Easter Sunday

Ethiopic christians
waiting at 5am in
a street corner to
enter a main street
leading to the
Holy Sepulchre

The sun rose bright and early this morning. Orthodox christians continue to crowd the streets of the Old City, trying to enter the Holy Sepulchre basilica but police continue to block all streets leading to it. They control the number of crowds entering the streets and basilica so that a deadly crush can be avoided. It's a good and real reason but the christians waiting for hours at street corners think it's unjust. But luckily being Easter Sunday, they are allowed to break the Lenten fast and eat ... so they are stronger and more active than last week. In fact last night on my way home from Tel Aviv, I went to the market at Musrara to buy some milk and along the road there were many ethiopic christians buying kebabs from arab hawkers, eating their first full meal in 40 days. They take the Lenten fast very seriously.

I slept relatively well last night despite my injured right knee. Twisted it also night during the 2 and a half hour liturgy. Have been limping this morning when I walked 2 kms uphill to the Rosary Sisters convent. I was invited by the filipino community of that chapel to concelebrate the Easter Mass with the Salesian fathers. Last night I did not want to go but this morning I decided to go. Easter Sunday just doesn't feel right if you don't celebrate the morning Mass. It was a small congregation of some 50 people, mostly filipinas but also a dozen expats. There were 7 salesian fathers and many salesian seminarians to help out. All in all it's nice to celebrate Easter Sunday with a community.

The Ap. Admin. blesses the crowd
with the Gospel

In the Holy Sepulchre there was solemn Mass by the Apostolic Administrator. It had to take place at 10am because the Greek and Armenian Orthodox had their liturgies earlier in the morning. Tomorrow the Custos of the Holy Land will preside Mass at Emmaus. The Mass usually ends with the Custos blessing bread and giving them to the people. The gesture is to recall the event at Emma's when the 2 disciples' eyes were opened and they recognised Jesus when he broke the bread for them.