Feast of the Holy Cross

Police and military are on standby as Friday prayers begin. We're expecting some problems with muslim worshippers ....  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-police-brace-for-protests-over-anti-islam-movie.premium-1.464851   Let's hope it won't get too bad ... but in this land, reason never rules; rumours rule. The sad thing is now the accusation that the film's maker is a christian. It will only fan more persecution of christians. The US embassy here has issued warnings to americans from going to Jerusalem today. Let's see if today's Way of the Cross will be canceled.

Now it's after the noon prayers .... the streets are deadly quiet. The soldiers have closed off our street. I hear several gunshots far away towards the Wailing Wall ... could be stun grenades. More volleys now. Could be serious. A helicopter is hovering very very low over the Dome of the Rock. Now we here that muslim youths have marched towards the US Consulate in E. Jerusalem but were turned back by riot police and stun grenades. Scuffles broke out.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=285114

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Cross. Solemn Mass at Mt. Calvary with procession around the Tomb. But it's poignancy lies in the fact that here we have to carry the cross ... to suffer constant persecution. The pope certainly knows that - he's started his 3 day visit to Lebanon and mentioned the plight of christians in the Middle East.