Savoring my first breath of air in the very birthplace of Jesus Christ, I instantly noticed the sudden shift of scenery as I stared out the window of our chartered bus. What arrested my attention was the fusion of colors representing the fertile lands dotting the countryside of Israel. The new topography that replaced the red desert dunes that dominated the landscape of Jordan provided a new visual spark for me to scrutinize. While I would miss the staggering golden tints characterizing the spectacular backdrops of Wadi Rum to Petra and to Amman, this fresh set of scenery added to the high I was feeling at that moment. Coupled with a realization about how this trip was turning into something increasingly epic, I gazed at the backdrop with intent focus. Within moments of tracking the path of Jesus Christ, an emotional air caught hold of me—and knowing how extraordinary it is for anyone, regardless of faith, to step into the very heart of the Holy Land—I felt all the good karma overwhelming me.
Following the Way of Jesus Christ in Israel
Day 1: Nazareth
Our first stop was in Nazareth, where we visited the Church of the Annunciation. This is where the angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son she would name “Yehoshua.” On the verge of bursting into tears, realizing how sacred the ground was on which I stood, I stared intently at the modern-day Franciscan-built Basilica of the Annunciation intersecting below the ruins of the Byzantine-era and Crusader-era churches. I heard our guide, Johnny, point to the towering cupola of the Church of the Annunciation and explain how it was built on top of the original house of the Virgin Mary.
Afterward, we proceeded to Mount Tabor. Surrounded by sweeping views of Israel’s countryside and adorned with lush gardens, the peak of Tabor is known as the traditional site of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Inside, we listened to Johnny as he read a few Bible verses that afforded us a moment of reflection. As someone who had last read the Bible many years ago, the passages knifed through me, penetrating my soul.
We capped our long day by checking into our hotel fronting Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Dripping with joy and thirsty for strengthening my faith, I sat on the veranda of my room and further immersed myself in this fantastic voyage. Intently gazing ahead, I saw the deep blue waters glowing from the sparkling rays of the late-afternoon sun. A tinge of electricity crawled up my spine as I realized that this was the same body of water where the young Jesus Christ conducted many of his ministries.
Day 2: Jordan River
After a fitting, spiritual humdinger of a first day in Israel, the second day couldn’t have been any more rewarding. We started the morning by making our way to the Church of the Wedding Feast in Cana, where we tasted a variety of local wine flavors before proceeding to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount. In a stroke of luck, a small group of Indonesian pilgrims was also traveling with a priest, and they invited us to join their mass. Even though the mass was officiated in Indonesian Bahasa, the spiritual connection among the attendees wasn’t lost in translation. "Peace be with you" was never uttered so sincerely before as we shook hands with our fellow pilgrims from Indonesia.
At Tabgha, during our visit to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish, we met two Filipina nuns belonging to the Benedictine Order: Sister Kristeta Visperas and Sister Aurea Monungolh, as well as a cardinal from Zimbabwe who came with a busload of pilgrims from his country. Afterward, we continued to the Church of the Primacy of Peter, the place where Jesus asked Peter three times, "Peter, do you love me?" We capped the morning with a visit to the ancient city of Capernaum, where the ruins of the House of Peter and the Synagogue of Jesus still remain.
After feasting on St. Peter’s Fish, we bonded over traditional Israeli dances and tunes aboard a Galilean boat as we enjoyed a sunny cruise over the Sea of Galilee. We ended the day renewing our baptismal vows at the Jordan River.
Day 3: Mount Carmel
We finally hit the road to Jerusalem on our third day, stopping first at Mount Carmel, where we visited Carmel Church and the Cave of Elijah—where the prophet Elijah prayed for rain, summoning God to halt three and a half years of famine and drought. Along the way, we caught sight of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Hanging Gardens of Bahai and were impressed by the sweeping, marvelous view of the city of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea. After lunch, we made a side trip to Caesarea, an ancient city founded by Herod the Great in twenty-five BCE, where the ruins of a Roman theater, hippodrome, and water aqueduct still stand. By late afternoon, we experienced the first glow of the sunset reigning over the city of Jerusalem.
Day 4: Bethlehem
A day of many highlights comprised our fourth day in Israel. Touching the very spot where Mary delivered baby Jesus at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem proved to be the crowning moment for me that day. Notwithstanding entering Palestinian territory, I also experienced with my own eyes how the news could appear so differently from reality. "Even my sixty-plus-year-old mother would feel safe taking this holy land trip," I thought to myself.
The rest of the day took us to Shepherds' Field, where Johnny led us to sing a few Christmas carols. Afterward, we ascended the Mount of Olives and visited the traditional site where Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer to his disciples, known as the Church of the Pater Noster. Also on the Mount of Olives is the Dominus Flevit Church, the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We ended the day by walking down toward the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus drowned in sorrowful prayer prior to the betrayal by Judas and his arrest.
Day 5: Via Dolorosa
On the fifth day, we finally started our Via Dolorosa, or the "Way of the Cross," inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Even in silence, with almost nary a word shared between us as we concentrated on our prayers, I could feel the somberness and the overflowing spirituality lingering over us. We made our way through the snaking path from the gates of the Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, covering all fourteen stations of the Cross, culminating at Christendom’s most sacred place: the location of Jesus Christ’s burial and resurrection.
“…and when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean, linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone before the entrance of the tomb.” —Matthew 27:59
In the more carefree days of my youth, reading this passage would not have made me feel anything extraordinary. But on that day, during those few minutes inside Jesus’ empty tomb, I felt every muscle in my body reacting to the sanctity of the place. Separated from my group during the queuing, I found myself entering the chamber with three other Western tourists. As they got lost in quiet contemplation and deep prayers, I heard myself choking up a bit, and for the first time, I finally relented and just let the tears flow freely down my cheeks.
Day 6: The Wailing Wall
Riding on a spiritual high brought by tracing the Way of the Cross, we spent our last day in Israel visiting the Wailing Wall, considered the holiest place of prayer for the Jews. The first seven layers, made from meleke limestones, date back to the reign of Herod the Great, making them the same set of stones Jesus laid eyes on during his time. Known today as a place of prayer, it was termed the "Wailing Wall" because of the practice of Jews gathering near this part of Old Jerusalem's wall to weep over the destruction of their temples during the Byzantine Empire.
Putting a perfect bookend to the Israel chapter of our Holy Land trip was a jaunt to the oldest and lowest city in the world—Jericho. In the Dead Sea, we floated all our worldly worries away as the buoyant waters carried us on our backs.
This is a segment of our twelve-day Holy Land Business famtour organized by Tala Travel in Israel and NITAS (Network of Independent Travel & Allied Services Philippines). For inquiries on how to avail of the “Holy Land Tour” in Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, email the NITAS consortium at afroasianworldevents@gmail.com and nitassecretariat@gmail.com.
