What a nice surprise the Lord gave us (He sure is doing that a lot!). This happened on Day 7, which was January 30th.
On the way to Shepherds' Field in Bethlehem, the Lord provided a very nice real life situation: a shepherd and his sheep stopped our traffic so that the sheep could follow him to a better place. (It is not, of course, real life back in Dallas, but it is here. That is part of what makes this journey so special...to see what was real life to Jesus.)
In 25 years serving here, Fr. Peter had never before been stopped on the way to Shepherds' Field by a shepherd and his sheep!
The video doesn't do justice to the awesome life lesson, but here it is anyway to let you know what we experienced on the way to Mass:
We then celebrated Mass in a small cave at Shepherd's Field. This was one more of so many moving experiences as we talked about how the shepherds responded to God's message and went immediately as God had suggested.
After a visit to the Milk Grotto, it was finally time to go to the Church of the Nativity to the spot where Jesus was born. As you watch the upcoming video, keep in mind that sound is one of the very important senses that helps us experience something new. This video is a good example of the importance of sound in our journey.
It is also an overview, so it starts before we encountered the sheep above. A bit out of order, but I think you get the message.
We then moved on to the next step which was actually entering the Church through the very small door. An act of humility to bow down upon entering the place where Jesus was born.
After we were all finally able to squeeze into the Church, which was actually very large on the level we entered, we then went downstairs to the actual birthplace of Jesus to worship Him. We waited for a while, but only because there were some Franciscans there having Morning Prayer. Once we finally got in, we experienced a profound time of His presence.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Day 6: Down the Mountain
Shalom, Ya'll:
In this video, you are going to witness some incredible bus driving by our bus driver, Ahmed.
We were just at the top of the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee. There were some on our bus who, well, closed their eyes and really couldn't watch. I am not sure if the video really does it justice, but take a look anyway.
In this video, you are going to witness some incredible bus driving by our bus driver, Ahmed.
We were just at the top of the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee. There were some on our bus who, well, closed their eyes and really couldn't watch. I am not sure if the video really does it justice, but take a look anyway.
Day 6: Beatitudes, Golan Heights, Jericho and on to Jerusalem
Shalom, Ya'll...
Day 6, which was Sunday January 29th, began with Mass at the Mt. of Beatitudes. We reflected upon how important the Beatitudes are as they really give us direction from God as to how we are really suppose to live our lives.
After reading an excerpt from a blog sent to me by my dear wife back home, I asked the pilgrims a question: how many of us could name all of the Beatitudes? No one could...including Fr. Peter and myself. So, I challenged all of us to learn the Beatitudes over the next however many months. Not only to learn them, though, but to live them. Seems important enough that we should spend some time learning those, don't you think?
After Mass, we departed the beautiful, peaceful, and holy Mt. of Beatitudes for our journey toward Jerusalem.
We then drove up to the Golan Heights for a view of the entire Sea of Galilee. It was a bit cloudy, but we were still able to see the entire length of the lake.
From there, we went down the "back way" on our way to Jericho. I cannot describe the journey down those hills, but the video...if I am ever able to upload it...will tell it all! Some on the bus had their eyes closed the entire time. What a thrill.
We did survive, however, and arrived at the oasis and oldest city in the world, Jericho to have lunch and view the Mt. of Temptation. It is believed that the devil took Jesus to the top of this mountain to tempt Him. We did not go up to the top, we just viewed from a distance.
After lunch, we left and went on to Jerusalem.
Day 6, for the most part, was a day of travel and the viewing of historical sites. It wasn't an overwhelming spiritual day, as some have been, but it was very important from the aspect of gaining perspective and insight to the land and the times of Jesus. We spent a good amount of time on the bus...saw various terrain there in the area, and we even saw some bedouin out the window tending their sheep.
Stay tuned for Day 7: it will prove to be just the opposite, as it was a powerful day spent mostly in Bethlehem...the place of Jesus' birth. I will get to that as soon as I can. In the meantime, I hope I am able to post a video soon if I can somehow overcome the interenet problems.
Blessings to all.
Day 6, which was Sunday January 29th, began with Mass at the Mt. of Beatitudes. We reflected upon how important the Beatitudes are as they really give us direction from God as to how we are really suppose to live our lives.
