The last place we visited before leaving Galilee was another of my favorites: Magdala, the town of Mary Magdalene. While Magdala isn't mentioned in the Gospels, it's certain Jesus spent time there. Above, Fr. Michael celebrates Mass in the church. More about this later.
Magdala was unearthed in 2009 when Fr. Juan Solana, who had a special devotion to Mary Magdalene, was building a retreat center on the Sea of Galilee. It was quite a find, containing one of only seven 1st century synagogues in Israel.
Above and below are photos of the floor of the synagogue, a floor Jesus would have walked and taught from.
The church at Magdala is called, Duc in Altum, which is Latin for, "Put out into the deep,." Here is the Gospel story from which it came:
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret [Galilee], the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. Luke 5:1-7
Below Fr. Michael offering Mass at the boat-shaped altar. Everything from the altar to the cross-like mast to the view of the Sea of Galilee is designed to create the sensation of a journey by boat.
Mary Magdalene is mentioned 12 times in the Gospels. Here in a mosaic in a side chapel, Jesus is shown casting out seven demons from her. Mary is described as one of several women traveling with Jesus and helping support him. She also witnessed his crucifixion and planned to attend his body after his death.
Mary was the first person to see Jesus after his Resurrection. Here is the touching story from John 20:11-18, in which Mary recognizes Jesus when He says her name.
Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her. "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he had told her.
In the Encounter Chapel in the lower level of Duc In Altum, Val performs a dramatic interpretation of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus's garment and was healed.
As we waited in Duc In Altum for Mass to begin, a woman welcomed us. She congratulated us for going on this pilgrimage instead of a cruise, where we could be getting a foot massage. Pilgrimages are tiring, she said. You get on and off the bus, go to one place, then it's time to leave, you are often hot, tired, and hungry. It's like being with Jesus as he traveled around.
"Go out into the deep," Jesus instructed his disciples 2,000 years ago, as he does to us today. But going deep, whether into water or life or love is scary. It can be frightening when God breaks into our lives, calling us to go deeper. We can't do this alone. Jesus will accompany us as he did the disciples. Our lives are not about us but are about surrendering to the call of transformation, where God's plans and rewards are more than we can imagine. How will our lives be changed by this pilgrimage?
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