Make your way to your local Airport, where you will board your overnight flight. Your meals are served on board.

Arrive in Tel Aviv Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, make your way to the baggage claim area to collect your luggage. From there, proceed through customs to the Arrivals Hall, where you be greeted by your tour guide and/-or driver. A luxury motor coach will transfer us to Negev. Dinner upon arrival and late Mass at the Bedouin camp ground.

After breakfast, we will head to the desert for an hour’s walk. Mass in the wilderness (open air). In the afternoon, the coach will drive us on the Arava side (Ez47:8-12). Drive along the Dead Sea to Nahal Arugot Ein Gedi (entrance included), a beautiful oasis in the region where King David hid while fleeing Saul (1Sm24:2). Time of teaching. Finish the day in the beauty of the desert, driving along the Dead Sea, and passing by Qumran (Jr32:14), the site where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Dinner and overnight at Ein Gedi Kibbutz, a few miles from Jericho.

After breakfast, we will travel beyond Jericho at the Jordan banks, we will continue to the Baptismal site (Jn1:29) on the Jordan River where Father will give a teaching and lead us, feet in the water, or immersed, to renew our baptismal vows. There will be a shift from ‘the Father to the Son’ in our Trinitarian journey. Mass. From the Jordan banks, drive to the old city of Jericho (Js6:1-20), “the city of Roses” (Si 24:14). We will celebrate the Eucharist at Jericho’s Parish. See a sycamore tree like the one of Zacchaeus the tax collector (Lk19:1- 10) Enjoy lunch in a beautiful restaurant nearby. After lunch, enjoy a time at the Dead Sea (entrance included), and continue along the Jordan Valley to Nazareth to our lodging.

Today, let’s let Mary guide us to Jesus. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation which is built over the remains of the House where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she was to become the Mother of God (Lk1:26). Teaching from Father. Celebrate Mass in the Basilica. Visit St Joseph Church. Lunch at the Dames of Nazareth. In the afternoon, visit a very special site: the Tomb of the Just (entrance included). Ponder on the Holy Family, the ordinary life of this special family. Its value. Ask for the intercession of St Joseph. Drive to our guesthouse by the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight.

In the morning, we will proceed to Mt. Tabor in the Jezreel Valley (Zc12:11), 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee (taxi included). According to Origen, St Jerome, and St Cyril of Jerusalem, this is the site of the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1). Also, the site – in the first covenant, in the mid-12th century BCE of the battle between Barak and Sisera, under the leadership of Deborah the Israelite Judge of that time (Jg4:5). Some may ascend Mount Tabor by foot in silence (1,886 feet). After praying and contemplating the Moso-Arab Church, a jewel of art, Father will celebrate the Eucharist in this magnificent place. Drive to Cana where Christ performed his first miracle (Jn2:1-11), at the request of His mother. Lunch. Visit the site. Take time to ponder on the miracle of Cana, pray and those who wish to can perform the renewal of their wedding vows. En route for the Lake of Galilee called also the Sea of Kinnereth (Nb34:11). Drive to Magdala. Visit this unique site (entrance included). An ancient Synagogue of the village of the port of Galilee at the time of Jesus. The place where Mary Magdalene and so many met Jesus personally. Dinner and overnight at Pilgerhaus. Adoration in the evening at Tabgha.

After breakfast, we walk to Tabgha the site of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish (Mt14). Visit the Church and its famous mosaics. Afterward, we will visit the Primacy of Peter. The bus will drive us to Ginosar. We will embark on a Boat ride (included) to Capernaum. Capernaum is now in ruins but was once a thriving town where Peter lived and hosted Jesus (Mt 4:13) (entrance included). In this Synagogue Jesus gave the discourse on the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35-70). Celebrate Mass. After lunch, Drive to the Mount of the Beatitudes. Visit the Church that commemorates where Christ taught the Eight Beatitudes to his Disciples (Mt 5). Walk down the Mount and celebrate Mass outdoors, closest to the place where the crowds were sitting, listening to Jesus. In the late afternoon make the ascent to Jerusalem while reading the Psalms of Ascent. Enter Jerusalem, the Holy City. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Bethlehem Drive to Bet Sahour and celebrate Mass at the Shepherds field, recalling the “great throng of the heavenly hosts” that appeared to the Shepherds announcing to them the birth of the Savior (Lk2:8). Lunch. After lunch, we continue to Bethlehem. Visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the birthplace of Jesus, born amongst the Jewish people. Visit the Cave where Christ was born. We will then visit the Chapel of St. Jerome, who lived here for many years translating the Bible into Latin. The nearby Church of St. Catherine is the venue for the midnight Mass which is broadcast all over the World from Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. In the evening make our way to the private Garden of Gethsemane for a special Holy Hour of Adoration.

Start the day early, walking through the Old City, towards the Holy Sepulcher. We will celebrate in this Holy place the Eucharist. Time of prayer at the Tomb of Jesus. Back to the Hotel for breakfast. After, we will drive to the Mount of Olives (Mt21). Visit the Dominus Flevit Church, where Christ wept over Jerusalem (Mt23:37). The Eucharist will be held there, in front of this incredible view on the ramparts. Onwards in the descent of Mount of Olives, by foot, reliving the Palm Sunday. Arrival at the Gethsemane Church, called the Church of the Nations. We will view the ancient Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt26:36) and visit the Church of All Nations which houses the Rock of the Agony of Christ on Holy Thursday. In this Church is a beautiful mosaic donated by the United States. The coach will drive above the Kidron Valley and bring us to lunch. After lunch, we will head towards the house of the High Priest Caiaphas (Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu) (entrance included). This Church commemorates where Jesus was examined and eventually imprisoned before the Council in Jerusalem. It also commemorates Peter’s Denial of Christ (John 18:15-18), Peters’ repentance, and Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter. We will take a time of prayer in the cistern that served as prison. Late afternoon, the bus will drive us to the Lion Gate, for the Way of the Cross. Relive the way of the Cross. We will start at the site of the Ecce Homo (entrance included) where some stones of the historical Via Dolorosa were found. – and ending at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb of Our Lord. Return to our accommodation for dinner. After dinner, teaching on the Holy Sepulcher.

The day starts with driving to Mount Zion. We will ask for a renewal of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room on Mt. Zion. The Upper Room is where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30), and where they were together on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon them. If the Lord permits, Fr. Jacques will pray over each one. Drive down the mountain of Jerusalem towards the North for the celebration of the Eucharist in the Holy site of Emmaus Nicopolis where the Risen Jesus met the disciples on the road to Emmaus and was recognized through the breaking of the bread (Lk 24) (entrance included). We will have lunch served at the Monastery of the Beatitude’s Community, the Community to which Sister and Fr. Jacques belong. After lunch, we will have a time of fraternal sharing in their Chapel and visit this moving site. We will end our pilgrimage with a thanksgiving Mass in the antic outdoor Basilica. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for return flights home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.