Holy Land Pilgrimage: Sailing the Sea of Galilee

 

It’s not every day, not even every year, that you’d get to be where the Son of God displayed He was Lord of all. What a privilege it was to be on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm. That was the highlight of Day 3 of our pilgrimage. The boat stopped right in the middle of the sea and Bro Arun Gogna gave this talk after he read from Mark 4:35-41:

 

“Storms in the Sea of Galilee occur very quickly just as they happen in our lives. In this reading, God is sleeping through the strongest storm in the New Testament. The purpose of the storm is to steal your awe. When Jesus calmed the storm, the apostles returned the awe to the one it really belongs to, the one who has control over it. Storms happen even if Jesus is with you. Every time we enter a trial, Jesus is there. Following Jesus, even when there is a storm, brings inner peace.”

 

It was Papa’s dream come true – to be at the exact location of one of his favorite bible stories so he asked for the chance to share his own reflection:

 

“Because of its geological situation, violent storms commonly happen in the Sea of Galilee. It was during one of these tempests when the apostles feared for their lives as Jesus slept. When they woke Him up, He calmed the storm. God never promised us a problem-free life when we follow Him. His assurance is we will arrive safely at our destination.”

 

Reflections on Jesus Calming the Storm

After disembarking from the boat at the Capernaum National Park, we visited the Yigal Allon Centre, a museum in Kibbutz Ginosar.

 

Yigal Allon Centre in Kibbutz Ginosar

The museum houses the ancient Galilee Boat also known as the Jesus Boat. It is a wooden fishing boat from the 1^st century believed to have the same dimensions as the one Jesus sailed on in the Sea of Galilee.

 

Ancient Galilee Boat or the Jesus Boat

It wasn’t that big so I can just imagine the fear of the disciples when they were hit by a violent storm at sea. And imagine their awe when the storm stopped at Jesus’ command. For someone like me who succumbs easily to sea sickness, I can envision not just their relief but also their gratitude Jesus is there through our storms.

The last site we visited for the day also lies on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Capharnaum (K’far Nahum – Village of Nahum or Capernaum), the Town of Jesus, as they call it.

 

Capharnaum, the Town of Jesus

There we saw the Synagogue of Capharnaum, ruins of a late 4^th century A.D. building also called the White Synagogue which is built upon the remains of the Synagogue of Jesus.

 

Synagogue of Capharnaum

Further down the street from the synagogue is St. Peter’s Church (also called the Pilgrimage Church of St. Peter), a modern hexagonal Franciscan church. Beneath this church are the archeological remains of a first century structure believed to be the House of St. Peter, the home of Jesus while He was in Capharnaum. The site is revered as “the first church in the world”.

 

Franciscan Church of St. Peter with the
archeological remains of the House of St. Peter 

Walking through the ruins was taking a step back in history, to a time when Jesus walked around this town.

Holy Land Pilgrimage: The Chosen Roadmap

 The Christian Triangle

 

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, one of the churches in the Christian Triangle

I’m a huge fan of The Chosen, this phenomenal multi-season series about the life of Jesus and the disciples He hand-picked to follow Him. It has made Jesus so much more relatable and real to me. During mass, I would recall scenes from The Chosen mentioned in the gospel. The bible passages then come alive. They also become more vivid because I had seen those places during our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

 

The last episode of Season 2 of The Chosen was about preparations for the Sermon on the Mount. The most touching scene for me was when Jesus told Matthew how the Beatitudes relate to his disciples and that it’s a roadmap for us to find Him. While watching that episode, I remembered Bro Arun Gogna giving us a short talk about Jesus’ sermon right on the site where it happened. It was our modern-day Sermon on the Mount.

Feast Builder Arun Gogna giving pilgrims a short sermon on Mount of Beatitudes

The Mount of Beatitudes (also known as Mount Eremos) lies on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Our tour guide said the Church of the Beatitudes is one of the three churches that form the Christian Triangle. The church's floor plan is octagonal with each side representing one of the 8 Beatitudes.

The octagonal-shaped dome of the Church of Beatitudes

 

The stained-glass upper windows are inscribed with the Beatitudes in Latin. A stunning feature of the church is the alabaster and onyx arch over the altar.

Alabaster & onyx arch over the altar of the Church of Beatitudes
and stained glass windows with the Beatitudes in Latin

 

The second church forming the Christian Triangle that we visited was the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes in the Tabgha (Ein Sheva) area. It is traditionally known as the place where Jesus fed the 5,000.

Church of the Multiplication of Loaves & Fishes in Tabgha, Israel

 

Under its altar is a block of limestone venerated as the “Table of the Lord”. On the altar floor is a 5^th century mosaic of 2 fishes flanking a basket of bread.

