Holy Wednesday

Metal barriers arrive at New Gate

The day remains quiet like yesterday ... no major christian celebrations till tomorrow. But it's the 2nd day of the Jewish Passover and the streets are getting a little more busy though officially the jews are not allowed to work till tomorrow. I see the Light Rail is in operation but many offices are still closed. Tomorrow is the Priestly Blessing at the Wailing Wall and police are expecting 100,000 people to participate. Roads and City Gates will be closed to traffic. In fact yesterday the metal barriers were already transported to several City Gates and I believe the blockades will start tonight. Those of us living inside the Old City can go out but may not re-enter. Those from outside the Old City may not enter until the blockades are removed. However they would be replaced within hours because it will be Holy Thursday and thousands will be coming into the Holy Sepulcher. The Catholics will have the Chrism Mass and the Lord's Supper celebrated together while the Orthodox will have the Washing of Feet in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulcher. From any which way you come to the Holy Sepulcher there would be at least 5 blockades to overcome.

Maamoul - traditional cookies
for Easter

Locally christians are still reeling over the double bombing of Coptic Churches in Egypt killing 41 christians. No one feels safe here. ISIS is on our northern and southern borders. Even here in Jerusalem, the Israeli police are watching out for extremists who will disrupt our Paschal celebrations. Meantime Christine who works in our museum made some maamoul - cookies that recall the Passion of Christ. That's the traditional cookies christians here bake and eat for Easter. The round ones represent the sponge dipped in vinegar for Christ to drink. The doughnut shaped ones represent the crown of thorns. There are also oval shaped ones to represent the spear that pierced the side of Christ. Inside these cookies are dates ... sometimes with nuts but I'm allergic to that so they only give me those with dates. Very yummy.

Today is Holy Wednesday. According to Mark's Gospel, the woman at Bethany anointed Jesus' feet while Jesus was eating at the house of Simon the Leper. Judas  remarked that the money used to buy such expensive ointment should have been given to the poor and Jesus answered "You will always have the poor with you". Judas then goes out to the High Priest to discuss how he would betray Jesus.