Pilgrimage to The Holy Land

WARNING - This is long. Perhaps you should read it in a few sittings. 

Kev and I went to the Holy Land with our dear friend Fr Rafael. Fr Raf is half German and half Belgian. He was born in Israel, but grew up in Argentina. He spent his teen years in Italy and Germany. He was a student of the ESM Rome fourteen years ago (with Donna) and is now a priest for the Archdiocese of Rome. He also teaches Scripture at the ESM. I knew that he was quite familiar with the Holy Land, but I have since found out that he lived in Galilee for a year and a half (so he knows the place really well); he is an official guide; he speaks Hebrew and understands some Arabic; and has contacts all over the place. So all of this, together with being an all-round nice guy, made him the perfect travelling buddy.

Fr Raf met us at the airport and we got a rental car. We headed north along the coast and stopped at Caesarea Maritima and watched the sun go down over the Adriatic.

 Caesarea Maritima- Roman aqueduct

Then we drove to Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee. We arrived at night so we were pleasantly surprised the next morning to find that our place was right on the lake - just a hop, skip and a jump to go for a swim! At Tabgha, there are seven natural springs which flow into the Sea of Galilee. The spring water is always 21 degrees, so the fish are attracted to this warm place on the lake. This is where fisherman go fishing on the Sea of Galilee, and have always gone fishing. So, this is the place where Jesus called his disciples.

"As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called the, Immediate they left the boat and their father, and followed him." (Mt 4:18-22) .

It is also the site of the first multiplication of the loaves and fish.

Tabgha - where Jesus called his disciples

Our pilgrimage was so amazing because Fr Raf organised the whole thing, and revealed each place to us through reading Scripture. He took us for a walk up a hill just behind our accommodation and invited us to sit on a rock on a level piece of ground. He then began to read the Sermon on the Mount including the Beatitudes. He explained to us that the Church of the Beatitudes is not built on the correct spot, but where we were sitting was where Jesus would have spoken to the crowds. It fits the description in the Gospels more accurately. So we prayed there for a bit before walking down the hill. On the way, we stepped into a cave which over-looked the lake. Again, it is quite likely that Christ would have sat in this cave. Also, it is quite likely that he would have been here when he saw the disciples in the boat going from Tabgha to Capernaum and started walking on the water. Cool, huh?

Mount of Beatitudes

We went to Cana where Christ worked his first public miracle at the wedding feast. We were sitting in the courtyard of the church when a nun asked Fr Raf if he would do a ceremony for renewing Marriage Vows for another group. We joined in and it was pretty funny. Fr Raf was told to speak English. Half way through I kinda shouted to him (in a reverent, whispering kind of way) that I don't think people understand. He worked out that he needed to change to French. Needless to say, then I couldn't understand. So although I have a certificate verifying that we renewed our vows, I can't actually say that I got it word for word - but my intentions were good!

 Cana - renewal of marriage vows

We went to Nazareth which is a bit of a dump really. We prayed for a long time at the place where the Angel Gabriel announced that Mary would be the Mother of God. The actual house was dismantled, brick by brick, and reconstructed in Loreto during the crusades. (This was done by an Italian family named 'Angeli', which is why people say that the house was transported by angels). It was amazing to know that we were kneeling at the place where the Word was made Flesh!

 Nazareth - the place of the Annunciation

We visited a convent that tradition said was built above the house of the 'Righteous Man'. Only recently when the nuns where having work done below ground did they discover some ruins. Excavations have revealed a house and a tomb. There is also a place that was used as a chapel during the Crusader period. Many other details show that it was very likely the place where St Joseph lived (with his Family) and was buried.

 Nazareth - the tomb in the House of the Righteous Man

We went to Bethsaida which was pretty nifty. Again, it was only fairly recently rediscovered because it had been destroyed.

"Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes". (Lk 10:13)

 Bethsaida - the gates of the town (with a gum tree)

Then we went to the old ruins of Tel Dan which is in the north of Israel. I had never heard of it before, but it was amazing and wonderful and really really old.

Tel Dan - Kev on the Judgement Seat, Fr Raf awaiting his decision

We had a great time wandering around. At one point we sat down at a lookout over Lebanon and Syria. We could hear the artillery in the distance. It was incredible to learn that the problem started when the Brits drew a border on a map. It was drawn with lead pencil, which represents 130 metres on the ground. This ground is has one of the most profuse springs in the Middle East. So everyone wants it. We prayed there for peace and unity. Then Fr Raf wanted to show us one last thing: 'The Gate of the Three Arches', or given Abraham would have entered the city through this gate, it is also known as 'Abraham's Gate' (Gn 14:14). They are the earliest complete arches found in the world, and date back to 1800 BC.