After reading an excerpt from a blog sent to me by my dear wife back home, I asked the pilgrims a question: how many of us could name all of the Beatitudes? No one could...including Fr. Peter and myself. So, I challenged all of us to learn the Beatitudes over the next however many months. Not only to learn them, though, but to live them. Seems important enough that we should spend some time learning those, don't you think?
After Mass, we departed the beautiful, peaceful, and holy Mt. of Beatitudes for our journey toward Jerusalem.
We then drove up to the Golan Heights for a view of the entire Sea of Galilee. It was a bit cloudy, but we were still able to see the entire length of the lake.
From there, we went down the "back way" on our way to Jericho. I cannot describe the journey down those hills, but the video...if I am ever able to upload it...will tell it all! Some on the bus had their eyes closed the entire time. What a thrill.
We did survive, however, and arrived at the oasis and oldest city in the world, Jericho to have lunch and view the Mt. of Temptation. It is believed that the devil took Jesus to the top of this mountain to tempt Him. We did not go up to the top, we just viewed from a distance.
After lunch, we left and went on to Jerusalem.
Day 6, for the most part, was a day of travel and the viewing of historical sites. It wasn't an overwhelming spiritual day, as some have been, but it was very important from the aspect of gaining perspective and insight to the land and the times of Jesus. We spent a good amount of time on the bus...saw various terrain there in the area, and we even saw some bedouin out the window tending their sheep.
Stay tuned for Day 7: it will prove to be just the opposite, as it was a powerful day spent mostly in Bethlehem...the place of Jesus' birth. I will get to that as soon as I can. In the meantime, I hope I am able to post a video soon if I can somehow overcome the interenet problems.
Blessings to all.
Day 6:Blessed are we...
As we prepare to celebrate the Mass of the Beatitudes here on the Mt. of Beatitudes and then head off to Jerusalem, I wanted to share a quick thought with you.
Every day that we have been here so far, there has been a rainbow sighting. A couple of those days, the rainbow has been a full rainbow...we could see both ends of the rainbow. All of us feel it is just the Lord's visual reminder that He is with us and He is blessing us.
A pilgrim caught this picture that I share with you now:
Every day that we have been here so far, there has been a rainbow sighting. A couple of those days, the rainbow has been a full rainbow...we could see both ends of the rainbow. All of us feel it is just the Lord's visual reminder that He is with us and He is blessing us.
A pilgrim caught this picture that I share with you now:
Monday, January 30, 2012
Day 5: Joy On The Jesus Boat
Shalom, Ya'll...
A trip like this is not all pray. There is some play as well. And, on the Sea of Galilee...we prayed and then played.
Our pilgrims let go and had a great time. I hope you enjoy.
A trip like this is not all pray. There is some play as well. And, on the Sea of Galilee...we prayed and then played.
Our pilgrims let go and had a great time. I hope you enjoy.
Day 5 Overview: Tabgha, Peter's Primacy, Capernaum, Boatride, Kersi
Shalom, Ya'll...
Greetings from the Holy Land. I post this message on Monday evening...Day 7...after another long day. This day was a day with pretty consistent rain, but many more blessings. We are as blessed as we are tired. Mass at Shepherd's Field, a visit to the Milk Grotto, the Church of the Incarnation, and the Church where Peter denied Jesus.
I will tell you more when I get to Day 7, but let me just "tease" the upcoming post by saying that the Lord gave us another sign of His love and guidance today. On the way through the streets of Bethlehem to the Shepherd's Field (where the angel appeared to the shepherds), guess what caused us to stop still in the street? That's right...a shepherd leading his sheep across the street. In 25 years of leading pilgrims, Fr. Peter has never had that happen before, and he thought it was pretty cool. More on that to come.
I am going to attempt to catch up on at least the daily posts. The videos will come when I can get to them. They take around 2 hours to upload to YouTube, so I will try to edit and process them and then upload them as I go to bed.
At any rate, let's go back to Day 5 as I have not been able to really fill you in.
Day 5 was Saturday, and we began our journey at the Church of the Primacy of Peter...the Church built over what is believed to be the rock where Jesus stood, after His resurrection, and called out to the disciples who were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee fishing. When they came ashore, Jesus prepared breakfast for them and asked Peter 3 times if he loved Him. Three times Peter said "yes." Feed my sheep...feed my lambs...feed my sheep. The Primacy of Peter. Jesus called Peter to lead His Church on earth. Two thousand years later the successor of Peter is still feeding the sheep. It is so cool to be Catholic.
