Blessed are the...

Church of the Beatitudes

This morning, we all went up to the Mount of Beatitudes, which overlooks the entire Sea of Galilee and its surrounding hills. I can imagine that anyone living around the sea would probably have been able to see a crowd gathering around Jesus. This place offers much more than a beautiful view of the sea. We came here to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, and then for over an hour we had a chance to meditate in silence on the truths that were taught upon this Mount. 

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:1-12)

In the afternoon, we had enough time to spend some last moments by the sea of Galilee and to prepare ourselves for tomorrows departure to Jerusalem. 

Tabgha and the Primacy of Peter

Greetings to all of you who are following us in our journey through the Holy Land. 

Today we visited the site where the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes took place; we celebrated Mass there with a religious community. I felt very welcomed by the community as they included an English reading and we prayed the Our Father in English. This made me feel at home as part of the Catholic Church founded by Christ in charity, peace and hope. Then, we went to the site known as the Primacy of Peter. At this site by the Sea of Galilee Jesus took the Twelve to teach them and in this place Jesus asked Peter three times: “Peter do you love me?” after Peter answered; Jesus asked him to feed His flock. During the time in this site I was praying for the people I will be working with. I asked the Lord to give me a shepherd’s heart to be able to feed His flock with Jesus’ love and care. 

The last place that we visited was a synagogue; it was a great experience to be there. In the beginning we all were wondering about visiting the synagogue; however, I think most of us were amazed by the way the Jews welcomed us. They were very friendly and open to talk to us and even show us the Torah and a young man gave us a very nice explanation about the way they pray. It has been a great experience being in the Holy Land and to see and touch places where Jesus was. I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all your support but most importantly, for your prayers. 

Please keep praying for us as we continue our journey in the footsteps of Christ so that we may be transformed more in His likeness to feed His flock with love, mercy, and hope. God bless you all.   

Duc in Altum

After departing from the Sisters of Nazareth, near the Basilica of the Annunciation, we made our way to Tiberias. The town was dead, as if humanity had disappeared and left the place preserved. Turns out it was the Sabbath so the observant Jews kept quiet, and we had free roam of the shore. No one rolled on the Shabbas in Tiberias!

The Sea of Galilee was impressive. It was sad to see this lake polluted where Jesus had walked, but there was a deep sense of history as we were surrounded by the remnants of a Crusader wall. We had Mass at the Church of Saint Peter. It was a beautiful, if not unadorned, worship space. After Mass, we had a boat ride around the Sea. Despite the rain we had no Gilligan moments. We had ample time for pictures, and the brief quiet provided a reflective space to contemplate how Jesus and his Apostles knew these waters. It has been said, in the movie A River Runs Through It, that "we are haunted by waters." Indeed, these waters of the Sea of Galilee do haunt the human heart and run through the imagination forming an image of Jesus calling to each of us to duc in altum (put out into the deep). After this wooden boat put us back to shore we had lunch, including an unusual presentation of un-filleted fish complete with cooked eyes (the group was split on "yum" and "yuck").

With full stomachs and happy hearts we drove into Pilgerhaus on the sea and were quickly impressed by the spectacular beauty of our lodgings. Some of us hiked up the Mountain of the Beatitudes while others slept and rested. We gathered together for prayer and greeted the happy arrival of Frs. Rodriguez and Lodge with Dr. Nagel. All in all, life was good today as the sun gave way to a beautiful starry sky over Israel, the promised and beloved land of God.

**Editor's Note: The internet has been a litte spotty at our place in Galilee. We hope to have a special photo edition post when we arrive in Jerusalem and presumably have better bandwidth. Stay tuned!

