Pilgrimage to the Holy Land - June 19, 2019

Following breakfast, we will drive to Cana of Galilee where
Jesus, at the request of Mary, performed His first miracle…
changing water into wine. It was here also that He blessed
marriage and raised it to the dignity of a sacrament. If you wish,
you may renew your wedding vows as a lasting remembrance
of this holy site. From there, we go a short distance to Nazareth,
the boyhood home of Jesus. In the Church of the Annunciation
we will celebrate Mass. Just behind the altar, at the Cave of
the Annunciation, we will see the actual room in which Mary
said “yes” to the angel Gabriel. From there we will visit St.
Joseph’s Carpentry Shop and Mary’s well. In the afternoon,
we will take an excursion to the summit of Mt. Tabor where
Jesus transfigured himself and revealed his Divine Glory to the
apostles (Matt 17:2).

This morning, we will enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea
of Galilee and proceed to the Church of Peter’s Primacy (John
21:16). Here on the shore of Galilee, Jesus appeared to the
Apostles after His Resurrection and confirmed Peter in the
role as Vicar of Christ with the words, “Feed My sheep.” The
rock emerging from the center of the church is the actual table
at which they ate breakfast. We will proceed onto Capernaum
which for three years was the center of Jesus’ public ministry.
Here our Lord met his first disciples – Peter, Andrew, James,
John and Matthew – and worked many miracles. He healed
Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever, brought a child back to life,
cured a leper, healed the centurion’s servant, cast out a demon
from a young boy and healed all that were sick (Matt 8:16). We
will celebrate Mass, visit the synagogue where Jesus taught,
and then drive to Tabgha – the site where Jesus multiplied the
Loaves and Fishes and fed over 5000 people (Luke 9:13). Next,
we will drive to the Mount of Beatitudes the site of the Sermon
on the Mount.

After Mass at the Mount of the Beatitudes, we will travel
around the Sea of Galilee and stop at Kursi. Here Jesus met a
possessed man and miraculously cast out a legion of demons
into the herd of swine (Luke 8:26). From there we will ascend
the Golan Heights and stop at the Banias Spring that rises from
under a cave and is one of the sources of the Jordan River. It
was here near Banias at ancient Caesarea Philippi where Peter
made his confession of faith in Jesus. In the afternoon, head
south through the Judean wilderness to the site of the Baptism
of the Lord and renew our baptismal vows. The Bible tells us
that the Children of Israel crossed the River Jordan opposite
Jericho when they came into the Promised Land. The prophet
Elijah divided its waters and crossed with Elisha on dry land.
Naaman the Syrian dipped in the waters seven times and was
cured of his leprosy. And Jesus was baptized by John in the
Jordan (Mark 1:9). Each year, pilgrims from far and wide come
to the Place of Baptism to immerse themselves in these holy
waters. From here, we will have a short drive to Jerusalem.

This morning we will celebrate an early morning Mass at the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After Mass, we will return to our
hotel for breakfast. After breakfast drive to the top of the Mt.
of Olives for a spectacular view of Jerusalem. We will visit the
Church of Pater Noster where Jesus taught his disciples how
to pray, Ascension Chapel the site where Jesus ascended into
Heaven, and then walk the “Palm Sunday Road” to Dominus
Flevit, where Our Lord wept over Jerusalem. Then we will
proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane to visit the Church of
All Nations for Mass on the Rock of Agony. In the afternoon,
we will drive through the New City of Jerusalem to Ein Karem,
birthplace of St. John the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church
where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat”.

We will drive to Bethlehem and have Mass at the Shepherd’s
Fields. Above the traditional Grotto of Jesus’ birth, we will visit
the Nativity Church, built by the Emperor Constantine in the
4th century. Also tour the Manger, Grotto of St. Jerome, and
the Church of St. Catherine. Then visit the Franciscan Family
Center and the Milk Grotto Chapel followed by some free time
before returning to Jerusalem.

This morning we will enter the Old City of Jerusalem through
St. Stephen’s Gate to visit the Church of St. Anne, where the
Blessed Virgin Mary was born. Next to this site is the Pool of
Bethesda, where Jesus healed the paralytic man. We will then
walk the Via Dolorosa finishing prayerfully in the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher where we will have Holy Mass. There we will
climb Mt. Calvary and pray at the site of the crucifixion. We will
venerate the site where Jesus’ body was anointed, the tomb
where he was buried and rose from the dead, and the Chapel
of St. Helena where the true cross was found. While in the
Old City, we will also see Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of
Flagellation, the Arch of Ecce Homo, the “Wailing Wall”, and we
will view the Temple Mount. Afterwards, we exit the city to visit
the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed a man born blind. We
then go to Mount Zion to visit the Upper Room, the site where
Jesus celebrated the Last Supper. Last, we pray our Rosary
together in the Church of Dormition, where Mary was assumed
into heaven.

We will drive to Bethany to visit the site of the House of Mary,
Martha & Lazarus and the Tomb of Lazarus. Then drive to
ancient Jericho, the oldest known city in the Western world.
In 1250 B.C., Joshua encircled the city and at the blast of
the priests’ trumpets, the walls came tumbling down (I Kings
16). Many times Jesus passed through this city on his way
to Jerusalem. The sycamore fig, the tree which Zacchaeus
climbed in order to catch a glimpse of Jesus, still grows in this
area. From the ruins of ancient Jericho, we will ascend the
Mount of Temptation where Jesus fasted and prayed forty days
to resist the devil. Next we will make a stop at the Dead Sea
where you may want to take a swim. Return to Jerusalem and
enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Today our Holy Land pilgrimage comes to an end. We will
transfer to the airport in Tel Aviv for our return flight home.