Goooooood morning Israel! That's right, we began our day on the bus at 5:00am. Our first stop of the morning was the Wadi Qelt, where we remained in silent meditation as we watched the sun come up over the Judean desert. We gathered together for Eucharist, as a young boy and his dog lead a group of sheep right behind the altar area. I'd love to say that everyone was so engaged with the service that they didn't even notice, but obviously that wasn't the case. 😎 It was a beautiful sunrise, but of course some from the Bedouin community came with there goods to sell in the midst of Bp. Barry Howe's homily and our Communion service. While it may seem odd, rude and disrespectful (and it was), I had to remind myself that this is the only way they have to survive in the desert, and try to stay focused.
We left for breakfast to an outside cafe in Jericho, and then went to the Mt. of Temptation, which is the place where Jesus went after his Baptism and was tempted by Satan after 40 days in the desert. We went part of the way up the mountain by cable car, and then hiked the rest of the way. It was hot! Did I mention it was hot? 😓 The church is built directly into the side of the mountain, and it was beautiful. Icons of every kind, and a balcony that overlooked the desert all the way to the Dead Sea.
We left the desert and went on to eat lunch at a retaurant in Nazareth, followed by a visit to 2 churches: The Church of the Annunciation; Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic. We expected to learn a little about iconography at the Greek Orthodox location, but were rushed out because they were readying for a funeral. The Roman site was the site where the Archangel Gabriel anounced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Christ. It was ornate, with many lanterns and icons around the sanctuary and altar areas.
Archeological excavations are ongoing at all of the holy sites. Original mosaic flooring tiles, with designs and images from the 3rd century, were being excavated at the Roman site. It is amazing to see some of the progress that has been made since my first pilgrimage here in May of 2013. Words can't describe the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit at times, and the truly awesome gift of being in the Holy Land to see and learn about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
After eating dinner, we began our journey to the Sisters of Nazareth Guest House, where we will stay for a few days and visit Christ Church-Nazareth (where, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us), Zippori (Sepphoris), the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Capernaum and the Mt. of Beatitudes. We are also having a great time catching up and sharing time with old friends, and making new ones, in our down time.
Until tomorrow, God's peace and blessings be with you.
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