Table of contents hide 1 1- Bethlehem: the birth 2 2- Nazareth: the proclamation and childhood 3 3- Jordan River: baptism 4 4- The desert: victory over the tempter 5 5- Sea of ​​Galilee and Mount of Beatitudes: disciples and preaching 6 6- Mount Tabor: the transfiguration 7 7- Jerusalem: Last Supper, death and resurrection

There are many ways to follow Jesus. One of them is keeping his commandments, especially that of loving God above all things and that of loving your neighbor as yourself. Another is receiving the sacraments. Another is meditating on the Word of God. Another is praying.

A special way to follow in the footsteps of Jesus is to do it literally, pilgrimage to the Holy Land and experience the places that Christ inhabited. Pilgrimage is to go in search of God, physically. Pilgrimage is wishing to know God more intimately . Pilgrimage is to follow God fully. Pilgrimage with the heart is to love God.

Seven sacred places in the Holy Land

The current Israeli and Palestinian lands are the Holy Land, the land blessed by the footsteps of the Lord. From this region we will highlight in this article seven special places : Belén, where Jesus was born; Nazareth, where he grew up; the Jordan river, where he was baptized; the desert, where he defeated the tempter; the Sea of ​​Galilee and the Mount of Beatitudes, where he chose his disciples and where he preached; Mount Tabor, where he was transfigured and Jerusalem, where he died and on the third day he was resurrected.

1- Bel n: the birth

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a city located south of Jerusalem. His parents lived in Nazareth, but in those days an edict of Caesar Augustus had come out ordering everyone to register. That is why Jos, who was from David's family, went with his wife Mar aa Bel n to register. While they were there, the time for childbirth came and Jesus was born in a manger (Luke 2: 1-7).

Bel n in rabe means house of meat and in Hebrew means house of bread . Here was born who gave himself to feed us with the Bread of Life and Salvation, with the Living Bread that comes down from Heaven, with the Bread that feeds our eternal life.

In Bethlehem there is the Church of the Nativity, which is entered through a small door crouching down. It is that to know the King of Heaven and Earth you have to become small, like children, you have to be humble . Inside the Church of the Nativity is the Grotto of the Nativity, and in the latter there is a star of fourteen points placed in the place where Jesus the Christ was born . Next to the star is the Holy Manger . The first church on the Grotto of the Nativity was built in the fourth century AD by the Roman emperor Constantine, who allowed and legalized Christian worship in the Roman empire.

The shepherds who were presented with the angel of the Lord came to Belén, saying: `` Do not be afraid, for I announce to you a great joy, that I will be for all the people: a Savior was born today in the city of David, who is the Lord Lord (Luke 2:10). The angel was joined by a multitude of the celestial army that praised God, saying: He prays to God in the highest and on earth peace to the men in whom he is pleased (Luke 2:14 ).

The three Wise Men who traveled from the East following the star that led them to the place where God the Son was born also arrived in Bethlehem. When the star stopped over the place where Jesus was baby, they entered and “saw the child with Mary his mother, and prostrating themselves, they worshiped him ; Then they opened their chests and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh ”(Matthew 2: 10-11).

Like the kings of the East and the angels of Heaven, we also have to worship God who became incarnate to save us and give us eternal life. And what better place to do it than in Bethlehem, where he was born in a humble manger but full of the love of Mary and Joseph.

2- Nazareth: the announcement and childhood

In Nazareth was Mary when the angel Gabriel visited her and said: “Stop fearing, Mary, because you have found grace before God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, whom you will name Jesus . He will be great and called Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father, will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and his kingdom will have no end ”(Luke 1: 30-33).

We can visit the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, within which we will find the Holy Grotto where the angel Gabriel visited Mary. There is also the Church of San José, built by the Franciscans in the place where Saint Joseph and Jesus worked the wood. Al Pozo de María, currently located in the center of the city, was going to town people with jugs in search of water two millennia ago.

In Nazareth he lived and grew up in silence and humility, helping his father in his trade and his mother to seek water, the Son of the Most High. Jesus was in no hurry to fulfill his mission, although he had his heart fully dedicated to doing the will of his Father God. In Nazareth Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2:52). The wisdom necessary to then boldly preach the truth, work miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead and overcome death with his resurrection.

