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Reading the Bible in the Land of the Bible
Bible stories take on a whole new meaning when you actually visit
the places where the ancients walked and worshipped. With a small
group—limited to 16 pilgrims and two leaders—you will visit the
Basilica commemorating the Annunciation and travel to Ein Karem
where Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. You will place yourself in
Shepherd’s Field by Bethlehem and say a prayer in the 4th-century
Church of the Nativity that St. Helena had constructed over the cave
where Jesus was born. You will stand on the shores of Galilee to see
fish jumping out of the water and remember that Jesus called on
Peter to be a fisher of men. You will walk along the Via Dolorosa
and gaze at Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
You will also visit Old Testament sites that will bring to life
Abraham’s worship of the one God, his grandson Jacob’s struggle
with God, Moses’ wandering through the wilderness, Ruth’s journey
from Moab to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi, and Job’s
suffering.
Tying the Old Testament and the New Testament together, you will
visit the archeological site at Petra, recently named one of the new
“Seven Wonders of the World,” where the Nabateans controlled the
spice trade from 200 BC to 200 AD. That is the place where the Magi
would have procured frankincense, and it was the homeland of the
Arabs present at Pentecost. At the conclusion of our pilgrimage, you
will have the opportunity to renew your baptismal promises at the
Jordan River site where the early Christians recalled the baptism of
the Lord.
Encouraging Local
Christians
The number of
Holy Land Christians is decreasing. One of our goals is to bring
hope to the descendants of the first Christians by visiting them and
praying with them. We stay in Christian hostels to bring income to
their families and to support their ministries. And so as pilgrims,
we travel not only to be fed, but to follow Christ's exhortation,
"Feed my sheep."
Holy Land Christians live and
practice their faith on both sides of the Jordan River. We will go
to Bethany beyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptized, we will visit
Christians in their homes, churches, schools, and shops. West of the
Jordan, we will spend one night in Nazareth, the place where Jesus
spent his childhood, and several nights in Bethlehem, the birthplace
of Jesus, which is in the West Bank. In Jordan, we will be the
guests of Our Lady of Peace Center.
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