Day 3 - Caesarea Maritima and Stella Maris

We left Tel Aviv this morning and drove up the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the ancient city of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great shortly before the birth of Christ. The ancient city is now in ruins. Caesarea was the location of the first baptism of a gentile. St. Peter baptised Cornelius the centurion (Acts 10). It was raining with a strong wind throughout this tour, and once the tour was over and we were all sufficiently soaked, the sky cleared and it was sunny (go figure!).

The view from Stella Maris

Seminarians enjoying the view

The afternoon brought us a little further north to Haifa and Mt. Carmel. We are spending the next two nights at Stella Maris, a Carmelite monastery. We were able to see several caves in the side of the mountain, caves that the Prophet Elijah might have lived in when he spent his time on Mt. Carmel (one of these caves is venerated in the Carmelite church pictured below). It is awesome to know that we are praying in the same area that this great prophet prayed.

Stella Maris means Star of the Sea. A name the Church gives to Mary who guides us to Jesus. Please pray that she might continue to do so for us on this trip.

God bless!

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