Limestone Table of the Lord & 5th century mosaic of basket of bread
flanked by 2 fishes at the Altar of the Church of Multiplication

Allow me to tell a side story on how this miracle impacts my faith journey. Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen, told his story about the lowest point in his career and the two impressions from God his wife received at that time: the Miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000 and “I do impossible Math”. Out of the blue, a Facebook friend he did not know very well sent him this message: “Remember your job is not to feed the 5,000 it’s only to provide the loaves and fish.” Every time I feel my abilities are inadequate for the things I need to do, I always anchor on this statement and simply rely on God’s impossible Math. I trust God will take care of the 5,000.

 

From the site of the Feeding of the 5,000, we went to where the resurrected Christ fed his disciples. Also in the Tabgha area is the last church in the Christian Triangle, The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. When we entered the church, I was struck by the sight of a nun hugging the rock in front of the altar like her whole life depended on it. While everyone else merely touched the rock in prayer, she was lying on it for a deeper embrace. It was the most touching image of faith that I witnessed on our first full day in Israel.

The Mensa Christi at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter

 

The rock, known as “Mensa Christi” (Latin for Table of Christ), was the one where Jesus built a bonfire to cook breakfast for the apostles by the Sea of Galilee. It was the third time He appeared to them after the Resurrection. The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter was built on this rock and part of it is exposed at the altar. It also marks the spot where Jesus reinstated Peter.

 

Touching that rock and dipping my fingers in the waters of the Sea of Galilee were my “tracing Jesus’ footsteps” moments that day. I was where my Lord was, I felt what His hands have touched.

Pilgrims on  the rocky shore of the Sea of Galilee

Holy Land: The Ultimate Pilgrimage – Traveling with Super Seniors

Our first glimpse of the Mediterranean from Jaffa, Tel Aviv

With the world opening once again, it’s time to thank the Lord for tiding us over this pandemic as we shake the dust off our travel bucket list. As for us at We Fly, we’re gearing up for our first post-lockdown Holy Land pilgrimage.

It must be every Christian’s dream to visit the Holy Land. For me, a trip to this sacred place where Jesus and other biblical heroes walked is the “ultimate pilgrimage”. I don’t use the term loosely. Holy Land is after all, the best imaginable connection to the history of our faith.

I, for one, had this at the top of my bucket list. My Papa, from whom I inherited my itchy travel feet, shared this dream. In 2017, my then 87-year-old father and I were blessed to join the Holy Land Pilgrimage headed by our Feast Builder Bro Arun Gogna. 

Chapel of the Ascension

Being there in the cradle of our faith made my spirit soar. To see the rock from which Jesus ascended,

The Ascension Rock, a slab of stone believed to be the one Jesus stepped on
before ascending into heaven. It is said the impression on it is His right footprint.

the rock where He cooked fish for His disciples,

Mensa Christi or the "Table of Christ" at the altar of the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.
It is the rock believed to be where Jesus cooked breakfast for His disciples
on His 3rd appearance after the Resurrection. 

the rock before which He knelt and sweat blood knowing the suffering that awaits Him

The Rock of Agony at the Church of All Nations

are more precious to behold than the most expensive rocks – diamonds – in the world.

Israel is known for its high quality diamonds but they pale in comparison
to the rocks that played significant roles in the life of Jesus. 

“Ultimate pilgrimage” because it was also Papa’s last trip abroad. In 2020, he suffered a stroke and would now at 91 find it more difficult to join a pilgrimage dragging his walker around. One thing I realized in this pilgrimage with him is that we should prioritize the Holy Land in our travel list. Papa traveled all over the globe in his day and yet put this off until he was quite old. He almost missed the most meaningful trip of his life.

In this first of a series of blogs on the Holy Land, I’d like to share what it’s like traveling with Super Seniors. No, not “Super” as in having superpowers and who wear their undies over their pants but those who would soon get a 100k cash gift from the government, the 20% discounters in the upper age bracket. Let’s call them the SuperS.

If you can manage it, I highly recommend not to wait until you or your parents are super seniors to go on this trip. But if you really can’t go earlier, here are traveling with SuperS tips gleaned from our misadventures to help you not just survive but enjoy the trip. 

