2016 Itinerary Holy Land (feb)

TENTATIVE

ITINERARY

DAILY FAITH FORMATION WITH REV. DEACON DR SHERMAN KUEK OFSACCOMPANYING PRIEST: FR PHILIP ODHIAMBO OBASO MHM

ENCOUNTER JESUS CHRIST IN

The Holy Land29 FEB- 10 MAR 2016

1 29 FEB (MON)KLIA / AMMAN

Assemble at KLIA at 2300 hours before depar-ture to Amman via Abu Dhabi

2 1 MAR (TUE)AMMAN / ALLENBY BRIDGE / NAZARETH(L,D)

Flight departs from KUL at 0230 hours, arrivesin AUH at 0620 hours.

Flight departs from AUH at 0815 hours, arrivesin AMM at 0955 hours.

Lunch at local restaurant.

to see the an-cient mosaic map of the Holy Land.

where Moses viewed the Prom-ised Land. You can see the Jordan Valley, Jer-icho and the Judean hills beyond. Also see theremains of Byzantine church with their mosaicfloors.

Proceed to Allenby Bridge to cross over the Riv-er Jordan into Israel.

Continue the drive up to Tiberias for dinner andovernight stay.

(Note: If arrival in Amman is late on this dayand we have to cross the border immediatelyafter lunch, visit to Madaba and Mount Nebowill be made on the morning of Day 10.)

3 2 MAR (WED)REGION OF GALILEE (B, L, D)

Breakfast and formation in the hotel.

Jesus and his disciples had gone out in a boatto this remote place for some peace and quiet,but the crowds ran ahead "from all the towns"and met him when he landed. By then it wasdinnertime and they were not in a villagewhere food could easily be bought, so Jesusfed them all by miraculously multiplying his dis-ciples' five loaves and two fishes.

It is the site of Jesus' first miracle of turningwater into wine at a wedding. The lowerchurch has a chapel and a small museum withartifacts from the site, including a winepress, aplastered cistern and vessels of various dates.One old jar is said to be one of the six jars usedfor the miracle.

Lunch at local restaurant

It is known that at least until the 6th century,Nazareth was mainly a Jewish village. TheGospel mentions the synagogue in which Jesuspreached his message to his fellow villagerswho were not enthusiastic. Today the pilgrimsvisit the “synagogue” in a vaulted hall, perhapsfrom the Crusader period, near the Greek-Catholic church built in 1882.

Located opposite the Church of the Annuncia-tion, built over the cave which served asJoseph’s carpentry workshop. Another tradi-tion holds that is was the home of the HolyFamily. Beneath the crypt is the Holy Cave andbeside it, a water cistern.

Completed in 1969, this Catholic basilica standson the traditional site where the angel Gabrielannounced to Mary that she would bear theSaviour. It is built over Crusader and Byzantinefoundations.

Dinner and overnight stay in Tiberias

4 3 MAR(THU)REGION OF GALILEE (B, L, D)

Breakfast and formation in the hotel.

:

Located on a small hill overlooking the Sea ofGalilee near Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudesis the traditional site of Jesus' delivery of theSermon on the Mount, probably the most fa-mous sermon of all time.

Jesus met again with the disciples for the "lastbreakfast." Here he restored Peter to himselfafter the disciple's three denials by asking himthree times if Peter loved Jesus. Catholic tradi-tion associates this event with the naming ofPeter as the singular leader of the church. Therock at left is the traditional place where Jesusstood and called out to the disciples.

An ancient fishing village on the north shore ofthe Sea of Galilee in Israel. It is home to a cele-brated Byzantine-era synagogue as well as thehouse where Jesus healed a paralytic and StPeter's mother-in-law. The church of Caper-naum was founded on the traditional site of StPeter's home. Closer to the shore than the syn-agogue, the house was in a poor area wherethe dry stone basalt walls would have support-ed only a light roof and could have no windows


From the fishermen of the Sea of Galilee cameat least four of the Twelve Apostles - Peter,Andrew, James and John. Jesus stilled the rag-ing storm on the Sea of Galilee that was aboutto swamp their boat. Jesus, and Peter to a lim-ited extent, walked on the water there.