Here is a shot of the rock believed to be that very same rock:
We finished here and went on to Capernaum to celebrate Mass in the Church that is built over the house of St. Peter. There are ruins that are believed to be the house of St. Peter. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in law there:
Jesus lived in Capernaum during His public ministry. The Mass was a Mass celebrating St. Peter's acceptance of Jesus' call to serve. The Church is not my favorite architecturally, as it is very modern and in the round, but Jesus was there, of course, as we celebrated the Mass.
When Mass was over, we moved over to the ruins of the synagogue where Jesus preached the 6th Chapter of John. It was so powerful to hear His words about the reality of eating his Body and drinking His blood while standing in that very place. Jesus spoke to the folks and did not call the disciples back who left...they could not accept the reality of His teaching:
We left Capernaum and went back down the road to Tabgha, where it is believed that Jesus multiplied the fishes and loaves. It is a Benedictine run place, so Fr. Peter, the Franciscan, didn't spend much time there. :)
Greetings from the Holy Land. I post this message on Monday evening...Day 7...after another long day. This day was a day with pretty consistent rain, but many more blessings. We are as blessed as we are tired. Mass at Shepherd's Field, a visit to the Milk Grotto, the Church of the Incarnation, and the Church where Peter denied Jesus.
I will tell you more when I get to Day 7, but let me just "tease" the upcoming post by saying that the Lord gave us another sign of His love and guidance today. On the way through the streets of Bethlehem to the Shepherd's Field (where the angel appeared to the shepherds), guess what caused us to stop still in the street? That's right...a shepherd leading his sheep across the street. In 25 years of leading pilgrims, Fr. Peter has never had that happen before, and he thought it was pretty cool. More on that to come.
I am going to attempt to catch up on at least the daily posts. The videos will come when I can get to them. They take around 2 hours to upload to YouTube, so I will try to edit and process them and then upload them as I go to bed.
At any rate, let's go back to Day 5 as I have not been able to really fill you in.
Day 5 was Saturday, and we began our journey at the Church of the Primacy of Peter...the Church built over what is believed to be the rock where Jesus stood, after His resurrection, and called out to the disciples who were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee fishing. When they came ashore, Jesus prepared breakfast for them and asked Peter 3 times if he loved Him. Three times Peter said "yes." Feed my sheep...feed my lambs...feed my sheep. The Primacy of Peter. Jesus called Peter to lead His Church on earth. Two thousand years later the successor of Peter is still feeding the sheep. It is so cool to be Catholic.
Here is a shot of the rock believed to be that very same rock:
The pilgrims took the opportunity to do what most pilgrims do here and that is to find some pebbles from the shore to take home for memories.
Jesus lived in Capernaum during His public ministry. The Mass was a Mass celebrating St. Peter's acceptance of Jesus' call to serve. The Church is not my favorite architecturally, as it is very modern and in the round, but Jesus was there, of course, as we celebrated the Mass.
When Mass was over, we moved over to the ruins of the synagogue where Jesus preached the 6th Chapter of John. It was so powerful to hear His words about the reality of eating his Body and drinking His blood while standing in that very place. Jesus spoke to the folks and did not call the disciples back who left...they could not accept the reality of His teaching:
Then, we had the opportunity to do what Jesus did. We went down to the shore and prayed in quiet and in solitude. A quiet, prayerful time that was such a blessing.
On to lunch at a restaraunt that serves the St. Peter's Fish...a fish that only exists in the Sea of Galilee and one other lake. It was a wonderful lunch, made better by the fact that we were joined by my new best friend, the soon-to-be Cardinal Archbishop of New York. (He is in the room two rooms down from me...we talked again in the hall the last evening.) We also encountered, believe it or not, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who came in with his whole group. Fr. Peter had a chat with him.
After lunch, we headed to the Jesus Boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee. I am working on the video of this boat ride, which will most likely come in two parts because there is so much video. We prayed and we played. It is a beautiful witness to being so alive in the Lord that we can both pray and mediate on His goodness, and then dance unto the Lord with joy. You will want to see these videos when I get them done!
