Our hotel in Tiberias was in the high part of town but we were lucky enough to have a view of the Sea of Galilee from the bedroom window. Thursday was going to be a busy day exploring the beautiful Galilean countryside and visiting various sites associated with Jesus' life.
Our first stop was at the River Jordan - close to where it emerges from the s
outh of Lake Galilee. This is a very tranquil spot - with trees and shrubs along the banks. It is also a favourite place for people to come to be baptised as this is where it is said that Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist. After listening to the account in the Gospel, everyone was invited to renew their baptismal vows and then to go into the waters - though not to immerse ourselves fully! There was a lot of laughter as little fish nibbled our feet - but also a sense that this was a special moment as we walked in the River that Jesus himself knew and was baptised in. We were a little astonished as we left to find that a camera had been recording our visit - and a few people invested in a very precious souvenir of the pilgrimage.
outh of Lake Galilee. This is a very tranquil spot - with trees and shrubs along the banks. It is also a favourite place for people to come to be baptised as this is where it is said that Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist. After listening to the account in the Gospel, everyone was invited to renew their baptismal vows and then to go into the waters - though not to immerse ourselves fully! There was a lot of laughter as little fish nibbled our feet - but also a sense that this was a special moment as we walked in the River that Jesus himself knew and was baptised in. We were a little astonished as we left to find that a camera had been recording our visit - and a few people invested in a very precious souvenir of the pilgrimage.We then travelled to Mount Tabor - where the Tranfiguration took place. It is certainly a magnificent setting - a high mountain rising out of the valley. It now has a monastery at the top which you can see from miles around. The coach can only take you so far and you then take taxis run by the Bedouin villagers up the very windy road to the top - apparently there are 16 hairpin bends on the way! The church is beautiful - with images of angels with four of the transformations of Jesus - his birth - the transfiguration - the Eucharist - the Resurrection. There were two chapels close by one for Elijah and another for Moses... so what Peter suggested about creating three "tents" for Jesus, Elijah and Moses on the mountainside came true in the end! There were many trees which blocked the view in many places but when it was visible, you could see miles of fertile countryside below - such a contrast from the barren desert of the day before.
After lunch, we headed for Nazareth. This is no longer the quiet village depicted on Christmas cards or paintings of the Annunciation but a large and busy city - with mainly Arab inhabitants. We headed up the hill to the Church of the Annunciation which is a modern building set over what is said to be Mary's house. Our Mass was said in the Chapel of St Joseph which is thought to be in the same place as Joseph's carpentry workshop. Around the Church of the Annunciation are images from all around the world - all on the theme of Mary and the Child Jesus. Someone in the group took a photo of each of them so, hopefully, we will be able to give a link to them. Somehow, seeing all the different representations of Mary and Jesus gives a real sense of the worldwide nature of Christianity.
We did not have long to linger in the shop at Nazareth but the brief stay provided a highlight of the day for Catherine and Kathryn! Inside the shop - owned by an Christian Arab - they saw the latest CD from the Taizé Community which they had bought just a few weeks before... K thought she had seen someone wearing the distinctive Taizé dove and sure enough he happened to be close enough to hear and to show it again! It turned out that he and his brother had been to Taizé three weeks before! They knew Br Paolo (the brother who looks after the English speakers) and we had a happy few minutes sharing news about one of our favourite places on the planet! It made us a tad late for the bus but what an amazing coincidence... in a shop in Nazareth, we meet two people who not only knew Taizé but had been not so very long before!
On then to Cana - where Jesus had changed water into wine. The church was down some side streets - and seemed already to have a Christmas star on the front (in fact, we saw early Christmas decorations in the streets of Nazareth too!). Here, Fr John invited married couples in the group to renew their marriage promises which was quite a moving moment for them in a church which remembered Jesus' presence at a wedding. Everyone laughed though when, just as the service ended, a recording of the Wedding March sounded out in celebration!
Back then to the hotel for a welcome "early night" in!
(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)
Friday 26 October
Today started in a very special way - a trip in an authentic replica of a Galilean boat. It was a beautiful morning - though a little hazy. As our voyage progressed, the sun burned away the mist and the surrounding hills gradually emerged. It was a wonderful experience - especially when the taped music and engines stopped and we had a short time listenng the silence of the Lake (through the voice of an enthusiastic preacher in another boat!) We listened to one of the stories of the Lake as it appears in the Gospel - of the miraculous catch soon after Jesus' Resurrection - and watched as one of the owners of the boat cast a net into the waters in just the way that Peter and the other fisher disciples would have done 2000 years ago... we didn't catch anything. The silence didn't last long and many people were soon joining in some of the songs playing through the system - a sort of sing-along-a-Galilee!!At the place where we docked, there was a special museum housing a 2000 year old boat. This had been found during a drought some years ago when walkers along the beach had felt something hard. Rescuing the boat was a very tricky job as the timbers had been preserved in the water and mud and exposure to the air was going to risk it drying out and turning to dust. The whole boat was covered in polyeurethane foam and taken to the shore where it was injected with preservatives until the wood was stable and the boat could be displayed. Experts in tree-dating have said that the trees used for the boat was probably cut in about 20BC and would have lasted about 60 years - so it is likely that this boat was sailing the lake at around the time Jesus, Peter, Andrew and the others were!