Abraham's Gate - almost 4000 years old

We also visited a place near Caesarea Philippi which, at the time of Jesus, was a shrine to the Greek god named Pan. It was built over the opening of a cave in a huge rock, and the local pagans believed that the cave was literally the gate to the underworld. It was known as the "Gates of Hell". Some nasty business used to go on there...it was really evil. Jesus often used visuals to support what he was saying. He would have had this in sight when he said these words to Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mt 16:18). Later an earthquake destroyed the shrine completely. Peter and the Church remain!

The Gates of Hell

We went to Mount Tabor on the Feast of the Transfiguration. We got there just before the church was closing, because we were confident that Fr Raf's winning smile would get us permission to stay for a private Mass. This was preferable to the crazy crowds. It paid off.  We had the place to ourselves. First we had a time of Praise, then a beautiful Mass (Mass of the Feast of the Transfiguration) with a wonderful homily by our prayerful and knowledgeable Father Raf.

Church of the Transfiguration

The next day we took a short walk along the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. We stopped on the way for Praise, under the shade of a gum tree.

Capernaum - signs are all in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew and English

The Catholic church at Capernaum looks like a spaceship. But if you look beyond that, it is a pretty nifty place. It is built over Peter's house. It has a glass bottom so you can see it from above. When we got there, we sat by the lake and Fr Raf gave each of us heaps of Scripture references that relate to the place, so we could pray by ourselves for a long time. Then we met up and wandered around together.

Capernaum - Catholic church built over Peter's house

We went a short way along the lake to the Greek church. It is much much nicer. Fr Raf knows the Greek monk there so we had chat with him before looking at the amazing new icons in the church. Then we sat in the garden chatting and noticed a boat coming into port. It was a 'Jesus Boat'. (Recently, a boat was discovered that dates back to the time of Christ. Many boats have been made in the same style, and they take passengers on the lake). We ran down to the pier and asked if we could join the next group. The lovely group of Korean nuns were happy for us to join them. Fr Raf drove along the lake and met us at the next port.

'Jesus Boat'

We drove to the other side of the lake, to one of the pagan cities of the Decapolis called Hippos. Once again, it was only discovered very recently so it is not a public site yet - they are still excavating it. As we were sitting on the ground overlooking the water, listening to Raf's explanations of the place, we saw bits of broken pottery on the ground. How cool is that! Fr Raf explained that the disciples would have not been too pleased about coming to this side of the lake. Then they experienced the storm on the way which would have confirmed that it was a bad idea. But this is where Jesus healed the demoniac who went on the proclaim what Jesus had done for him throughout this pagan land. (Mk 5:1-20).

Hippos - one of the cities of the Decapolis

More old ruins!

There is another reason why it is not a public site yet....

Hippos - one of my favourite photos

After five days in Galilee, we started to head up (actually it's south, but apparently you should always say 'up') to Jerusalem. We made a little stop at the Jordan River. It is most likely the place where John would have been baptising. Therefore, the place where Jesus was baptised (Mt 3:13-17). This has only been opened on a regular basis to the public in the last few years. Fr Raf had never been there. Kev and I waded into the water up to our knees. Fr Raf did the full immersion. It was beautiful to watch because he was really praying as he did it.

Jordan River

Then we drove to Qumran which is where about 900 scrolls were discovered about 60 years ago. Some of them contain texts from the Hebrew Bible  First we had lunch at the Visitor's Centre. Then I mentioned how I had been in one of the Caves before. Fr Raf was astounded because he said it wasn't possible to go. I assured him that I had done it last time I was there. So we ventured out and up. It was actually pretty dangerous and we didn't have appropriate footwear, so we stopped halfway. But it was still pretty impressive. 

Qumran - caves in the background

Then we went down to the Dead Sea. First I covered myself in the mud from the shore - it made my skin baby-smooth. (It has since returned to mature lady skin). Then I played in the water. I just love it. It is about 29 % salt, compared with about 4% in the oceans, so it is impossible to drown. I kept standing up and letting myself be lifted up, to the point where I lying down on the water, without even trying. I would burst out laughing, and then do it again. And again. And again. Fr Raf said he could see me laughing to myself. I must have looked weird....that's unusual!

Dead Sea - Kev sitting in the water. Hele getting coated in the mud

One last stop before Jerusalem - the Jordan desert. It was ace!

Jordan desert 

We stayed in the new town of Jerusalem, which is about a thirty minute walk to the old town (up and down, up and down hills - we were well-fit by now).

