10 newly ordained

Spy drone always above
our church

ISIS has extended its death threat this morning ... first to Bethlehem where it claims it will kill all the christians and burn the Basilica of the Nativity to the ground; then to Gaza where it will kill all Hamas members (muslims), then Fatah (ruling palestinian party) members, then the State of Israel. Let's see how Israel will respond to that.

The weather has been warming up again after the strange weekend of cold and drizzle. The Ramadan fast was less harsh under the cool weather. But now it looks like the heat will take its toll again. I've already seen many muslims mitigating their fast with sips of water. Otherwise it'll end up like Pakistan where muslims die in the heat because of dehydration.

Yesterday I was sent to Jaffa to work. The community had a regional meeting and no one could watch the sanctuary for them so I was asked to go and substitute. It was a quiet job ... not many groups, only 2 masses. The weather was gorgeous though but it was spoilt by the dreadful spy drone that hovers over our property everyday. We have no privacy as it hovers for hours, taking photos or films in and around our monastery. Isn't there a law against such invasion of privacy?

Some of our newly ordained
franciscan priests and deacons wearing
the gold vestments

Anyway Monday was a great day for us - feast of Ss. Peter and Paul. Some of our seminarians were ordained - 6 priests and 4 deacons. Some were my students.  Most had family members flying in to join the ceremony. It was a 2 hour ceremony with the Patriarch presiding. In the evening the monastery threw a dinner party for the friars and families. The next day the newly ordained were allowed to wear the precious 18th century vestments made of silk and hand-embroidered gold. They were gifts from the Spanish royalty I think. They celebrated Mass at the Last Supper Room where the Eucharist  and Priesthood was instituted by Christ 2000 years ago. What a privilege! Not many priests in the world can say they celebrated their first Mass in the actual place of the Last Supper.