PILGRIMAGE PONDERINGS PART 2

Saturday December 5 – Day 4 – “Hump Day”

One of the recurring moments of conversation is truly how much we enjoy on another on this trip – and people are already starting to talk about doing another one, either back to Israel or on to somewhere else, Ireland being the country that come sup most frequently. The title for today’s journey has less to do than being in the middle of the trek than it does with a small camel that Maura purchased at St Peter’s church late in the day and a whole host of one-liners and comments it produced, most centering around some play on words, usually involving the camel’s most distinguishing feature – and I’m not talking cloven hoof here.

Bob had to stay and work today so our small group was one little bit smaller – and I’ll get fewer photographs, he’s been very good About taking pictures. I tried to download his pictures last night but he has a 4 gig chip in his camera and I only have a notebook with me and it couldn’t handle that much in a go.

Off into the Sabbath Day and as expected, virtually no traffic – except for tour buses. An occasional car, but the whole place very much has the feeling of holiday – day off. Small parks filled up later in the day – families on picnics, out walking – but if you suddenly appeared and were told you were in Jerusalem, you could very quickly figure out this was the Sabbath. Unlike New York, where the difference in terms of traffic and population and activity between Sunday and any other day is negligible.

First stop – the church commemorating the birth of John the Baptist. Along one wall ceramic plaques, similar to the ones we saw at Pater Noster, although here the text was Zachariah’s prophetic prayer after his tongue had been loosed in Luke’s telling of the birth. We spent a little time in the courtyard and then went in for Mass. We celebrated at the main altar – the cave commemorating the birth is off to one side and down a small flight of stairs, so people were moving through as Mass went on. At one point a group of Africans came in – turned out to be a group from Ghana – and many of them came forward for communion, but (a loaves and fishes moment) there were enough hosts for everyone. I confess, at one moment during the Mass I find myself thinking there would not be any good pictures of this celebration, since Bob was not with us. (He has been extraordinary at taking pictures at times and places I would never have thought of. I have yet to see the finished products but his instincts are first rate – and he has the photographer’s gift of moving in quickly, taking the picture and disappearing.)

After Mass we browsed the church for a little, and then off to the museum that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and the large model of Second Temple Jerusalem. The model is fascinating, but Moshe talking us through it was what made it really valuable. I had wondered why we hadn’t started with the model, but it was very good to have seen places and then be able to associate them, rather than the other way around. There are a couple of concessions to modernity – a couple of different sections have different colored roofs, to make areas easier to identify, and at the point on the Western Wall that is still accessible, where people go to pray today, there is a red arrow. (I say accessible because there are huge sections of the wall still standing, but houses and other buildings have been built over them, so there are not accessible.)

The bulk of the museum area is closed for a major renovation, but there is a separate building for the scrolls – they only exhibits scraps and some other archaeological materials – and the place has more the feel of a shrine than a museum – but very interesting. I had taken a seminar on the scrolls when I was doing theology (and could still read Hebrew) so I did have a sense of the work and what it meant – but to see real sections, rather than photographs or computer simulations was moving. And that the Arrepo Codex was there was a wonderful treat. The codex is an 11th century text  that includes both vocalization (the vowels, that are not usually written in Hebrew) and cantillation (the marks in the text that indicate how the text should be sung).

Lunch – since it was Sabbath not much was open so we hit a tourist place with a lovely buffet and since I was the group leader I got a free lunch. Let’s hear it for the occasional perks. St. Peter in Gallicantu – the house of Caiphas where Peter heard the crowing as he denied Christ three times, and the place Christ would have have been taken and Paul – there is one walkway from the Mount of Olives area to this place, and you can see the walk Christ would have taken, and the cell in the basement where he would have been held. The place also has a great view of the valley, across Jerusalem to the Mounta of Olives. We then went to the Chapel of the Upper Room (which no one suggests was the real place where the Last Supper took place) and the Dormitian Abbey, with  statue of the Blessed Virgin in repose before her being assumed into heaven. And a delightful older man who fussed over the tourists and shooed people away so they wouldn’t be in the pictures others were taking of the Blessed Mother. (You may remember we also went to another church of the tomb of the Virgin – but that was an Orthdox chapel and this Roman Catholic – sort of like having two sites for the tomb of Christ.) You know, with all the walking and looking and listening and seeing and experiencing – at the end of the day I am tired – I can’t speak for the others but the lack of a “night life” dimension on this trip does not bother me at all. Maybe I’m getting old, but after dinner, as the group splits up, I am grateful for a little quiet and peace and a chance to reflect and pray.

