Day 1
I think travelling overseas from Australia is a bit like how my mother once described childbirth to me. “Each time I gave birth to one of you I swore I would never go through that again! Then when it was all over, I seemed to forget all the crap I went through and have another go.” What was it that Einstein said to define insanity? Got it in one Albert!
So, once again I put myself through 35 hours with no sleep and wishing I had taken up mum’s offer of a donut cushion. Not to mention “Snorey McSnorey Face” in front, next to, and behind me, the kid who decided they would demonstrate what it would be like to experience being in the crowd of a Beatles concert at the very height of Beatlemania, and who, by the end, had managed to reduce me to looking like the Norwegian painter Edward Munch’s most famous painting! Then of course there’s the dance of the reclining seat of the person in front that doesn’t seem to comprehend that IT ISN’T A BED AND NEVER WILL BE!!!!!! Or the constant need from the dude 12 rows back to check his five carry-on bags located in the compartment above me haven’t moved in the five minutes since he last checked them.
When we arrived at our 2 hour stopover in Dubai I badly needed a coffee so I walked like a determined and somewhat seasoned rodeo star toward our gate and was set upon by a bunch of “spruikers” obsessed with having me in their establishment. I acquiesced on the condition that I can have a flat white with Almond milk. They said absolutely and gave me a long black with a spit of cow’s milk! When I enquired as to whether this was indeed a flat white with Almond milk, I received a very wide grin and a semi confident “yeeeeesssss” followed by a few too many sideways glances towards the Barista who was nodding vigorously and giving a double thumbs up. Luckily, I’m not lactose intolerant. I love travelling!
We arrived at Tel Aviv mid morning and I reckon it was 30 mins tops from doors opened to out of customs. Amazing. We were herded like cats, (we have few stragglers and people with no sense of direction in our group) to our bus and headed off to our first stop on this pilgrimage. The site of the Transfiguration.
Now I know some of you who may read this blog, may not subscribe to my faith. But this is a pilgrimage so I am going to explain where we went to, why we went there and a bit about its significance to me as a pilgrim. Hopefully, you stay interested.
So, there are 3 types of places or sites that we will be visiting:
1. Actual Sites: The evidence both documented and physical gives us better than 95% surety that it is the place where the event or story happened,
2. Traditional Sites: The evidence both documented and physical is not strong enough to either support nor refute the traditionally held view that it is the place where the event or story happened, and
3. Area: We don’t know exactly where something occurred but we know the general area is correct.
So first off, Mt. Tabor, which is a traditional site. Tradition says this is the site of Christ’s transfiguration. This is where his divine nature was revealed to his Disciples, John, James and Simon (whom we also know as Peter) when Jesus was joined on the mountain by Elijah and Moses (significant people from the Old Testament) who were important to this event as necessary witnesses, to him being the Christ. The other important presence in this moment is the voice of God, proclaiming Jesus as “his son” and to “listen to him.” For more info read Matthew and Luke’s accounts in the New Testament.
I particularly love this place because Peter behaves like I think I would’ve done. Confronted by something so overwhelming and like nothing he had ever witnessed, he doesn’t know what he should do or say, so instead of maybe just staying quiet and taking it all in as John and James seem to be doing, he does what Peter does and takes the lead, however uncomfortably or awkward, and blurts out something like, “Lord, it is wonderful that we are here to see this. How about I build 3 tents for you and your two friends to hang out in?” 😂
So we got to celebrate Mass in the Basilica on this spot. And, it was so special because it was intimate with our group and our Priest being the only ones present.
It was so moving to be apart of and so peaceful a place in which to reflect.
We then headed off to our hotel in Tiberias. Wow! Our room overlooks the Sea of Galilee, so Maria and I spent a fair bit of time on our little balcony taking in the view and tag teaming the use of the shower and long dreamed of cleanliness, which I might add (after catching a pre shower whiff of myself) really is next to Godliness. 🤣
Then, after a lovely dinner, we entered “night of the living dead” time as Maria and I morphed into Zombies and staggered around the foreshore in search of our brains. Maria found hers but I was still looking when we finally hit the hay about 9:00pm.
Chat tomorrow.
Good night.
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