Israel, Jordan and Egypt were my home in June and July of 2010. It was
an experience that brings me chills as I begin to share the trip with you.
The tour name was “Franciscan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jordan and Sinai.
Our guide was Fr. David Wathen, O.F.M., Director of the Franciscan Monastery Pilgrimage Office in Washington, DC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stG47jwHXWg
The tour name was “Franciscan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jordan and Sinai.
Our guide was Fr. David Wathen, O.F.M., Director of the Franciscan Monastery Pilgrimage Office in Washington, DC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stG47jwHXWg
I think he was about 50 years old; he was definitely full of
enthusiasm and the love of the Lord. His energy was contagious. Sometimes we
were on the bus ready to go at 6:30 in the morning and returned as late as 8:30
in the evening. No one complained, as every day just got better and better,
building the camaraderie of the group and the knowledge of religious life then
and now.
All the religious traditions and ceremonies we were privileged to observe were full of love and dedication to their God.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, gave me the advantage of observing people of many different religions. I was always curious about how and why certain things were done and not done.
My childhood training provided me with information about what needs to be done and what was not to be done, but the "why" was harder to come by and took decades to understand.
EWTN prepared me for the trip, along with reading the gospels and other parts of the bible. Most of all it was the love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother that gave me the will to visit the places they walked. I flew from Phoenix, Arizona, to JFK airport in NYC. There I checked into a hotel to get a good night’s sleep prior to the international flight from New York to Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel.
During the flight, I tried to walk around as much as possible, much to the dismay of the flight attendants. But they would probably recommend this activity to their owns mothers, also, to prevent of blood clots. I also wore the support stockings my daughter sent me to ward off blood clots.
The flight was long even with the distractions of three movies, meals, snacks and napping.
When I arrived I was not tired, just filled with expectations. We cleared customs and immigration easily.
Fr. David Wathen met us at the airport and the tour started as soon as he introduced himself.
Tel Aviv Airport in Israel is busy and much like JFK in New York. The people in both airports look the same. I'm convinced you could substitute one airport for the other and no one would notice.
We traveled along the shores of the Mediterranean to Netanya for an overnight stay at a beachfront hotel. A day at the pool and enjoying the sea would have been wonderful, but not at the expense of missing what we were about to see on our Pilgrimage. Another time, perhaps, I can return and visit the museums and pleasures of Tel Aviv and Netanya
All the religious traditions and ceremonies we were privileged to observe were full of love and dedication to their God.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, gave me the advantage of observing people of many different religions. I was always curious about how and why certain things were done and not done.
My childhood training provided me with information about what needs to be done and what was not to be done, but the "why" was harder to come by and took decades to understand.
EWTN prepared me for the trip, along with reading the gospels and other parts of the bible. Most of all it was the love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother that gave me the will to visit the places they walked. I flew from Phoenix, Arizona, to JFK airport in NYC. There I checked into a hotel to get a good night’s sleep prior to the international flight from New York to Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel.
During the flight, I tried to walk around as much as possible, much to the dismay of the flight attendants. But they would probably recommend this activity to their owns mothers, also, to prevent of blood clots. I also wore the support stockings my daughter sent me to ward off blood clots.
The flight was long even with the distractions of three movies, meals, snacks and napping.
When I arrived I was not tired, just filled with expectations. We cleared customs and immigration easily.
Fr. David Wathen met us at the airport and the tour started as soon as he introduced himself.
Tel Aviv Airport in Israel is busy and much like JFK in New York. The people in both airports look the same. I'm convinced you could substitute one airport for the other and no one would notice.
We traveled along the shores of the Mediterranean to Netanya for an overnight stay at a beachfront hotel. A day at the pool and enjoying the sea would have been wonderful, but not at the expense of missing what we were about to see on our Pilgrimage. Another time, perhaps, I can return and visit the museums and pleasures of Tel Aviv and Netanya
The next morning, we left Netanya for Tiberias, driving along the
Mediterranean shores.
