Shalom ~Dan Searby

Hello folks.

Back from a day traipsing through Galilee. Morning Mass at a German Benedictine Monastery where the rock where Jesus multiplied the fishes and loafs lay. Service in German but somehow translated and felt familiar.

Next stop was Mount of the Beatitudes, a lovely Church built on the hlllside where Jesus gave his "Blessed are the (poor, peacemakers, etc.)" remarks to 5,000 people. Church was built in the 30's by that great pilgrim Mussolini. We hiked down the mountain to the lake to the site where John's Gospel ends (try reading it). It is after the resurrection and the disciples are back fishing on Galilee, missing their friend. As they approach the shore, they see a man crouched down, cooking fish over charcoal. John recognizes Jesus and good old impulsive Peter tears off his clothing and dives in the water and swims ashore to Jesus. Here Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves him -- he asks Peter this three times which is the same number of times that Peter denied Jesus at his arrest. Jesus then charges Peter with tending his flock -- the rock where this happens is know as "Peter's Primacy" -- which is why the Popes are considered the successors to Peter and why we should all be good Catholics today.

After renewing our baptismal vows at the water's edge, we had a lunch of Galilean grilled fish, walked the ancient and archeologically significant town of Capernaum -- where Jesus stayed with Peter and Peter's Mother in Law (where Jesus provided the ultimate housewarming gift and healed her sickness) after leaving Nazareth. We wrapped up the day with a boat ride on the lake.

There is a road leaving Capernaum called "Stella Maris" -- "Way bv the Sea". It goes back to Isaiah's time (1000 BC) and today's road out of Capernaum lies on the same trail. It is a near certainly that Jesus walked this same narrow road that we walked today. Seeing these sights...wow.

Love,

Dan