A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Hi friends, I know things have been quiet around here and for good reason!

I was on a trip to Israel and because we were flying through London, we decided

it was very prudent for us to stay a few days there and see the sites.

So I will share a few pictures of our trip with you here!

I will start with the Holy Land and wait a few days andput some pictures of London together for you.

"Homeless Jesus" was the plaque for this statue in Capernaum.  Jesus did a lot of his ministry here in Capernaum.  His apostles lived and fished in this area.  Many miracles were performed here.

A boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, pictured with my pastor!  Isn't the water beautiful?  And it is filled with 'Peter's Fish' which is talapia!  The Jordan River runs into the Sea of Galilee on the North end and comes out on the south end and travels down to the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is actually fresh water. The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water in the world!

This is my husband Scott, we are at the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Our guide broke off an olive branch, dipped it into the river and handed it to our pastor and he shook it over us several times to renew our baptismal rites.

Here we are on the Southern Steps leading to the Temple.  In Jesus' time, He would have walked these steps to go into the temple, like the time he was 12 and his parents lost Him, but He wasn't lost, He was in His "Father's House"!  The entrance to the Temple has since been closed off.  But these are the steps!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The temple inside the Old City of Jerusalem is the gold dome.  The walls are about 1 mile on all sides to protect the Old City.  There are eight gates, but only seven are open, the one with the Southern Steps is sealed off. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked the 'Via Dolorosa'  The Way of the Cross.  There were 50 of us pilgrims and we took turns carrying the cross through the Old city.  There are 14 stations, but the last three are inside a church, The Holy Sepulchre.  It is the Holiest Church in the world.  It was beautiful and striking and so very emotional to be in that place where Jesus was crucified, where he was taken down from the cross and laid in His Mother's arms, and then finally into the tomb, here He was also Resurrected.                                                     

 

I have made a digital scrapbook with 57 pages and that was the limit!  I could NOT add any other pages, so I will not bore you with more pictures of me.  I made sure to get a picture of my husband and I in front of every altar as our priest said Mass for us every day.  

 

After Jerusalem, we drove to Jaffa, which is next to Tel Aviv and we spent the night there, we had a walking private guided tour of Jaffa and that was quite fun, then we took a flight out early the next morning for London and spent 2 1/2 days sightseeing there before coming home.

It has taken me some time to recuperate from all the time change, and I am still not back to normal, I seem to wake up around 4 AM every morning and can't go back to sleep!

 

Thanks for taking a look!

 

 

Heart Hugs,

 

Colleen