Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Friday. May 17, 2019

After our morning at Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration, we took a 20 minute bus ride to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. In the first century, Nazareth was off the beaten path; it is behind some hills and couldn't be seen from the main highway through Galilee. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" asked Nathanael in John 1:46, giving a hint as to its reputation.

First, we went to Mary's Grotto, where the Angel Gabriel, brought the good news to Mary. "Hail favored one! The Lord is with you! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." Luke 1

The Basilica of the Annunciation was built over Mary's Grotto, where Gabriel visited Mary. In the Holy Land, there weren't Christian churches built until the 4th century, by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Before this, Christians met in homes or secret places. Constantine legalized Christianity within the Roman Empire and became a Christian himself. In the centuries after this, there was a lot of back and forth between the Muslims and the Christians during the Crusades. Churches/mosques would be built and then knocked down. Repeat. The above pictured Basilica of the Annunciation was constructed in 1969 and was built over the site of the Crusader church.

We had Mass in the Basilica and I was the lector. Above, Father Michael prepares.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!" Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us!"

The word of the Lord.

As part of our pilgrimage, we had daily Mass, prayer services a few times each day, embodied Rosary, and liturgical skits and dances. All greatly enhanced our experience of the Holy Land. Above, Betsy performs a liturgical dance at the end of Mass.

The red bag to the right contains all of the prayer requests that we pilgrims brought from home. This bag is making the pilgrimage with us and is placed on the altar each day before Mass.

At many of the churches I visit, I take a photo of the Ninth Station of the Cross: Jesus falls the third time.

In the courtyard of the Church.

There are about 50 pilgrims on this trip. A couple of them are deaf and blind. Traveling with them are guides and interpreters. The interpreters do tactile signing. As the interpreters sign, they hold the hands of the pilgrim and through movement and tracing onto their hands, the interpreters are able to describe the sites and sounds of the different locations. These fellow pilgrims and interpreters are my heroes! Our fellow pilgrims were cheerful and slowed us up not one bit. The interpreters don't stop moving all day, and at all times, have to pay close attention to what is being said and what we are seeing. They did their work with such joy!

Next to the Basilica of the Annunciation was the Church of St. Joseph. It was built in 1914 over what tradition says was the workshop of St. Joseph.

A visitor relaxes on one of the pews in St. Joseph's.

Jesus works with Joseph in the workshop.

Transfiguration, Friday, May 17, 2019

We are staying at Gai Beach Hotel in Tiberias, located on the Sea of Galilee. As I am writing these entries after my trip, I can say: the Sea of Galilee is my favorite part of the Holy Land. I think this is in part because it is so easy to imagine Jesus preaching, curing, and working miracles here. The area seems like it is unchanged from the first century. Plus,  I love being on the water.

The waters Jesus calmed and walked on, preached from and brought up fish from.

Today we are taking our bus to Mt. Tabor, where the Transfiguration occurred. We will be spending the next few days in the Galilee region.

Galilee is a region in northern Israel where Jesus spent a lot of time. He was born and grew up here, spent much of his three years preaching and curing here. The Sea of Galilee is mentioned 51 times in the Gospels. Galilee was well populated then with many towns around the Sea of Galilee. It was a little more worldly than Judea, the region to the south. Our guide Sam told us that Galilee was on the way to everywhere, while the Judea was on the way to no where. "It's easier to raise a legion of olives in Galilee than a child in Judea," was an expression from the times. Eleven of Jesus's disciples were from Galilee, while only Judas was from Judea.

Tradition says that the Transfiguration happened on Mt. Tabor. "Tradition says" is a phrase we heard frequently in the Holy Land. I translate it to mean: we aren't exactly sure where the event occurred but it was likely somewhere in the vicinity. Mt. Tabor was a good guess for the Transfiguration, as it has been considered a holy mountain for centuries.

The Basilica of the Transfiguration was built in 1924.

The mosaic above the altar is beautiful.

On Mt. Tabor divinity breaks through humanity. The radiance of Jesus recalls Moses going up Mt. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments. When Moses descends, his face is glowing.  Our tour guide Sam pointed out it's telling that Jesus brought three apostles with him: Peter, the Rock, James, the head of the church in Jerusalem, and John, the last apostle to die. Jewish tradition also says that two or three witnesses are needed to validate an event. Jesus needs his friends.

On Mt. Tabor, Jesus's divinity broke through his humanity. I think God's divinity is constantly breaking through to us through creation and our loved ones. But often, like the apostles, we can be asleep.

The plain of Jezreel, seen from Mt. Tabor.

Below, the Sea of Galilee at night.

