Total closure

It's confirmed that the closure of the Old City will extend to Tuesday. It's because the Jews have reconstructed the ruins of the Hurva synagogue and will inaugurate it tomorrow; but fear the arabs will riot against it. The synagogue abuts a mosque. And it purposely has a large dome to compete with the Golden Dome of the Rock mosque and our Christian Holy Sepulchre Basilica.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1156238.html 

I've just got back from Vigils at the Holy Sepulchre. It's 2am. We sang well and the crowd was just right, not too many but enough to fill our chapels. It ended with the procession around the Empty Tomb - very solemn and impressive. After that I celebrated Mass in the Crusader Chapel while everyone else joined the Custos for Mass up on Mt Calvary. But I had to babysit Sr. Vicenta .... as she wanted to come along for Vigils. I had to accompany her to the Basilica at 11pm and she came for Mass and we returned home together - lots of soldiers at every corner despite the early hours of the morning. It does give a sense of security when you're walking alone in the dimly lit alleys of the Old City, not knowing who's hiding behind one of the doors or corners.

I'll do some reading now and then try to sleep. The spondylosis is killing me.