Finally, we drove around to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and went to Kursi, where Jesus cast out the demons into the swine and the swine were sent to their death in the sea. Not really much to see there, but some of the pilgrims climbed up the steps to a high point to get the sense of it.
After they came back down, we got a group shot of almost all of the pilgrims, although a few had already gone to the bus. Our smiling faces:
As I said, this blog is an update on Saturday. If you are following the itenerary, please know that Monday and Tuesday has switched...what was scheduled for Tuesday, we did today. What was scheduled for Monday, we will do tomorrow.
Blessings to all back home, and thanks for following us. We have had more than 1,350 views, so that seems to me to mean that you are following your family and friends very faithfully. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated in the comment section or, if you have my email, please feel free to email me.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Day 4 Overview: Cana, Nazareth, and Mt. Tabor
Shalom, Ya'll:
With great joy I greet you on behalf of the Pilgrims of 2012. I am so pleased to share with you back home that these pilgrims are...not surprisingly...bonding into an incredible group of men and women who are falling more in love with the Lord with each passing moment of this journey as they walk in His footsteps.
So, as usual, because of time constraints, I will post some pictures of the events of our Day 4 (Friday). I will create and edit the videos when I am able to find the time. (The long plane flight back looks very promising for video editing.)
Day 4 began at Cana of Galilee. There we renewed Marriage Vows for those married couples traveling together. After I led each couple in the renewal of their vows, the couple kissed and Fr. Peter blessed them with holy water, as with J and S below:
Each of the couples was blessed by this part of our day. It is, as you can imagine, a memory they will always cherish:
From Cana, we went on to Nazareth. It was nice to get a perspective of the distance that Jesus, Mary, and the Disciples traveled to attend the wedding at Cana. We were, of course, riding a bus and not walking, but we still got the perspective.
In Nazareth, we visited the Church of the Annunciation and celebrated Mass in the place where the angel appeared to Mary:
After Mass, we went to lunch and that is where we encountered Archbishop Dolan, and I have already posted some pictures of that nice surprise. We have actually run into him and his group several more times; he was celebrating Mass here at the Mt. of Beatitudes yesterday (Saturday), they were at Tabgha (more on that site in another post), another site we were visiting later on, and, they came to the same place we were eating lunch. I will post more on that later, but we also met the Archbishop of Kansas City and the Archbishop of Canterbury!
I digress.
After lunch, we went to Mt. Tabor, the site of Jesus' Transfiguration. It was, well, let's just say a "thrilling" ride up the mountain. Quite a few curves and a very, very narrow road. There is a Church there and the view is breathtaking. I hope the video, which will come later, will give you a nice perspective of the view, but here is the Church...
...and some of the pilgrims listening to Fr. Peter fills us in on the history of the place:
It was a long but powerful day. We concluded the day as we are concluding each day with a nice dinner and then we gathered after dinner to pray and share our day with each other.
Today, Sunday, we celebrate Mass here on the Mt. of Beatitudes and then we leave this beatiful place and head toward Jerusalem. We will go up to the top of the Golan Heights for a breaktaking view of the entire Sea of Galilee, then we will stop off at Jericho, and ultimately, check into rooms at Notre Dame in Jerusalem. It is, by the way, the same place Archbishop Dolan and his priests are staying. :)
Blessings to all back in Big D...I will post again when I can.
With great joy I greet you on behalf of the Pilgrims of 2012. I am so pleased to share with you back home that these pilgrims are...not surprisingly...bonding into an incredible group of men and women who are falling more in love with the Lord with each passing moment of this journey as they walk in His footsteps.
So, as usual, because of time constraints, I will post some pictures of the events of our Day 4 (Friday). I will create and edit the videos when I am able to find the time. (The long plane flight back looks very promising for video editing.)
Day 4 began at Cana of Galilee. There we renewed Marriage Vows for those married couples traveling together. After I led each couple in the renewal of their vows, the couple kissed and Fr. Peter blessed them with holy water, as with J and S below:
Each of the couples was blessed by this part of our day. It is, as you can imagine, a memory they will always cherish:
From Cana, we went on to Nazareth. It was nice to get a perspective of the distance that Jesus, Mary, and the Disciples traveled to attend the wedding at Cana. We were, of course, riding a bus and not walking, but we still got the perspective.
