In the Galilee

Howdy, pilgrims! Lot of fun in the Galilee today. This is where Jesus did the bulk of his preaching, teaching and healing. There are lots of churches to commemorate events you read about in the gospels. Here’s a smattering of what we did.

Cana – First Miracle of our Lord was to make a party a success. That’s my kind of savior. Incidentally, the wine they sell there in the gift shops is terrible. Go figure.

Caesarea Philippi – “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…” Caesarea Philippi is located in the farthest north part of Israel. From out of the rocky hill comes a spring which is the headwaters of the Jordan River. Alexander the Great built a temple here to the god Pan. There were other Hellenistic temples here too. Herod Agrippa made it his capitol. Our Lord certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Check out the backdrop for his famous commission to St. Peter as the first leader of the Church.

Tagbho – Multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Hey, our job is to bring the fish. Jesus does the rest. The floor of this church is from the 5th century.

The Sea of Galilee – Yep, this is where Jesus went for his morning walk and calmed the storm. I’m still not sure why Peter asked him to join him walking on the water. For me, the miracle is not that Jesus walked on water, nor that Peter walked on water, which is exceedingly cool. In my mind the miracle of the story is that Peter got out of the boat. That’s the kind of faith I want.

Mount of the Beatitudes – Darn it. Forgot to get a picture of the exterior of the church commemorating where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. I made up my own beatitude: “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.”

Primacy of Peter Church – This church commemorates John 21, where Jesus appears to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and cooks them breakfast. Peter denied him three times. Three times Jesus asks Peter loves him. His three-fold denial is forgiven by his three-fold declaration of love. At the end, Jesus says, “Follow me.” Sounds like a plan.

Capernaum – So many miracles, so little time. Jesus lived here for a good while. It was here that he expelled the demon in the synagogue, where he cured Peter’s mother-in-law and then everybody else in the town who was ailing. The place buzzes with miraculous energy. Very cool. The Basilica is build right over Peter’s house. This is a a seven arrow site. It’s really Peter’s house.

That was a lot for one day. We are pooped. This was some extreme pilgriming!