St. Peter's in Tiberias: Thursday, May 16, 2019

The first stop on our pilgrimage was the town of Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. One of the beautiful things I noticed first about Israel were all the gorgeous flowering bushes, trees, and gardens. 

We spent the first three days and nights of our pilgrimage in Tiberias. I loved being on the Sea of Galilee. Apparently a lot of Israelis do as it is a resort area. Tiberias was founded by Herod Antipas between 17-20 AD. Sometimes the Sea of Galilee is known as the Sea of Tiberias.

Our first Mass was at St. Peter's in Tiberias. There was a church on this site as early as 1100, built by the Crusaders. The current church dates to 1870. Above Fr. Michael prepares.

Above is a wall of the church built by the Crusaders.

During many of the Masses, I had thoughts about my brother Father Jim, who died on October 12, 2018. Or as I prefer to think of it, was born to eternal life. Feelings of sadness would well up within me; Jim was a priest but never traveled to the Holy Land. I would console myself by thinking about him in the perfect new Jerusalem.

The readings from the Mass centered on St. Peter, from his epistle and from Matthew 16: 13-19, when Jesus says, "you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." Jesus puts Peter in charge despite all of Peter's weaknesses and failings: Peter tells Jesus he doesn't need to go through his Passion, he denies Jesus. But Jesus doesn't revoke Peter's commission. It's a good thing that Jesus asked such a sinner and screwup to be in charge of the Church. He would have empathy for the rest of us and be a comfort to us in our own sinfulness. 

The symbols for the four Gospel writers. They look modern, almost like a cartoon.

The lion, symbol of St. Mark.

Looking through the door of the courtyard to St. Peter's with a view of the Sea of Galilee in the distance.

Today is the feast day of St. Brendan. According to Fatih ND, "His faith led him to great adventures at the ends of the known world."He wrote the Navigato, which chronicles his travels. It is also the 16th and golden birthday of my son Luke. I miss him and John and will be praying for both of them on this pilgrimage.

Onto the hotel for our first night in the Holy Land.

Tel Aviv!

I stayed in Tel Aviv for a couple of days in between Prague and beginning my pilgrimage. Tel Aviv, which means "hill of spring" is the second largest city in Israel and the technological and economic engine of the country. The city is located on the Mediterranean Ocean and the reason cruise ships can stop in Israel. 

My friendly cabbie wanted me to sit in the front seat and then took me on a death-defying, half hour ride from the Ben Gurion Airport to my AirBnB place in Tel Aviv. The city was hopping in part because it was hosting Eurovision and in part because it is always hopping.

I had never heard of Eurovision before, but it was a big deal, with an article in the airline magazine and signs everywhere. The cabbie pointed it out to me as we drove by the beach. Eurovision is a singing contest that started after World War II to promote unity in Europe. Each country sends one performer to Eurovision to compete for a trophy and the glory of winning. The only two winners whom you may have heard are ABBA and Celine Dion. If you're interested in learning more, here is an article for confused Americans about Eurovision.

Above is the building I stayed in and below is my room. The other residents--mainly young people-- staying there looked more upscale than the building would indicate. Groups of young people walked the streets. Many of them looked very American to me but then I would hear them speaking Hebrew as they passed.

I got a box of crackers, a package of Swiss cheese, some coke, and a screw top bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the store down the street and those were my provisions for the next couple of days.

Tel Aviv is an interesting place, which I would have enjoyed more if I hadn't been obsessing about my lost luggage. It reminded me a little of Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Also Manhattan and West Berlin, when it existed. The city and the whole country are not quite first world but definitely not third world. Or maybe they are the first world, certainly parts of Tel Aviv and Israel are, but first world that is scruffy around the edges.

It seems as if a lot of young people live in Tel Aviv. On my first night there, a Tuesday, I looked out the window at 2 am, and the streets and sidewalks were packed. This was probably in part due to Eurovision, but I have a feeling that Tel Aviv is like this all the time. It's a, Wild West, party mood kind of place.

Above, an example of construction.

I went for a walk and came upon this great market.

Such an abundance and so colorful!

When I was worried about my lost luggage, I made a list of my blessings regarding this: 

1. I have my glasses (so could take out my contacts)
2. I have my phone charger. Very important
3. I have an Israeli adapter so I can use my important phone charger
4. I have the toiletries bag from El Al.

I also wrote a prayer addressing the situation.

Dear God,

I'm sorry about my near panic and despair in the face of minor problems and setbacks. Help me to feel the deep down alrightness in all circumstances, especially the trying ones. Help me cultivate calmness and attention so that I might focus on others and problem solving and so dissolve any unhelpful anxiety. Let me be a ray of sunshine in all situations. Amen.

I'll leave you with this fun street scene as the last image of Tel Aviv. (I think the street singer sounds better than Lionel Richie!)