From: National Catholic Reporter | Date: April 3, 1998| Author: Schroth, Raymond A. | Copyright information

About 15 years ago in the Holy Land, at the ancient lakeside town of Tiberias, I eased my body into the waters of the Sea of Galilee and with a few long strokes swam out a short distance from the shore.

It is one of the favorite moments of my life. Presuming that all first century Jewish fishermen also loved to swim, I imagined that Jesus and his disciples must have swum in this same water, maybe even from this same spot.

That evening before dinner I sat on...