Sandstorm

Yesterday saw another hamsiin blowing into Jerusalem. It was stiffling hot and the sky was dull yellow with sand and dust. But suddenly by late afternoon a very strong and cold wind began wrecking havoc in the city. Sounds like Pentecost 2000 years ago.

In a couple of days we'll celebrate Ascension Day. It gets quite complicated this year as the Orthodox churches also celebrate it in our tiny enclosure of the Chapel of the Ascension up on the Mt. of Olives. Well the chapel is actually Crusader in structure but was taken over by the Muslims and turned into a mosque. But once a year we have a right to celebrate Mass and pray there. And the Orthodox join in, on outside the chapel in the courtyard surrounding the chapel/mosque. But with hundreds of people squeezed into a tiny enclosure, it'll prove to be quite a feat to get through all the liturgies.