Today we said farewell to the beautiful Mount of Beatitudes, and headed into the hill country. In order to reach the top of Mt Tabor, we boarded vans and enjoyed a winding ride. Mass was lovely, recalling the Transfiguration of the Lord. Driving through the valley of Armageddon, Our stellar guide Maher helped us understand the landscape and history of the area. Entering the region of Judah, we visited the town of Ein Karem, and the churches of the Visitation and of the birthplace of John the Baptist. (And a welcome break for gelato!)
Tonight we checked into our hotel in Bethlehem, warmly welcomed and so well-fed! Tomorrow, we'll join the local Catholic community for Mass, and visit the Church of the Nativity to honor the place where the Word became Flesh. Outside Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee - what better way to start the day! Follow that with a boat ride ON the Sea of Galilee! Dining on St. Peter's fish - perfect for a Friday in Lent! Other sites visited today were Capernaum and the home of St. Peter; the Primacy of Peter where Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance; Tagbha, the site of the feeding of the 5000; and the recent archaeological discovery of Magdala - hometown of Mary Magdalene with its first century synagogue.
Here is our group on a glorious day in Nazareth! We celebrated the first Mass of our pilgrimage in the Basilica of the Annunciation, after entering through the holy door, and visiting the lower-level cave of the visitation.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus and left the Mount of Beatitudes for the hills of Galilee. Arriving in the Church in Cana, the 13 couples in our group renewed their marriage vows. That represented 566 years of marriage!!! After a long overnight flight, we arrived to a sunny and warm Israel. On our way up to the Sea of Galilee, we stopped by the ruins of the Roman seaport of Ceasarea Maritme, then lunch at a lovely site overlooking the Mediterranean!
Sorry to not post any photos for you quite yet, but we are having problems accessing wifi. However, the flights turned out fine, the weather here is warm and gorgeous, we have been well fed and (7 hours ahead of you) many of us are headed for any early bedtime. All is very well. (But please be patient if you don't hear directly from your family/friends today.)
Tomorrow we'll go to Cana and Nazareth. Thanks for your prayers, please be assured of ours! As you are finishing (or starting) your packing, here's what the predicted temperatures look like:
The first three days (Wednesday-Friday will have a high of 80 degrees! On Saturday, as we move from Galilee down to Bethlehem, the temperature also shifts down a bit- to a high of 70 and low 60's on Sunday. Monday, in Jerusalem, might see some afternoon rain and a high around 60 degrees, with the rest of our stay seeing a high in the mid-60's (and a low in the high 40's.) That's QUITE a range! Layering is key, right? I've had a few people ask me if the gifts for the Bethlehem community should be wrapped, and i would say not to do that. Airport security might well unwrap them. I'll try to bring a couple of large gift bags- we'll play it by ear. PHONES- If you are bring your cell phone for checking email via wi-fi or skype/facetiming, but do not want to pay international rates for telephone calls, please remember to switch off your roaming, and turn to airplane mode as we are leaving Newark. Looking forward to seeing you at RDU (please arrive 2 hours early)! Sometimes, it's the little things that make a difference.
When we enter Israel, your passport is usually not stamped. You'll be given an entry ticket- and you'll want to keep that, not throw it away. So a paper clip in your passport might add an extra bit of security. Why carry a plastic bag (or 3?)? For your washcloth when we change hotels, or your shoes, or dirty laundry or? It weighs almost nothing, but can come in handy in so many ways. if you are bringing your cell phone to check email or FaceTime/Skype over wifi, but don't want to incur international phone fees, you will want to turn off roaming and set your phone to airplane mode once we leave Newark.
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AuthorsLynn Sale and Cathy Rusin are the Group Coordinators for this Pilgrimage. Archives
January 2017
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