launched this year through Masses in Jerusalem and Amman. In this year, which the Pope called for, we dedicate our thoughts and prayer for all the consecrated men and women in the monastic and secular societies. We pray for them and say: "God bless you." The Church needs more and more of those who dedicate themselves to the temple of God for the glory of God and for the good of souls. Last year, a monastic group operating in Jordan joined us, particularly in the Church of Tla' Al- Ali. They are the Sisters of St. Anne. The late Father Ibrahim Hijazin supervised their arrival to work in his parish.

The greatest gift to be presented by the Pope to the Holy Land in the year of consecrated life is the canonization of two nuns from the Holy Land, namely Mother Marie Alphonsine Ghattas , the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary, and Sister Mariam of Jesus Crucified Jesus Crucified, the founder of the Congregation of Religious Sisters serving in India and the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel in Bethlehem. We say again ''May God bless.''

Synod of the family:
The Synod of the Family will convene for the second year in October at the Vatican. The theme will be "The Family and the Challenges it Faced in the World of Today." I call on you to pray for the success of this Synod, so that the family will always be the basis where faith grows, and the school that teaches us love and mutual respect in the society and in the Church.

Dear friends,
This is the 15th anniversary of the annual pilgrimage to the Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ. We applaud all the efforts being exerted to develop the Site and make it attractive to thousands of pilgrims every year from Jordan, the Arab countries, and the friendly countries.
I greet before you the Royal Commission of the Baptismal Site, headed by HRH Prince Ghazi Ibn Mohammad, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Tourism Promotion Authority of Jordan, the security departments, and all media outlets that are covering the event, as well as all supporting institutions, and travel and tourism agencies. We bless all the built churches at this site and all the churches to be built in the future. We act in a team spirit to keep Jordan a destination for pilgrims and visitors from around the world.

We pray this morning for the Jordanian family, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, so that Jordan will remain always an oasis of security and stability, and a symbol of harmony and dialogue. We also pray so that the fires will be quenched in the troubled Arab countries, particularly in Syria and Iraq. We also pray for Lebanon to facilitate the election of a new president. We do not forget to pray for our relatives and the faithful living in the West Bank of the Jordan River, and for those who are still eager for the attainment of justice, freedom and peace.

Finally, we repeat what Pope St. John Paul II said at the Baptism Site in 2000 that is 15 years ago:

"In my prayers I will remember the people of Jordan, Christians and Muslims, in particular the sick, and the elderly. With all feelings of gratitude I beseech the Lord to bestow abundant blessings upon His Majesty the King and to all citizens. May God bless you all. May God bless Jordan."

Have a blessed pilgrimage. From the Baptism Site, I wish you all a happy feast of the Baptism of the Lord.