Page 30 - Holyland Magazine - Catholic Edition 2015
P. 30
Journey
through Time in Israel
An experience not to be missed… View of the Old City from the Mount of Olives.
Photos: www.goisrael.com
By Kate Blain Editor, The Evangelist
L ike so many people of faith, I have always More than Christianity East, is truly moving. The dome of the vast
limestone building is an inverted lily, which
wanted to visit the Holy Land. I was Our trip included stops at Jerusalem sites holy
fortunate enough to travel to Israel with a
tops a small cave that is the traditional site
to other faiths, including the El-Aqsa mosque,
where the angel Gabriel told Mary that she
group of journalists from across the U.S.
the biggest one in Israel. Nearby is the Dome
sponsored by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism.
is a landmark on the Jerusalem skyline. Here,
Bethlehem of the Rock, a mosque whose golden dome had been chosen to bear the Son of God.
Galilee
it is said, Abraham prepared to sacriice his
In Israel, we celebrated Masses in several son Isaac. Finally, we visited Galilee to celebrate Mass
cities, including Bethlehem. Seeing modern- on the Mount of Beatitudes. The view of the
day Bethlehem myself made me understand No visit to Jerusalem -- even a Pope’s -- is sea and its environs from the Church of the
why there was no room at the inn for Mary complete without a stop at the Western Wall, Beatitudes has not changed much since
and Joseph, even 2,000 years ago. known as the “Wailing Wall” for its signiicance Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.
Jerusalem in Jewish history. Since the temple there was The sea is surrounded by mountains,
destroyed in 70 A.D., Jews have gathered
Our guide called Jerusalem “the greatest focal there to bemoan its loss and to pray. farmland - and churches. But it’s still easy to
point in the world.” At once a modern and an imagine the water crowded with ishing boats
ancient city, Jerusalem is home to a cross- Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, was - some of them manned by future Apostles.
section of Judaism: Ultra-orthodox Jews in one of our group’s last stops in Jerusalem and
black clothing and long white beards, teens should be an important one on everyone’s Israel
on cell phones, women in modern dress or in itinerary. Our guide called the memorial “a
ankle-length skirts, towing several children in warning to the whole world: as long as this Yes, we grew up reading stories of the Holy
their wake. place exists, the warning exists, with hope Land, hearing about the deeds of Jesus, the
Holy Family and the apostles, but it all seemed
this won’t happen again.”
The view from the Mount of Olives, like something so distant. Now I realize that
overlooking the city, encompasses sites you, too, can transform that distant learning
sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Nazareth into something real and tangible by visiting the
holiest site for Christians is the Church of the Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation in places where Jesus ministered and walking in
his footsteps.
Holy Sepulcher. Nazareth, the largest church in the Middle
Church of the Annunciation. Photo: Dafna Tal Mount of Beatitudes. Photo: Itamar Grinberg
30 10
through Time in Israel
An experience not to be missed… View of the Old City from the Mount of Olives.
Photos: www.goisrael.com
By Kate Blain Editor, The Evangelist
L ike so many people of faith, I have always More than Christianity East, is truly moving. The dome of the vast
limestone building is an inverted lily, which
wanted to visit the Holy Land. I was Our trip included stops at Jerusalem sites holy
fortunate enough to travel to Israel with a
tops a small cave that is the traditional site
to other faiths, including the El-Aqsa mosque,
where the angel Gabriel told Mary that she
group of journalists from across the U.S.
the biggest one in Israel. Nearby is the Dome
sponsored by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism.
is a landmark on the Jerusalem skyline. Here,
Bethlehem of the Rock, a mosque whose golden dome had been chosen to bear the Son of God.
Galilee
it is said, Abraham prepared to sacriice his
In Israel, we celebrated Masses in several son Isaac. Finally, we visited Galilee to celebrate Mass
cities, including Bethlehem. Seeing modern- on the Mount of Beatitudes. The view of the
day Bethlehem myself made me understand No visit to Jerusalem -- even a Pope’s -- is sea and its environs from the Church of the
why there was no room at the inn for Mary complete without a stop at the Western Wall, Beatitudes has not changed much since
and Joseph, even 2,000 years ago. known as the “Wailing Wall” for its signiicance Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.
Jerusalem in Jewish history. Since the temple there was The sea is surrounded by mountains,
destroyed in 70 A.D., Jews have gathered
Our guide called Jerusalem “the greatest focal there to bemoan its loss and to pray. farmland - and churches. But it’s still easy to
point in the world.” At once a modern and an imagine the water crowded with ishing boats
ancient city, Jerusalem is home to a cross- Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, was - some of them manned by future Apostles.
section of Judaism: Ultra-orthodox Jews in one of our group’s last stops in Jerusalem and
black clothing and long white beards, teens should be an important one on everyone’s Israel
on cell phones, women in modern dress or in itinerary. Our guide called the memorial “a
ankle-length skirts, towing several children in warning to the whole world: as long as this Yes, we grew up reading stories of the Holy
their wake. place exists, the warning exists, with hope Land, hearing about the deeds of Jesus, the
Holy Family and the apostles, but it all seemed
this won’t happen again.”
The view from the Mount of Olives, like something so distant. Now I realize that
overlooking the city, encompasses sites you, too, can transform that distant learning
sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Nazareth into something real and tangible by visiting the
holiest site for Christians is the Church of the Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation in places where Jesus ministered and walking in
his footsteps.
Holy Sepulcher. Nazareth, the largest church in the Middle
Church of the Annunciation. Photo: Dafna Tal Mount of Beatitudes. Photo: Itamar Grinberg
30 10
