Feast of the Annunciation

The 1st ever Jerusalem marathon got off on a successful note in spite of the fact that the 1st 3 runners toward the finishing line made a wrong turn and ended up somewhere else! Still I think it is a very happy event in the face of the bomb blast a day ago. We show that we are not afraid and will not allow the lunatic fringe to determine our lives. As we once use to say during the 2nd Intifida, "Life must go on, and we will not let you stop it". Actually it was only a half-marathon (42 km) but possibly the municipality will organise a full marathon next year.

Security was tough to say the least. The entire country is still under high alert and every street corner police and soldiers stand by, stopping people and asking for identification. You can feel the tension in the air. Friday muslim prayers passed off without much incident. In fact it was rather subdued. The imam  of the Al Aksa Mosque did not deliver a fire and brimstone sermon as usual; and almost everything around were pretty low key.

Weatherwise the temperature has remained cold, damp and gray. The canaries are shivering outside - the females snuggled in their nests.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation was presided by me here at our place. It is of course the 19th anniversary of my ordination today. Yesterday in the heavy rain, I had gone to Talpiot to buy assorted bourekas (puff pastry with fillings - mushroom, potato, cheese, spinach) to celebrate the event. They were wiped off at breakfast! For lunch, knowing I can't eat many things, Khalil the cook baked 3 large salmon - absolutely delicious! I had a piece about 3 inches by 3. It was fantastic ... but I think my tummy had shrunk alot so I couldn't stomach the whole thing. Felt nauseous afterwards. Earlier in the morning I had 2 terrible cramps in the abdoman that sent me reeling on the floor. I was in the library and Osvalda next to me panicked. The pain passed and I'm much better now. Need to lie down alot though.

Anyway the motto of my ordination 19 years ago was "Be it done to me according to Your Word" - Mary's response to the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel. Hopefully we can all live this motto.