Today is the commemoration of the Flagellation and Crowning of Thorns; the friars will make a pilgrimage to our Chapel of the Flagellation/Crowing of Thorns to sing solemn Vespers and celebrate solemn Mass. This is part of an ancient tradition here in the Holyland where every Wednesday of Lent the friars make a pilgrimage to a sanctuary that commemorates the Passion of Christ. First Wednesday is at Dominus Flevit chapel, 2nd at Getsemani, 3rd at the Flagellation and 4th at the Condemnation chapel. We don't expect a large crowd because the Chapel is really small and most people will have to sit in the courtyard.
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| Chapel of the Capuchin Monastery |
The previous evening I was invited for dinner at the Capuchin Monastery. I've never been there before and had some trouble finding the place. Luckily I met a Notre Dame sister along the road and she pointed the direction to me. It's not really very far ... as I had thought ... about 3 kms from my house. The new superior is a Tamil and we had known each other last year when he first arrived and we worked together for the Indian chaplaincy. The "monastery" is actually a complex of 5 buildings with several patches of gardens. It was acquired over 100 years ago by a Lebanese capuchin friar but the British converted it into a prison during the 1st World War. When the State of Israel was founded, the Israeli govt. converted it into a lunatic asylum. It was only 10 years ago that it was restituted to the Capuchins. They renovated the main building and it's gorgeous ... a pilgrim hostel. The chapel is also very modern in style.
There was quite a crowd for dinner because several other religious were also invited for dinner. It was a farewell to Jose Angel, a capuchin who is being transferred to Puerto Rico. We had a nice time meal, chatted and then I walked home thereafter at 10pm.
Yesterday there was a country wide demonstration by ultra-orthodox jews against compulsory military draft. It was massive ... and in some cities it got very violent. The ultra-orthodox consider zionists, the State of Israel and the army as its enemies.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-of-ultra-orthodox-take-to-streets-in-mass-anti-draft-protest/
and
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4941933,00.html
Then this morning a soldier made a wrong turn and drove into an arab village. He was stoned and was saved by some other arab villagers. It only shows how tense the atmosphere is between the 2 peoples. No one should take for granted the peaceful atmosphere we seem to experience in the cities.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4942104,00.html
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