The mountains of the center of Galilee enclose the city of Nazareth, a place blessed by the traces of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The King of the Celestial House in which there are many rooms, and who after having walked through the mountains of Nazareth next to us, assists us in the earthly life and awaits us in the eternal Heaven.

Nazareth is the place that Jesus lived for the most years. Therefore, when we travel to Israel, we cannot miss this sacred place.

3- Jordan River: baptism

The Jordan River joins the Lake of Galilee (to the north) with the Dead Sea (to the south) and separates the Holy Land (to the west) from Jordan (to the east). It is a narrow river, but it is a great river that touches and moves hearts. On the Jordan River, John the Baptist preached more than two thousand years ago saying: “I baptize you in water for conversion; but the one who comes behind me is stronger than me, and I am not worthy to wear the sandals. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire ” (Matthew 3:11).

Jesus, when he was thirty years old, went to the river to be baptized by John. Baptizing means immersing yourself in water. When Jesus entered Jordan and John baptized him, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and a voice was heard that said: "You are my son, I have begotten you today" (Luke 3:22).

Jesus asked his apostles to baptize his disciples in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Church baptizes its members since the time of Peter. When we are baptized we become children of God and members of the Church. That is why baptism is the sacrament with which the Christian life begins. The priest practices an exorcism through which we renounce Satan, sin and evil. Baptism erases original sin and seals us indelibly with the mark of the Holy Spirit.

When we wet our feet in the Jordan River we renew our renunciation of evil and our belief in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Let us penetrate the comforting Holy Spirit and let ourselves be guided by the one who can lead us to eternal life in Heaven.

Holy Land Map

4- The desert: victory over the tempter

After his baptism, guided by the Holy Spirit, Jesus went to the desert located northwest of Jericho, to fast and pray . There he remained forty days, during which the devil tempted him. Seeing him hungry for the prolonged fast, the evil one suggested that he turn the stones into bread. Jesus replied: "It is written: Man does not live by bread alone" (Luke 4: 4).

Then the devil led Jesus to the site called the Mount of Temptation, where monks have been living since the fourth century and where the Orthodox Greek Monastery of Temptation is now located, known as the Quarantal Monastery . There the evil one promised Christ all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for prostrating himself before him. Jesus replied: "It is written: You will worship the Lord your God, and you will only serve Him" (Luke 4: 8).

Finally, the devil told Jesus that if he was the Son of God he threw himself from above, since the angels would keep him. Christ replied: "It has been said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God" (Luke 4:12).

With this triple answer Jesus overcame temptation and the devil walked away. Then, with his resurrection, our Savior would definitely defeat the evil one and death.

Visiting the Mount of Temptation is a moving experience . We may not be as strong as Jesus to overcome evil alone. But we can pray as He taught us: Our Father who is in Heaven (...) do not let us fall into temptation and deliver us from evil. Because alone we cannot save ourselves, but for God everything is possible . That is why we have to firmly unite our hearts to the Lord, and thanks to this alliance, we will be strong and the evil one will move away. The Mother of God often says that praying the rosary is a weapon that overcomes evil. We overcome evil by worshiping and serving God alone.

5- Sea of ​​Galilee and Mount of Beatitudes: disciples and preaching

The Sea of ​​Galilee, also called Mar de Cineret (Joshua 12: 3), Mar de Tiberías (John 6: 1) and Mar de Genesaret (Luke 5: 1) is freshwater and measures 22 km long and 12 km from width. It is located 210 meters below sea level and is a habitat for a variety of fish.

Jesus chose the Sea of ​​Galilee as the center of much of his public life. There he called his disciples Simà n Pedro, Andr s, Juan and Santiago, who were fishermen, to follow him. Jesus walked through the waters of the Sea of ​​Galilee (Mark 6: 48-50) to go in search of his disciples who were in a boat. On another occasion he rebuked the wind and the great waves to calm down, and they obeyed him (Mark 4: 35-41).

In Capernaum (Capernaum), a city located on the north shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee, Christ lived. From there he traveled to preach in various places in Galilee. This is where he resurrected Jairo's daughter by saying: u Muchacha, I tell you, get up (Mark 5: 38-42). In Caperna m, Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons and preached in the synagogue.

