PILGRIMAGE TO THE
HOLY LAND & MT. SINAI
(St. Catherine’s Monastery)
THE GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF ST PAUL
HEMPSTEAD, NY
Led By
FATHER LUKE MELACKRINOS
October 31 – November 10, 2010
OCTOBER 31, Sunday USA / TEL AVIV
This evening, you will depart for an unforgettable and fulfilling spiritual odyssey! Please be at the airport 3 hours prior to departure due to tight security regulations. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. Your El Al flight 8 departs at 11:50 pm from JFK International Airport. Dinner will be served on board your flight.
NOVEMBER 1, Monday TEL AVIV / TIBERIAS
Enjoy lunch before arriving in Tel Aviv at 4:05pm. You will be met and assisted to your motorcoach. On the way to Tiberias, your first stop will be the Church and Tomb of St. George in Lydda if it is not too late. (If time does not permit for you to visit the Church today, you will on another day.) Venerate the relics, tomb and chain of St George. Drive to Tiberias. Upon arrival in Tiberias and check in to your hotel, Your hotel is located by the sea and has a pool. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias at the Gai Beach.
NOVEMBER 2, Tuesday TIBERIAS
Depart this morning from the hotel after breakfast for the Greek Orthodox Church of the Apostles. Enjoy the peaceful setting of this beautiful church.
Continue with a visit the Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. At the foot of Mt. Tabor is the little village of Naim where Jesus raised the only son of the poor widow from the dead. Take a taxi to the top of Mt. Tabor. There, see an utterly commanding view of all of lower Galilee, and the valley of the Armageddon. It was here that Jesus revealed the wonderful power of presence in communion with prophets of the past (Moses and Elijah). This also became immediate evidence of Communion with His Father. Visit the site of the Transfiguration where the Transfiguration of our Lord took place. Enter the Church of Transfiguration and pray.
Drive on to the Mountain of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount and where the Lord’s Prayer was said for the first time. Then, on to Tabgha (Seven Springs) and the Church of the Multiplication of Fishes and Loaves. It is here that the miracle of the loaves and fish took place. Over 5,000 men, women and children were fed from the miraculous multiplication of the five loaves of bread and two fish.
Continue with a visit to Capernaum, the headquarters of Jesus' ministry in Galilee and walk in the same village Jesus did. See the remains of the House of St. Peter, one of the very few exact sites we know Jesus visited. A Franciscan Church has been built over the ruins of the house. See the ruins of the synagogue where Our Lord preached.
Our last stop will be at the Yardenit on the River Jordan, the site for Spiritual Baptism and Agiasmos. Experience an affirmation of your baptism in the same river that our Lord was baptized by Saint John the Baptist, 2000 years ago. (You may purchase or rent a white robe to wear into the Jordan River for your Spiritual Baptism. A bathing suit can be worn below the robe. (For those who purchase or rent robes, complimentary lockers are available to change.) Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B,D) (Attire: Casual but appropriate for Holy Sites. Bring your bathing suit and flip flops.)
NOVEMBER 3, Wednesday TIBERIAS / JERICHO
After breakfast this morning, check out of the hotel. We will drive to Jericho for your next overnight in the late afternoon. This morning, enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus met Simon, Peter, James and John, his first disciples, here and performed many miracles. He stilled the raging storm on the Sea of Galilee that was about to flood their boat and walked on the stormy sea to His Apostles. Stop for lunch and an opportunity to taste St. Peters fish (optional) for lunch.
Drive to Cana and the Greek Orthodox Church where our Lord performed his first public miracle. He turned water into wine to spare the bridegroom the embarrassment of running out of wine at his wedding party.
Drive to the Mount of Temptation. Take a cable car up to the Mount (Sarantarion Oros). It was on this mountain where the Lord was tempted by the devil and fasted for forty days and forty nights. There is an altar built over the same slab of stone where Jesus prayed and fasted. The Monastery was built over this site and there is only one elderly monk who takes care of it. He is truly inspirational. Stop for lunch and an opportunity to purchase products from the Dead Sea. Drive to Jericho and the Intercontinental Hotel for dinner and overnight.
NOVEMBER 4, Thursday JERICHO / SINAI / ST CATHERINE’S MONASTERY
For our trip to Sinai, pack an overnight bag and include a bathing suit as you will be stopping at the Dead Sea on the way back to Israel. An overnight bag will facilitate the clearance of Immigration and Customs at the Taba border.
Very early AM departure from Jericho. Check out of hotel. Begin a long drive via the Dead Sea to the Taba Border. See the stunning sunrise over the mountains and sea! After passport control, walk across the border with your suitcases into the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Please bear in mind; you may have to carry your own suitcases. An Egyptian bus will be waiting for us and will drive us south to the Monastery of St. Catherine. The Sinai Peninsula is the gateway from Africa to Asia and the bridge between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It was one of the world’s most important crossroads. The Monastery of St. Catherine’s is an Orthodox monastic center and the only world wide monastery operating continuously since the 6th century.
