Today we arrived at the guesthouse of the Church of the Beatitudes, near Tabgha, where we will be spending the next four days as we spend time in quiet recollection and touring the area of the sea of Galilee. The scenery in this region is probably some of the most stunningly beautiful that is found in the in the Holy Land. Father Fabian Lopez celebrated mass for us in a grotto nearby the Church of the Beatitudes where Jesus preached the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew 5-7), with the Beatitudes.
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:1-12)
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| Father Fabian Lopez celebrating mass at an outside grotto by the Church of the Beatitudes |
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| The Main Altar of the Church of the Beatitudes |
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| The Church of the Beatitudes |
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| The Region of the Sea of Galilee |
We also toured the peak of Mount Arbel which is near the the site of the Battle of Hattim, where Saladin defeated the last of the crusader forces in 1187. Our tour guide, Fabritzio explained to us the history of the region around the time of Jesus and how it was split between Jewish and Gentile communities. The peak of the mountaintop was very high but offered a beautiful view of the region of the sea of Galilee.
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| Seminarians from the Archdiocese of New York: Matthew Mac Donald, Nicholas Fernandez, and Robert Rodriguez |
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| The Pilgrimage Group |
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| James Renna Pointing the Way |
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| Seminarians from the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conneticut |
We also toured the town of Capernaum. where Saint Peter lived and where Jesus initiated his public ministry.
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| Our pilgrimage group at the entrance to Capernaum |
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| Fabritzio explaining the History of Capernaum |
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| The ruins of Capernaum and the White Synagogue Church |
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| The White Synagogue Church |
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| The Franciscan Church built over the ruins of the House of Saint Peter and His Mother-In-Law |
We will be on days of recollection for the next two days at the Mount of Beatitudes. Be assured of our prayers for all of you who visit this blog. God bless.
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