Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

We depart for our special pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Jordan.

Upon arrival at Queen Aliya airport in Amman, Jordan, we are met by our guide and driver. We check into our hotel in Amman and have time at leisure. Overnight: Amman

After breakfast we transfer to Madaba to visit St George’s Church, home to the famous 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, an incredible snapshot of ancient geography, biblical history and early Christian art. We then proceed to Mount Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land, and then died. A Franciscan church marks the spot. We then cross the border at Allenby Bridge. Upon arrival we meet our Holy Land guide and driver and proceed to Nazareth. Overnight: Nazareth

In the morning, we go to Mount Tabor, site of the Lord’s Transfiguration, with its stunning church. We return to Nazareth where we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation with the grotto where the Archangel greeted Mary with the words “Hail Mary, full of grace”, and the nearby church of St Joseph. We see Mary’s Well, where Our Lady drew water, and other sites associated with the Holy Family. We then visit Cana, site of Our Lord’s first miracle, where our married couples may renew their wedding vows. Overnight: Nazareth

Today we visit places around the Sea of Galilee, around which most of Jesus’ public ministry took place. At Capernaum we can see the remains of Peter’s house (Matthew 8:14) and of a fourth-century synagogue built on top of the one in which Jesus preached (Mark 1:21-28, John 6:59), the foundations of which we can still see. At Tabgha a church recalls the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, and the nearby chapel of Peter’s Primacy marks the place where Christ entrusted the Church to St Peter. We drive up the Mount of Beatitudes, on the slopes of which Jesus delivered his famous sermon. A highlight of the pilgrimage is the boat-ride on the Sea of Galilee on a recreation of a first-century fishing vessel, a time for both fun and for prayerful reflection. For lunch, we have an opportunity to eat the St Peter’s fish from the Sea of Galilee. We then drive south to ancient Judea. Overnight: Bethlehem

This is our day in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We visit the ancient Basilica of the Nativity, where a silver star marks the exact spot of His birth. The adjacent St Catherine’s Church is the Catholic church from which Christmas Mass is broadcast to the world each year. We then visit the Milk Grotto, where the Holy Family is said to have taken refuge during Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents. At Shepherds’ Field, in the nearby Christian town of Beit Sahour, the angels announced the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds — one of the Holy Land’s most beautiful and peaceful sites. While in Bethlehem, we also have the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping. In the afternoon we visit Ein Kerem, with two beautiful churches marking the Birth of John the Baptiser and Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth, during which Our Lady recited the Magnificat. Overnight: Bethlehem

Today we renew our baptismal vows at the River Jordan. The Qasr El-Yahud baptismal site is recognised by the Catholic Church as the authentic place of Our Lord’s baptism by John the Baptiser. We then visit Jericho, with a view of the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert. At the Dead Sea, we have the unique opportunity to float on its mineral-rich waters. We also visit Bethany, the town where Jesus often stayed with His friends Mary and Martha, and where He raised Lazarus from the dead. Overnight: Bethlehem

Jerusalem! We begin our pilgrimage to the Holy City on the Mount of Olives at Paternoster Church, where the Lord’s Prayer is displayed in hundreds of languages, including several South African versions. This is where the early Christians commemorated the Ascension of the Lord. We then descend the mount to reach Dominus Flevit Church, built on the spot where Jesus looked upon Jerusalem and wept for its impending destruction. At the foot of the mount, we arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane, with its ancient olive trees, and the magnificent Church of All Nations, which houses the Rock of Agony, where Jesus prayed before His arrest. On Mount Zion, we visit the imposing Dormition Abbey, where Our Lady is said to have fallen asleep, the Cenacle (Upper Room), which commemorates the Last Supper, and the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu, where Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin, imprisoned in a dungeon (inside which we have time to pray), and where Peter denied Our Lord three times. Beside the church, we can still see the steps on which Jesus is known to have walked. Overnight: Bethlehem

This is the day we follow the Stations of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. The Way of the Cross culminates in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, our faith’s most sacred site. Here we may touch the rock where the cross stood and pray in the tomb from which Our Lord rose from the dead. We also visit the birthplace of Our Lady, the lovely St Anne’s Church, a Crusader church on the site of the home of Saints Anne & Joachim, parents of the Blessed Virgin. At the adjacent Pools of Bethesda, Our Lord cured the lame man. We round off our day with a farewell dinner, sampling some more of the delicious local cuisine. Overnight: Bethlehem

We have a leisurely breakfast and a late check-out before we transfer to Amman via the Allenby Bridge, and proceed to the airport for our return flight home.

After an unforgettable journey we come home, remembering the words of the Psalmist: “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abides forever” (125:1).