The words of St. Matthew's Gospel resound here: "Leaving Nazareth Jesus went and settled in Capernaum beside the lake". The town was quite a large one in the time of Jesus. What you see there now are excavations of a reasonably small but still very significant site: the synagogue (later than Jesus' time), (see photo) and the remains of houses from biblical times, including the house of Peter's mother in law (over which a modern church has been built). I spent quite a lot of time here over the past few days just reading and reflecting on the ministry of Jesus around this place. This area is where he lived. He often taught in the synagogue of the time. It's easy to imagine the daily comings and goings of Jesus. The very familiar words of St. John's Gospel: "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst ... this is what he taught at Capernaum in the synagogue." Just up the road is a place called the "Primacy of Peter". There's a church there about which I wrote previously (see photo). Again here, it's very easy for the gospel words to Peter to come really alive: "Feed my lambs ... Look after my sheep ... Follow me." These places are very special. Both are right on the Lake of Galilee. What more can you say?