St. Catherine was born in Alexandria in 294 AD. As the beautiful daughter of an aristocratic pagan family, she did not lack suitors but she rejected them all. A Syrian monk taught her about Jesus Christ and converted her to Christianity. During the persecution of the Christians in the early 4th century, she confessed her faith and accused Emperor Maximinus of sacrificing to idols. Although fifty wise men attempted to dissuade her, she persuaded them to believe in Jesus. Under torture, she succeeded in converting members of the Emperor’s family and the Roman aristocracy to Christianity. After her execution, her body disappeared. According to tradition, the angels transported her to the peak of the highest mount in Sinai which now bears her name. After three centuries, guided by a dream, monks of the Monastery found her body and brought it down from the mountain and placed it in a golden casket in the Church. The sweet fragrance of her sacred remains is today a continuous miracle. Her martyrdom was carried to the West by the Crusaders and she was accepted in Christian Europe as a major saint. Since the 11th century. The Monastery of the Transfiguration has also been known as the Monastery of St. Catherine.
The building of the main church and the monastery began in 542 AD led by Emperor Justinian and was completed nine years later. St. Helena’s Church of the Burning Bush was incorporated into it. The icons in the church are from the 6th century and onwards – icons that were never destroyed during the Iconoclastic Period. The floor, the interior decorations and the Iconostasis date to the 17th and 18th centuries. The wooden doors at the church entrance are 1400 years old. Down the length of the basilica are twelve pillars, one for each month of the year and above each is a Byzantine icon portraying the saints venerated during that particular month. Along each of the aisles are three chapels and the vestry: there are two additional chapels on either side of the apse and behind it the Chapel of the Burning Bush. The Bush flourishes several yards further from the chapel where it was transplanted in order to build the Holy Alter upon its roots. It is the only bush of its kind growing in the entire Sinai Peninsula and every attempt to transplant a branch of it to another place has been unsuccessful. In the apse of the church is a magnificent mosaic depicting the Transfiguration of Jesus. Other interesting parts of the Monastery are the old refectory, the bell tower, the icon gallery, the garden and the charnel house and the library (the second in importance only to that of the Vatican in both number and value of the manuscripts it contains). The Monastery is a UNESCO World heritage site.
Drive to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Depending on arrival time, attend Vespers. Visit the Monastery, its famous collection of icons, the church, the Burning Bush and venerate the relics of St. Catherine. In addition, visit its museum renown for its icons, and proclamations (one is signed by Napoleon and another by Mohamed, the religious leader of the Moslems) grating protection to the Monastery. Dinner and overnight in Mount Sinai at the St. Catherine’s Plaza.
NOVEMBER 5, Friday SINAI / TABA / JERUSALEM
This morning, you will have two options. You may select a very early morning climb (approximately 1:00 am departure from hotel) to the top of the Holy Mountain (Mount Horeb) where Moses stood to receive the Ten Commandments. If you are considering the climb and have health issues, please consult with your doctor. The climb is very rigorous with a 3 mile plus climb up – approximately 3 hours – and 2 ½ hours down. Once you begin the climb, you cannot return. You can select to ride a camel up to a specific point and from there onwards, there are approximately 2,000 steps until you reach the top. Bedouins (local people) may appear along the way to help you. Negotiate the rate at that time to avoid any issues on top. A guideline is $20 – 30. There are rest stations. The mountain stands 7,500 feet above sea level and as such oxygen levels are less making it more difficult to breathe. On the top is a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity (usually closed) and a cave where tradition holds that God put Moses.
You may also select to attend Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. Catherine. Free time available at the Monastery while we wait for the climbers to return.
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for the Taba Border. Walk across the border back into Israel. Following passport control, take a short tour of the resort city of Eilat and drive to the Dead Sea for swimming or floating – weather permitting. Dinner and overnight at the Regency in Jerusalem. (B, D)
Attire: Climbers: hooded jacket or jacket with a hat, gloves, layered clothing, good flashlight and sneakers. It will be cold climbing up and warmer coming down. Non climbers: Casual church attire: suits and ties are not necessary for men and suits are not necessary for women. You will have time to change after Liturgy and before departing. Bring bathing suits for the float. (B, D)
NOVEMBER 6, Saturday JERUSALEM
After breakfast, begin your tour of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Holy City. Jerusalem, a 4,000 year old city, is the center of the three main monotheistic faiths and the place where our Lord sacrificed Himself for our salvation. Drive to the Chapel of Ascension, the site our Lord ascended from the earth to heaven. According to our tradition, it is here where the second coming will take place and both the living and dead will be raised before Him for judgment. Continue to Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Agony. Only the Apostles knew He often went to the Garden of Agony to pray in solitude. Here, Judas led the authorities to Him. In the Garden, our Lord prayed to God, the Father, before He was betrayed, arrested and crucified. In the church, there is a stone slab for pilgrims to venerate. It is here our Lord prayed with great passion before He was to endure the selfless sacrifice to come.
Continue with a visit to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. It is from this site that the holy body of the Virgin Mother was taken into heaven by her Son and God. Descend across the Kidron Valley to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu where the Apostle denied Christ three times, Continue on to Mt. Zion to visit the Room of the Last Supper, King David’s Tomb and the Church of the Dormition.
A visit will also be made to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall), Judaism's holiest site.
