Xmas Story

Today we traveled to the Sea of Galilee and Nazareth, where Jesus was born and lived until he started his ministry. The Sea is a fresh water lake that provides water for the whole country.

We looked out over the Sea of Galilee from atop the Mount of the Beatitudes. Below us is where the Miracle of the Fish and Loaves occurred; and on the mountain is where Jesus retreated to teach the Beatitudes. 'Beati' means blessed. Jesus started his ministry here because these were the people who most needed to hear what he had to say. This church is the most recent to sit upon the mountain and is run by the Franciscan nuns. It was built in the 1930's and has an 8 sided dome with the 8 Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).

On our way to Nazareth we passed through Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. (John 2:1-11)

Cave where Mary & Joseph lived.

The Church of the Annunciation that is currently on the site where Mary and Joseph lived is the third church to be erected here. The first was built in the 4th -7th century AD, destroyed and another built in the 1400's AD and it too was destroyed. This site is believed to be Mary & Joseph's home and where the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she was to be the mother of the Holy One. (Luke 1:26-35). This building was erected over the cave-like home in the 1960's and is filled with art from around the world instead of windows. It is the local Greek Orthodox Catholic Church.