In Nazareth, we visited the Church of the Annunciation and celebrated Mass in the place where the angel appeared to Mary:
After Mass, we went to lunch and that is where we encountered Archbishop Dolan, and I have already posted some pictures of that nice surprise. We have actually run into him and his group several more times; he was celebrating Mass here at the Mt. of Beatitudes yesterday (Saturday), they were at Tabgha (more on that site in another post), another site we were visiting later on, and, they came to the same place we were eating lunch. I will post more on that later, but we also met the Archbishop of Kansas City and the Archbishop of Canterbury!
I digress.
After lunch, we went to Mt. Tabor, the site of Jesus' Transfiguration. It was, well, let's just say a "thrilling" ride up the mountain. Quite a few curves and a very, very narrow road. There is a Church there and the view is breathtaking. I hope the video, which will come later, will give you a nice perspective of the view, but here is the Church...
...and some of the pilgrims listening to Fr. Peter fills us in on the history of the place:
It was a long but powerful day. We concluded the day as we are concluding each day with a nice dinner and then we gathered after dinner to pray and share our day with each other.
Today, Sunday, we celebrate Mass here on the Mt. of Beatitudes and then we leave this beatiful place and head toward Jerusalem. We will go up to the top of the Golan Heights for a breaktaking view of the entire Sea of Galilee, then we will stop off at Jericho, and ultimately, check into rooms at Notre Dame in Jerusalem. It is, by the way, the same place Archbishop Dolan and his priests are staying. :)
Blessings to all back in Big D...I will post again when I can.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Day 4 Surprise
Shalom, Ya'll...
Our Day 4 was another powerful day. We are back in our rooms and about to eat supper and then gather for prayer and sharing of the powerful experiences of this day.
We went to Cana and renewed marriage vows. We then went to Nazareth and celebrated the Mass of the Annunciation. Following Mass we toured the Church and then went to lunch and had a nice surprise that you will see a clip of in a moment.
After lunch, we went to the top of Mt. Tabor to conclude another long day...we are tired and ready for dinner and slumber.
What a neat surprise at lunch in Nazareth. Archbishop and soon-to-be Cardinal Dolan is here now and Fr. Peter told me he was going to be in Jerusalem and staying where we are staying. Cardinal Dolan is on Fr. Peter's Board for his foundation, so I asked Fr. Peter to please introduce me...I wanted to let Cardinal Dolan know that there are many of us out there praying for him becuase SOMEBODY HAS TO STEP UP THERE FOR US CATHOLICS RIGHT NOW AND GOD HAS RAISED HIM UP TO BE THAT PERSON!
Well...guess who we ran into today at lunch? That's right. So Fr. Peter introduced me and I had a very brief chat with him. What a delightful servant of the Lord. Forgive me for posting myself on this blog for, but it was certainly a cherished encounter:
I am getting behind on the posts, but will do my best I still owe you one from yesterday. I will try to catch up, but we are going full blast, and that is a good thing. God is moving profoundly in this group as He did for the Pilgrims of 2010.
Later.
Our Day 4 was another powerful day. We are back in our rooms and about to eat supper and then gather for prayer and sharing of the powerful experiences of this day.
We went to Cana and renewed marriage vows. We then went to Nazareth and celebrated the Mass of the Annunciation. Following Mass we toured the Church and then went to lunch and had a nice surprise that you will see a clip of in a moment.
After lunch, we went to the top of Mt. Tabor to conclude another long day...we are tired and ready for dinner and slumber.
What a neat surprise at lunch in Nazareth. Archbishop and soon-to-be Cardinal Dolan is here now and Fr. Peter told me he was going to be in Jerusalem and staying where we are staying. Cardinal Dolan is on Fr. Peter's Board for his foundation, so I asked Fr. Peter to please introduce me...I wanted to let Cardinal Dolan know that there are many of us out there praying for him becuase SOMEBODY HAS TO STEP UP THERE FOR US CATHOLICS RIGHT NOW AND GOD HAS RAISED HIM UP TO BE THAT PERSON!
Well...guess who we ran into today at lunch? That's right. So Fr. Peter introduced me and I had a very brief chat with him. What a delightful servant of the Lord. Forgive me for posting myself on this blog for, but it was certainly a cherished encounter:
So, the following is an excerpt of Fr. Peter and the Archbishop soon-to-be Cardinal talking in the restaraunt. (He is here on a pilgrimage with several priests from New York.)