Sunday, December 6 – Remembrance Day

Woke with a serious headache – eating helped but only a bit. They are back working construction, so after breakfast and seeing off the Masada people (those who opted to take a tour of Masada and the Dead Sea) I went down to the lobby to do some work. Met the Levi’s from Savannah Georgia and after a bit went with Emily and Annie to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Museum.

This will be a short day because even I do not have the words to deal with the impact of acres of remembrance. Through sheer dumb luck, we did the Hall of Remembrance first – a large room with an eternal flame and the names of the camps in the floor. We then went to the art gallery, pictures done by camp survivors or about camp topics. From there we explored a little of the facility and then on to the main section. Which is a history of the rise of anti-semitism and the growth of the Nazi government and the ghettos and the camps and there is SO much information and pictures and text and sorrow and pain and just awful remembrances – I was done about 2/3 of the way through it. Overload. Pain and just not able to process any more.

We did stop at the gift shop on the way out and ran into Jane and Eileen and the friend that Jane had gone to visit last night. We did a little shopping (there is something about being a tourist that takes an otherwise economical and sensible traveller and turns him into a buying machine.)

Some quiet time back at the hotel and an evening Mass in my room. A light supper and off to sit in the lobby and wait for my friend Barbara, who came with her husband and we had a lovely visit in the lounge, with a very good pianist. In different circumstances I might have wandered up and done a little quiet singing, but the area was serving a particular purpose. The lounge in the hotel is a public area where young people who are entering into pre-arranged marriages have a chance to meet each other and see if they like each other. It was rather like a Dating Game floor show – some couples seemed to be enjoying each other. There was one where the young man was quite sure he was being charming – my reading of the young lady, however, was that she was less impressed. One rather zauftig young man had ordered fries, and was munching happily away. They were in the center of the table but she was not eating. Not a good sign.

December 7 – Monday – Camels and Schwarmas and Rain, oh my.

Moving day – packing is the primary activity of the morning, so the suitcase can be left outside the door when I went down to breakfast. Checked out and had breakfast, finished putting the last items into the computer bag and off. The bags were all brought down and we had to identify each as it went onto the bus. And we’re off!

On to the Dead Sea – not to stop but it’s on the way, the lowest spot on the earth. As we went, the scenery changed from green to brown, Bedouins and their animals along the way (did you know that real Bedouins don’t wear white robes, a la Lawrence of Arabia, but rather black? I didn’t. I knew the tents were black but the robes too.) We stopped at a gas station where several of us rode a camel. Yes, us – we had told the camel driver that Maura was my wife, so nothing would do but that I should join her on the camel. She had already been around once, but we went again – certainly the most intimate I have been with a woman for a long time.

After that entertaining break, on to the Jordan River, where we stopped near the place where John had been baptizing. Near was as close as we could get, because the actual site is on the Jordan side – the Jordan River is the border between Jordan and Israel. A man and a woman were being baptized when we were there – there are steps and a system of pools where full immersion can take place. You can rent a white gown, and there are changing rooms and showers. And the ever-present gift shop. Several people loaded up bottles to take water back with them.

From there more driving, up to Cana, a stop for lunch (one of our group declared the best schwarma he had ever  eaten) and on to Nazareth. Fascinating church - the Church of the Annunciation – as is often the case, a modern church built over a crusader church built over something else. The chapel where we celebrated Mass is at one level – the center area is open all the way up to the high ceiling. There is a second floor, with a very large church and depictions of Mary from many different countries. That church opens onto a courtyard, and through that courtyard it is a short walk to St. Joseph’s Church, the site of the workshop where Joseph and Jesus worked. While we were in At Mass, it had darkened and started raining but more a heavy mist than even a light rain.

Nigerian groups from Rivers and Delta State were keeping pace with us, and an Italian group that stops and sings at every site. From there we went on to the wedding church in Cana, the site where Jesus turned water into wine. A small chapel, at which you can renew your marriage vows, and an underground section with an example of the kind of stone water jar that was involved. (Stone, because a potter jar would be contaminated if impure water or an impure person touched it. Natural material like stone can’t become impure.)

