Cana, Nazareth and Mount Tabor

It was a wonderful sight to see nearly 100 couples renewing their marriage vows at Cana.  In our parish, we do it every year, but it was apparent that for some people it was the first time they had renewed them.

Most of the discussion about the Marriage Feast at Cana, was about the shape of the pots that the water was in.  We saw a pot which has been found and dated to around the date of Christ just like the round pot on the right of this picture.  Afterwards, we all went across the road to try the present day wine of Cana.

From Cana we drove onto Nazareth, which is one of the largest cities in the Holy Land.  Here we attended mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation.  Like a number of the churches we have been to, this is an early 20th Century church built on the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches, which were built over the sites of biblical events.  Around the church, there are Marian paintings or mosaics denoting other Marian sites, like this one of Walsingham.

Nearby we entered the Church of St Joseph which has been built where Joseph's house and carpentry workshop were.

This painting shows the betrothal of Mary and Joseph

This is one of the panels of the beautiful bronze doors

On our schedule it said we were going to the synagogue next.  The building we entered said "synagogue" over the door, but was in fact a church.  Apparently there are no Jews living in Nazareth.

Our journey continued across the valley to Mount Tabor.  To get to the top we had to transfer to mini-buses to go up the zig-zag road.  This is where the Transfiguration took place.

There are fantastic coloured glass windows in the church.

The views all around are wonderful.

Now we are packing, hoping our planes take us home tomorrow.  We still have a visit to Capernaum to look forward to before leaving the Holy Land.  We will all be sorry to leave such a wonderful place.  It is a place of extremes; some places you visit are prayerful and relaxing, yet we are in a country that is still at war, not usually with weapons of war but with attitude and domination.  The 3 monotheistic religions are all to be found here and people often live side by side with each other, but most of the provocation is on religious lines.  


 It has been deeply moving to meet some of the Christian community and to hear their stories of frustration and fear, but to hear of their hope for the future is inspiring.