Baptism of Our Lord

Sunday began as a cold but sunny morning. Too cold to walk up to the Holy Sepulchre at 4am, so I decided to concelebrate Mass at our own chapel at 6.30am with a surprising large group of friars who usually celebrate the Sunday Mass at 8am.

After 2 weeks of confinement in the house - fear of violence in the streets - I decided to go out to the New City to catch some fresh air. The psychological pressure is terrible and my asthma is still affecting me badly. Damascus Gate was calm - with fewer hawkers vending their goods. One old Bedouin woman was shouting at the Israeli soldiers "Woe to us! Woe to us! See what you Jews are doing to us?" People walk pass, not daring to look back. She is brave, I must say. No one else has the guts to do that - not even the usual gang of Arab youths who still hang around the 3rd Station. The soldiers stare blankly back at her. They say nothing.

I walked up to New Gate from outside the Old City, then turn right to Jaffa Street and on to the junciton of the Post Office and the Chinese restaurent. Took the short cut away from the main street to the back carpark near the park and muslim cemetary (another hot spot as the govt. confiscated part of the cemetary and is building a museum there) and up the hill to the pet shop where I bought food for the canaries. Stayed for a while to see the finches and parakeets; the rabbits and hamsters, and lots of fish. I miss Rex very much. Everyone at my monastery knows that and they often ask about Rex.

Decided to take another way home, down Ben Yehuda Pedastrian Mall that's full of cafes and shops - very touristy but a nice divergent. Saw Matthew our Indian student at the money changers there so went over to speak with him. Then he went up to the computer store and I walked down Jaffa Street. Went back to the Old City through New gate, but decided to take the narrow alleys - just to do something different. Got lost in there. But kept walking anyway - it's nice to get lost sometimes and discover new things along the way. The I found myself in front of the Spanish sisters convent - so I found my way again. Walked down the left alley passing by the convent of Mother Teresa's sisters and reached the tailor. I left 2 pants for altering and picked it up.The tailor wanted 40 shekels (HK$80). I think everyone around that area (junction of the convent and Damascus Gate) was trying to find out who is this chinese who speaks arabic - from the tailor to the fruit seller to the bread seller to the Shwarma seller. Somehow word has gone out that I'm a priest and they all call me "Father" now. So long as they're not anti-christian, I'm ok with that.

In fact last week when I went to order a made-to-measure table for our superior at a Jewish shop, the owner called me "Father". He's Jewish and he has no problems with that. In fact we spoke arabic (as he doesn't speak english and I don't speak hebrew) to get the transaction done. And my scribe friend Eli who's staunchly Jewish also has no problems calling me "Father" even though I told him he doesn't have to. You see, Jews who have lived in the Holyland all these centuries, whose ancestors lived under the Ottomans and Jordan, are very friendly to Muslims and Christians. They have no problems with us. It's the young idealistic immigrant ones who have no tolerance and spit at us.

Got home and the skies began to darken. We had quite a shower and the temperature dropped again.

From the Israeli newspaper we have reports of pro-Israel rallies in London http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231424919890&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull and here's its analysis of the situation http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231424911751&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

But BBC has a different report: British Jews calling for ceasefire http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7822656.stm and photos http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7822573.stm

But the overall message is: the war is ending soon.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Gaza-War-Hamas-Defiant-As-Israel-Indicates-The-End-Of-War-Is-In-Sight/Article/200901215200990?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15200990_Gaza_War%3A_Hamas_Defiant_As_Israel_Indicates_The_End_Of_War_Is_In_Sight

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/11/israel.gaza/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7822786.stm