Holy Tuesday

Black petunias for
Holy Week

On Holy Tuesday, according to Mark's Gospel, Jesus faced off the Pharisees, Scribes and Chief Priests in the Temple. It was pretty heated ... and that determined his death. Read Mark 12 and 13. We have no special liturgies today in Jerusalem ... but we're all waiting for Holy Thursday when the Triduum begins. It will be chaotic in the Holy Sepulcher because the Orthodox Churches also celebrate Holy Thursday. The Basilica will be packed. But the Armenian Orthodox had a solemn liturgy in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulcher. I saw a video of it just now.

Yesterday's trip to Nablus exhausted me and I rested for most of the evening. Simply have no energy to work anymore. I missed the evening Palm procession from Notre Dame to the New Gate. It's organized by Christians of the Old City and the procession goes around the Christian Quarter.

By the way, National Geographic will be broadcasting the repairs and opening of the Tomb of Christ today. I guess if you have satellite TV you can watch it on Nat Geo channel. Here we'll have to wait till it's on Youtube.

Pitcher plants for sale

Several days back I passed through the Zahara neighborhood which is outside Herod's Gate. At a flower / pet shop, I saw a pot of black petunias. It's the first time I've ever seen one. Thought it was appropriate for Good Friday. The shop also had South-East Asian pitcher plants. I wonder how long they'll survive because they need humid atmosphere. The dry summers here will kill them.

The weather has been hot ... like typical summer. In the afternoons it goes up to 22 degrees. But locals still wear hoodies and jackets because in just a few minutes the weather can change drastically and the cold hits you. I'm trying to stay safe so I carry a thick jacket in my backpack always.

The ISIS threat in the Sinai Peninsula and Cairo is so great, Israel yesterday c;osed it's borders with Egypt. And Egypt called all Israelis and christian tourists in Egypt to leave the country as soon as possible as there is a real and imminent threat to their lives. Christian in the Middle East live and carry the Cross. Holy Week is not a devotional exercise but a fact that leads to death.