Day 5 (continued…): Cana - Night in Nazareth

After a wonderful beginning to the day venerating the location where the Angel Gabriel came to Our Lady, we continued onto Cana, the location of Jesus' first miracle.

12:30 PM:  Boarded the coach.
1 PM:  Lunch
2 PM:  Arrived to the Church at Cana.

PILGRIM SEASON:  Currently it is the "low of the lowest season" for pilgrims in the Holy Land.  That has been nice for enabling our groups ability to spend time at locations and to spend time in prayer.  At the Church in Cana the group prayed a Rosary together at the site of the home where the wedding feast is attributed to have taken place.

When asked our guide said that a number of groups have cancelled their intended pilgrimages because of the security situation.  We have found the country here to be tremendously secure.

As we have been absolutely blessed thus far, we found once again our tour guide giving an incredibly rich interpretation of the significance of the site before our eyes.

LOOK-UP:  John 2:1-11 to read "The Marriage at Cana"

MEANING:  Much more than simply providing the Wedding party an abundance of quality wine, Jesus was "answering" the Jewish Theology in his 1st miracle.  He was revealing to the Jewish world his true identity; namely, the "Father of all ages, the Lord of all the ages."  How so?  What was the "Jewish Theology?"

In Genesis, the Creation took place in "6 days…"  The Jewish Theology understood that there would be six ages in history.  And further, each age would have a "Father of the age."  The fathers of the 6 ages were understood to be the following: (1) Adam; (2) Noah; (3) Abraham; (4) David; and (5) Zerabe'el (the one who rebuilt the Temple after the Babylonian exile)….the (6) was yet to come.

How did the 1st miracle of Jesus answer this "Jewish Theology?"  In english, we read, "my hour has not yet come."  In the Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke, the word hour is actually age.  In this miracle, Jesus is claiming that he is the "Father of not only the sixth age, but of all the ages" - He is the "Lord, who actually controlled all the ages!"

Stone Jar - From 4th Century Church built on the site of the house of the Marriage feast.

House of the Marriage at Cana where Jesus performed his 1st miracle.
A 4th C. Church was built on top of this original home.  

   
Homes were built on top of caves.  The rooms were quite small compared to our experience!  In the summer, due to the heat, the residents would simply sleep on top of the roof.

HISTORY:  Today the population of the city Nazareth is some 85,000.  At the time of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, it was nobody more than 75 to 80 individuals!

The village of Cana - about 6 miles away - would have been no more than 50 to 60 individuals!  That means there were just about 20 dwellings in Cana.


4 PM:  Returned to hotel.  Many men went to pray again at the Basilica of the Annunciation.
6:45 PM:  Evening Prayer
7 PM:  Dinner at hotel.  Fr. Kelly and Fr. Evan Coup (Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis) joined us as they are in the Holy Land as Spiritual Directors for 4th year seminarians from Kendrick in St. Louis.
8 to 9 PM:  A couple men went to pray at the Basilica of the Annunciation.

Day 6 was up to Mount Tabor - LOOK-UP Matthew 17…

…about 5:45 AM to 7:15 AM today, Monday January 5, men took the 15 minute walk to pray once again at the Basilica of the Annunciation!