Misadventure #1 – The MIA (Missing In the Airport) SuperS

When we landed in Istanbul to change planes, the flight attendant asked if the SuperS (there were 5 in our group) needed wheelchairs. My aunt, not feeling up to the long walk to the gate of our connecting flight, asked for one. Seeing the motorized wheelchair, we were confident she’d get to the gate way ahead of us. We thought she was the lucky one because the other members of the Wheelchair Gang who opted to walk made slow, tiring progress. Imagine our distress when my aunt was nowhere to be found when we got to the plane. Apparently, the wheelchair attendant dropped her off in the wrong place. Thankfully the airline crew was very helpful. They had my aunt’s whereabouts traced and sent a motorized airport employee to fetch her. She came onboard just a few minutes before takeoff!

Tip: Use the wheelchair, it’s very helpful in big airports but give clear instructions to your SuperS and the wheelchair attendant where to go and remind them about the flight details. Do not assume the attendant would know where to bring them.

Misadventure #2 – The MIA Combination

Related to the above wheelchair incident, here’s my own misadventure. Thinking I was being the thoughtful niece, I offered to bring my aunt’s carry-on luggage. I didn’t know how long the walk was since it was my first time in the Istanbul airport, so I struggled with 2 carry-ons the whole trek. Then, I had a face palm moment when we got to the boarding gate because there was a luggage check. At that time, they were strict with flights going to Israel. And silly me, I didn’t have the combination to my aunt’s bag. Good thing God didn’t allow additional harassments. It turned out my aunt didn’t lock her bag. Whew!

Tip: Put the SuperS’ carry-on in the wheelchair with them. It will save you both the trouble.

Misadventure #3 – MIAA (Missing In Another Airport)

Our second scare was after we got our luggage in Tel Aviv. The group was getting ready to go with the tour operator when, upon head count, we noticed Papa’s childhood friend was nowhere to be found! Someone noticed him leaving the baggage area. But again, God found His lost sheep. It was no coincidence he was noticed by our tour guide (whom the group hadn’t met yet at that time) looking lost, which he literally was, and had put him on the bus. So, there he was sitting pretty when we all boarded.

Tip: Strap an anti-lost leash on your SuperS while in the airports. Just kidding 😊 But do make it very clear to them not to wander away from the group. Ask a travel buddy to keep an eye on them if you have to go somewhere.

There was a last MIA episode on the first day of our pilgrimage but of a very light degree. Our tour guide took us, minus the SuperS, on a very, very (did I say very?) long walk - about 5 kilometers - through downtown Tel Aviv to the marketplace, Shuk HaCarmel. We survived the trek, but no one wanted to walk back anymore so the tour guide arranged for 3 taxis to the hotel. The first group went in a big taxi which looks like the Israeli version of our jeep. It had other passengers and the driver assured our tour guide the route passes the hotel. When the 2nd & 3rd group arrived, group 1 wasn’t in the hotel yet. It took quite a while till they got back. Their story: the driver dropped them off about a hundred meters away and just pointed them in the direction of the hotel.

It was a minor misadventure, but it inspired this reflection from Desi, one of our pilgrim-mates: The Lord will not allow any of His sheep to be lost. He is there to guide our lost brethren back, be it literally or spiritually.

Our first day in Israel was not only about getting lost but also of making our way after a loss. It's significant that our first stop was St. Peter’s Church in Jaffa.

St. Peter's Church in Jaffa which commemorates the raising of  Tabitha from the dead
and marks the traditional site of Peter's vision of the Great Sheet
(depicted on the painting in the altar) from Acts 10

Before we entered, our tour guide explained it was from Peter’s vision after losing Jesus that the universal church started. Bro Arun said this is meaningful to us as Feasters because it is our mission to bring home the unchurched. Cornelius in that reading was an unchurched who became a devout follower. Truly, God finds His lost sheep.

Other Traveling with SuperS Tips:

• ·        Safely secure the SuperS’ carry-on bags on top of a luggage with wheels. One of our SuperS tripped on a carry-on dangling from her luggage and almost fell headlong.
• ·        Liniment is life. Bring them! We were always last on the bus because of Papa’s aching knees. It would have relieved him a lot if I had some with me.
• ·       Make sure the SuperS’ shoes are very comfortable, preferably those with additional cushioning and arch support. Towards the middle of our pilgrimage, Papa gave up on his shoes and was a funny sight walking around in his friend’s aqua shoes with toes.

Papa in his borrowed aqua shoes

• ·        If you’re escorting your parent or another SuperS, I suggest you prepare for it physically. Do some workouts before the trip so you’re strong enough to assist them and be fit for long walks and climbs you may want to take on your own. In some places, Belle, my cousin and our tour operator, kept all the SuperS with her, treated them to ice cream while entertaining them with stories about the places they can’t climb so I was able to go uphill with the rest of the group.

And finally, savor the time you’ll get to spend with your SuperS. The Holy Land will make both of you realize what a great gift God has given us in His son.