From the Shepherd’s Field, to the Church of the Annunciation moving on to the Church of the Nativity, and on to our Syriac Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, what a beautiful experience.
The Eastern and Western Youth of the Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church had the chance to visit the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and the sites of His ministry, followed by the Holy Sepulchere and Golgotha.
We explored Jerusalem’s Old Town, took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee chanting Syriac Orthodox Church Hymns. Visited the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Temptation where Jesus prayed for forty days and forty nights. We had the experience of visiting and float in the waters of the Dead Sea, also the blessing of the baptismal site of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
The Holy Land brought the Bible to life and enabled us to walk in the Footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ. This pilgrimage to Jerusalem brought us closer to the experience of Jesus as He approached His death and His resurrection.
We thank Rev. Fr. Gabriel Hanna the parish priest of St. Ephraim Cathedral of the Western Archdiocese in Los Angeles for allowing us to have this experience and for all of his help, guidance and love he shared with us during this fruitful pilgrimage. We also thank R&G Travel for organizing this wonderful trip for us.
