WE MADE IT!!
After an overnight flight from Boston to Rome Monday, we safely made it to Tel Aviv - our first stop late Tuesday evening. We had a quick dinner and then headed straight to bed to rest up for Wednesday – our first full day in Israel!! On Wednesday morning we boarded our bus and headed to Caesarea to see the Roman and Crusader ruins, as well as the harbor where St. Paul was imprisoned. We continued our journey to Mount Carmel. Biblically, Mount Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility.
To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed
(Isaiah 35:2)
Solomon praised his beloved: Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel (Song 7:5)
Next stop was Haifa where we visited the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery
(also known as the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel), a 19th Century monastery located on the slopes of Mount Carmel. Over the altar is a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary carrying Jesus on her knees. Under it, steps descend to a crypt in the form of a cave hewn into the rock. Inside is a stone altar bearing a sculpture of Elijah, who, according to Christian tradition, once lived in the cave. After a nice lunch of falafel... we piled onto the bus and headed to the Monastery of Mukhraka. Mukhraka, meaning “burned place,” is where Elijah faced off against the false prophets of Baal and where God sent down fire from Heaven to vindicate him. The view from the rooftop of the church was amazing...
We continued on to Cana and to the Church of the Wedding Feast. Here, Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, revealed His divinity through the miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding feast at which “the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and His disciples has also been invited” (Jn 2:2). We celebrated Mass in this beautiful church and hearing this Gospel passage during Mass was very powerful! Married couples traveling with us on this pilgrimage also had the opportunity to renew their marriage vows. We prayed in a special way for our spouses that are back home as well as those that are deceased.
Click the image below to view a short video that contains an overview of our first day in The Holy Land!
We've now checked into the hotel where we'll stay for the next 3 nights and we all have a magnificent view of the Sea of Galilee from our rooms... tomorrow we'll head out to sail on it!!!
PRAYER REQUESTS
We really want you to feel like you are journeying with us, so please send along any prayer requests that you have. We will remember them at the holy sites we visit throughout the week. Please keep us in your prayers too! You can send a prayer request by clicking the “Add a Comment” button below. "Come and see” the Holy Land, continue with us in the land of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.