Eastertide

My dear Friends
Once again a happy and blessed Easter! We are now into Eastertide, those 40 days when Christ appeared in Galilee to the disciples before He ascended into heaven to be with the Father. To be followed by Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

A friend of mine has just returned from Israel/Palestine. It was her first time there. The group stayed in Bethlehem, which as you know is a very troubled area, with the wall and checkpoints everywhere. But she experienced the peace which passeth all understanding in Galilee and she said it was quite incredible.

I went back after 21 years in 1989 and felt the same. I stayed in Tiberias and visited the Synagogue there and was very close to the lake. At 5 o'clock in the morning I went swimming which was an amazing feeling; the water just shimmers. You can just imagine the feet of Jesus circumventing this lake, shaped like a harp and therefore called in Hebrew kinneret.Across the lake on the other side is a Kibbutz, which is very interesting to visit.

I have many stories to tell of this time and will save some for the next Blog, including the time I met a party of handicapped children swimming in an offshoot of the lake. It was near the Mountain of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount and taught the disciples the Our Father prayer.

Isn't it wonderful that there is this haven of peace amidst all the conflict?

Shalom for now
Sister Gila