We stopped in MuKhraka, home of the Carmelite Monastery. The
Carmelites, a Roman Catholic monastic order was established in the 13th
century. Elijah is their role model. Displayed there is a statue of Elijah
brandishing a knife. From the roof, you can see the Jezreel Valley and the
hills of Nazareth, Moreh and Gilboa – maybe even Jordan’s Gilead Mountains
beyond the Jordan River and Mt Hermon.
Monks live a very spartan life, but this is a Gift from the Monks:
The passion Flower's namesake
The flower received its name from the 15th and 16th century Spanish monks for the passion of Jesus Christ as the took spiritual meaning from the unique characteristics of the flower. The physicality of the flower represented Jesus' last days.
Pointed leaf tips = the Holy Lance
Tendrils = flagellation whips
10 petals/sepals = 10 apostles
Radial filaments = crown of thorns
Ovary (chalice shaped) = Holy Grail
3 stigmata = 3 nails
5 anthers = 5 wounds
We visited the church of the monastery, Stella Maris, rebuilt in the 19th century and the primary saint is Elijah: 1 Kings 18:42 “...And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel.” We saw the stone where
Tendrils = flagellation whips
10 petals/sepals = 10 apostles
Radial filaments = crown of thorns
Ovary (chalice shaped) = Holy Grail
3 stigmata = 3 nails
5 anthers = 5 wounds
We visited the church of the monastery, Stella Maris, rebuilt in the 19th century and the primary saint is Elijah: 1 Kings 18:42 “...And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel.” We saw the stone where
Elijah slept.
We attended mass at Stella Maris, the home of not only Elijah but also
the prophet Elisha, his
protégé.
The Druze also live here, in areas from Mt. Carmel to upper Galilee
and the Golan Heights. They are Arabic-speaking people who practice a secret
religion. They serve in the Israeli Army.
We stopped in Caesarea, the capital of the ancient Roman Procurators
of Judea, and saw the ruins, port and blue waters This is where St. Peter
preached, and St. Paul was imprisoned. It's a special place to close your eyes,
take a deep breath, smell the air, listen for the words of St. Peter – and
reach out to possibly touch a stone of imprisonment.
We then proceeded to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, I had the pleasure of being a guest as many of couples in our tour group renewed their wedding vows. A nun was quietly waiting for the couples to leave; she handed each a renewal of vows certificate and blessed them.
It was so moving and profound; I hid behind my camera taking pictures, keeping busy so that I would not cry. The couples were pleased to receive the pictures when they arrived home.
The tour continued along the Horns of Hittin, the site where Saladin defeated the Crusaders in 1187 and brought an end to the 80-year-old Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Saladin was a fierce warrior, but he had moments of mercy when he returned a stolen baby to its mother and sent food to King Richard and his army. King Richard went on to grow strong and defeat Saladin’s army.
Fr. David and Deacon Joseph Baniukiewicz served Mass in Nazareth. I just kept pinching myself to be sure that I was really there. I remembered how I was as a youngster; always getting the stern eyes of the nun for dropping things and fidgeting in the pew. Now, I mentally thanked her for preparing me to pay attention to the mass.
After mass in Nazareth, we visited Joseph’s Workshop, the home of the Holy Family, the Cave of the Annunciation and Mary’s Well. There they were before my eyes: the scenes from the Bible. We saw the Grotto of the Annunciation and had mass at the Basilica.
In the afternoon, we viewed Nain and the Church that celebrates the miracle of raising of the dead son of a widow.
Then we ascended Mt. Tabor to visit the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus and the beautiful scenery of the Valley of Jezreel.
In the morning, we enjoyed a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during His ministry. In our honor, the boat's crew flew the American Flag next to the Israeli Flag.
We then proceeded to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, I had the pleasure of being a guest as many of couples in our tour group renewed their wedding vows. A nun was quietly waiting for the couples to leave; she handed each a renewal of vows certificate and blessed them.
