Day 3

 Bob’s Sabbatical

Day 3, September 2, 2009

 

            If
yesterday was a transition day, today was back to a more normal mode for me. I
got up early(5:10 am) in order to walk to Dalmanutha Kirke for
“Eucharistiefeier mit Laudes,” [Morning Prayer and Holy Communion] at 6:00
am.  It was just beginning to get light
as I walked.  In the Church some 18 of us gathered around
the Altar (see picture from yesterday). 
There were 5 Priests (including two Asian visitors) who con-celebrated.  There was one monk, 4 nuns and 8
visitors.  The service was in German,
except for the Lord’s Prayer, where we were invited to pray in our own language.  I was able to keep up, with the help of my
neighbor, and even once I was able to show him where we were in the book!   During the service I remembered that there
are only 4 loaves of bread in the basket in the mosaic. It is said that is a
reminder to the faithful that we are called to be "bread for the World.

            After
breakfast I put on my walking shoes and set out for the Church of the
Beatitudes.  The person at the desk told
me that I would find a path just the other sided of the Monastery that would
lead me to the Church.  He claimed it
would take about 55 minutes to walk.  I
knew from my last trip to the Holy Land that it was pretty high up.  I am not sure I took the right path, I just
kept climbing, staying close to where I knew the Sea of Galilee was, even if I
could not see it.  45 minutes later, I
arrived at the top, but on the back side of the grounds.  Like all tourist places, it is well
protected, and I had to go all the way around to go through the gate.  It was supposed to cost $8 to go in, but the
guy asked if I was alone, and waved me in (I must have looked pretty pitiful by
then!  I’m not sure how far I walked, but
I checked, and the Sea of Galilee is 690 feet below sea level, and the Mount of
the Beatitudes is 7953 feet above sea level, which means I climbed over a mile
and a half).

            Here
again is a Church that has an Altar built over a piece of open rock.  In this case, it is said to be where Jesus gave
the Sermon on the Mount.  It is a glorious setting, looking toward
Tiberius across a corner of the Sea of Galilee. 
I could just see the corner of my building at Pilgerhaus, far
below.  I found a locked
gate right at the place where I topped the hill.  Resourceful soul that I am, I also found a
small section of low fence that did not have flowers growing along it.  I climbed over the fence, and dropped to the
pavement below, just a few feet away from two tour-bus drivers sitting in the
shade.  As I headed out, they called out,
“are you going to walk down?”  I said, “I
walked up, I surely can walk down!”  They
laughed and gave me a thumbs-up.  I went
back down, this time on another path that was steeper, but also shorter, and
came out just up from where I started.

            As I
went to cross the street, I saw some tour buses parked up the road, so I went
to see what they were parked at.  It turns
out to be the Church of the Primacy of Peter. 
A group of about 50 people was having an outdoor Mass.  The Church, I realized, was only yards away
from the Benedictine Monastery where my day started.  Inside the Church, surprise of surprises, was
an Altar built on top of a large rock (if it works once, why not follow
suit?)!  This is where Jesus is said to
have told Peter that he was the rock on which the Church would be founded.  On the back side
of the Church there is a small beach, posted with “No Swimming” signs, where
tourists were taking off their shoes to at least put their feet into the Sea of
Galilee.  There will be, God willing, a
picture of a millstone that is in the front patio of the Benedictine
Abby.  I would not want to be cast into the sea with one that size around
my neck! [See Mt. 18:6 or Mk. 9:42]

            It
really is amazing to be walking the same places Jesus walked, being where he
taught, where he prayed, where he calmed the sea and fed those who came for any
reason to catch a glimpse of him.  This
is near his home, near where he grew up. 
Who knows how many times this morning I may well have walked exactly
where he walked?  I came here just to
have some time to switch gears from being a rector to being on sabbatical.  In just a couple short days, I have found I
have already begun a pilgrimage, one that will continue at the end of the week
when I go to Turkey to follow the footsteps of St. Paul.

            Finally
back at Pilgerhaus, sweaty, tired but thankful for a full morning, I head down
to  the Sea of Galilee for a refreshing
swim before lunch.

                Just finished lunch
(alone in dining room again).  I am posting this now, since I plan to read
and relax the rest of today.  If that changes, I'll include it in
tomorrow's post.

Peace,

Bob