For the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos

In Celebration of the Nativity of the Mother of God

Departure date: September 19, Saturday
Excursion price: 225 shekels

The Nativity of the Mother of God is considered the first of the twelve major feasts—the day when She was born through Whom Christ the Savior would come to earth. The earliest references to the feast date to the 5th century. In the Bible, the birth of children to elderly or long-barren couples emphasizes special divine intervention.

In old age, the biblical righteous Abraham and Sarah became parents. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebecca gave birth to the twins Esau and Jacob. Manoah and his wife from the tribe of Dan had been childless for many years when an Angel appeared and announced the birth of a son; the mighty Samson later became a judge and defender of Israel against the Philistines. For many years, Hannah, the wife of the priest Elkanah, endured humiliation from her husband’s second wife because of her childlessness. She prayed for a son and dedicated him to the service of God. This was the prophet Samuel, who anointed Saul and later David as kings.

This was not merely family joy, but a calling to a great service.

The Virgin Mary, daughter of Joachim and Anna, served the greatest miracle by becoming the earthly Mother of Jesus Christ.

Church tradition tells us that Her parents were devout. Joachim was from the tribe of Judah and the line of King David, while Anna was from the priestly tribe of Levi and the line of Aaron. According to tradition, the Mother of God came from the most devout branch of the Jewish people. Their prayer was heard. A heavenly messenger, an Angel of God, announced the joyful news that a blessed Daughter would soon be born to them. Their former sorrow turned into joy. Anna vowed to dedicate the future child to God.

On this bright feast, we will visit these holy places that have been preserved. For some, this will be a pilgrimage; for others, an opportunity to see the places described in the Gospels and the Apocrypha.

The events surrounding the Nativity took place in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord chose forever as His home.

From the observation deck, we will see the Gate of Mercy, later called the Golden Gate, where the righteous Joachim and Anna met after receiving the Angel’s good news. We will see the steps up which the three-year-old Virgin Mary easily climbed to the Temple.

We will enter the Old City through the Lions’ Gate, formerly called the Sheep Gate. In Gospel times, a suburb of Jerusalem called Bethesda stood near the Temple. This was where the parents of the Virgin Mary lived.

In 1907, an Orthodox church dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God was built above underground rooms that, according to tradition, were part of the house where the Virgin Mary was born. In the underground cave, cool in summer and warm in winter, a mosaic inscription in Greek was found: “The Place of the Birth of the Mother of God.”

Nearby is the Basilica of Saint Anne, built by the Crusaders on the site of earlier Byzantine structures. Today, it is a Catholic monastery of the Order of the White Fathers. The church’s principal shrine is the underground crypt—a cave containing the altar marking the place where Saint Anne gave birth to the Virgin Mary. Archaeologists believe that in biblical times the underground caves were interconnected.

Nearby is the Sheep Pool, or Bethesda. We will see the ruins of this ancient pool, where Jesus Christ miraculously healed a paralyzed man who had lain there for 38 years. The memory of healing did not disappear during the Roman period. In the time of Emperor Hadrian, a pagan temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing, was built here.

We will set out along the Via Dolorosa, the path taken by the Son of the Virgin Mary.

The prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate, pronounced the sentence. The legionaries flogged the “King of the Jews,” placed a crown of thorns on His head, and gave Him a heavy cross instead of the usual crossbeam, which He carried to Golgotha.

The Virgin Mary walked in the crowd. Thus were fulfilled the words of the righteous Simeon, who took the infant Jesus in his arms and said: “My eyes have seen Your salvation… a light for revelation to the Gentiles… and a sword will pierce your own soul also.”

We will visit all the stations of the Via Dolorosa and see the place where Jesus met His Mother. Nearby, in the wall of a house, is a stone against which He placed His hand so as not to fall.

The final five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: the Aedicule, the Stone of Anointing, and Golgotha. Near the place where the Virgin Mary stood at the foot of Golgotha, so close to the crucifixion of Her Son, it is possible to light candles from the Holy Fire, so that you can pray at home and cleanse your home. At the Stone of Anointing, where the Body of Jesus was placed and two of His devoted followers anointed His Body with fragrant oils, you can have objects blessed to serve as protection for you and your loved ones.

At the Western Wall, at the foot of the mountain where the Temple stood and where the Divine Presence continually dwelled, we will turn to the Heavenly Father.

In Ein Karem, through the efforts of Archimandrite Antonin Kapustin, the largest Orthodox monastery in the Holy Land was built on the site where the young Virgin Mary met the righteous Elizabeth. The site is picturesque and filled with prayer. Above the entrance to the Church of Our Lady of Kazan is a depiction of the meeting between the Holy Virgin Mary and the righteous Elizabeth, the mother of John the Forerunner.

The churches solemnly proclaim:

“Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
has proclaimed joy to all the world,
for from You has risen the Sun of righteousness, Christ…”

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Departure from cities in the south, center, and north of the country.

For information:
☎️☎️☎️ Booking phone: 054-4298327

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