The most established site commemoratingwhere Jesus was baptised by St John the Bap-tist.

Dinner and overnight in Tiberias

5 4 MAR (FRI)REGION OF GALILEE (B, L, D)

Breakfast and formation at the hotel. Checkout this morning.

Located at the peak of Mt Tabor. It is the placeof the Transfiguration of Christ since the 4thcentury AD.

Mt Carmel was most significant in ancienttimes as a barrier to traffic along the coastalplain. The 1500-foot high limestone mountainimpeded armies and merchants traveling tothe Jezreel Valley.

Perched at the western edge of Mount Carmel,high above the Mediterranean and the coastalcity of Haifa, is Stella Maris Monastery andchurch. The name of the 19th-century monas-tery — Latin for “Star of the Sea” — refers notto the magnificent view, but rather to an earlytitle accorded Mary, the mother of Jesus.


A Carmelite monastery dedicated to the proph-et Elijah, where there is the statue of Elijahwith a sword in hand, killing one of theprophets of Baal.

Check in, dinner and overnight in Bethlehem

6 5 MAR (SAT)REGION OF JUDEA (B, L, D)

Breakfast and formation at the hotel.

Caves where shepherds “kept watch over theirflock” still abound in the area east of Bethle-hem. Here, the Gospel of Luke tells us, an angelannounced the birth of Jesus.

Entering the church that marks the site ofChrist’s birthplace means having to stoop low.The only doorway in the fortress-like front wallis just 1.2 metres high.

This church is considered sacred because tradi-tion has it that the Holy Family took refugehere during the Slaughter of the Innocents, be-fore their flight into Egypt. Tradition has it thatwhile Mary was nursing Jesus here, a drop ofmilk fell to the ground, turning it white.


Where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satanand drive through Jericho the oldest city in theworld.

The Dead Sea, which shimmers like a blue mir-ror under all-day sunshine, is one of the mostunusual bodies of water in the world. It is set inthe lowest dry land on earth, so it has no out-let. It is so loaded with minerals that no fishcan live in it. It is so dense that bathers can lieback on its surface and read a newspaper.

Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem

7 6 MAR (SUN)REGION OF JUDEA (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the hotel (no formation today)

We retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walkalong the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow),through the markets of the Old City praying theStations of the Cross, we reflect on the great-ness of His sacrifice. 14 Stations of the Cross asthey identify with the suffering of Jesus on hisway to crucifixion. Their route is called the ViaDolorosa (Way of Sorrows). This is also thename of the principal street they follow, a nar-row market place a bustle with traders andshoppers.

This church in the Old City of Jerusalem coverswhat Christians believe is the site of the mostimportant event in human history: the placewhere Jesus Christ rose from the dead.


The location is identified in Christian traditionas the place where the Virgin Mary died — or“fell asleep”, as the name suggests. If the up-per floor of the Church of the Dormition is lu-minous, the circular crypt seems totallyshrouded when first entered. In the center, un-der a rotunda, is a simple bier on which rests a

life-size statue of Mary, fallen asleep in death.The statue is made of cherry wood and ivory.

Jesus and his disciples, and the coming of theHoly Spirit on the disciples, both believed tohave been on the site of the Cenacle.

On the roof of this church rises a golden roost-er atop a black cross — recalling Christ’s proph-esy that Peter would deny him three times“before the cock crows”. Gallicantu meanscockcrow in Latin. The lower levels of theChurch of St Peter in Gallicantu contain whatare believed to have been a guardroom and aprisoner’s cell, both hewn out of bedrock.


8 7 MAR (MON)REGION OF JUDEA (B, L, D)


Early Christian pilgrims located the Garden ofGethsemane at the bottom of the slope of theMount of Olives opposite the Temple Mount.Byzantine, Crusader and a modern church werebuilt successively on the site where it is

believed that Jesus prayed to the Father hoursbefore his crucifixion.

It contains what is traditionally the last foot-print of Jesus on earth before he ascended intoheaven.

Where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord'sPrayer.

The little teardrop Church of Dominus Flevit,halfway down the western slope of the Mountof Olives, recalls the Gospel incident whereJesus wept over the future fate of Jerusalem.


