Good Evening friends,
Today, Friday, is the Sabbath for the Jewish community and, therefore, no one in our Jerusalem hotel is allowed to purchase time to use the internet until the Sabbath ends Saturday night at 6:00 pm! Sorry if we worried you when you didn’t see the blog message – but we didn’t disappear – we’re just a day late for your viewing.
Beginning our Friday early with beautiful weather, we moved out of our hotel in Tiberias and headed towards the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Traveling on the same road that Jesus took from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, we moved from a fertile landscape of vegetables and fruit trees, to acres of fig producing palm trees, and finally through the Judean desert where we could see the Bedouin Shepherds tending their sheep. Leaving the desert we climbed 4,000 feet in altitude as we continued on our way towards the holiest city for the Christian and Jewish community and the third holiest city for the Muslims. Overlooking the city, we participated in the Jewish welcoming ritual of blessing Jerusalem by sharing bread dipped in salt with wine. (Mt. 21:1-11)
Our next stop was to the birthplace of our Lord, Bethlehem. The first stop was at the site of the Shepherd’s Cave. (Lk. 2:1-20). In the cave we read scripture and sang “Joy to the World" above the cave there is a very nice chapel called the Shepherd’s Chapel where we admired its stunning mosaics depicting the angels asking the shepherds to welcome the Christ Child. We were moved to sing “Angels We have Heard On High.”
On to the city of Bethlehem, we were brought to a Christian Gift Shop where we purchased the famous olive wood carvings and rosary beads, Jerusalem crosses, and many more personal gifts for the folks back home.
The highlight of the day’s adventure, of course, was to visit the Church of the Nativity where we descended below into the Grotto of the Nativity. There we touched and kissed the Silver Star that marked the site where Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. (Mt. 2:1-16, Jn. 7:42)
We then celebrated a Christmas Mass at the complex in the beautiful church of St. Catherine. We were all overwhelmed with the opportunity that God granted us. There is no longer a quiet “Little Town of Bethlehem” – but the holiness of the place was palpable.
Entering the Judean Desert near Jericho
Taking a break for some great cappuccino!
Chatting with some Israeli soldiers heading home for weekend leave.
Father Rick giving his blessing with the Mount of Olives behind him on his right, Jerusalem to his left as Isaac welcomes us to Jerusalem with a traditional Jewish greeting of bread and salt with wine.
Bethlehem, inside the Shepherd's Cave.
Bethlehem, Church of the Shepherds: "The angel of the Lord appeared to them...."
"So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger."
"..they made known the message..."
Pilgrims at the entrance to the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus.
Fr. Rick touches the place where Jesus was born marked by a silver star.
Christmas Mass at St. Catherine
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