My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord

Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation

 Powerful words to reflect on as we entered the Basilica of the Annunciation for the first time as a group. A place of profound immensity, the Basilica holds the grotto in which Our Lady met the messenger of the Lord, and so became the Mother of God. Adorned on the outdoor and indoor walls are images of Our Lady from countries across the globe, reflecting the greatness of the Body of Christ. 

Following mass on the upper floor of the Basilica, we were able to tour the original home of the Holy Family during their time in Nazareth and a simple synagogue that Jesus would most likely have attended 2000 years ago. 

Tour of the caves at the Basilica

Packing into the bus, the group then went on to visit Tel Megiddo, a site home to a number of ancient civilizations throughout history, and the place held to be the site of the armageddon. After a simple meal and a tour of this tel, we made our way to our final site of the day: Muhraqa, a small monastery on the top of a mountain that overlooks the Jezreel Valley. This site is held to be the place where the prophet Elijah once slew the priests of Ba'al. While it holds magnificent views of the Jezreel and surrounding areas, the weather was not so cooperative, but I'm sure some of the men were able to capture some outstanding photos.

Who knows what else our time in Galilee will bring, but the men are very much looking forward to our future encounters with the Living God.