It was so moving and profound; I hid behind my camera taking pictures, keeping busy so that I would not cry. The couples were pleased to receive the pictures when they arrived home.
The tour continued along the Horns of Hittin, the site where Saladin defeated the Crusaders in 1187 and brought an end to the 80-year-old Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Saladin was a fierce warrior, but he had moments of mercy when he returned a stolen baby to its mother and sent food to King Richard and his army. King Richard went on to grow strong and defeat Saladin’s army.
Fr. David and Deacon Joseph Baniukiewicz served Mass in Nazareth. I just kept pinching myself to be sure that I was really there. I remembered how I was as a youngster; always getting the stern eyes of the nun for dropping things and fidgeting in the pew. Now, I mentally thanked her for preparing me to pay attention to the mass.
After mass in Nazareth, we visited Joseph’s Workshop, the home of the Holy Family, the Cave of the Annunciation and Mary’s Well. There they were before my eyes: the scenes from the Bible. We saw the Grotto of the Annunciation and had mass at the Basilica.
In the afternoon, we viewed Nain and the Church that celebrates the miracle of raising of the dead son of a widow.
Then we ascended Mt. Tabor to visit the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus and the beautiful scenery of the Valley of Jezreel.
In the morning, we enjoyed a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during His ministry. In our honor, the boat's crew flew the American Flag next to the Israeli Flag.
After visiting the synagogue where Jesus taught, we proceeded to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Nearby is the Church of Peter’s Primacy where Peter was told:
“Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.”
We visited the Church of the Multiplication on the northwest shore of
the Galilee where Jesus fed those 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two
fishes. I placed my hand on the rock where Jesus placed the bread.
We then drove up to the Mt. of the Beatitudes for Mass at the site of the Sermon on the Mount.
The text of St. Matthew reads:
· Blessed are the poor
in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
· Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4)
· Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
· Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
· Blessed are they that suffer
persecution for justice’
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)
I call them Beautiful Attitudes and I wish they were a part of everyone’s lives.
In the afternoon, we drove through the Jordan Valley to Jericho,
visiting the ruins of the ancient city. The city was conquered when Joshua
stormed the city in the mid-13th century B.C.. From the top of the
ancient “tel” we had an excellent view of Elisha’s Fountain and the Mt. of
Temptation.
We crossed the Israeli border and then the border of Jordan. Everything including our suitcases had to come off the bus. No one could touch our luggage, so we had to wheel or carry every piece through Israeli borders inspections.
It was 112 degrees and the ground went from cement to broken concrete to cobblestones, making it difficult to walk and to wheel luggage.
The borders have high chain-link fences, with barbed wire, gun towers and soldiers with guns.
The control building on the Israeli side was hot and fly-infested. We presented our passports and put our luggage on the belt to be x-rayed.
Then we had to transport our luggage about another mile to the bus. Once there, we had to identify our luggage before it could be loaded on the bus.
We did this border crossing routine five times during the Pilgrimage. Every time we crossed between Israel, Jordan and Egypt, it was the same routine.
We proceeded through the barren wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula to our hotel located at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
We visited Jarash, as the ancient Roman inhabitants did: through the monumental South Gate and into the Oval Plaza. We made our way down the Cardo, or street of columns, stepping over the tracks of chariot wheels still visible in the paving stones. Imagine yourself as a well-off 1st century person, window-shopping beneath the covered sidewalk.
Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where John the Baptist dwelled, preached and baptized Jesus in the early 1st century A.D., was our next incredible stop. Fr. David blessed us all there, too, and a mysterious feeling of peace surrounded my body and entered my soul.
We stopped at the Greek Orthodox Annunciation Church that stands at the banks of the Jordan. The Greek priest was very kind and courteous. Even though he was deep in prayer, he stopped to answer our questions.
Then we continued south to Mt. Nebo, from where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Mount Nebo, located 10 km west of the Roman Byzantine town of Madaba, is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan, for this is where Moses was buried. The site's association with the last days of Moses is described in moving words in Deuteronomy (34:1-7). The episode of Balak and Balam (2:13-26) also took place here.