Through the rain and the darkening sky, on to the hotel. A hotel at a kibbutz – and delightful. I have a room in a separate building from the rest of the group – because I am the group leader? Or maybe they don’t like me. My room is newly reconditioned, has a balcony and overlooks the Sea of Galilee. Gorgeous. Internet (at a charge - $8 an hour) and tv and all the necessary amenities. Giants football was on tv and  

Dr inks before dinner – great fun with the whole group coming together and then a terrific dinner – we stayed so long they asked us to leave. A group of priests from Togo came in – Emily and I went down to the lounge, she had some things she wanted to talk about, and we closed that place too. When I walked back to my building the sidewalk was filled with frogs (and the Ray Milland movie had been on in Jerusalem just a couple of days before) I turned on the tv And the Packers game was on. All the amenities. Read for a little and bed.

Tuesday, December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Best sleep I’ve had so far on this trip. Not great but not bad. Watched the sun come up over the lake – great flocks of birds flying inland from the water. Pot in the room means I can have a cup of coffee moments after awakening. Showered and dressed and went for a walk down to the shore – they have a pool and a beach and a long boardwalk. Birds singing, sun gently illuminating the lake – lovely way to start the day. Up for breakfast – Maura was there and we chatted for a while and others started to come in and suddenly it was 8:15. Bob had to work so we were 11 for the day and off we went.

First stop, not far from the kibbutz, was the church of the loaves and the fishes. Interesting old mosaics on the floor, and a mixture of local and Egyptian motifs. The next stop was about a 3-minute drive away, the church of Peter where he was named as rock of the church. Lovely gardens, and a lovely statue overlooking the sea, but the real attraction was being able to go down to the shore and wade in or at least be right next to the Sea of Galilee. We wandered down there for a bit, and back up the tree-lined walkway and off to the next stop, which was also about a 3-minute drive away. That was Capernaum, with the synagogue where Jesus preached and the house of Peter (where Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law) with a first century and a 4^th century and a more modern church each built over the site of the house. Lovely location – small chapel like areas on the shore under trees, so there could be a number of different prayer services or Masses. And a tree filled with bees that sang. And cats – everywhere you looked, and hungry (or friendly – I can’t tell the difference.) This is one of those sites that is sure – this is the location of the synagogue, and the tradition for Peter’s house goes way back in time.

Time was running out so we hustled on to the mount of the Beattitudes, where I gathered the Mass kit from the nun, dressed and went up the hill to say Mass. Two old men joined us – one put a $100 bill in the plate and afterwards said he was very grateful for the homily. He was on day 30 of a 35 day  pilgrimage and said my homily had answered several questions he had been wrestling with. (II wonder what I said.) Nice Mass and a gorgeous location. Mimi and Dick starting a hymn at the end of the service, which was also a lovely way to end the service. On to lunch, at a restaurant right at the edge of the lake. Because of the less than terrific tour of Masada, the company was treating us to a lunch of St. Peter’s fish, and the whole lunch was lovely, including a cold local beer. From there we boarded an old wooden boat and had an enchanting cruise on the Sea of Galilee. No lecturing, just beautiful scenery and good people enjoying themselves.

When we got back to shore we headed up to the Golan Heights. The sky was darkening, and the scenery was given an extra dimension with the oncoming weather. Moshe did a truly masterful job of leading us through the assorted wars and conflicts of the late 20^th century, and at one point we stopped to visit a bunker in the area where Shimon had been a soldier in the 1973 war, parachuting in to help man a bunker and stop the Syrian advance. After going through the Golan heights, we adjourned to a winery, where we had a tasting and several people bought wine. A quick stop at a supermarket – a couple of people wanted to see what an Israeli supermarket was like – and back to the hotel.

I called a friend of mine in Tel Aviv, unloaded my camera, did a little writing, and it was time to go over for drinks and dinner. A large group of orientals was checking in and the lobby was filled. Dinner was nice – a little writing – And bed for my last night in Israel. I want to get up early tomorrow to do the packing thing and enjoy the sunrise again.

