He set his face to Jerusalem

Today many of us were saddened, for we had to leave our home in the Galilee, a beautiful land full of life and full of memory from the time when our Lord Jesus Christ lived and preached here.

So, united with Jesus, we set our faces toward Jerusalem, where we would go to remember his suffering and death.

 

Along the way, we visited the crusader fort at Belvoir, overlooking the Jordan valley.  Even after the Ottomans took control over the rest of the Holy Land, the knights in this fort held out for another two years.  It was quite impressive to look out over the beautiful countryside, as well as to explore the ruins of this large fort, where king of the mountain and paintball couldn’t escape our imaginations.

 

 

Afterwards, we visited the Jewish village of Beit Alfa.  Here we had the privilege of seeing a mosaic floor of a sixth century AD synagogue, which was uncovered by Jewish settlers in the last century.  This floor had an inscription explaining how such a magnificent work found its way into a poor community’s synagogue.  Father Baima also told us to remember the central floor pattern, for we would be seeing it again….

 

Entering into the Judean desert, we made our way once again to the ancient city of Jericho.  We prayed near the foot of the Mount of Temptation, where Satan tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry.  We also had the privilege of celebrating the  Mass at the Catholic parish in Jericho, named after Christ the Good Shepherd.  The stained glass windows reminded one about Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree in Jericho to see Jesus, and of the Good Samaritan, who was on his way to Jericho in the story.

 
Mount of Temptation

The church in Jericho reminds us that Christ came to seek those who were lost.  The basilica in Nazareth is shaped as a lighthouse to help the lost find their way to the light of the world.  And there we were, following that light to Jerusalem, where he was raised as a sign to all nations, and where he saved all mankind.