Mass at the Church of St. Joseph
Bus Route
Theme: The Annunciation
Breakfast at our hotel. This morning, we started with a visit to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first public miracle, changing water into wine. From ther we visited the Franciscan Church built over the traditional location of the wedding hall. Married couples had the opportunity to renew their marriage vows! From Cana, we drove to Nazareth where Jesus spent his hidden years and lived and learned the Hebrew tongue. The highlight of our time in Nazareth was a visit to the magnificent Basilica of the Annunciation built over the house of Our Lady. Here, “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.”
We also contemplated the mystery of the Incarnation and explore the beautiful basilica built in 1968 and celebrated 11:00 a.m. Mass at the church of St. Joseph built on the house of the Holy Family In Nazareth.
In the afternoon we returned to the Sea of Galilee to make a stop at Migdal or Magdala, hometown of St. Mary Magdalene. Here we explored one of the most important archeological excavations made here in recent years and visited one of the oldest synagogues in Israel dating back to the time of Jesus. We continued to the area of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
The day ended with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, which is sure to be among our favorite memories from the pilgrimage. T he Gospels come to life as we imagine when Jesus walked on the water (John 6:19-21), calmed a storm (Matt. 8:23-26), and showed the disciples miraculous catches of fish (Luke 5:1-8; John 21:1-6).
Dinner and overnight at Mount of Beatitudes Guesthouse on the Sea of Galilee.
Suggested Scripture: John 2:1-12, Luke 1:26-38; and Matt. 5:3-12, John 6:19-21, Matt. 8:23-26, Luke 5:1-8, John 21:1-26