• Christina Strantz
  • Christina Strantz

The Holy Land

Et 9-dags eventyr af Christina Læs mere
  • Start på rejsen
    6. marts 2017

    Our Journey Begins

    5. marts 2017, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    The lucky 15: Katie Brown, Jennifer Maurice, Marianne Brekke, Katie and Matt Foley, Lisa Moeller, Mike Benson, Rikki and Joe Mortl, Greg Aitchison, Claire Solnitzky, Deb and John Skinner, Michelle Hannan, and myself started our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land today. Our first destination...Newark, New Jersey airport!!! We have a two hour layover until we hop on our international flight to Tel Aviv. It's a little over 11 hours in flight and a time change of 8 hours ahead. I'm sure Katie and Michelle will be leading yoga stretches in the aisle for us mid flight!!Læs mere

  • We made it!!!

    6. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The flight was long and sleepless for most. We hit many turbulent patches over the Atlantic. Going through customs was easy...of course, Strantz remembers the flight number to save the day! We are looking forward to the hotel and breakfast/lunch/dinner...whatever our jet lagged stomachs are looking for.Læs mere

  • The sites around Tel Aviv!

    6. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    We arrived at our hotel and we were greeted with refreshing lemonade. We then attended Mass led by Father Neil. Immediately following the service we were treated to the most amazing Mediterranean buffet. We then took a walk out along the Sea's boardwalk. We took a stroll through Old Jaffa Church of St. Peter and other sites. Can't wait to take our journey north tomorrow morning! Good Night Tel Aviv!Læs mere

  • The Annunciation

    7. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We are in Nazareth! My favorite place we have visited so far...to be fair, it's our first day! This is the town where the Holy family once lived and where Mary grew up. We visited the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph. Tradition identifies this place as the workshop and home of the Holy Family. Father Neil led us in Mass of the Annunciation and found it very moving to pray in front of all the picturesNext to the Church of St. Joseph is the Church of the Annunciation, which stands over the cave of the home of the Virgin Mary. Below the Church is Mary's Well where the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God.Læs mere

  • Sea of Galilee

    8. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We started off our morning on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Father Neil read us the scripture of Jesus walking on the water and then calming the sea. Matthew 14:22-33. We then were able to stop along the seashore and view the remains of a boat that dates back to the time of Jesus. Our next stop was in Capernaum. We had the opportunity to see the synagogue of where Jesus taught and gave his sermon on the bread of life. There also stood, St. Peter's House where we celebrated Mass. We then ventured to Tabgha, which is an area next to the Sea of Galilee. At Tabgha, Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 people from 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Another stop in Tabgha is St. Peter's Primacy. This is where Jesus bestowed church leadership upon Peter. John 21:9. After lunch, we drove up to The Mount of Beatitudes. It was A breathtaking sight overlooking the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus gave his "Sermon on the Mount". We then continued along the Sea to visit the birthplace of Mary Magdalene in Magdala. During the time of Jesus, this village was a prosperous fishing village that exported fish.Læs mere

  • Mount Tabor

    9. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Mount Tabor is the site of the Transfiguration. "And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah" Luke 9:29-30. At this site, we celebrated Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration. Soon after, we were able to walk the grounds and take time to reflect on Christ's Humanity and Divinity.Læs mere

  • Jericho

    9. marts 2017, Palæstina ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We had the opportunity to tour the oldest inhibited city in the world, Jericho. Here we were able to visit the exact location, the Mount of Temptation, where the Devil tempted Jesus during his 40 day fast. This was also the area where Jesus passed through Jericho where he healed blind beggars and inspired the tax collector named Zacchaeus, who was sitting up in a sycamore tree, to repent his dishonest practices. Oh, and I had the opportunity to ride a camel...when in Jericho...ride as the people of Jericho do. Ha. :)Læs mere

  • The Visitation

    10. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The morning started off with a warm breeze and sunny walk to visit the Church of the Annunciation. It is located in Ein Karem which is southwest of Jerusalem. There was a beautiful scenic walk up the hillside to get to the top. This church honors the visit that the Virgin Mary paid to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Luke 1:39-80. After descending down the hillside we all strolled a few blocks over to the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. This church commemorates the birth place of St. John the Baptist, precursor of the Lord. This sanctuary honors St. John's aged parents: Zechariah and Elizabeth, the cousin to Mary.Læs mere

