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!)

The Saga of the Missing Luggage

I arrived at the Prague airport and got through the extensive Israeli security check, with an interview. (What religious community do you belong to?) The guy above in yellow standing outside the plane I will soon board, was the one who interviewed me.

Look! There is my suitcase being loaded onto my El Al plane, which will take me on a three hour, nonstop flight from Prague to Tel Aviv. How falsely comforting!

I love taking photos from the plane. Here are the lovely fields of the Czech Republic.

These clouds make me think of Zeus.

Not sure what mountains these are. 

But they are beautiful.

Israel above and below

I made it and stand in the passport line for about 15 minutes.

The luggage carousel is only about 100 feet from passport control. But this is what I find when I walk there: no suitcases or people.

I double check that I am at the right carousel. Yep. I mill around for about a half hour checking other carousels before I give up and go to the lost and found.

Where they have me fill out some paperwork and give me the above toiletries bag, complete with pajamas! There are stacks of these bags behind the TEN lost and found windows, making me suspicious that lost luggage is a common occurrence at the Tel Aviv airport. I spend the next 24 hours wondering if my luggage will turn up and how many clothes, etc. to buy in Tel Aviv if it doesn't. The next evening, I call the airline and a recording tells me my luggage has been located. I hope this is accurate and will try to claim it the next morning when I meet my tour group back at the airport.

In the meantime, people in the United States have been praying to St. Anthony on behalf of my missing luggage. Thank you to them and St. Anthony! I have him on speed dial.

It works! I hunt down an airline rep, she takes me into the bowels of the airport to the most beautiful sight! Not sure where it went, but very glad to have it back!

One last glimpse of the Tel Aviv Airport and the mylar balloons that have escaped to the ceiling. 

Parting Thoughts About Praha

Prague--love how they spell/pronounce it, Praha--really seems to have it together. A European capital in lovely natural setting

With historical, well-maintained, beautiful buildings integrated with capitalism.

Low crime rate, reasonable cost of living, free university education for citizens.

I was only there a few days, hardly long enough to get a complete feel for the place. But I sensed a kind of gentle melancholy about the city.

Maybe it's part of their national personality. Maybe it's a part of their World War II experience. The reason Prague was so untouched during the war is because parts of their country were given away under the Munich Agreement and thanks to threats from Hitler--Prague is so beautiful. It would be a shame if the Lufwaffe had to destroy it--the president conceded the rest to Germany.

There was a Czech government in exile and a resistance, whose greatest success was assassinating Reinhard Heydrich, an architect of the Holocaust and ruler of the former Czechoslovakia during the war. But the Czech's didn't pay the price the Poland and other countries did.

Them there were their decades under the Iron Curtain. They too came through this unscathed with the Velvet Revolution led by