Commentary for Monday 1/28

Monday 1/28

The Catholic Wedding Church in Cana - renewal of wedding vows, Nazareth, Church of the Annunciation, Mount of Beatitudes.

We started our day in Cana. Cana is near Nazareth and is the site where Jesus performed his first miracle...turning water into wine. He did this at a wedding he was attending in Cana. The wine ran out and Jesus ordered six stone jars used for ritual purification to be filled with water. When the headwaiter drew out of the jars it miraculously became wine. All married couples in our group were invited to renew their wedding vows. I can't believe after 17 years, that I got choked up saying my vows. William was our photographer. He told us after,"I know I wasn't at your wedding 17 years ago, but I'm here now, and I just want to say, congratulations!"

We went to Nazareth, currently a bustling city and more affluent than most that we've seen so far. We were hoping to a site that is believed to be St. Joseph's carpentry workshop, but they decided to close the site. So we focused on the Church of the Annunciation, a massive structure built over the excavated home of Mary and surrounding homes of Nazareth. The excavation sites were facinating and inside the main building on the lower level there is an amazing altar area built around the home of Mary. We all gathered at the gated of the excavated site and at noon, the time it is believed that Gabriel visited Mary, the Angelus bells rang and we recited the Angelus prayer. After the prayer the bells continued to ring and I was able to capture them on audio. I'm pretty sure that most people cannot say they have the Angelus bells of Nazareth on their iPhone. We had Mass in a beautiful little chapel on the grounds that was dedicated by Pope John Paul II. We also received beautiful "Miraculous Mary" medals from the Sisters at the Church in Cana, a treasure!

We finished our day at the Mount of Beatitudes. This mount is located between Tabgha and Capernaum. This is where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Remains of a small Byzantine church were discovered here in 1935, but the Franciscans chose to rebuild the modern church on the hill top, not over the ancient chapel. We sat in a small amphitheater on the grounds and had a teaching on the beatitudes. We took time for contemplation after and wandered the grounds. Then Mike led us down a path that gave us a perspective of where the crowd of over 5000 would have been. Further down the path toward the Sea of Galilee we climbed up to a cave that it is believed that Jesus used to go to be alone and pray. It overlooked a waterfall (the only one on the Sea of Galilee) where Peter and Andrew washed their fishing nets. It was the site that Jesus asked them to follow him. We trekked our way down the hillside and to the sea and ventured over through a thicket to the waterfall. Very cool experience to think that we were standing where they stood.