After Mass at the Franciscan Chapel, we drove on to Petra, one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World.
This “Rose Red City” is literally carved into the sides of a deep gorge. Riding on horseback (the horseback ride is optional and no riding experience is required) between the 100-foot cliffs we saw a remarkable sight: temples, tombs and dwellings chiseled right into the limestone walls.
I took the horse and carriage. The over-a-mile walk was well worth the
$2 charge for the ride.
The temperature was about 110 degrees.
The temperature was about 110 degrees.
Petra was built during the time of Jesus, so it is possible that Jesus saw these sites too.
Very early the next morning, those of us who were able climbed Mt. Sinai. Those climbing checked into the hotel at 8 p.m., had dinner, rested briefly, checked out of the hotel around midnight, climbed up and down the mountain; and met the rest of the group at St. Catherine’s at 7:30 in the morning. I was not one of those people.
But, if you go, you need to bring hiking boots, a flashlight and warm clothing. It is a very dark climb. A tribe of the nomadic Bedouins is available on the mountain to lend you blankets and offer other basic creature comforts.
Without going into detail, I can tell you that one of our group is truly a servant of the Lord. He sacrificed a great deal for another member willingly and without complaint or the prospect of any recognition. He is “a good and faithful servant of the Lord.”
Very early that morning, those who climbed Mt. Sinai witnessed the sunrise.
We all met at Saint Catherine’s Monastery. Then, later in the morning, we toured the 1,400‐year‐old Monastery of St. Catherine, named after a 4th century martyr whose bones were supposed to be carried here by the angels after her death. We saw the Burning Bush, the Well where Moses met his wife, the Bell Tower and evidence of Islam, Arab, Turkish and French protection as a biblical site.
We drove to the Allenby Bridge, where we crossed back into the Holy
Land. We drove through the Judean Wilderness to Jerusalem, our home for the
next five nights.
After breakfast on this morning, we drove to the top of the Mount of Olives for a spectacular view of Jerusalem. We then visited the Church of Pater Noster (where Jesus ‘ taught the Lord’s Prayer to His disciples) and the Chapel of Ascension.
We took a walk along the Palm Sunday Road to Dominus Flevit where Our Lord wept over Jerusalem. We then continued to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, which commemorates Jesus’ Agony in the Garden.
After Mass, we entered the Old City to visit the Church of Saint Anne, the Pool of Bethesda, the Chapel of Flagellation and Arch of the “Ecce Homo.”
Then we followed the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord.
After breakfast, we drove to Bethlehem for Mass at the Nativity Church, which was built by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century above the traditional grotto of Jesus’ birth.
If you are going to buy souveniors, it would be good if you bought them from the Christian businesses. The Christians only source of income derives from tourists. Many Christians are leaving, because of the meager amount of trade available to them.
We visited the Manger, the Grotto of St. Jerome, the Church of St. Catherine and the Shepherds’ Fields.
Next, we drove through the Judean Wilderness for a swim in the salty and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea. I could actually lie back in the water and read a book.
We continued to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. How miraculous it was to find the scrolls, hiding in millions of caves that all looked alike.
We drove to Mt. Zion to visit the Cenacle (Upper Room), the scene of the Last Supper. Then proceeded to Dormition Abbey, St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Jesus three times, and King David’s Tomb.
Then, we went on to Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat.”.
After Mass that morning, we visited the Old City of Jerusalem,
including the Temple Area, which features the Dome of the Rock, El Aqsa Mosque
and the Wailing Wall. Then we entered the restored Jewish Quarter and walked
along the excavated Cardo, once a main street of ancient Jerusalem.
The range of ages for the people in our group went from 24 to 92 years old.
The range of ages for the people in our group went from 24 to 92 years old.
A pilgrimage is a wonderful experience. Expect to see the goodness and
godliness of people. Expect your soul to be brought to the innocence of a
child. Expect to be treasured and loved by your fellow man. Expect to know how much God loves you.
