Day 8

The BSP pilgrims headed out again in Israel with another busy schedule! 

We started off our day visiting the Church of the Pater Noster, the place where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer.Here, we could see the Lord's Prayer in many different languages! 

We then walked as Jesus did during Palm Sunday, walking alongside what is believed to be the path he took. 

We then visited Dominus Flevit, the church where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. 

We then visited the Church of the Tomb of Mary. It was here where the group celebrated mass. 

After that, the group visited the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of Agony. 

Later on, we visited the Chapel of the Ascension. Inside, the group reflected upon a stone with the impression of a footstep said to have been made by Jesus ascending into heaven.

In the afternoon, we ventured to Mount Zion. We first stopped by the Dormition Abbey, believed to be the home of John the Apostle, who took Mary into his home after Jesus' crucifixion. 

We then visited the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper. 

Lastly, we went to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, believed to be the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. It was also here where the group had a moment of prayer in the crypt. 

Hard to believe there are only two days left!! What new places will this adventure hold? 

Day 7 ~ Bethlehem, Ein Karem

Our first stop was in Bethlehem, where we reviewed the excavation remains of a third-century monastery and celebrated a Spiritual Holy Mass in a small cave beneath the Good Shepard Church.

 

From there, we were all deeply moved by visiting the Church of the Nativity, where Luke 2:7 describes how Mary" bought forth her firstborn son."  

We also could view the original floors of the First Church constructed (by St. Helen, Emperor Constantine's mother) in the 4th century. Right next door is St.Catherine's church, which was closed.

We then drove the same path Mother Mary traveled to visit her cousin Saint Elizabeth and toured St John the Baptist Church, the Church of the Annunciation; the latter possessed the most beautiful Frescos we've seen thus far.

Day 7

The Blessed Sacrament Parish pilgrims took on another day in Israel!!

First, the group visited the Church of the Good Shepherd. It was here where we also celebrated mass.

Next, we visited Jesus' birthplace at the Church of the Nativity. What a humbling experience this was to be in such a holy place.

After, we went to Ien Karem to see the Church of John the Baptist and the Church of the Visitation. 

Church of John the Baptist:

Church of the Visitation:

Finally, we enjoyed some gelato to end our day before heading back to the hotel. 

Where will be headed tomorrow?! 

Day 6 ~ ( part 2)

The pilgrims traveled to Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world. We then drove by the ruins of Jericho and by an old sycamore tree where Christ called Zacchaeus.

We celebrated Holy Mass at the Good Shepard Church, followed by a beautiful Christian/Arab lunch.

The final stops of the day were in Jerusalem, where we visited a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem during the time of Christ. And….

…… the museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. In all, 190 scrolls were found dating back 1900-2400 years (including the entire book of Isaiah).