CT PHOTOS BY DENNIS O’CONNOR

The synagogue at Capernaum is located just a few steps from St. Peter’s house. The structure, built after the first century, was the site of the synagogue that was standing in St. Peter’s day.

Understanding the Lord’s ministry in Galilee

TIBERIUS, Israel — Sunrise along the shores of the Sea of Galilee are awe-inspiring. The brilliant rays of the sun slowly illuminate the lake below our hotel, the hills leading to Nazareth and other areas of the Galilee region and the so-called Jesus boats tethered to a dock at the lakeside. From the modern-day "Jesus boats," larger versions of the first-century fishing boat discovered along the shores of the lake, waited for groups of pilgrims to board and make a sacred voyage across the waters, recalling the important images of Christ and His apostles tied to fishing and the huge inland lake.

We embarked on a one-hour voyage on the lake, joining a group of Romanian evangelical Christians who now call the United States their home. Immediately upon embarking, we joined them in singing hymns, in prayer, holding hands, clapping each other on the back and sometimes, silently, enjoying the scenery pass. I spot a couple fishermen casting their nets — as has been done here for thousands of years — imagining how St. Peter plied his trade in these very waters.

We made our way to Capernaum, the old Roman/Jewish settlement along the Sea of Galilee that St. Peter called home. An archeological site managed by the Franciscan friars, it paints a vivid illustration of the living conditions in the days of Christ. We stop for awhile at a church the Franciscans have cleverly built that hovers over the ruins that once were St. Peter’s home. It was very moving for me, knowing our Lord had stopped here; that Peter slept here, worked here, worshiped at a synagogue just a few feet away. Above the Sea of Galilee, we viewed the pleasant meadows and the hillside where it is believed Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Today, a church, part of the Franciscan Custody — the holy sites managed by the Order of Friars Minor — stands at the pinnacle of the Mount.

Also along the lakeside, we stopped at the church dedicated to Christ’s anointment of Peter as the "Rock" of His church.

Throughout the two days we spent at the Galilee, we constantly were met by other pilgrims, many of whom we had run into at other sites along the way.

We would continue to bump into each other as we made the prayerful journey across the Holy Land.

The church built to commemorate Christ’s Sermon on the Mount dominates the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The church is one of many operated by the Franciscan Custody.