About chasubles

Beautiful chasuble
in silk and gold

Saturday ... this morning was so different from yesterday. It started very sunny and crisp ... but after lunch the skies darkened, drizzle started again and it looks as if temperatures will drop. It's been 8 degrees the past few hours. And getting colder. I've had another early morning: 6am at work moving manuscripts, 7.15am Mass inside the Empty Tomb of Christ for the migrant community of Jaffa then immediately after, a bible class with the same group. When they left, it was again moving manuscripts, then rushing to the other library to work till lunch time. Total exhaustion.

While at the Holy Sepulchre sacristy, the sacristan was laying out an exquisite baroque chasuble. It was hand-embroidered in gold-thread. Made in Spain. A spanish cardinal was coming to preside Mass and the sacristan prepared this for him to vest. There're not many people who know how to hand-embroider liturgical vestments anymore ... let alone in gold.

Little girl trying on new
shoes. Note the string hold-
ing up her sock.

Got some good news from Damascus. Sr. Munira who works in the St. Vincent de Paul hospital there called to thank for the kind donation that helped the sisters buy medicine, food and clothing for the refugee syrians at their hospital grounds. The children were given winter clothes and shoes to stay warm in this bitter cold. Sr. Munira sent photos as well. Meantime a local newspaper ran an article about israeli youths who took the initiative to collect used clothes from the neighbourhood to be donated to the syrian refugees. It was one of the largest national actions ... and it says a lot especially when syrians are not considered the best of friends of the Israelis.   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4907188,00.html