Before returning the rental car, we visited the church dedicated to the birthplace of John the Baptist. Then we went up the hill to the Church of the Visitation, where Mary visited Elizabeth and the 'child in her womb leaped for joy'. (Lk 1:42)

We went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. It was really difficult to see and hear about all the atrocities of WW2. It was a shame that it was so anti-Catholic though. There was some significant re-writing of history which will only serve to continue the hate. It implied very strongly that Nazism was born out of the Catholic Church, and blamed the Vatican for not helping the Jewish people. It neglected to show how much good the Church did, especially for the Jews in Rome. There was no mention of the fact that, the Chief Rabbi of Rome (Rabbi Zolli) was so moved by the efforts of Pope Pius XII that they became good friends. Rabbi Zolli eventually converted to the Catholic faith and took for his baptismal name Eugenio, in honor of Eugenio Pacelli (Pius XII).

We decided to brave the trip to Bethlehem which is in the Palestinian territories. We had to go through a maze of security checks underground (like at the airport, but scary) just to cross the border. We took a taxi to the Shepherds' Fields, where we spent about a lot of time reading Scripture, praying and snooping around caves and tunnels. Then we went to Bethlehem. We went to the church that is built over the cave where Jesus was born. We only had a short time at the spot, because crowds were filing through. But we managed to pray together for a while. Then we went upstairs and through a door to the Catholic church. Fr Raf worked his charm and we were able to have Mass (midnight Mass for Christmas) in the Chapel of St Helen. It was beautiful.

Then Fr Raf took us to place called, 'The Milk Grotto'. It is a church that was built over a house which has been venerated since the first century as the house where Mary and Joseph lived with Baby Jesus before the flight to Egypt - therefore, where the Magi visited.

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Mt 2:10-11)

There have been many miracles associated with this place, especially for couples who are praying to have children. We had Adoration here and prayed for ourselves and for some other friends who would love to be blessed with children.

Bethlehem - Milk Grotto

We saw lots and lots of places in Jerusalem. I learnt soooo much about  the Scriptures, history, geography, archaeology and geology. It's a shame that I don't retain information. Hopefully some of it stays tucked away in my brain.

The Western Wall of the Temple Mount

We went to a Church called the Dormition. This is the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have fallen asleep (she is without sin so she didn't need to die). We sat here for a long time by ourselves. Then a group of noisy people came in. We started to sing a hymn to Mary (It was a song from the Emmanuel community, so no one would have known it). Gradually people stopped talking and sat down too. When we finished singing, we could hear quiet humming. Others were continuing the song. We started singing again, and people started joining in. It was so beautiful!

Jerusalem - Church of the Dormition

Then we went to another cave underground which is cared for by the Greek Church. It is believed to be the tomb of Mary. Once again, I never knew it existed. Tradition tells us that she would have 'fallen asleep' and then her body would have been placed in a tomb. Needless to say, we stopped to pray again.

We visited Catherine, a member of the Emmanuel Community who lives in Jerusalem. We had never met her before, but as so often happens, we felt like we were catching up with a member of family. She was great. We stayed for lunch in her little back yard. I took the photo below by hanging my camera from her clothesline and setting the timer. The others thought it couldn't be done - they of little faith!

Jerusalem - Catherine's house

We checked out some ruins below the southern wall of the Temple Mount, that were only discovered in 1967. It was absolutely fascinating. It all started in 1838 when someone realised that some bricks that were protruding from the wall must have been part of an old arch. Excavations have since revealed a paved street, evidence of the destruction of Jerusalem, and a flight of stairs leading to the temple. 

Jerusalem - excavations of the south-west side of the Temple

Indiana Jones 

“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." (Mk 13:1-8)

Jerusalem - stones from the temple which were thrown from above into the street by the Roman soldiers, during the leveling of Jerusalem, after it was captured and burnt.

We were very excited to be going on a tour of Hezekiah's Tunnel which was constructed in 701BC, and lead from the streets of David's City into the Pool of Siloam, before entering Jerusalem. "This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezeki′ah prospered in all his works" (2 Chronicles 32:30). We came prepared to be walking underground, and at times in water. There were warnings that claustrophobics should not enter. I thought that I had grown out of my tinsy-winsy little fear. There were people in front of us and people behind us. It was pitch black. We had to bend right down because the ceiling was very low. And we were walking through water. I made it about five metres, had a severe panic attack and bolted back to the entrance, pushing and screaming for everyone to get out of my way (poor Kev!). So, the three of us turned back and did the babies tour instead through the another tunnel. I was absolutely fine because there were no other people.  I was so dang mad at myself.