Ein Karem:

Built over the birthplace of St John and hasbeautiful paintings and decorated ceramic tiles.Steps lead down to a natural cave, the Grottoof the Birth of St John.

The Virgin Mary’s visit to Elizabeth — depictedin mosaic on the façade — is commemoratedin a two-tiered church, on a slope of the hill

south of Ein Karem.


9 8 MAR (TUE)REGION OF JUDEA (B, L, D)


Here he knew the intimacy and friendship ofhis friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Andhere, in the cemetery just below the village, heraised Lazarus from the dead.

The home of the Virgin Mary and her parentsSaints Joachim and Anne. In the courtyard ofthe church of St Anne is the Pool of Bethesda.Uncovered in 1871, the pool appears as a deeppit broken by a series of stone foundations andarchways. It was here that Jesus miraculouslycured the infirm man on the Sabbath.


This site commemorates Christ’s revealing ofHimself to his disciples in the Eucharist afterthe resurrection. The Crusader Church of the

Resurrection was built in 1142. A French Bene-dictine community of monks and nuns resideshere.

Back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre forpersonal meditation

The wall and the plaza in front of it form a per-manent place of worship, a site of pilgrimagefor Jews and a focus of prayer - often petitionswritten down and placed between the hugestones. The Jewish name for the wall is the Ko-tel.


10 9 MAR (WED)ALLENBY BRIDGE (B, L)


Venue for Mass will be arranged.

Proceed to Allenby Bridge, cross over to Jordan.

Farewell Lunch in Amman.

Transfer to Amman airport for flight departureat 1545 hours.

PRICE: MYR 11,500per person (twin accommodation)For single accommodation, please contact usto enquire.

Price is inclusive of return air tickets ex-Kuala Lumpur Interna-tional Airport (inclusive of fuel charges & airport taxes),accommodation, all meals, coach transportation, travel insur-ance, tipping. Subject to change resulting from fuel chargesand airport tax increases and foreign exchange fluctuations.

Our trips are usually sold out way ahead of time and registra-tion will be closed when all seats have been filled up. Firstcome, first served.

As seats are limited, your seats are reserved only uponpayment of deposits to accompany the submission of yourregistration forms. Non-refundable deposit payments areMYR 3,000 per person.

Kindly contact us for more information or to request forregistration forms:

**

11 10 MAR (THU)AMMAN / KL

Flight departs Abu Dhabi for KUL at 0200hours, arrives Kuala Lumpur at 1330 hours.

SOME SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE SPLENDOUR PROJECT’S FORMATION-BASED PILGRIMAGES:

FAITH FORMATION SESSIONS DAILY BY DEACON DR SHERMANKUEK TO FORM YOUR MINDS AND HEARTS

A SPECIALLY INVITED PRIEST WHO IS WELL-REPUTED TO DIS-PENSE THE SACRAMENTS DAILY ON EACH TRIP

A COMPLIMENTARY HOUR-LONG VIDEO FOOTAGE OF EVERYTRIP PROFESSIONALLY PRODUCED FOR PILGRIMS

A CERTIFICATE FOR EVERY PILGRIM STIPULATING THEAMOUNT OF FAITH FORMATION YOU HAVE RECEIVED

THOROUGH RESEARCH IS DONE IN THE ORGANISING OF ALLTHESE TRIPS

THE ONLY FORMATION-BASED PILGRIMAGES OF SUCH KINDIN THIS REGION!

_________________________________________________________________

EMAIL

[email protected]

CALL(+6) 016.4432.783 (Matthew)

This formation-based pilgrimageis organised and managed by

(an event planning and mediaproduction apostolate)

and operated by Topaz Travel &Tours Sdn Bhd (KKKP2651 / 237364-T)

according to the exactspecifications and requirements of

WWW.SPLENDOURPROJECT.COM

In order to avoid confusion, we advise for pil-grims to refrain from attempting to liaise withour appointed travel agent (Topaz Travel &Tours Sdn Bhd). This trip is organised andmanaged by Veritatis Splendor for the Splen-dour Project, and pilgrims are advised tocommunicate directly with our Communica-tions Manager (Matthew).

Documents

2016 Itinerary Holy Land (feb)