Your spiritual pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

You will be welcomed to the Holy Land by our airport representative and transferred to your hotel in Netanya. Enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Today’s first stop is Caesarea, a center of the early Christians where an angel visited Cornelius, the first Gentile believer (Acts 10), and where Paul was imprisoned for two years before appealing to Caesar. Continue your journey to Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Biblically, Mount Carmel is often referenced as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Continue to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23), and celebrate Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation. You will also see the House of the Holy Family, St. Joseph’s Workshop, and St. Joseph’s Church (Luke 2:41-52; Matt. 2:19-23). Visit the Franciscan Wedding Church at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, where He changed water into wine (John 2). Check into your hotel in Tiberias.

Enjoy the beautiful city of Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry, and visit the synagogue located on the site where Jesus taught (Matt. 4:13, 23). Sail across the Sea of Galilee, reflecting on the gospel stories of Jesus calming the storm. Listen to Jesus’ words from His Sermon on the Mount at the Mount of Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7) and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Beatitudes. At Tabgha, the traditional location of the feeding of the 5,000, explore the Church of the Loaves and Fish (Luke 9:10-17). Take a moment to reflect and pray in the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene, visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue. Return to your hotel in Tiberias.

At the ruins of Tel Dan, see the altar built by King Jeroboam I (I Kings 12:25-30) and learn about where the “House of David” fragment from the First Temple Period was discovered. Continue to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter told the Lord, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” (Matt 16. 16). Visit Banias Falls, one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Israel. A scenic drive along the Golan Heights will give you some stunning views of Syria and Jordan, as well as Israel. As you stand on Mount Tabor, contemplate what it must have been like for Saints Peter, James, and John to behold the glory of the Transfigured Christ (Matt. 17:2). Celebrate Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration. Return to your hotel in Tiberias.

Visit and renew your baptismal vows at the baptismal site of Qasr el Yahud, where tradition says Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Just off the Roman road that Jesus “walked” is the Wadi Qelt gorge, the site of the Monastery of St. George. Journey to Jericho (considered the oldest city in the world) to visit the ruins of the ancient city conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6:1). From Jericho, in the distance, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:1). celebrate Mass in the Church of the Good Shepherd in Jericho near a sycamore tree and remember Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore to see Jesus (Luke 18-19). Enjoy a brief visit to Qumran. End your day with the opportunity to take a dip in the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea. Check into your hotel in Jerusalem this evening.

In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace, which is now located within the world’s oldest functioning church (Luke 2:1-7). Wonder at all the beautiful Christmas decorations in Manger Square. Celebrate Mass in Bethlehem and then gaze out over Shepherds’ Field, where the angels first proclaimed the Good News. On Mount Zion, see the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned the night of His arrest (Matt. 26:57-65). Nearby is the Upper Room, revered as the location of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26). Visit King David’s Tomb before heading to the Western Wall. Take time to pray at the Western Wall, which is all that remains of Herod’s Temple. Time permitting, take some time to explore the Old City before returning to your hotel in Jerusalem.

Journey to the Church of the Holy Sepluchre and celebrate Mass. Be inspired by the breathtaking beauty of Jerusalem (“the Golden City”) as you stand on the Mount of Olives, the place from which Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-12). Visit the Church of the Pater Noster, walk the Palm Sunday Road, and stop briefly at the tear-shaped Dominus Flevit Church, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Celebrate Mass in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:36-44). View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle of healing (John 5:1-31), and sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne, renowned for its beautiful acoustics. At Herod’s Antonia Fortress, see where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1-11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross”, and visit the stations of the cross. See the tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Time permitting, take some time to explore the Old City before returning to your hotel in Jerusalem.

Travel to Ein Karem, the village where John the Baptist was born, and the Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth before our Lord’s birth (Luke 1:26-40). Visit the Church of St. John, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Next, visit Abu Ghosh, a beautiful village in the Judean Hills, where you will stop at the Church of Our Lady of the Ark. In Emmaus, you can visit the traditional site where Jesus appeared to two disciples after His resurrection. Travel to Jerusalem and enjoy a farewell dinner together, and spend some time in the Old City before preparing for your flight home.

RETURN TO THE USA