To the north of the Sea of ​​Galilee is the Mount of Beatitudes . From this site you have a beautiful view of the so-called sea, but that is actually a lake. This was where Jesus preached his most famous sermon formed by the eight beatitudes in which those who aspire to the Kingdom of Heaven and God must meditate . Here you can visit the catholic church built in 1936 by Barluzzi with octagonal shape.

Very close there is Tabgha and the Church of the First Feeding of the Crowd . It was here that Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fishes to feed him more than five thousand people. What an ideal place to visit and let Jesus look into our hearts for the unmet needs that he can cover, both today and yesterday, in a miraculous way.

Let's visit the beautiful Lake of Galilee, immerse our feet in its waters, sail offshore and listen to the wind that continues to bring us the Living Word of God to nest in our hearts and bear fruit.

6- Monte Tabor: the transfiguration

Three were the lucky apostles invited by Jesus Christ to glimpse his glory on Mount Tabor : Peter, John and James. In his presence Christ was transfigured: his face became bright as the sun and his clothes became bright as the light (Matthew 17: 2). Jesus conversed with Moses and Elias, signs of the Law and the Prophets, when a cloud covered them with their shadow and a voice was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I take pleasure; listen to him ” (Matthew 17: 5).

How good the three apostles must have felt at that time! That is why Peter wanted to make three stores, so that this moment of light, love, peace, truth, eternal life and union could be prolonged in time.

It is logical that after the experience of such moments, the apostles were filled with faith and hope, and after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ they set out to preach and baptize with conviction and love to their Lord.

Mount Tabor stands out in Galilee for its height and its dome shape. During the Byzantine and Crusader periods, several churches and monasteries were erected on top. Currently you can visit the Transfiguration Sanctuary built by the Franciscans in 1925.

South of Mount Tabor is the Arab town of Nain, where Jesus resurrected the widow's son (Luke 7: 11-17). Let's go to Mount Tabor where it was who said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life ” (John 14: 6). Let us follow the almighty who gives us health and earthly life and feeds our eternal life with his breath full of wisdom and love. Let us rise by worship and prayer to witness the glory of God.

7- Jerusalem: Last Supper, Death and Resurrection

Oh Jerusalem! Land loved by Jews, Christians and Muslims . When will there be peace in your lands? When will the brothers embrace, lower their weapons and devote themselves to worshiping God in the climate of tranquility necessary for this purpose?

Within the walls of ancient Jerusalem, which is accessed through seven doors, are the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter, the Armenian quarter and the Muslim quarter. Each with its strong culture, with its own religion and strong interests.

There is too much to say about Jerusalem and few paragraphs in this article intended for this city. So we will summarize. In Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, is the Cenacle, the place where Jesus met with his disciples to celebrate the Last Supper and institute the sacrament of the Eucharist. Here Christ made his Body and Blood his bread and wine , and gave himself to us to feed us every day until his return.

Blessed Sacrament. CW

In the Cenacle the disciples were gathered when Jesus appeared twice resurrected, once without Thomas, and once with Thomas. It was also in the Cenacle, where the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4).

In the old city, in the Christian neighborhood, there is the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus traveled with the cross since he was sentenced until he was crucified . The Via Crucis has fourteen stations that indicate the efforts and sufferings that Christ suffered for voluntarily surrendering to death. The last stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher . Here Jesus was stripped of his garments and nailed to the Cross. This was where he died and was buried. Here Jesus defeated death and rose again .

Here the risen Jesus said to Mary: “Do not touch me, I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them: I go up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God ”(John 20: 11-17).

Let us enter with reverence to Jerusalem and thank Jesus that he has become a Living Bread come down from Heaven to feed us, that he has overcome death and risen to lead us to the Father, to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let's visit the Holy Land, travel to Israel and Palestine, with our hearts ready to follow the path marked by the Lord.

Sources and Bibliography

• THE BOOK OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD - THE BIBLE. Buenos Aires: Editorial San Pablo, 1981.
• Etty Boochny Mendelbaum. The Holy Land Follow the footsteps of Jesus . Modiin, Israel: Victory Production & Distribution.

Author: Cecilia Wechsler, collaborator of the Great White Brotherhood hermandadblanca.org