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Today we travelled to Bethany beyond the Jordan - the place where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. We celebrated Mass in an outdoor Chapel beside the Jordan river (which is more like a muddy creek to us). The Mass altar was resting over a baptismal font that had beautiful carvings on the side. We renewed our baptismal promises and were blessed with the font water using a branch as a sprinkler. We took time to remember and pray in thanksgiving for those responsible for our baptism - parents, god parents, priests/deacon.
Mass altar over a baptismal font.
We renewed our baptismal promises and were blessed with the water from the font.
Some of us immersed ourselves in the Jordan waters.
We then walked to the archaeological site nearby believed to be the spot of Jesus' baptism. Here there is little river water flowing through and it mentions that the river today has slightly changed it's course over time. There have been three churches built in/over this area in history and there are coloured mosaic and marbles remains dating back 5-6th century AD.
We paused and prayed with the scripture from Matthew 3: 16-17. "And when Jesus had been baptised he at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And suddenly there was a voice from heaven. This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him."
Look up more about this site on www.baptismsite.com
The spot is in the water between the four pillars at the bottom. The river Jordan would have run down the left hand side of this picture in Jesus' time.
We then travelled through the border from Jordan to Israel successfully - though it is quite an intimidating experience.
We visited Beit Shean - the ancient ruins of a town mentioned in the Old Testament.
We were exhausted by the time we made it to our hotel in Tiberias. Good night from the Sea of Galilee.