2nd day of Fitri

Sunrise on a very quiet Palm Plaza

2nd day of Eid el Fitri ... the roads are thankfully quiet and calm. The feast will continue for another couple of days and then the people will be back to their daily routine. It's a great respite after one month of chaos every night. I could sleep last night. It was good. bad thing was it's Monday so I have to get up at 3.30am to prepare for classes. Then it's a mad rush to get to church for Mass at 6.30am which I'm presiding this week. Immediately after that I must open and prepare the library for the students. Then off to see the lawyers and accountants and all the other people for meetings after meetings. I think I had 5 meetings in 1 and a half hours. Mad rush all morning. Afternoon I have a remedial class to teach. Anyone mentioned "holiday"???

Wearing the 祭巾at the ordination

Last Saturday 5 of my students were ordained priests in New York City. Very proud of them. 3 vietnamese among them. One wore the traditional 祭巾 which clergy back in China used to wear. He's vietnamese and the vietnamese still use it. Well I wish them all the best in their new ministries.

The country is buzzing with the latest controversy : the PM rebated on his promise to allow a section of the Wailing Wall be used by liberal, reform and orthodox jews - egalitarian space where men and women mix. The ultra-orthodox hold the rabbinate of the Wall and they have pushed the PM to recant despite the High Court having approved it. And the ultra-orthodox have also succeeded in security its monopoly in the conversion of gentiles to judaism ... all other rabbis have no right. The consequence is of course that all converts must become ultra-orthodox. The backlash is going to harsh tomorrow ... but the ultra-orthodox will ride it out. They have shown their power in the last few years and it looks like they'll be dominating the running of the country and religion.   http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Israel-shelves-plan-for-egalitarian-prayer-space-at-Western-Wall-497859   and   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.797805

The power of the religious right has grown so significantly that the jewish settlers are emboldened in attacking arabs in the open, get filmed in the process and still will not be arrested or prosecuted. Their religious leaders will protect them from any political and judicial consequences.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.797636