I am getting behind on the posts, but will do my best I still owe you one from yesterday. I will try to catch up, but we are going full blast, and that is a good thing. God is moving profoundly in this group as He did for the Pilgrims of 2010.
Later.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Day 3: The Jordan River
Shalom, Ya'll...
As you can see, this post is a bit out of order. I was so anxious to show you the encounter with Cardinal (soon) Dolan, that I jumped over this post for Day 3.
More Day 4 to come.
Blessings to all.
As you can see, this post is a bit out of order. I was so anxious to show you the encounter with Cardinal (soon) Dolan, that I jumped over this post for Day 3.
More Day 4 to come.
Blessings to all.
Day 3: Netanya and Haifa
Shalom, ya'll.
I was able to get the first video completed and you willl see it below. I will edit and post the second part, which will be about the visit to the Jordan River, when I can.
Blessings to all.
I was able to get the first video completed and you willl see it below. I will edit and post the second part, which will be about the visit to the Jordan River, when I can.
Blessings to all.
Day 3: Part 2
Hi Again, All...
We are tucked into our new home for the next three days atop the Mt. of Beatitudes. It is deep into the early morning as I post this, and most are likely snoozing away. We had a fun evening with dinner and a gathering for prayer and sharing of the day's event. That gathering, which hopefully will occur every evening, was indeed a blessing as many of the pilgrims told about how they were blessed during the day.
I tried to post something after the evening was done, but was worn out and almost fell asleep at the wheel, so to speak. A few hours rest is all I need, though, so here I sit as the electricity keeps going on and off for some unknown reason. I trust that most won't even notice that as they slumber away.
After my first post for Day three, we checked out of our hotel and began the trip northward. We stopped off at Caesarera and, among other things, visited an old Crusaders fort that had a moat that had never had water. Ask your pilgrim to tell you about that.
After visiting this and some other sites there in Caesarea, we went on to Haifa where we celebrated Mass in the church built above Elijah's cave. We had lunch with the Carmelite sisters and then we visited the breathtaking gardens of the Bahai religion. The pictures below are of Elijah's cave, the chapel, and the gardens.
One of the things I have learned about Fr. Peter is to never think thar our itenerary is chiseled in stone. Many times it will change and so we just go with the flow, knowing that the change is always for the better. In typical fashion, Fr. Peter changed the itenerary on us, and we went to the Jordan River (originally scheduled for next week) and renewed our baptismal promises.
In last night's gathering of the pilgrims for prayer and reflection, someone mentioned how great is was that we were able to do this early since it was a meaningful symbol to really begin our journey here by remembering the very beginning of our own faith walks---our baptisms. The Jordan River is beatiful and peaceful, and we were there in the late afternoon. Needless to say, our pilgrims were touched in a powerful way as we recalled our baptismal promises.
This is a good time to point out to all who are following this blog that you will not see pictures or videos during this trip of those special times of worship or prayer. In a very meaningful way, Fr. Peter is clear in reminding us that those times are a time of prayer and encounter with the Lord. So, as I said, we won't have pictures of, for example, the actual renewal of our promises.
That is it for the overview for the day. Videos to come when I can get them edited.
Blessings to all.
We are tucked into our new home for the next three days atop the Mt. of Beatitudes. It is deep into the early morning as I post this, and most are likely snoozing away. We had a fun evening with dinner and a gathering for prayer and sharing of the day's event. That gathering, which hopefully will occur every evening, was indeed a blessing as many of the pilgrims told about how they were blessed during the day.
I tried to post something after the evening was done, but was worn out and almost fell asleep at the wheel, so to speak. A few hours rest is all I need, though, so here I sit as the electricity keeps going on and off for some unknown reason. I trust that most won't even notice that as they slumber away.
After my first post for Day three, we checked out of our hotel and began the trip northward. We stopped off at Caesarera and, among other things, visited an old Crusaders fort that had a moat that had never had water. Ask your pilgrim to tell you about that.
After visiting this and some other sites there in Caesarea, we went on to Haifa where we celebrated Mass in the church built above Elijah's cave. We had lunch with the Carmelite sisters and then we visited the breathtaking gardens of the Bahai religion. The pictures below are of Elijah's cave, the chapel, and the gardens.
