And the Word Became Flesh Here!

With a good night sleep and a big breakfast, we were off to Cana, Nazareth, Megiddo, and last of all, a baptismal sight on the Jordan river - at the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. 
Sad to say, we didn't get the chance to stop at Cana, we just drove through and saw the steeples of the Catholic and Orthodox churches in the small town. But then on we drove to Nazareth. 
The first site in Nazareth was the well of Nazareth where Jesus and Mary were sure to have come since it was the only source of water in the town. 

Mary's Well

 Then we were off to the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Chapel of St. Joseph. The shrine of St. Joseph is over his workshop and the Basilica is over the house of Mary where the Annunciation took place - and therefore the place of the incarnation. We also had Mass at the Chapel of St. Joseph with special prayers offered up for the Sioux Falls Diocese whose patron is St. Joseph and for our school, St. Joseph's.

The altar of St. Joseph's Chapel. 

The Crypt under the chapel. 

Some random Italian asking for a blessing after Mass

The Basilica of the Annunciation 

St. Joseph, patron of a Holy Death, pray for us. 

The dome of the basilica is meant to look like a lily. 

Down below, in that small opening is what was originally Mary's house with numerous Church foundations surrounding the base - all from different periods 

Verbo Caro Hic Factum Est - the word was made flesh here. 

After our time in Nazareth, it was off the Megiddo, site of nearly 25 continuous civilizations as well as where the final battle is to take place - Revelation 16:16.

Having some fun on the chariot. 

A Canaanite altar for offering animal sacrifice.

A water system meant to give Megiddo's residence water even in the midst of war. 

Down, down, down. 

On the way down to the spring. 

And then we were off to the sea of Galilee. Here are beautiful pictures of a picturesque lake. 

Donnie Joe

Dennis and Joyce

 One of our group (a non-Catholic woman) asked to be baptized again at the Jordan river after she renewed her baptismal vows. She said the water was quite cold.

  And last, before going to our motel for the night, we visited a museum with remains of a 2 millenia old fishing boat, one Jesus might of used. There were some good replicas as well of what it looked like.