Month: June 2018
In the Spring of 2019, 206 Tours will be joined by a very special guest – Actor and famous Catholic, Jim Caviezel, in the Holy Land.
His resume consists of such box office hits as Pay It Forward (2000) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) – but Jim Caviezel’s most famous role came in the form of Jesus Christ in the 2004 major motion picture, The Passion of the Christ. The film, directed by Mel Gibson, attracted three (3) Academy Award nominations, along with a huge public response and international awards and nominations. The film details the final days of Jesus Christ’s life, and is still the highest grossing R-rated film of all time – in North America.
Since staring in The Passion Of the Christ, you may have seen Jim in CBS’s widely-acclaimed prime-time drama, Person of Interest (2011 – 2016), or in the film When the Game Stands Tall (2014) and Paul, the Apostle of Christ (2018).
It was announced earlier this year that Jim will reprise his role as Jesus Christ in a new project with Mel Gibson, a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, rumored to be titled, The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. Jim describes playing the role of Jesus Christ to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and is excited to reprise the role. Though much of the plot is still under wraps, in recent interviews Mel Gibson has confirmed that the sequel will pick up right where the first film left off and will be based around the days following the Passion, the Resurrection, and the lives of those close to Jesus.
In a 2016 appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, when asked how this depiction of the Resurrection will be different than what we have come to worship every Good Friday, Gibson revealed, “it’s an amazing event, and to underpin that with the things around it is really the story to sort of enlighten what that means.” More than 14 years after the first film, Jim, now 49, is just as enthusiastic for the sequel. Earlier this year he made headlines when he said, “the film he’s (Gibson’s) going to do is going to be the biggest film in history. It’s that good.”
In preparation for the project, Jim has decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, visiting many Holy Sites. Many of the sites will align with the narrative of the film, including the true Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross), Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, as well as the site of His Crucifixion and His tomb.
Raised in a deeply Catholic family in Washington, Jim has been married for over 20 years, and has three adopted Chinese children, all of whom have suffered a serious illness. Jim’s wife will be joining him on the pilgrimage. In a speech Caviezel delivered to thousands of college students at the SEEK Conference in 2018, he describes receiving a phone call from Mel Gibson about the role out of the blue. Speaking of finding your purpose or calling, he says that Gibson hand selected him, detailing;
“I didn’t know Mel Gibson, I wasn’t politicking for the rule because I didn’t know it was happening. Mel Gibson wants me to play Jesus Christ. He wants the guy with the initials of ‘JC’ who just happens to be 33 years of age, to play Jesus Christ. Is that a coincidence? I don’t think so.”
Jim’s experience filming The Passion Of the Christ was quite extraordinary – he suffered accidental whipping, was struck by lightning, dislocated his shoulder, and suffered hypothermia which led to open heart surgery. Of the physical pain he experienced, he says, “When I was up there on the cross I learned that in His suffering was our redemption.” He also said, “(filming) was like a penance…the suffering made my performance, just as it makes our lives… so embrace your cross and race toward your goal.”
We are honored to be a part of Jim’s journey, and his pilgrimage to the Holy Land to gain a deeper connection to Jesus ahead of this exciting new film. For more information on joining Jim in the Holy Land, visit: http://www.206tours.com/jimcaviezel.
Space is Limited – Book Now before it is Sold Out!
For most Catholics, a Pilgrimage to The Holy Land is a Bucket-List trip, and life goal. A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to Holy and Sacred places in our world – God calls on us to take pilgrimages to walk towards Him, deepen our faith, and to know Him more fully. A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land has so much to offer, as you can visit the sites where your favorite Bible verses took place, and literally walk where Jesus walked and feel profoundly connected to Him.
The Holy Land Checklist
Finding Jesus
Here is a checklist of Catholic sites where you can find Jesus in The Holy Land
1. Cana – [John 2:1-11]
This town is the site where Jesus performed His first public miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding, at the request of The Blessed Mother Mary.
Many married couples travel in pilgrimage to Cana and renew their vows at the Franciscan Church.
2. Nazareth – [Matthew 13:54-58]
In Nazareth, you can visit the site of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s home, and tour the town where Jesus lived as a child. Here, you can see the Church of the Annunciation, the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph, and Mary’s Well. Though Jesus lived much of his life in Nazareth, he was famously rejected here by the community upon returning to his hometown.
3. The Sea of Galilee – [Luke 5:1]
This astonishing natural beauty is the site where Jesus spoke the word of God to many listeners and encouraged Peter and several fishermen to cast their nets once more after a night of unproductive fishing, to reveal a miraculously fruitful bounty.
4. Tabgha – [Luke 9:10-17]
Tabgha is the town where Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 people from just five loaves of bread, and two fish. Here you can also visit “Peter’s Primacy”, the Church that commemorates Jesus’ reinstating of Peter as an Apostle.
5. Capernaum – [Matthew 4]
Here you can see the Synagogue where Jesus taught and launched His Ministry as well as the Church that was built over the original site of Peter’s home.
6. Mount of Beatitudes – [Luke 6:20-49]
Visit the site where Jesus delivered his powerful Sermon on the Mount.
7. Mount Tabor – [Matthew 17:1-50]
Mount Tabor is where the miracle of Jesus’ Transfiguration took place. You can celebrate Mass at the Franciscan Church of the Transfiguration that sits atop the Mount.
8. Bethlehem – [Matthew 2:1-18]
Bethlehem is home to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square. It is in the Grotto of the Nativity that you can see the place of Jesus’ birth – marked by a star in the floor. There is also a relic of the original manger there. As “Votive” Masses are said in the Holy Land, St. Catherine’s is where you celebrate Christmas Mass – today and every day!
9. The River Jordan – [Matthew 3:13-17]
At the River Jordan you can experience the place where Jesus was Baptized by John.
10. Gethsemane- [Luke 22:29-53]
Gethsemane sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It was in this garden that Jesus spent his final night. Pilgrims come to this beautiful garden, which houses trees with roots that go back to the time of Jesus, to reflect and mourn. Nearby is the Church of All Nations, which houses the Rock of Agony – the very rock which Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prayed alone on the night of his arrest.
11. Mount Zion [Luke 22:33-34] & [Matthew 26:17-30]
At the Church of Peter in Gallicantu, on Mount Zion, Peter denied Christ three times. It was also here that you will find the Upper Room, where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the famous Last Supper.
12. Via Dolorosa & the Church of the Holy Sepulcher [Luke 23: 26-33]
Walk the Via Dolorosa, or The Way of the Cross, in the city where Jesus was condemned to death and crucified. The Stations of the Cross goes through the markets in the Old City and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the site of Cavalry and the Tomb of Christ is located.
Traveling through these sites, reflecting in prayer and spirituality, will no doubt strengthen your relationships with Christ. Your footsteps will become His as you celebrate Votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then and feel how He is still there today!
Join 206 Tours and make your Pilgrimage to the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed.
To visit these sites, see Tour 111 | The Holy Land: Walk Where Jesus Walked