Drive to Martha and Lazarus Tomb in Bethany where Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus after 4 days in the tomb. The Lord wanted to establish His power over death and waited until Lazarus was confirmed dead before raising him from the dead.
Dinner at the Regency. Attend midnight Liturgy at the Holy Sepulcher for a truly unforgettable and spiritually fulfilling evening (pending confirmation). This is also the best time to visit Golgotha, the place of the crucifixion, and His tomb. You will be visiting these sites again tomorrow during the day but tonight, there will be no tourists and it will be quiet and solemn. Overnight in Jerusalem. (Attire: Casual but appropriate for visiting holy sites. For midnight Liturgy casual church attire. ) (B, D)
NOVEMBER 7, Sunday JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM / JERUSALEM
This morning, drive to Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Lord and Savior. The cradle of biblical history, Bethlehem, is located five and half miles from Jerusalem. No town in the world has such a glorious history as Bethlehem. Visit the Shepherd’s field and the Church of the Nativity. A Greek Orthodox Church has been built over the birthplace of Our Lord by the Emperor Justinian and is over 1, 500 years old. It is the second oldest Orthodox Church in existence. It was not destroyed by the Persians as they saw a mosaic of the Magi dressed in Persian wear over the front door. Venerate and touch the actual ground where Jesus was born. A few feet away are the Holy Manger. See the cave of St. Jerome.
On the way back to Jerusalem, visit the Monastery and Church of the Prophet Elias and the Church and Tomb of St. Symeon, the Just. In addition, visit the Monastery of the Holy Cross. Continue to the village of Ein Karem, the birth place of St. John the Baptist. See the Greek Orthodox and Russian Churches. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Attire: Casual but appropriate for visiting holy sites.) (B, D)
NOVEMBER 8, Monday JERUSALEM
This morning, visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and private audience with His Beatitude Theophilos III (subject to confirmation). Afterwards, visit the Church of St. Anne (birthplace of the Theotokos) and within its grounds are the Pools of Bethesda. These are the pools located near the sheep gate where the Lord cured the paralytic. Archeologists have uncovered all of the pools and the 5 porticoes as was reported by St. John in the Gospel. We will walk along the Way of the Cross.
Proceed to visit the Prison of Christ (Praitorion). Venerate at the same cell the Lord was held prisoner before His crucifixion. It is located deep in a dungeon. There is a slab of stone with two holes through which His legs were passed and ankles shackled together. The cells of Barabas and the two thieves, who were crucified with Him, are here. In the church is a large wooden cross (275 years old) which is taken out of the church on Good Friday and is walked down the streets, as Christ himself did, ending at the Holy Sepulcher.
Continue your walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of His death and resurrection. This is the most important church for Christians. We climb the stairs to reach Golgotha, the place of the crucifixion. Over the site, a main altar has been built and is under the care of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. You may reach through a case and touch the place that held the Holy Cross. To the right of the altar is a split in the rock floor where the Lord finally took His last breath. Take a moment to reflect in this Holy Place and to feel the spirit engulf you and appreciate all that Our Lord has given you and your loved ones. At the bottom of the stairs, as you leave the Chapel of the Golgotha, is the site where the body of Christ was placed after he was taken down from the cross. It is covered by a slab of stone where you can venerate. A tradition is to bless pictures of family and loved ones, as well as any religious items purchased, on the slab by making the sign of the cross. Then, we are led to the site of the Tomb, the place of the Lord’s resurrection. A small chapel has been built over the sacred place under the watch of Greek Orthodox monks. In the first small room is the great stone that sealed the tomb. It was here that the Angel of the Lord sat proclaiming the resurrection of the Christ from the dead. The next small room contained the slab of stone on which the dead body of the Lord was placed entombed and resurrected. A truly incredible experience to be in this church!
Some free time for shopping at the Christian quarters before returning to the hotel.
(Attire: Casual but appropriate for visiting holy sites.) (B, D)
NOVEMBER 9, Tuesday JERUSALEM /NAZARETH/ JERUSALAEM
After breakfast, drive to Nazareth, one of the holiest towns in Christendom. This city was the home of Mary, Joseph and Jesus until the beginning of His ministry. Nazareth is also where Jesus spent some years of His youth after returning to Israel from Egypt and until His public ministry began. Visit the Virgin Mary’s Well where the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to Our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation is built over this site.
Continue to the Church of St. Elisseos and Zacchaeus Tree. This is the tree upon which Zacchaeus climbed in order to see the Lord walk by. Drive to the Judean Desert to visit the Monastery of St. Gerasimos Iordanitis. One of the oldest monasteries of the world was built by Abbot Gerasimos in 455. It was originally a cave. According to tradition, it was here the Virgin Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus rested for one night during their long journey to Egypt.
Dinner at the Regency. Departure from the hotel will be approximately 9:00 pm for
the airport. (Attire: Casual but appropriate for visiting holy sites.) (B, D)
NOVEMBER 10, Wednesday JERUSALEM /TEL AVIV / JFK
This morning, those departing for home with El Al flight 1 departing from Tel Aviv for JFK International Airport at 1:00 am and arriving at 6:00 am.
