We weren’t sure where we would spend the night.
We headed off to the shores of Galilee. By this point, Fr. Anthony had become aware that the public beaches were closed. Meanwhile, the students sang praise and worship songs, holding onto faith that all would work out. They repeated the chorus to Hillsong’s “Oceans” many times.
“And I will call upon Your Name / And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise / My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine…
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders / Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander / And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior…”
I felt my own faith being strengthened through their singing. Forty minutes later, Fr. Anthony returned from making calls, exclaiming that he had found a beach where we could camp! We rejoiced! We got off the bus. Nearby there was a pile of large rocks, which we one by one we all ended up climbing over and taking a group picture. It expressed the spirit of the group - sheer gratitude for being able to walk upon the land near Galilee. Only a week later, this photo found its ways across Catholic Newspapers and local news agencies around the United States.
We walked down a path. The terrain was light, sandy dirt and tall grass was scattered about. The trees were short with thick, hardy leaves. I looked up to the right at one point. The gentle clouds were partially covering the sun. A gentle breeze came, wrapping me in a kind of warmth and I felt Jesus say to my heart, “This is what I saw.” So many times the Lord has shared in MY awe-filled nature moments with me, but this time it was the other way around. Jesus was sharing HIS awe-filled experience of the beauty of creation with me.
We came up to the sight of the Sermon on the Mount and took some time to read and pray through the whole sermon – the Gospel of Matthew’s version (chapters 5-8). I heard God speaking in many ways through those Scriptures, encouraging us not to worry about the days to come, instead store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven, to know that He is a Father who gives good things to His children, and to build our foundation upon the rock, which neither the floods nor the winds can destroy.
We carried on. We passed the Eremos cave, which, it was believed, was Jesus’ favorite place to go pray alone with His Father. Down the hill, we crossed the road, picked up our camping gear and supplies from the bus and set up camp.
- Sr. Lisa Marie Shatynski, T.O.R.
