The trip has been exceptionally wonderful. The weather has been like summer here so far. My most moving experience has been seeing for the first time the church where my parents worshiped when they lived here in Tiberias before 1948.
Last night, Helen and I were walking in town after supper and heard a quiet party in the yard of the church. We went in to see who we could find only to be welcomed by a song of welcome from the Greek Catholic priest from Ailaboun. He also has responsibility over the Church of St. Peter Greek Catholic Church in Tiberias. With him was the retired bishop and other priests and their families who were on retreat.
For the first time in my life, I got to visit the church where my father and his siblings were baptized, and where my parents were married. Tonight (Wednesday) we brought the whole group with us and had a moving worship experience led by Pastor Gabi (in Arabic), and a quick visit of the facilities which are in the process of being renovated in order to accommodate future pilgrims to the area.
Today, we also visited Nazareth where I grew up and went to school. We read Jesus' sermon which he delivered in his hometown (from Luke 4) and reminded ourselves of our mandate to do what Jesus saw as his mission: "to bring good news to the poor, to bring eyesight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to announce the year of the Lord's favor."
We walked from the Church of the Annunciation to Mary's Well via the neighborhood of my youth. The group got to see the house where I was born and baptized. We also saw the high school which I attended.
Blessings to you and peace,
Pastor Said
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