The Holy Land with Dynamic Catholic

We begin our journey by making our way to our local airport for an overnight flight. Meals will be served onboard.

This morning, we will ascend Mt. Tabor (Matthew 17:1-50), where Christ’s Divinity was revealed. We will celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Transfiguration. From the top of Mt. Tabor, we will enjoy a dramatic view of the Valley of Armageddon before driving to Caesarea Maritima, located on the shores of the Mediterranean. Built by Herod the Great, Caesarea was where St. Peter baptized the first gentile convert, Cornelius (Acts 10). We will see the Roman theatre, Herod’s Palace, the Hippodrome, and the harbor from which St. Paul sailed on his journeys to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the ancient world. We will continue our drive up to the Judean Hills, where we will enjoy our first view of Jerusalem from Mt. Scopus.

This morning, we will visit the village of Ein Karem and the Church of St. John the Baptist, marking his birthplace (Luke 1:5). Nearby is the Church of Visitation, commemorating the visit of our Blessed Mother to her cousin, Elizabeth, where she stayed for three months (Luke 1:39). Many people pray the Mystery of the Rosary as they walk up the hill to the Church. We will then drive to Bethlehem to visit the fields where the Angel appeared to the shepherds to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2:8). We will enter the caves where shepherds took shelter in ancient times and see the soot marks from their fires. We will continue to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, entering through the door of humility and proceeding down to the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the place of Our Savior’s birth (Matthew 2:1-18). Beneath the altar, there is a silver star with a Latin inscription stating, “HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS” (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary). After celebrating Mass in Bethlehem, we will return to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and an overnight stay.

We will start our day on the Mount of Olives, enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem. We will visit the Pater Noster Shrine, where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). Then, we will walk down the Palm Sunday Road, which reminds us of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Along this route stands Dominus Flevit, marking the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). We will continue down to Gethsemane, where Jesus brought His disciples to pray the night before He was crucified (Luke 22:29-53). The Garden still contains trees with roots that date back to the time of Jesus. Next to the garden is the Church of All Nations, built over the “Rock of Agony,” where Jesus prayed alone before His arrest. From Gethsemane, Jesus was taken to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas on Mt. Zion, where we will see the dungeons in which He was imprisoned. This place, marked by the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, is also where Peter denied Christ three times, repented, and was forgiven. On the upper part of Mt. Zion, we will visit the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples (Matthew 26:17-30).

Very early this morning, we will walk together in prayerful procession along the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross), starting at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28-19:16) and received His cross. We will end at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which marks the place of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (Luke 23:26-33). Later, we will return to the Old City to visit the Church of St. Anne’s, the traditional birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Nearby is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man (John 5:1-9). We will end the day with a visit to the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 A.D.

Following breakfast, we will travel down the Jordan Valley through the Judean wilderness, where Jesus spent 40 days of fasting. We will arrive at the Jordan River, where He was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17). After renewing our Baptismal Promises, we will continue to the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho (Joshua 6:12-25). Here, we will celebrate Mass and view the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during His forty-day fast (Luke 4:1). South of Jericho, we will visit the ancient site of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written and discovered (Ezekiel 47:8-10). These writings have helped further our understanding of the Jewish background to Christianity. Time and weather permitting, we will have the opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest place on Earth. We will return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we will transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for our return flights home.