Following the Footsteps of Our Lord

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Mount of the Beatitudes, Capernaum, and Mount Arbel - August 2, 2011 - (Matthew Mac Donald)

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)

Father Fabian Lopez celebrating mass at an outside grotto by the Church of the Beatitudes

The Main Altar of the Church of the Beatitudes

The Church of the Beatitudes

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.

Seminarians from the Archdiocese of New York: Matthew Mac Donald, Nicholas Fernandez, and Robert Rodriguez

The Pilgrimage Group

James Renna Pointing the Way

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.

Our pilgrimage group at the entrance to Capernaum

Fabritzio explaining the History of Capernaum

The ruins of Capernaum and the White Synagogue Church

The White Synagogue Church

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.

Tour of the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Church of Saint Joseph at Nazareth, Cana, and the ruins of Sepphoris - August 1, 2011 - (Matthew Mac Donald)

Today, we toured the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. It is built over the ruins of a Byzantine Church that was built over the house of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, where the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel that she would be the Mother of God occurred. Father Fabian Lopez celebrated mass for us at the Chapel of the Annunciation in the crypt of the Basilica, where we made a Holy Hour the night before. Luke 1:26-38 describes the Annunciation as follows:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth

to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

The Dome of the Basilica of the Annunciation shaped as a crown

Part of the Front of the Basilica

Second part of the Front entrance of the Basilica

The Altar that marks the spot where the Annunciation took place, the translation of the Latin inscription reads "Here the Word

Sean preparing to lector at mass

The Inscription reads: And He was made incarnate of the Holy Spirit

Father Fabian Lopez celebrating mass

The main altar of the Basilica

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel

Chapel with the Jerusalem Cross

We also toured the Church of Saint Joseph which is adjacent to the Basilica of the Annunciation. It is built over the ruins of a Byzantine Church that was built over the actual house where the Holy Family lived in Nazareth. Both the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Church of Saint Joseph are under the custody of the Franciscans of the Holy Land.

Entrance to the Church of Saint Joseph

The Main Altar in the Church

The Crypt Chapel

Some of the Ruins of the Byzantine Church

A Stained Glass window depicting the dream of Saint Joseph of an angel urging him to take the Virgin Mary as his wife and not divorce her since she is to be the Mother of the Son of God

A Stained Glass Window depicting the Death of Saint Joseph with Jesus and Mary at his side

Ruins under the Basilica of the Annunciation of the House of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, where the Annunciation occured

During our two night stay in Nazareth, we stayed at the pilgrimage house of the Rosary Sisters, who work in Education. They were very gracious and generous hosts to us and we were grateful for their hospitality. We were also kept awake at night and in the morning due to the Muslim calls to prayer echoing from the minarets in town that were marking the start to Ramadan.

The Salesian Church of the Adolescence of Our Lord

The Pilgrimage House of the Rosary Sisters of Nazareth

The Skyline of Nazareth

We also visited the Church of the Miracle of the Wedding of Cana, which is depicted in John 2 as where Jesus turned water into wine at the request of the Blessed Mother. This was the first miracle of Jesus' public ministry. This church is under the custody of the Franciscans of the Holy Land.

Main Altar of the Church of the Miracle of Cana

Painting of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana

Ruins of a Byzantine Church that the current Franciscan church is built over

Church of the Birthplace of Saint Nathaniel (Saint Bartholomew the Apostle)

We also went to the ruins of the city of Sepphoris which is located west of Nazareth in the central Galilee region of Northern Israel. It was an ancient city that was heavily influenced by Assyrian, Jewish, Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Muslim Culture. It is believed that Saints Joachim and Anne were originally from this city. This city also played a major influence in shaping modern Jewish practices in the Mishnah after the fall of the Second Temple and this was largely due to the city siding with the forces of the Roman Emperor Vespasian.