Ascension Day

Sunrise over the Mt. of Olives
on Ascension morning

It's Ascension Day ... the sun was shining brightly over the Mt. of Olives where according to Luke's Gospel, Jesus ascended to heaven. Yesterday afternoon at 3pm the friars were already gathered up on the Mount at the Ascension Chapel (now a mosque) to pray Vespers, then later towards midnight there was the Vigil prayers and Martins, and this morning Solemn Mass with Lauds. It wasn't as crowded as previous years ... possibly due to fears of Nakba Day violence. Few people dared to walk up and down the Mount ... groups came and went by buses as it's safer. The US embassy has issued a warning to its citizens to avoid East Jerusalem during Nakba Day.

By the way, yesterday's newspapers reported that 75% of the arab population in East Jerusalem live below the poverty line and the govt. is not doing anything to eleviate the situation though these arabs pay taxes. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Report-Poverty-rate-in-east-Jerusalem-at-75-percent-402983?fb_action_ids=10206618607366078&fb_action_types=og.shares

My asthma has come on and off these 2 days. It's terrible to be suffocating and not knowing if I'll faint and die due to lack of oxygen. I keep thinking of Bro Bernard who died of asthma in front of our altar 20 years ago. And the great amount of steroids that I'm using is causing my fingers and feet to swell and hurt very very much.