Tunnel leading to the Pool of Siloam

We went to another place that has been discovered fairly recently, Bethesda. It used to be a pool where the water from the Temple flowed down into, and was known to heal many people.

"Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five porches. In these lay  a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, and paralysed, waiting for the moving of the water. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”  The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going in, another steps down before me.”  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”  And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked." (John 5:2-9)

There is a church right next to it. It is dedicated to St Anne (the mother of the Blessed Virgin) and is believed to be her house, and therefore, the birthplace of Mary.

St Anne's Church and the Pools of Bethesda

We went to Bethany and went into Lazarus' tomb. I was so so so happy because last time I was here, I was too scared to go inside because of claustrophobia. This time I was a brave girl. Then we visited a Benedictine Monastery which is on the Mount of Olives. Fr Raf knows some of then nuns there.

Hele and Kev with a dear Benedictine nun

We had Mass in there chapel, then conveniently went to say goodbye to them on the terrace as they were having dinner. They kindly invited us to join them. Fr Raf is a clever man!

Then we walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane. We prayed in the church for an hour. During this time, I went to sit next to Kev. His eyes were closed. I leaned over and suggested that he shouldn't fall asleep, here of all places. He asked why. I pointed to the image of Peter, James and John sleeping while Jesus was in agony. Apparently, my warning came too late. Afterwards we went into the Garden to pray. Apparently, the trees that were there at Jesus' time were cut down, but the trees that are there today have grown from the same roots. That's pretty neato.

Garden of Gethsemane

On the way home, we stopped at a funky little spot for a drink of arak (a drink a bit like ouzo) and hot-dogs.

Jerusalem - late night refreshments

Fr Raf took us to an area that used to be inhabited by the priests and the hoity-toity people of Jerusalem. There is a house that is believed to be the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, which is where Jesus was taken after the betrayal of Judas. The Church built on top of the house is called St Peter in Gallicantu, which means 'bird sings' (the cock crows). This is where Peter denied Christ three times.

There are steps that lead up to Mount Zion from the Kidron Valley below. The Steps were certainly in use at the time of Christ. Jesus and his disciples probably walked down these steps after the Last Supper, on the way to the Garden of Olives. He would also have been lead back up these steps by the soldiers after his arrest.

Steps alongside the house of Caiaphas

On our last day in Jerusalem, we did the Via Crucis (the Way of the Cross). We made one stop along the way to a small gate called, 'The Eye of the Needle'. To gain access, we had to enter a Russian Orthodox Monastery. Apparently, this gate was used at night when the main gate was closed. A camel could not enter the gate unless it first stooped down and had its baggage removed.

“"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"  Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."” (Mark 10:25-27)

The Eye of the Needle (little gate on the side)

Fr Raf organised for us to spend some quiet time in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Normally it is buzzing with people, so you only have a minute at each of the significant places before told to scurry along. He told us that we could be part of a small group that could be locked in at night. I thought he meant a group of a couple of hundred. We were about ten. At 9:00pm the doors closed. It was such an incredible process to witness. Hundreds of years ago, the church was entrusted to four groups: the Latin Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenians and the Ethiopian Church. To keep the peace, the keys were given to a Muslim family. From this day, it is still a member of this family who opens and closes the doors. So, at 9 o'cock, a member of each of the four churches is present at the closing of the massive doors. A little door within the door remains open. Someone outside climbs a ladder to lock the door. Then they feed the ladder in through the small opening and it is closed.

We were not sure if we would be inside all night or not. We were kinda relieved when they said they would let us out at midnight. It was amazing. I first went up to Golgotha. I was completely alone. I placed my hand in an opening in the ground under and altar which is believed to be the place where Jesus hung on the Cross. I was there for ages, praying for so many intentions. After a while other people came so I sat back a few metres. After about one hour, I went down to the tomb. The same thing. It was incredible. It was so strong...so prayerful.

We were pretty tired after three hours. At midnight, I was really hoping that the alarm clock in the Muslim family's house was working. Luckily it did. We got home at about 1:00am

The following day, we went back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Once again, Fr Raf's winning smile allowed us to have Mass at the Altar of St Mary Magdalene, which is only metres away from the tomb. We had the Mass of Easter Morning. Afterwards we lined up again for one last minute at the tomb and the Cross.

Holy Sepulchre

We then walked back to our accommodation very quickly and caught the bus to the airport. Kev and I felt very blessed to have Australian passports. We breezed through every hurdle. Poor Fr Raf (who is a German, Catholic priest, born in Tel Aviv) took much longer. We met up at the gates and had one last falafel together, and then said goodbye.

It was an incredible eleven days. Fr Raf deserves a prize for the best-ever travel companion!