Our next stop was to the church that commemorates St Peter as the leader of the apostles. This is a small church right on the edge of the Lake and our Mass was celebrated outside with the Sea as a backdrop - quite idyllic. We then headed down to the seashore and spent time paddling in the water, collecting rocks and thinking about the special place this water has in the history of Christianity.
We moved on to another key place in the Gospels - Capernaum. Although it is in ruins, there are clear signs of the life of a busy town on the lakeside - quite a prosperous town too as they were able to import marble for the synagogue at the heart of the town. The ruins of the very splendid synagogue (which possibly had two storeys) date from the 4th century but are believed to stand on the previous one - which is likely to have been the one Jesus used to go to. Close by is a modern church which looks suspended over some ruins. Looking closer you can see the ruins of an octagonal church which surround the remains of an old house. There are inscriptions referring to Simon (Peter) and Jesus - and it seems likely that this really is the house of Simon Peter where Jesus came to heal his mother-in-law. We cannot be sure, of course, but the fact that the church was built so early on does suggest that people had passed on the information about the house belonging to Peter down a few generations and so the early Christians had known where to build a church in his honour.
Ran had organised a special lunch - at a restaurant serving "St Peter's Fish" caught (we think) in the Lake. Annoyingly, we forgot to take a photo of the meal - but the fish was huge - and spiny - but most people really enjoyed it... It was certainly part of the Galilee experience even if it wasn't barbecued by Our Lord on the beach!
Outside the restaurant, we found a sandy beach and walked down for yet another paddle in crystal-clear water as warm as a bath! There were seashells here too and we collected a few to bring home. It was hard to drag ourselves away from the sun, sand and sea - but the next stage beckoned.
We moved on the Church of the Beatitudes which is a pretty church set on a hillside above the Sea of Galilee. It has an octagon tower - one wall for each of the Beatitudes. After a time in the church we went into the beautiful gardens overlooking the Sea and listened to the words of the Beatitudes then in silence strolled back to the coach.
Our next stop was the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. The mosaic set into the floor in front of the altar is very famous and easily found on souvenir plates and tiles in Christian shops. Akthough the picture is based on the story of the five loaves and two fish, there are only four in the basket. This is because the fifth is on the altar in Mass. This mosaic is just one of many in the church, most of which depict wild flowers, birds and animals of the early Christian period.We had thought that this was to be the end of our day but Ran, the driver (Shai?) and Fr John had decided to have a go at getting to Mt Arbel in time for the sunset. As the sun was already low, we all realised this would be difficult - but we made it to the bottom of the hill and set off to yomp to the top. As an ending to our pilgrimage it would have been hard to beat.
The main sunset was indeed passed but the colours in the western sky were still stunning as the world slipped into nighttime. To add to the mystical atmosphere - the full moon began to rise in the east over the Lake - and a muezzin began the sunset call to prayer - and Jews across the country prepared for the Sabbath. It was utterly peaceful and exoked a deep sense of stillness as night fell. Before they left for the trek down the hillside, a group of women joined together to sing "The Day thou gavest, Lord, is ended..." It was hard to read the words - but was a real goose-bump moment.Back to the hotel and our last Evening Prayer and meal before heading up to think about packing and getting ready to travel back to the UK. The journey back to Tel Aviv didn't take too long though the queues to get through security made Heathrow look positively speedy! Our plans to catch up on shopping we hadn't got round to doing - and do a bit more of the blog came to nothing as all we wanted (and had time for!) was a cup of coffee and snack ... though others had more stamina and managed some shopping as well! While we were waiting we got a text from one of the group on pilgrimage to Rome saying that they were enjoying some time in Nice! At first we thought it was a joke - but it turned out that their plane had made a diversion due to technical problems and the group had ended up in a hotel in Nice - and posh restaurant for lunch! Having planned to be back on Friday, Fr Michael (the parish priest) did not arrive in time for 5pm Mass (though managed to get to the 6.30) - and other members of the group arrived just ahead of us!
It was late when we arrived back in Southampton - to much cooler and damper weather - but warmed by our happy memories of a very special journey.
(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)
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