Looking back on a trip to the Holy Land

As mentioned previously, I was blessed to be able to travel to Israel during Christmas Break with 40 other seminarians and priests as part of a Holy Land Pilgrimage.  It was incredible to see the sites where Our Lord walked, preached, healed the sick, and yes, even died and rose again.

My favorite memories:

Reading the Sermon of the Mount on a hillside in Galilee within sight of the actual location.

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee as viewed from a cave, the "deserted place" where Jesus would go to pray, located above the spot where fishermen would wash their nets, not far from the town of Capernaum. 

Retracing the steps of Jesus in Jerusalem with the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, In the background is the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Calvary and the Empty Tomb are located.

A view of the barren landscape and famous caves overlooking the Dead Sea, where the Qumran Scrolls were found.