Gaza gets food

As a goodwill response to many international communitys' (like yours) and our Patriarch's Christmas call to end the Gaza blockade, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has allowed food and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza yesterday. Unfortunately the militant Hamas inside Gaza are not co-operating by continuing to fire rockets into Israel. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1229868827245&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Today at 1.30pm the Patriarch will start his procession into Bethlehem from the Tomb of Rachel (wife of Jacob in the Old Testament - remember she died just outside of Bethlehem while giving birth to Benjamin?). Christians will be lined up all along the route to welcome him into the Basilica of the Nativity. Solemn Vespers will begin immediately once he enters the Basilica; then the daily procession to the Grotto of the Nativity takes place at 4pm; at 11.10pm solemn chanting of the Office of Readings and of course Mass begins at midnight (that's why it's called Midnight Mass!!!!)

You can read more on the Patriarch's Christmas appeal and photos at http://www.custodia.org/spip.php?article4598&lang=en And the Christmas message of our Franciscan Custos is viewable in video at http://www.custodia.org/spip.php?article4375&lang=en but it's not the Custos speaking though - someone else is reading it!