This morning we headed to Mt. Tabor. Mt. Tabor sits at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee. It is believed to be the site where the Transfiguration of Christ took place, an event in the Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upon the mountain and speaks with Moses and Elijah. Its elevation at the summit is 1,843 feet high...watch the video below to see how we arrived at the top of the mountain...and back down!!! Some of our stomaches may still be somewhere in those hairpin turns!!!
While there, we each had our own "mountain top moment" just like Peter, James and John did, and had a glimpse of Jesus' divinity. We celebrated Mass here at the Church of the Transfiguration and after hearing the Gospel this morning, we were reminded that when we have those "moments" we cannot stay on top of the mountain and keep the joy of what we have experienced to ourselves. Nourished by the Eucharist, we receive the strength that we need to go out and share God's love with others by sharing our mountain top experiences with them.
After a beautiful start to our morning we headed to Caesarea Philippi which is the location of one of the largest springs feeding the Jordan River. This abundant water supply has made the area very fertile and attractive for religious worship. Numerous temples were built at this city in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
When Christ asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” it was Simon Peter who was inspired to answer: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In reply, Christ declared: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-20)
After lunch we visited Magdala, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. It was a prosperous fishing village at the time Jesus was active in this region.
In 2009, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the village dating from the time of Jesus, and a Byzantine monastery.
We visited the worship center which contained a boat shaped altar and then headed downstairs where we discovered the most perfect setting for the planned administration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. The picture below depicting the healing of the faith-filled hemorrhaging woman was our backdrop for receiving this beautiful Sacrament.
We invite you to read this passage from Mark and reflect on it with this picture as we did today.
Click the image below to view a short video that contains an overview of our third 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.