MC profession.

The weekend was very busy and I could not update the blg. My workers could not come to work so I had to substitute them in the library. Then I had several classes to teach at the same time so it was a juggling act. I hardly slept the past 3 days because of this overload of work.

3 MC brothers make their vows

Yesterday there was the perpetual profession of vows of 3 Missionaries of Charity contemplative brothers. I met them a few times and am a friend of their Formation Master Fr. John. He invited me to the Mass at Gethsemani Basilica and I rushed over there just a little before 4pm. There was a small crowd from Nazareth for the event. As the MC fathers' community is based in Nazareth, few people in Jerusalem know them therefore few showed up. The MC sisters form Jerusalem and Bethlehem came. The Archbishop and Bishop Marcuzzo - the emeritus suffragan of Nazareth came. As is typical of the MC spirituality, the celebration was simple .... but the speeches were long. After the Mass there was a reception inside the Garden of Gethsemani with light refreshments. But it was getting dark (6pm) so I rushed home which is actually an arduous climb up the Kidron Valley back to the Old City.

MC brothers prostrate
on the sacred rock
of Gethsemani

I was thoroughly exhausted by the whole day's activities and still we had a solemn dinner because one of our emeritus professors was returning to his country fro good. Some of our students prepared a barbecue dinner and there were speeches of thanks and it went for 2 hours almost till 10pm. I was too exhausted and though I was in charge of cleaning up the dining room, I just could not do it. My superior saw me yawning and asked if I was. I said I have class in the night and have to wake up at 3am. The superior told go straight to sleep and some other guys will do the cleaning for me. So I went off and slept ... well almost. When I'm too tired, I can't sleep immediately. It took a couple of hours before I actually slept.

This morning there's been a renewed alert for salmonella in fresh chicken eggs. We must be careful now when buying them from the markets.

And the war between ultra-orthodox Jews and the police continue as they've organized more demonstrations throughout the country to oppose compulsory military service. Today they plan to block Ben Gurion Airport. And yesterday in Tel Aviv a policeman closed down a portable ultra-orthodox prayer stand because the rabbi had no permit to place a table in the street. I think all these clashes and tit-for-tat will explode soon.  http://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=430694&utm_content=buffer44636&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

But one leading rabbi denounced the ultra-orthodox demonstrations because the youths who're involved have also attacked non-ultra-orthodox jews and ultra-orthodox jews who do not share their beliefs. Some had previously charged into a rival synagogue and disturbed the service inside. The elderly and respected rabbi condemned them.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5031462,00.html

And now we receive dreadful news that escaping ISIS members slaughtered 128 innocent villages as revenge for the loss of various cities to the Syrian national army.