We arrived on the evening of 31st October and settled into our hotel in Tiberius. After our long day journeying and a good night's rest, we were rewarded with a glorious sunrise over the Sea of Galilee.
Standing on the shores of the sea, we reflected on the encounter the Galilean fisherman might have first had with the Lord, when he invited them to follow him.
Mass was celebrated on the Mount of Beatitudes. As Bishop John said in his homily, 'what better place on earth to celebrate Mass' today. He explained: 'We gather on the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus taught his disciples the Way in which they must live as his followers and that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life which will lead them to true and eternal life, life in its fullness. He taught them, as he teaches us, the way to become saints for that is our calling.'
He added: 'The feast of All Saints speaks of the victory of Christ over death by his resurrection. We rejoice in the hope given to us through our baptism that we die to sin and rise to glory.'
Having heard about yesterday's terrible news from New York City, we were comforted to hear these words, as we prayed for the victims of the Manhattan attack and all the people of New York.
You can join us in our reflection on Bishop John's words by reading the full homily.
Later on as we sailed on the Sea of Galilee, we could reflect on the words of Psalm 107:
'He stilled the storm to a whisper:
all the waves of the sea were hushed.
They rejoiced because of the calm
and he led them to the haven they desired.'
Like the disciples in the boat after Jesus stilled the storm, we too can 'give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures forever'.
