Sombre Christmas

S'pore group bringing their gifts
to Mother Theresa's sisters

One week offline ... due to an overload of work. Christmas came in a frightfully cold night. Celebrated Mass at an altar facing the desert in Shepherds' Field. Nearly froze to death. The country was mainly flooded with asian tourists and pilgrims. A Singapore group (Faith Tours) brought alot of medicines and stuff to help the poor during Christmas. Another Hong Kong group visit the Holy Family Hospital (Nazareth) and also brought many gifts for the poor. It was a pilgrimage with a difference ... especially during Christmas.

The Shanghai group visiting Holy
Family Hospital

Yesterday was Holy Innocents' Day ... fasted and prayed for Syria's peace as promised. A relatively severe earthquake in Turkey was felt in northern Israel. Scary. Missiles have been fired into Israel both from Gaza and Lebanon. Israel responded heavily with bombings. A bomb aboard a Tel Aviv bus exploded but only several people were injured. The week was very tensed throughout the country.

So Christmas week passed ... less euphoria and frivolity than usual ... but the sombre mood helps to remind us that the Christ child was born to die on the Cross. In every Christmas, there's a little Good Friday.