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DAY 01: BEGINNING OUR PILGRIMAGE Depart North America via jet service. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
DAY 02: INTO THE LAND OF THE BIBLE Upon arrival in the afternoon, you will be met by our representative who will assist you with formalities. A luxury motorcoach will transfer you to your hotel in Jerusalem.
DAY 03: JERUSALEM This morning visit the Church of St. Ann, built on the site of the birthplace of Our Lady where Mass will be celebrated. Continue to the Pool of Bethesda, where Christ healed the paralytic. Visit the Temple area, the spot where the original temple was built and which was the scene of many episodes from the life of Christ, such as the expulsion of the money changers. Here now stands the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest spot in the world for the Moslem faith. Visit the El Aqsa Mosque and then the Wailing Wall which is the most sacred spot in the world for the Jews. In the afternoon proceed to the National Museum, the Shrine of the Book enclosing the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Knesset or the House of Parliament. Continue to Mount Zion, visiting the room of the Last Supper, Church of the Dormition and then visit the Church of St. Peter in Gailicantu built on the site of the house of Caiaphas which encloses the dungeon where Christ was kept on Holy Thursday night and where Peter denied Christ thrice.
DAY 04: MOUNTAINS OF JERUSALEM Drive to the Mount of Olives and visit the Church of the Ascension, the spot where Christ ascended into Heaven; the Pater Noster Church commemorating Christ's teaching of the Our Father to his disciples; Dominus Fievit, the spot where Christ wept over Jerusalem and onwards to Gethsemane to view the ancient Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane and to visit the Church of All Nations which houses the Rock of the Agony of Christ on Holy Thursday; in this Church is a beautiful mosaic donated by the United States. Celebrate Mass at the Church of All Nations. Visit the Cave of the betrayal of Jesus and the Tomb of Our Lady. In the afternoon, visit Ein Karem, the place of the Visitation where Our Lady came to visit her cousin Elizabeth. View the plaques with the Magnificat in most languages of the World. Visit the parish church of St. John the Baptist, and the Grotto of his birth. Return to your hotel.
DAY 05: JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM Drive to Bethlehem. Visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the birthplace of Christ. Visit the Cave where Christ was bom and it is the occasion to sing the traditional Christmas Hymns. A visit is made to the Chapel of St. Jerome, who lived here for many years and translated the Bible into Latin. The nearby Church of St. Catherine is the venue for the midnight Mass which is broadcast all over the World from Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Continue to the Shepherds field, recalling the "great throng of the heavenly hosts" who appeared to the Shepherds and told them of the birth of the Saviour. This afternoon tour the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Chapel of Flagellation, the chapel of Condemnation and the Lithostrotos, the site of the Antonia Fortress where Julius Caesar resided at the time of Christ and where Christ was tried and condemned to death. Beginning the way of the Cross here, join the walk along the Via Dolorosa led by the Franciscans - ending at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb. Visit Calvary and the Tomb of Our Lord followed by a short tour of the Basilica.
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DAY 06: THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA
After breakfast, drive to Bethany and visit the new Church,
built on the site of the house of Mary and Martha, where
Mass will be celebrated. Visit the Tomb of Lazarus. Proceed
through the Judean Wilderness to Jericho stopping at the
Inn of the Good Samaritan. Visit Elisha's Fountain and
the ancient city of Jericho from which you can view the
Mount of Temptation, where Jesus fasted for forty days
and forty nights. Continue along the shores of the Dead
Sea to visit Ein Gedi where you may enjoy a float on the
Dead Sea and proceed to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls
were discovered in 1947, before returning to Jerusalem.
DAY 07: SAMARIA AND GALILEE
After breakfast, we leave Jerusalem and head northward
via Tel El Ful and Beroth, commemorating the halt of
the Holy Family when they discovered the child Jesus
missing. Proceed to Bethel "the House of God" where
Jacob dreamed of the ladder ascending into Heaven. Drive
to Shiloh to view the site where the Tabernacle was
erected following Joshua's conquest of Canaan. This
site of ancient pilgrimage was where Hannah prayed for
a son and Samuel served Eli the Priest. Proceed through
Samaria for a visit to Jacob's Well which lies in the
valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerazim. Visit the ruins
of Sebastia, the capital of Samaria. Proceed to Tel
Dothan where Joseph was sold to the Egyptians by his
brothers. Continue to Nazareth where we visit the Basilica
of the Annunciation enclosing the remains of the House
of Joachim and Ann and the site where the Angel Gabriel
appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she was
to become the Mother of God. Mass is celebrated here
followed by a visit to the Home of the Holy Family,
St. Joseph's workshop, Mary's Well and the Synagogue
where Jesus preached. Continue to Cana, where Christ
performed his first miracle and where any married couples
can renew their marriage vows. Drive to the top of Mt.
Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. Proceed to your
hotel in Tiberias for overnight.
At this point you can choose from the following...
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