It was sad to see the pilgrims leave. Emotional hugs and farewells. But today, our last day, was marvelous.

We started out with Mass at the Church of the Visitation. I gave my popular talk on Mary the Ark of the New Covenant and how this message is embedded in the Gospel of Luke. Then to the Israel Museum for the half acre model of Jesus’ Jerusalem and a tour of the Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

After a nice cappuccino we drove out of Jerusalem past Bedouin camps down into the Judean Wilderness. We visited the authentic baptismal site of Jesus at the muddy Jordan River. Then lunch in Jericho where we saw the mountain where Jesus was tempted by the Devil and a sycamore tree like the one Zaccheus climbed up to see Jesus.   

After a delicious Palestinian lunch we went to Qumran and saw Cave number 4 where the first Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and learned about John the Baptis and the Essenes. And about me eating a live grasshopper.

Swimming in the Dead Sea and riding camels ended the Optional Day before we came back to the Notre Dame Hotel to eat, have Fr. Bernard bless the religious items, finish packing and head to the airport.

Enjoy these two action-packed videos and comments from the pilgrims.

Part 1 is up now; part II will be available soon.

What a great day. Weather much nicer with sun and good temperatures. Mass at Gethsemane. Songs and prayers everywhere else. Group is doing well and all are thrilled with the trip and often moved to tears.

Up at 4 AM!! Following the footprints of Our Lord as he carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Visit the place where he was crucified at Calvary, also called Golgotha. Join us for Mass inside the Tomb of Christ.

Then visit St. Ann’s, the birthplace of Our Lady, the Pools of Bethesda where Our Lord healed the crippled man at the Pools of Bethesda and then to pray at the Western Wall.

From shopping to support the Christians, to touching the place where Jesus was born, from Mass in the cave where the shepherds heard the announcement from the angels to eating the Passover lamb and dancing in Samer’s Restaurant. Join us on this virtual day to Bethlehem.

See today’s video HERE

Check out our video thru Galilee, especially following Peter commissioned as Rock, shepherd and given the keys! Enjoy!

Bethlehem 2011
By Joe Marmion
Pilgrim on October 28, 2011 Pilgrimage

Pictures taken in Bethlehem’s Chapel of the Angels
My favorite line in Joe’s poem, is the last line.

Remember that day
he took fresh straw
and swept the clods and dung away
to clear a place for his wife to lay?
She was the one with child he would not shame.
He could have left her without blame,
but stayed to fulfill a Father’s will.
The sheep had stayed out on the hill
so he could light a fire to fight the chill
and give some light and cut the smell
of manure and urine that stung the nose.
Can this be the place the Father chose,
the One who made the star that rose
in the East to herald the way?
Ignore what Herodians say,
at the end of the day,
what shepherds learned, wise men knew
this day foretold from Genesis through
all of Scripture, from Old to New.
Each man came with what he had.
The shepherds with hearts of glad
tidings.  The wise men with packs
on camels and cloaks of fur.
To follow that star that had become their lure
they crossed deserts, rivers and mountains wild
in search of a king but found a child.
Not just a child but the Wunderkind
born of a virgin who had never sinned.
He and his wife in wonder start
but keep these events stored in their hearts.
The Wise Men brought caskets of incense and gold so pure,
gifts that priests and kings prefer.
So, rejoice and be glad
but do not forget the myrrh.

Part 1: It is always amazing to start the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrows at 5:00 AM and end up touching the top of Calvary and then having Mass in the Holy Tomb of Christ. Wow!

Part 2: Visiting the place of Mary’s birth and the place where Jesus healed the crippled man in John 5. Great Day!

Part 1:

Part II:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part I: Great morning as we start Day 3. Enjoy. See part II below.

Part II: Afternoon in Galilee. Primacy of St. Peter on the shore of Galilee. Bethsaida, home of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Great evening event and dinner at Auberge Shulamit.

Another great day — first full day with the St. Mary’s group spent at Mount Tabor, Cana of Galilee and Nazareth. Enjoy the video!

Today I embarked on another segment of my extended run around the Sea of Galilee. After this run from Bethsaida (home of Peter, Andrew and Philip) to Kursi (where Jesus cast the demons from the Gadarene man into a herd of pigs), I am now more than halfway around the Sea.

Today it was 80 degrees and I still have a sore left knee but I took off on the adventure full of vim and vigor, ready to live the Bible in the Holy Land. I imagined Jesus and his disciples walking along the road talking, seeing the same things I was seeing, hearing the same birds. I imagined them talking and laughing and having fun together at times, and very serious and tired at other times. They were certainly manly men.

I hit three biblical sites: Bethsaida the fishing village mentioned 7 times in the gospels; the site of the multiplication of loaves and fish in John 6 on the eastern shore of Galilee, and Kursi where he delivered the demoniac.

The last pictures of the site of Multiplication of Loaves and Fish should really be earlier in the sequence of pictures – immediately following the sign for Tel Hadar. I had to find the stone later which they had moved from the site I last saw it. But at least I got the stone overlooking the sea, marking the place of the miracle.

See the map, videos and pictures HERE.

We visited the Model of Jerusalem and the Temple during the time of Christ. Then to visit the Shrine of the Book to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jericho is always marvelous especially when we read the related Bible passages.

Today we went down to the Jordan River to the exact place where Jesus was actually baptized.

That was just the morning! Then we had other adventures like visiting Qumran where John the Baptist probably learned about “baptism”. Then we went to float the laugh in the Dead Sea and to ride camels. Great fun. Enjoy!

Part I

Part II

…with Franciscan University of Steubenville Pilgrimages. What a great day! Enjoy it with us!

Great morning

And afternoon: Paternoster, Peter in Gallicantu, Holy Shroud Exhibit and meeting the Bishop of Jerusalem

Today we crossed into the Palestinian West Bank through the concrete wall and entered Bethlehem, the birthplace of Our Lord. We even heard the Our Father prayer in the language of Jesus. It was a great day leading Franciscan University of Steubenville through the ancient City of David.

Morning of Shopping, Olive Wood Factory, Muslim Prayer, Church of Nativity and more.

Afternoon at Shepherds Field, exploring Bethlehem, eating the Passover Lamb, celebrating a wedding and heading back to Jerusalem.

Great day in the footprints of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

Part Two: Afternoon is below