The Holy Land is often referred to as “the Fifth Gospel” in which Jesus speaks through the sites and landscape, thus "opening up" the other four Gospels. We found this true in ways we weren't expecting today!
We started this morning with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We sailed far away from shore and the landscapes and views were so beautiful. The highlight was when our captain turned off the motor as we listened to the gospel accounts of Jesus' walking on the water. We will never hear these passages again without our hearts drifting to this place. After a period of quiet reflection, our captain lead us taught us a few things... we learned how to cast a net, sang a few songs and did a little dancing too! We found that a few in our group are pretty good at the "Hava Nagila" dance :)
At the end of our boat ride, we docked in Ginosar and walked to the Jesus Boat Museum which holds an ancient galilee boat, known as the 'Jesus Boat' Moshe and Yuval Lufan, brothers and fishermen from Kibbutz Ginosar, discovered the boat buried in the mud near the shore of the Sea of Galilee in 1986. It is believed that this type of boat was used on the Sea of Galilee for both fishing and transportation across the lake. It is likely that this sort of boat was used by Jesus and his disciples, many of whom were fishermen. Boats played a large role in Jesus life and ministry, as they are mentioned no less than 50 times in the Gospels!
After we finished at the Boat Museum, we journeyed to Capernaum, which became Jesus’ home town and the scene of many of his miracles. It was also the home of the first disciples Jesus called — the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John, and the tax collector Matthew (Levi). Today a modern Catholic church, sits on pillars, and hovers protectively over an excavation site believed to have been the site of Peter's house where Jesus would have stayed. Near this church, a partly reconstructed synagogue is believed to have been built on the foundations of the synagogue in which Jesus taught.
We then boarded our bus and headed to the Mount of Beatitudes. We visited the site overlooking the Sea of Galilee where Jesus' delivered the Sermon on the Mount. We also had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in an outdoor chapel and we prayed for your intentions.
We then drove a short distance to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha - the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Beneath the altar is the rock on which it is believed Jesus placed the loaves and fish when he blessed them.
We also visited the Church of the Primacy of Peter, a Franciscan chapel in Tabgha. This is the site where Jesus appeared to his disciples a third time after his resurrection. After sharing breakfast, Jesus challenged Peter three times with the question: “Do you love me?” Peter’s positive response to this three-fold challenge cancelled out his three-fold denial of Jesus the night before his crucifixion. Then Jesus gave Peter a three-fold commission - “Feed my lambs . . . . Tend my sheep . . . Feed my sheep.”
After a "St. Peter's" fish lunch we boarded the bus and headed to Nazareth. While we were there we saw both the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph - both were beautiful! On the lower level of the Church of the Annunciation is a very holy place – Mary’s cave, the cave in which, according to the Catholic-Christian tradition, Mary was visited by Archangel Gabriel and told her she is destined to carry the Messiah in her womb. The Church of St. Joseph is built where, according to tradition, used to be the carpentry workshop of Joseph, father of Jesus. Some of the traditions also claim this was Joseph's house.
We are excited to share our journey again tomorrow to Mt. Tabor, Magdala & the Jordan River. Until then... peace and all good things!
Click the image below to view a short video that contains an overview of our second day in The Holy Land!
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.