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If you’d asked me yesterday, I would have surely said that today’s highlight be the Cathedral of the Assumption in Mexico City. As great as that was, the standout moment came in the morning, when we visited Our Lady of the Remedies Sanctuary. This Marian devotion has led to countless miracles. To learn more, watch the video above.

Due to lack of time, we were unable to see the murals painted by the most famous of Mexican artists, Diego Rivera. I would have welcomed the opportunity to comment his murals. A few months back, his work and that of his contemporaries was on display at the Phoenix Art Museum. The 20th century artists sought to depict ordinary life and ordinary people in Mexico. What struck me at the exhibit, and may have struck me had I see the murals, is the complete absence of religion. That’s probably for several reasons — not the least of which was the state’s relationship with the Church. Also, many of these artists were Marxists, and Marxism often is atheistic. But you can certainly see how such work — claiming to depict the every day life of the Mexican people — is flawed if not an outright lie if religion is left out. The country continues to be deeply Catholic, and was even more so during the time of Diego Rivera. Catholicism is part of everyday life here. In any case, I have great admiration for Mexican artists. They have a distinct style that is uniquely Mexican. I appreciate it more having spent some time here learning more about the country’s history.

The Cathedral of the Assumption in Mexico City.

We did see the cathedral and it was glorious. But the 500-year-old cathedral didn’t even take take second place for the day. Tonight, we went to the Ballet Folklorico, which is a compilation of traditional Mexican dances throughout the centuries. The first dance cut to my heart — it was the matachines. I’ve seen matachines dance for years at the Honor Your Mother event and most recently at the Matachines event at St. Mary Parish in Chandler. But this time, as I watched the dance, it hit me how much it represented the convergence of two cultures — the drum beat and rattles from Aztecs, the dress more and more Spanish. Matachines dance for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and with good reason. Through the image she left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, she continues to bring unity to diverse cultures, and to bring all of God’s children back to the Father.

What happen today promises to be the most important part of my trip to Mexico — visiting Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica, where the image the Blessed Mother left St. Juan Diego resides. Above, you’ll find a three-minute video recap of the pilgrimage site.

Mayan pyramid of the Moon

I also visited the amazing Teotihuacan pyramids to the Sun and Moon goods. They’re incredible. I hope to share more about that visit in the coming days. I’m planning on posting photos soon of both sites — and also of the church where St. Juan Diego was baptized, on Facebook.com/thecatholicsun.

Tomorrow promises to be another full day. I’m visiting the Santuario de los Remedios, where the group will also attend Mass. The group will also visit the Historical Center of Mexico City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s followed by a walking tour of Eje Central and Madero St., where we’ll visit the Church of San Francisco, and continue along Madero Street to swing by La Profesa to the Zocalo.

That’s all before 1 p.m.! Then the group will visit the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, walk to the ruins of Templo Mayor, and continue on to see some murals done by Diego Rivera. Next? No, not dinner. We’ll go to the Anthropology Museum and, after dinner, it’s off to the Palace of Fine Arts for the Ballet Folklorico.

My plan is to share as much of this with you as I can, though I’ve already noticed my time runs out each day! It’s a beautiful country.

Today we visited the Church of the Beatitudes, built on the site where Jesus gave the Sermon on the mount. The church is octagonal shaped and each of the eight stained glass windows features one of the Beatitudes written in Latin.

Out of all the churches we visited so far, this one really struck me as so very touching: to be in the place where Our Lord spoke those words…amazing!

We also visited the ruins of Capernum and went inside the remaining walls of the synagogue where Jesus taught. I wrote down a prayer intention on a piece of paper, folded it up and placed it between some of the stones in the wall, just like hundreds of other pilgrims to this holy place.

The highlight of the day for me was our 45-minute boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The water was a gorgeous shade of bluish-green and the rays of the sun striking the surface looked like so many diamonds.

My heart was full thinking about how Jesus called to St. Peter and asked him to step out on the water with Him, to have faith.

We rounded out the afternoon with a meal of grilled fish at “St. Peter’s Restaurant,” followed by a visit to the Jordan River. We then drove through Cana, the place of Jesus’ first miracle.

As we drove home through the lush Valley of Jordan, it was time for Evening Prayer, and I read Psalm 65, in which David sings of the valleys shouting with joy and praise.

What an amazing day!

It’s a delight to be in Mexico City again. I’m touring Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca thanks to Regina Tours and the Mexican Tourism Board. I’ll be sharing what I see with readers through this blog and through videos — found here, on Facebook.com/thecatholicsun, and on our YourTube channel, youtube.com/thecatholicsun.

Mexico City airport.

Most folks I spoke with before I left were terrified. Most of what you hear about Mexico is the ongoing violence. That’s real, of course. But something that really rang clear today, my first day in Mexico City, is that the tourist locations, including the Catholic tourist and pilgrimage sites, are safe. The Mexican government has a special division of law enforcement charged with keeping tourists safe, and they’re concentrated in tourist locations. That just makes sense. They want to keep tourists coming to their country.

Seeing all of Mexico as a dangerous place is an easy trap to fall into — just like believing you have a 50/50 chance of getting mugged walking down the street in New York. But New York is big, and not every neighborhood is as dangerous as the next. A lot of New York is pretty safe.

Well, Mexico is even bigger. Imagine if someone judged all of the United States by the crime in Washington. It’s just not accurate.

Tomorrow, the tour really begins. We’ll be hitting Tlatelolco, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, the Church of St. James — where St. Juan Diego was baptized — and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We’ll also be stopping at Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the pyramids of the Sun, Moon and Temple of Quetzal.

It promises to be an amazing day, and I hope to share as much of it as I can.

I’m on a familiarization trip for members of the Catholic Press Association, organized through Regina Tours and the Mexico Tourism Board. I’m planning on posting video blogs throughout my visit of Catholic sites in Mexico, to help readers experience what I’m experiencing, and to encourage them to have an experience of their own. Going on pilgrimage is more than just sightseeing. It’s a way to grow closer to Christ.