Christmas Day

Crowds lining up
to enter the Basilica

Merry Christmas to all. As I promise, I prayed for each and everyone of you in Bethlehem. I was there early in the morning yesterday to celebrate a Mass for 120 expats living in Jaffa and Tel Aviv area. They came to make a christmas pilgrimage. It was very cold and drizzling. And the crowds were unbelievable .... crowds after crowds were walking toward the Basilica. Many streets were closed, palestinian security were everywhere making body searches on everyone entering the area.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4897788,00.html

Even so early in the morning there were thousands of pilgrims trying to enter the Basilica of the Nativity. The line stretched all the way out 200 meters into the streets. And the drizzled did not dissuade the people. More and more groups just kept walking up the hill. By 9.30am the scout bands were marching in parade. The giant Christmas Tree was the focus of everyone who wanted to take photos while the Grotto of the Nativity was the main aim. But it would have taken over an hour lining up to reach the door of the Basilica. Many people just gave up trying to get there.

Altar of the
Milk Grotto

I had Mass at the Milk Grotto. The cloistered Perpetual Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament who serve in the chapel send their greetings and assurances of prayers. The Milk Grotto was where the Holy Family lived for 2 years after the birth of Jesus but before the flight into Egypt. There I celebrated Mass, remembering all of you, your prayers and intentions.

As I had mentioned earlier, Christmas this year coincides with the jewish feast of Hanukkah. The rhetoric of the rabbis against christianity is not letting up. The call to punish jewish or public institutions that put up a christmas tree has met with tacit approval by most rabbinical authorities but also opposition by secular and tourist institutes who fear the lost of business .... especially this christmas being the most crowded in many years. Any negative impression on this year's groups would lead to less groups coming next year.

But the real good news for Christmas was to learn that east Aleppo has been liberated from the militias and the govt. has declared it a safe zone. Christians returned to celebrate Midnight Mass in the ruined churches.  Our friar in Aleppo and the little children of the ruined city send their christmas greetings in a video:   https://www.facebook.com/ChristianMediaCenter.HolyLand/videos/1832854670325775/

Also in Mosul in Iraq the muslim militias have been chased out and christians have returned to celebrate Christmas in their ruined churches. As our Archbishop said ... the physical war may be over but the ideological war continues. We need to pray so hard.