Catholic Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Description

Catholic Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

 

DAY 1     

Upon arrival at Ben Gurion airport, you will be met and assisted by TTS Representative.  Continue to visit Old town of Jaffa (Joppa), the oldest port city in the world. Here St. Peter had his dream (Acts 10:9-16) to evangelize the Gentiles and where he brought Sabetha (Acts 9:36-43) back from the dead. Proceed to your hotel.

Overnight: Netanya

 

DAY 2                                               

We drive north to Caesarea Maritime where St. Paul was imprisoned, tried and sent from this Mediterranean harbor to Rome. We visit one of Herod the Great’s palaces and see the ruins of the ancient amphitheater. Proceed to Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-40) and visit Muhraqa, where Elijah prayed for the Defeat of the 450 false Prophets of Ba’al. Onto Megiddo (Revelations 16:16) that mentioned in Revelations by the name of Armageddon. It is the site of the final confrontation between good and evil. Next we visit Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding feast. Here, the group will celebrate Holy Mass.

We continue to Nazareth, where Jesus lived as a child, and later Work with Joseph who was a carpenter. We visit the Church of the Annunciation with its underground grotto where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced the forthcoming birth of Jesus. We visit St. Joseph’s carpentry shop and continue to Mount of Precipice, the site of the rejection of Jesus described in Luke 4:29-30. The People of Nazareth, not accepting Jesus as Messiah tried to push him form the Mountain, but he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Overnight: Nazareth       

     

DAY 3

Onto Mount Tabor by private taxis to visit the site of the Transfiguration. The Church, built by the Franciscans in the early 20’s, carefully incorporated the remains of previous churches into its construction.

SEA OF GALILEE

We continue to the Sea of Galilee to visit Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered – The Sermon On The Mount. Here we contemplate and reflect through prayer before continuing to Capernaum, the town where Peter lived and where Jesus based his Galilean ministry. We’ll visit the Synagogue where Jesus healed and taught and also Peter’s House. We proceed to Tabgha, the site of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, and also will visit the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus appeared after the Resurrection. We take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee and end the day at River Jordan to renew our baptismal promises.

Overnight: Nazareth

                

DAY 4

We board our bus and venture further north to visit Caesarea Philippi at the base of Mount Hermon. It is here you will see one of the main springs of the Jordan River. Caesarea Philippi, also called “Banias”, is the site where St. Peter gave his testimony and where Jesus answered him “You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church”. From there, we visit Bethsaida and Chorazim, Galilean towns where Jesus did much of his teaching.

Overnight: Nazareth

 

DAY 5

BEIT SHEAN

We depart Tiberias and continue to Bet Shean, where King Saul and his sons were pinned to the walls. It became the Decapolis Capital visited by Jesus and known as Scythopolis. We see the ancient theatre, Circus and Cardo Maximo.  We continue to Jericho, the world’s oldest city. From the excavated Tel atop of ruins of ancient Jericho, we view the lush green Jordan Valley, Elisha’s spring and Qarantal, the mount of Temptation. We continue through the Judean wilderness to Bethany, home of Mary and Martha. We visit the Tomb of Lazarus and Continue to Jerusalem to celebrate Holy Mass.

Overnight: Jerusalem                     

 

 

 DAY 6

This morning, we visit Ein Kerem, birthplace of John the Baptist and Church of the visitation Where Mary uttered the words of the Magnificent. We continue through the New City of Jerusalem to Mount Zion to visit the Upper Room, the Dormition Abbey and Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu (The Cock Crows) where Jesus was held in the house and the High Priest Caiaphas. On to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity, The Manger, the Crusader’s Cloister and the Grotto of St. Jerome. We then visit the cave in Shepherd’s Field and view the fields of Boaz.

Of the Cross, through the Old City

To the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where we pray on top the Rock of Calvary, inside the

Overnight: Jerusalem

 

Day 7 

 

Early this morning, we follow the Via Dolorosa, Stations Lord’s tomb and celebrate Holy Mass. We return to the hotel for breakfast.

 

MOUNT OF OLIVES

Then we drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We visit the Church of Pater Noster and the Chapel of Ascension. We walk down the hill to Dominus Flevit Chapel, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations where Jesus endured his Agony. Crossing the Kidron Valley, we pass the tombs of Absalom, Zechariah and Saint James then visit the Pool of Siloam.

Overnight: Jerusalem

 

DAY 8

This morning we visit the Model of Jerusalem at Jesus’ time and the Shrine of the Book, where we see the Dead Sea Scrolls. We continue to visit the Church of Saint Anne and the Pool of Bethesda. We also visit Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos and the Arch of Ecce Homo (“Behold the Man”) and the Convent of the Sisters of Zion. On to visit the Western Wall. We also visit The Cardo and see the remains of Nehemiah’s Wall.

Overnight: Jerusalem

 

Day 9

Transfer to Ben Gurion airport for your departure flight.

 

***We work in collaboration with the Christian information Center.

We make arrangement of the daily celebration of Holy Mass for groups

Traveling with a priest at the churches in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem

And Mount Tabor.