Nazareth - Candlelight Procession

One of the benefits to staying overnight in Nazareth was being able to participate in their weekly candlelight procession. I was 20 minutes early, which meant I was near the front of the activity. The processional is filmed, no idea who watches it, or on what channel it appears (online, maybe?). By arriving early I was near the front of the group. I was also there in time for the lesson in how to sing the hymns. The leaders asked where we were from and what languages we represented. Later I noticed several people were chosen to narrate in a variety of languages. English was one of them.


I quickly realized I forgot to wear my "modest attire." Fortunately I was allowed to participate in my shorts and a tank top.

We were handed a candle as we entered the square near the second floor exit from the Basilica of the Annunciation. We huddled together as more people joined our group. The mood was peaceful. At 8:30 pm the official service began. Hymns were sung. The narrations talking about different stages of Jesus's life as it pertained to Nazareth were read. The Hail Mary was recited in Latin (I'm guessing it was Latin, seemed closer to English than Arabic). 

Within 20 minutes we started to process into the street, to the left, into the ground floor entrance to the courtyard. 

Through the covered walkway with the mosaics, around to the entrance of the church (still not kicked out for having bare knees).

And into the church where we stood in a semi-circle up high while those leading the worship service went down to the grotto where Mary used to live.
It was very moving. I know my words are not doing this justice. We sang simple songs, and though we came from a wide variety of backgrounds, we walked as one in Christ. Our candles illuminated the path (sometimes too much as the paper around the candles caught fire, sometimes too little as the candles were blown out by the wind), but still as one. Hardly a sound was heard. Our small group grew as we walked. While there were less than 50 people when I started, there were hundreds filling the sanctuary. All glorifying God.

It was the most spiritual experience I had in Israel. 

I teared up hearing the different languages and seeing God's presence in the different parts of the world.

It was beautiful.