Posts Tagged ‘holy lands’
Depart in Peace
Jerusalem is the City of Peace, and today is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. For me the connection is a profound one. As Saint Symeon had spent his life desiring to see Christ, I have spent my life with the “someday it would be nice to visit the Holy…
Read MoreA Fitting End
Today is our final day in the Holy Land, but it was no less filled with inspiration and memories. Our first stop today set the tone for the completion of our journey. We ascended the mountain with God and venerated what is believed to be the very spot from Our Lord and Savior Ascended into…
Read MoreThe Pinnacle
I’ve heard it said many times about museums, “You can’t see it all in just one hour; you need an entire day!” Well, so far this week at any site that we have visited, whether it be monastery, Church, or ancient ruins, “You can’t see it all in just one hour. You need the entire…
Read MoreEmotions are Running High
I don’t really know where to begin today. We visited several monasteries today. As we draw closer to our Lord’s Tomb, which we will visit tomorrow, the depth of our visits hits me more with each visit. Forgive me for admitting, but if my phone did not timestamp each picture, I would never remember what…
Read MoreHistory and Hope
Today was a whirlwind day. I even got more than 11,000 steps in before coming back to my hotel room after dinner. I was ‘warned’ about all the walking, but it hasn’t really been that bad, and when you consider where we are walking, it is more than worth the steps. We began today with…
Read MoreThe Sea of Galilee
Today’s journey began boarding a boat “for the other side” for an hour on the Sea of Galilee. We were headed to Capernaum, although by today’s standards it may have been faster to drive. Being in this place will forever sear in my mind the surroundings of the Sermon on the Mount. From this one…
Read MoreFrom Antiquity to Modernity
Our first visit today was the city of Caesarea by the Sea. This ancient city, founded by Herod the Great, the same Herod who was King when Christ was born, is my first testimony to better understand the reality that life goes on from generation to generation, and the physical places are in a constant…
Read MoreArrival in Israel
Our travel to Israel was uneventful, thank God, but long. We left Tampa International Airport at 11am Friday, January 24th, and arrived at Tel Aviv International Airport 9:30am on Saturday, January 25th. We were warned in America that arriving on the Sabbath would create a few delays as most Jews do not work on the…
Read MoreThrough Security and Ready to Board
You never know what to expect when you’re traveling. This morning, I got a late start thanks to the snooze button, and there was a bit of traffic, but by God’s grace, I was able to check in and get through security quickly, and still have time for a cup of coffee. People have asked…
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