"… and He was transfigured before them…"

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them.  And there appeared to them Eli’jah and Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.  And Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli’jah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid.  And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”  Mark 9:2-7

The facade of the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor

Today we ventured out into the cold and rain to Mount Tabor, the mountain on which Christ was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.  As we approached the mountain, we could see clouds surrounding the top, blocking our view.  The roads were too narrow and the turns too sharp for the big bus so we had to stop halfway up and split into three little vans to take us up to the Franciscan church.  After an explanation of the sight and the architecture of the building itself, we had time for silent prayer before celebrating Mass.  During mass, the thunder and lightning picked up which was reminiscent of the voice of the Father.  While it would have been awesome to see the views from the top of this holy mountain, it was great to be engulfed in clouds, similar to that moment 2000 years ago when Christ and the three apostles were here, in this place.  In the midst of that cloud was also the Eucharist, Christ transfigured before our eyes, veiled in the appearance of bread and wine; the glistening light contained in such a little host.  What a blessed moment of prayer.

After our time on Mount Tabor, we journeyed back down and passed through the village of Nain, where Jesus raised the only son of a widow. (Lk 7:11-16)  Unfortunately we were not able to visit the church, for various reasons.  Regardless, this was still a place where a great miracle occurred.

The remainder of the day was spent back in Nazareth where guys visited with each other, returned to the Basilica of the Annunciation one last time and began to prepare for the next leg of our pilgrimage.

Of Refuges and Fortresses

“I love you, Lord, my strength,
Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
My God, my rock of refuge…” Psalm 18:2-3


After making it through an Israeli sandstorm our pilgrimage began a very rainy trip to a place that may very well have been in the Psalmist’s mind as he wrote these words.

Mt. Carmel has been a place of refuge for those in danger for millennia, perhaps most notably for the prophet Elijah, who fled the wrath of Queen Jezebel and hid in a cave that tradition holds is contained in the heart of the basilica built on Mt. Carmel. Rather than simply being a place of hiding, God also chose this place to reveal His Presence to Elijah in a tiny, whispering sound. In this place of profound consolation and protection God gives Elijah his next mission and the assurance that He is with Elijah.

Thus, the subject of faith in the homily was especially powerful, as we were reminded that Jesus came to establish a relationship with us based on faith; that He desires our faith in response to His love. Our chance to celebrate Mass there and take time to pray was a welcome chance to bask in that love (and take shelter from the driving rain!).


Mt. Carmel, then, serves as a powerful place of pilgrimage for us. It has been the home of the Carmelite order since the 1200s and the great works produced by the likes of St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Edith Stein and St. Therese of Lisieux speak to the “dual reality” of Mt. Carmel. Mt. Carmel is a holy mountain, a place to retreat to and find God’s Presence and love, but in finding (or perhaps, being found by) that love, we are sent out in faith to bring that love to the world.

Perhaps it is no surprise then that St. Therese concluded, after a life of profound love of God, that she “wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth.” Mt. Carmel certainly impels us to continue our journey and take the love of God with us.


From Mt. Carmel we traveled to the ancient city of Akko, the last Crusader stronghold in Israel and a marvel of architecture. While the weather didn’t give us much of a chance to enjoy what normally would be breathtaking views, we could feel the history as we explored the enormous halls and tiny tunnels built by the Crusaders, in hopes of defending pilgrims in the Holy Land.

Any young man that ever dreamt of being a knight and riding off on grand adventures would have felt at home sheltered in the ancient fortress. By the end of our very damp tour, however, our group was ready simply to ride off back to our warm retreat center and rest before another day in this amazing land.

Wedding Feast at Cana!

It was a bit cold as we headed out to the city of Cana. It is here that Jesus performed his first miracle - changing the water into wine. It can be found in the Gospel of John 2:1-11.  Jesus and his first disciples come to the wedding feast. Then the wine ran out, the celebration seems to be coming to an abrupt end, but Mary turned to her Son to overcome any embarrassment of the groom.  The mother of Jesus said, “They have no wine.” [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you”… and the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine.” The miracle is significant for us Catholics because it demonstrates the divine intervention into our lives and the sanctity of marriage. Moreover, as Christians, Mary sets the example of surrendering to God’s will. Through the words, “Do whatever He tells you,” Mary tells us the purpose of our lives, which is to do the will of her Son in all things. She points out to us the one and only way to salvation: Jesus Christ!

The Church marking the spot of Christ's First Miracle in Cana

There at the Church at Cana, we concluded with the beautiful mass remembering our benefactors and our families. 

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.