Of books and walls

Fr. Custos with Mr. Hazboun and
the sisters

M. Teresa's letters, published as "Come be my Light" in english has finally be published in arabic. The sisters of the Middle East region asked the Custody for help in its publication and the Custos made me responsible for it. I am happy it has finally seen the light of day. This morning we had a thanksgiving Mass at the sisters' Jerusalem convent and the book was officially launched for public consumption. Mr Hazboun corrected the first draft and he also came for the Mass. Bishop Salim proof-read the text and our printing press designed the overall book. I had to oversee the whole process and now I must start marketing it through parish visits, phone calls and bookshops. I will be very tired this Holy Week.

Praying at the
Toilet Wall

There's a photo going viral in the Internet and it's an asian couple laying hands on a stone wall in deep prayer. One might think it's the Wailing Wall but the stones are too modern. On closer look you'll realise that it's the wall of the toilet adjacent to the Wailing Wall!!!! Now that's what happens you have unqualified tourist guides. Embarrassing!!! Jews are having a good laugh at christians today ... and I would too.

More ultra-orthodox jewish demonstrations disrupting traffic and normal life ... this time in the ultra-orthodox city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv. This time police arrested ring leaders ... calling the organisers"radical extremists". That is quite a challenge since this Lithuanian community is numerically small but immense in influence: it's rabbis are revered in Judaism as ultimate experts in Halachic Law and they live to ripe old ages of over 100 years. Looks like the ultra-orthodox and the rest of Israel are set for more clashes this summer.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5189005,00.html

And talking about Halachic Law ... an orthodox rabbi has said (not declared) that genetically cloned pork can be eaten by jews ... even eaten with milk. Well you can be are he's not from that Lithuanian ultra-orthodox community and he might have to face their wrath.  https://www.jta.org/2018/03/22/news-opinion/rabbi-says-meat-genetically-cloned-pig-eaten-jews-including-milk