Busy weekend

The Netanya community at Mass

It's been a super hectic Saturday. Well Friday I made sure I finished all the work of the week because the weekend would be full of activities. On Saturday morning at 6am it was Mass at the Holy Sepulcher in the Empty Tomb for the Block Rosary Group of filipinos form our St. Anthony Parish in Jaffa. Over 25 members came for the Mass. Immediately after I had to give them a Bible Class from 7am to 8.30am. Once finished I had to rush back to house work and within 2 hours it was off to our other Jaffa parish of St. Peter. Went there to pick up wine, hosts and vestments because I had to preside at the Mass in Netanya for another community of filipinos. It's 60km from Jerusalem to Jaffa and another 60 km from Jaffa to Netanya. I had to turn down another penitential service at Rehovot which is 30 km drive away from Jaffa because there was no way I could rush there in time.

Sunday Mass at
St. Peter's church

After Mass there was blessing and confessions and then back to Jaffa which was already almost 10pm. The superior there told me to stay overnight as it was late and I was tired. Sunday morning there was another Mass at 9am at St. Peter's ... a much smaller community of expatriates attend this Mass because Sunday in our country is the first working day. Most catholics cannot make it.

The week before Christmas will be equally busy. Several Masses in various cities along the coast. I think on the 24th Dec I have a Mass in Bethlehem for a filipino  community, then rush off to Jaffa for the Indian Mass at 4pm and immediately off to Netanya again for the 7pm Mass.

Luckily there were no traffic jams along the highways. There was drizzle tough and the skies were dreadful dark and the winds bitterly cold. In a way it feels like Christmas 25 years ago.

Just read the horrible news that over 25 copts were killed in a bomb blast in their cathedral in Cairo. Still no news who is responsible. A terrifying christmas for the egyptian copts. Another bad news is that the first reading of a new law to expropriate palestinian land for jewish settlements has passed. It's amazing that this is happening in broad daylight and no one is saying anything. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-1.757846