Wednesday, December 9 - Last full day in Israel. Up early to catch the sunrise and found a deep fog and mist over the lake. Old adage – Want to make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans. Over early for breakfast and visited with Bob, who had been up even earlier to get some work done. Others drifted in but we had our bags down at the bus and we were on our way close to schedule. We made a quick stop at a museum on the kibbutz – during a drought, a couple of fishermen, brothers, were walking by the lake and found a boat submerged in the mud. Fortunately they were amateur archaeologists and quickly realized that this was an old boat – really old – and called in experts. They determined it was around 2,000 years old and with a lot of work they figured out a way to preserve it and move it and save it and it is now on exhibit. This was exactly the kind of boat Jesus would have used to cross the lake. This precise boat? No way of knowing. But a dramatic look into life of that time.

Tiberias?

On to Mount Carmel – Mass in the chapel with the little Carmelite who spoke Italian with me and liked talking about Father Arrupe. Gave Maura a special blessing at the end of Mass, since she is going to be going on to Jordan on her own and not returning with the group. We went around the corner from the church and saw the gardens of Bahai, the 11^th century faith that settled in Israel. (Yes, another major religion has its center in Israel, although at Carmel, not in Jerusalem.) And a lunch stop and another stop at the Carmel overlooking the Armageddon Valley, where I bought some stone necklaces from an old Druze man.  Actually I bought one ($2) and he gave me one – I think he thought I would be able to influence the members of our group to buy more things from him. On to Caesarea, major port, with the largest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire, if one of the guide books is to be believed. A breath-takingly beautiful site, and of course, Father John had to sing in the amphitheatre. When I finished another group entered the arena, and asked me to sing again. Yes, they had heard me outside the arena. I sang two songs in Italian, one in Gaelic and one in Hebrew. To great applause. And no one passed a hat!

By this time it was getting dark and chilly and we need to start the 45 minute drive to the hotel. We checked in – people had a chance to change clothes, take a shower if they wanted, finish the final packing for the airport – I left my door open and people brought in items to be blessed. Nice dinner together – I made a little speech and gave Moshe an envelope from all of us and on the bus, after taking “the last” picture, another speech and a gift to Shimon. Maura stayed at the hotel – she has a friend in Tel Aviv and will be there for a couple of days before moving on to Jordan. She won’t get back until the 21^st and then goes right out to Hershey to spend Christmas with her parents.

At the airport – Peter was there, the older man who had met us on Day One. And of course, serious security. As head of the group I was asked a lot of questions, but they also pulled one of the group at random for more question – Jane, of course. We answered ok since they did let us go through. All checked bags had to be screened and several were pulled off the line for more thorough checking. Here I understood why Peter was there – he’s a fixer. He moved us to the head of the security queue, went with the people who had to have their bags checked, moved us to the head of lines for check in and explained (for the third time) the procedure for getting a VAT refund for those who needed one. I felt we had probably overtipped him when we came in – he remembered us and took good care of us and got a nice tip for getting us out. Let’s have a nice round of applause for the Fixer.

Looooong lines for the individual screening before immigration and passport control – and note to TSA – we did NOT have to take off our shoes. There was free wireless internet at the airport, so I caught up and read and they started boarding. First class and people needing help – and then everyone else. So much for boarding by rows, stampede time. There had been a big fuss about NOT taking any liquid on board – the whole inspection consisted of a young lady asking as we boarded if we had brought any liquids on board. Sigh.

Long flight. About 250 miles out, there was screaming and yelling, a man was in some kind of distress. Stroke or heart or some kind of nausea I never figured out. It was the first time I actually heard the announcement – Is there a doctor on board? There was a doctor on board and we did not turn around, and at Newark he walked out (with the assistance of the medics) so they got it worked out. Note to travelers on Continental- bring a sandwich. Food was worse than the trip over. Truly awful. With my usual sense of irony I watched Julie and Julie while having “dinner” – a movie about great cooks while eating this insult to the palate. Many people zonked out – several of the group got together and bought me a duty free present, a nice bottle of Chevas. Rough moments during the night, I spent most of the night working, writing script for the upcoming concert and notes from the pilgrimage. It was a very cold plane – guess they’re saving on heat?

The arrival at Newark was easy – saying goodbye was hard – Emily and Annie were going on to California and the rest of us went our ways. There was a man with a sign “Sheehan” and our car dropped off Bob and the sisters and then I got to the house around 6. Had something to eat and went to bed, sleeping for several hours on the new sheets I had put on the bed just before leaving. And so endeth the pilgrimage.