  • The Nativity of Our Lord

    10. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We have arrived in Bethlehem. Here we took another scenic walk up to Manger Square, which stands in front of the Church of the Nativity. This basilica is considered to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world. As we entered the church, we proceeded down to the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the spot of our Savior's birth. But Neath the altar, there is a silver star and a Latin inscription that states: HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTIS NATUS (Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary). After our group was able to all touch the star, we sang Christmas songs to celebrate his birth. We then celebrated a Christmas Mass in this sacred place, a neighboring Grotto, named after St. Jerome. He was one of the pivotal figures in the history of the preservation and transmission of the Bible. The celebration of Christmas will forever be changed for me after today's celebration. Very moving.Læs mere

  • Mount of Olives

    11. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Today we started off at The Mount of Olives. It is a sacred place for both Jews and Christians. There were several churches located in this sacred place that we attended. We first went to the Paternoster Church, which was named after the prayer that Jesus taught us, the Our Father. Also, there laid a cave where Jesus sat and taught the Our Father to his disciples. We then made our way down the hillside to the Church of Dominus Flevit, meaning "Our Lord weeping". This was the location that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We were able to celebrate the Mass inside the church which overlooks the city. Then, we stopped at the Church of All Nations, built over the "Rock of Agony". This is where Jesus prayed alone on the night of his arrest.Læs mere

  • Garden of Gethsemane

    11. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    I was really looking forward to visiting this site and of course it didn't disappoint! Many events took place during the Passion Week. The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus brought His disciples to pray the night before He was arrested, lies at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The Garden still contains trees with roots that date back to the time of Jesus. There we all gathered and I led prayer with the scripture reading Mark 14:32-42.Læs mere

  • The West Wall

    11. marts 2017, Israel ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The West Wall is the most holy place accessible to the Jewish people because of Muslim control of the Temple Mount. Known in recent centuries as the “Wailing Wall,” this was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City. It was a very different vibe to have our group come in today and go through security in a separate men and women line. When we went to pray and touch the wall it was also a separate area. The men were on the left side and the women were on the right. It was eye-opening experience.Læs mere

  • Mt. Zion

    11. marts 2017, Palæstina ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We ended our day yesterday with visiting three moving sites. We were able to visit the Benedictine Church of the Dormition. Tradition tells us that this church is where Mary, the mother of Jesus, "fell asleep". Nearby we went to visit the Upper Room on Mt. Zion. The Upper Room is where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper, and where Jesus appeared to His disciples after His Death and Resurrection. Finally, we walked down the street to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. This church commemorates where Jesus was examined and eventually imprisoned before the council in Jerusalem. It also commemorates Peter's denial of Christ, Peter's repentance, and Jesus' forgiveness of Peter.Læs mere

  • The Dead Sea

    12. marts 2017, Palæstina ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We started our morning in Bethany which was the site where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Here we celebrated Mass in a medieval chapel next to the church of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. After Mass, we headed to the Jordan River where we renewed our Baptismal promises. Next, we headed down to the Jordan Valley to Qumran. This town is made up of 2000-year-old ruins from the days of the second temple, and also the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written and discovered. After visiting the first cave where the first Scrolls were found, we headed down the valley to the Dead Sea. It is the lowest place on earth. 1,378 feet below sea level to be exact! We enjoyed taking mud baths and floating in the saltiest water in the world. We ended our day with a walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. I feared no evil!Læs mere

  • Via Dolorosa

    13. marts 2017, Palæstina ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Wow, we saved the best for last. The high point of this pilgrimage was honoring the Passion of Christ and walking the Via Dolorosa, the way of Sorrows, which is the route Jesus walked on his way to Calvary. The last 5 stations of the 14 stations are in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is the site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. We celebrated Mass in front of Jesus' tomb and then were able to go into it and touch the stone on which he was laid upon. Nearby, was Calvary. We climbed up a steep hill, Golgotha rock, and touched the top where Jesus suffered and died for us.Læs mere

  • Slut på rejsen
    14. marts 2017