Capernum: The town of Jesus 

It is Saturday, Jan. 20th. I am writing while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Today we are riding around the Sea of Galilee visiting the sites of many gospel stories. 

The decision to get a jump on this week's article must have been inspired by the Spirit as we are currently heading to Capernum, the site of today's gospel. 

Capernum is where Jesus stayed when he wasn't traveling. The two major sights are the ruins of the house where Jesus stayed and the synagogue where today's gospel takes place. The house is owned by the Mother-in-law of Peter. The synagogue is as close to the house as the parish center is to our church. 

Looking back and forth from the house to the synagogue I think of the people of Capernum. While some follow Jesus and some do not, all remain faithful to the God who created the heavens and the earth. 

This comes to mind because we often focus on the differences between Christianity and Judaism. There is no doubt Jesus spoke this way to separate himself from the religious leaders of his time. Perhaps, however it is good to remember that the foundation of Jesus' understanding of His heavenly father was laid in his Jewish upbringing. 

For the third week in a row we will sing "Our God Is Here" (#305) as our processional hymn. The chorus; "and we cry holy, holy, holy" comes directly from the "Kedushah." This ancient Hebrew prayer remains in our liturgy to this day. 

Blessed to be in the Holy Land and returning to serve at St. Mary's,

Bruce