The Holy Land: Nazareth, Israel

In honor of Mother's Day, I felt like today would be a great day to (finally) blog about Nazareth! In case you haven't had your coffee today or perhaps the connection is unfamiliar to you, Nazareth is where Jesus's mom, Mary, grew up and first learned that she was going to be a mother... to the Son of God. No pressure, Mary.

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" Luke 1:30-33

If you read my post about Casaerea, you'll remember that I'm geographically challenged. A fact I am reminded of whenever I drive somewhere new! So, for a frame of reference, below is a map to see exactly where Nazareth is located.

Like most famous Biblical sites, there is a church located on top of the traditional site of where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and gave her the life-changing news. Fun Fact: The Basilica of Annunciation is the largest Christian sanctuary in the Middle East. But really, it's pretty huge. In fact, it's built on top of a Byzantine era church so that you can see and appreciate its ruins.

 

The courtyard displayed dozens of beautiful mosaics honoring the virgin Mary donated by various countries.

My personal favorite, Slovakia.

The entrance to the Basilica of Annunciation.

 Lower Church

In the Lower Church, you can see the ruins of the Byzantine church as well as the grotto Gabriel appeared to Mary (not to mention tour groups with awesome matching hats).

 This is the grotto of where Mary encountered the angel Gabriel. I am always so impressed by her courage  when I read her response in Luke 1:38- "Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true."

Upper Church

 Although we are not Catholic, it was still pretty neat to watch and listen (in English!!) to part of a mass.

 St. Joseph's Church

 A few hundred feet away from the Basilica, is St. Joseph's Church honoring Jesus's earthly father. Thankfully we were with a pro, aka Rebecca, who knew all the sights to see.

 Below the church... What is thought to be the home of Joseph, Mary & Jesus.

 

Although it was brief, our time in Nazareth was incredible! I have a new appreciation for Mary and Joseph and their immense courage and faith. Oh and sidenote, let's just talk about how that ride on a donkey (while 9 months pregnant!!) to Bethlehem was not a flat, easy, safe route by any means! A mother's love is an incredible thing, indeed. Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there; especially mine!

 Tschüss!