One of the things I have learned about Fr. Peter is to never think thar our itenerary is chiseled in stone. Many times it will change and so we just go with the flow, knowing that the change is always for the better. In typical fashion, Fr. Peter changed the itenerary on us, and we went to the Jordan River (originally scheduled for next week) and renewed our baptismal promises.
In last night's gathering of the pilgrims for prayer and reflection, someone mentioned how great is was that we were able to do this early since it was a meaningful symbol to really begin our journey here by remembering the very beginning of our own faith walks---our baptisms. The Jordan River is beatiful and peaceful, and we were there in the late afternoon. Needless to say, our pilgrims were touched in a powerful way as we recalled our baptismal promises.
This is a good time to point out to all who are following this blog that you will not see pictures or videos during this trip of those special times of worship or prayer. In a very meaningful way, Fr. Peter is clear in reminding us that those times are a time of prayer and encounter with the Lord. So, as I said, we won't have pictures of, for example, the actual renewal of our promises.
That is it for the overview for the day. Videos to come when I can get them edited.
Blessings to all.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Day 3
Day 3 begins sunny and beautiful Our hotel is right on the beautiful Mediterranean ocean as you can see in this picture taken from the balcony of my hotel room.
This, of course, is not the heart of our journey...it is a nice spot to catch our breath from the long flight. This is more like a resort area...a respite for sure.
In just a few minutes, we will be leaving here and driving north to Haifa.
On the way, we will stop at Caesarea, the capital of the ancient Roman Procurators of Judea. It is where St. Peter preached and St. Paul was imprisoned for two years.
When we get to Haifa, we will celebrate Mass at the cave where Elijah the prophet stood in expectation of the Lord revealing Himself. The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. He spoke to Elijah, in fact, in the still small voice of his heart. I know that each one of us pilgrims will all be touched on this trip as we open our hearts to His revelations.
After lunch, we will be on our way to the Mt. of Beatitudes near Tiberias, where we will spend the next three nights.
Please pray for all of us that the Lord will indeed reveal Himself to each one us....whether it be dramatically, or in the still small voice of our hearts.
Day 2
Hello Everyone From Tel Aviv:
As I mentioned in my previous post, we basically landed after an extra long day, got our luggage, got on the bus with Fr. Peter and Ahmed, our outstanding bus driver, came to our hotel, ate dinner, and crashed. We did, however, have a wonderful dinner downstairs, so I have posted just a short video with mostly snapshots.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I will have some pictures for you from more interesting sites than the dining room of a Jewish hotel in Natanya. LOL.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we basically landed after an extra long day, got our luggage, got on the bus with Fr. Peter and Ahmed, our outstanding bus driver, came to our hotel, ate dinner, and crashed. We did, however, have a wonderful dinner downstairs, so I have posted just a short video with mostly snapshots.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I will have some pictures for you from more interesting sites than the dining room of a Jewish hotel in Natanya. LOL.
Day 1: Part 2
Greetings again, folks...
We have arrived in Tel Aviv and are now in our hotel in Natanya.
I am posting a video compiled from our stopover in Philadelphia yesterday prior to our plane ride to Tel Aviv. This video is just a short clip about our layover.
Keep in mind that the early stages of this pilgrimage the group has not yet bonded. That is why you will see in the early stages only two or three or four people together at one time. As time goes on, you will see, even from your vantage point back home, the group beginning to bond in the common experience of the dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ.
Here is the clip from Tuesday in Philly:
Our trip turned out to be a lot longer than planned.
We were in the air and 30 minutes out of Philadelphia when they asked for a doctor to come to row 25. That is never a good sign. It turns out that a 16 year old young man, traveling alone to Tel Aviv, had severe abdominal pains. It appears that they suspected appendicitis and turned the plane around back to Philly. The paramedics came on board and took him to the hospital, but we do not know the outcome. As a result, we were two hours late getting into Tel Aviv.
We are in our hotel now in Tel Aviv...we had a wonderful dinner with Fr. Peter tonight and we are all trying to adjust our body clocks. About two hours before we arrived here, we had breakfast on the plane...our body clocks were in the Dallas 8:00 am Time Zone. When we got here a couple of hours later, it was basically dinner time. Pictures and video, hopefull, for day 2 when I can.
