Immaculate Conception Day

Weekend with cloudy skies

From sunny weather to cold cloudy skies. Huge change in weather this morning. Went out to work in warm sunny climate but within 2 hours it must have fell to 9 degrees. As it's a feast day, no one is working in the libraries but we still have 3 books on loan to an exhibition and I must go at 8am to deliver the books and collect them at 5pm when the exhibition ends. So I had to celebrate Mass early this morning at 4.30am in order to arrange all my work and get to my delivery mission on time. Then there was a series of emails to respond, bookings for volunteers, work schedules to be organised and luckily for me, a very nice lunch break with my best buddy Aviram. Haven't seen him for over 2 months though we keep in contact. He's been always there for me during my toughest times and I really appreciate that. And he had wonderful news when we met ... an institute just offered him an internship a few minutes before he left his house to come for lunch. He was very very happy. And I'm happy for him too. He's a really bright guy and passionate about his studies.

The other day I went to Rami's pharmacy to buy Tiger Balm plaster for my shoulder. It's been hurting so bad I cannot sleep because of the pain. Well Rami was out of it but had another type of plaster, less powerful and stinky. No choice ... had to buy it. But it worked out good .... I had minimal pain last night after keeping it overnight on my shoulder. Will have to use it again tonight. Well I also kept the shoulder warm by wearing double t-shirts.

Icon of Mary's birth
in St. Anne's Church

So it's the Immaculate Conception feast day. At St. Anne's Church (Bethesda Pool or Sheep's Pool in John's Gospel) there was a solemn Mass celebrated at 10am because traditionally that's the place where Mary was born. I think almost all the seminarians of the 5 seminaries in Jerusalem were there. And of course the many religious and priests as well. Few people know that it was our 14th century theologian Duns Scotus who defended this dogma when many were against it. He was vindicated only 400 years later when it was declared a dogma but he remained in the shadows until 16 years ago when Pope John Paul II beatified him.

Latest bit of news ... a stabbing attempt at a check point. Hope this will not sour the Christmas celebrations should Israel decide to close the borders and not allow christian arabs to come to Jerusalem.