Tomorrow starts the real pilgrimage as we venture to Caesarrea, Haifa, and finally to the Mt. of Beatitudes. We all appreciate your prayers.
We have arrived in Tel Aviv and are now in our hotel in Natanya.
I am posting a video compiled from our stopover in Philadelphia yesterday prior to our plane ride to Tel Aviv. This video is just a short clip about our layover.
Keep in mind that the early stages of this pilgrimage the group has not yet bonded. That is why you will see in the early stages only two or three or four people together at one time. As time goes on, you will see, even from your vantage point back home, the group beginning to bond in the common experience of the dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ.
Here is the clip from Tuesday in Philly:
Our trip turned out to be a lot longer than planned.
We were in the air and 30 minutes out of Philadelphia when they asked for a doctor to come to row 25. That is never a good sign. It turns out that a 16 year old young man, traveling alone to Tel Aviv, had severe abdominal pains. It appears that they suspected appendicitis and turned the plane around back to Philly. The paramedics came on board and took him to the hospital, but we do not know the outcome. As a result, we were two hours late getting into Tel Aviv.
We are in our hotel now in Tel Aviv...we had a wonderful dinner with Fr. Peter tonight and we are all trying to adjust our body clocks. About two hours before we arrived here, we had breakfast on the plane...our body clocks were in the Dallas 8:00 am Time Zone. When we got here a couple of hours later, it was basically dinner time. Pictures and video, hopefull, for day 2 when I can.
Tomorrow starts the real pilgrimage as we venture to Caesarrea, Haifa, and finally to the Mt. of Beatitudes. We all appreciate your prayers.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Greetings From Philly
Hello everyone! We can't really believe it, but we are officially on our way. We have landed in Philly and await our next flight which is scheduled for 9:15 ET. In accordance with the guidelines of the Israelis, we are going to have to go through the wonderful security screening process again.
We all gathered at DFW and the plane left on time. This group of travelers were enjoying their time very quickly. (Even while I sit in the US Airways Lounge posting this, by the way, this wonderful family is enjoying themselves here in Philly in much the same manner. LOL).
A few images of some of the other pilgrims follow. I can say already that the group is going to be a fun group. I am truly looking forward to getting to know all of the folks and sharing our common experiences at the Holy Places.
Take a look:
So, my next post won't be for a while. It won't be until we get to Tel Aviv and get checked into the hotel. On the way over, I will edit a short video of our day...won't be too long, as it is all airport stuff, but check in tomorrow for more.
As always, we appreciate your prayers for a smooth journey.
Blessings to all.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Greetings to Family and Friends of 2012 Pilgrims
In just a couple of weeks, the 2012 Pilgrims to the Holy Land will be walking in the footsteps of Jesus our Lord. We will be gazing down the Mt. of Beatitudes and looking with great wonder and awe at the Sea of Galilee. Our wonderful and delightful guide will be Fr. Peter Vasko, (pictured below with a precious little girl in Bethany) a Franciscan priest and the President of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land.
During the 2010 Pilgrimage, I began posting videos from each day's adventures so that the folks back home could see their friends and loved ones. Apparently, the families and friends back home were very appreciative, even though my videos were not that great. (My dear wife suggested that I not give up my day job.)
One of the downsides to the way I did it, however, was that one could not view the videos on their iPhones or iPads back home. So, through the suggestion of Errol Miller (2010 Pilgrim), I have set up this blog so that you can check in each day and I can keep you updated on our daily travels and you can check out the links each day (hopefully) to videos that have been posted to YouTube. By doing this, the videos can be viewed on iPhones and iPads as well as on your computers. If I don't get videos posted due to time constraints, I will at least try to post pictures and commentaries.
I ask your indulgence, however, as sometimes the internet connections are not that great and may be a bit slow. (Not to mention that the older I get, the slower I get. Can't stay up quite as late as I use to editing videos.) I plan to carry a rented personal MiFi with me with the hopes that it will help out. But, I will do my best to keep you up to date. Also, keep in mind that we will be 7 hours ahead of you in the Holy Land.
I hope, and pray, that this blog will keep you close to your loved ones while they are away from home. They will, I can almost promise you, come back changed in their faith walk with the Lord. They will be enriched in their Catholic Christian faith as they walk where Jesus walked and as they experience the reality of the places and events where their Catholic Church was established by Jesus 2000 years ago.
Much more to come.
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