St. Anthony feast

St. Anthony with blessed
bread

It's the solemnity of St. Anthony of Padua (or Lisbon depending on where you come from). He's the patron saint of the Custody of the Holy Land ... so instead of a feast, it's a solemnity for us. Yesterday evening was 1st Vespers and almost everyone went to St. Saviour's church - our mother church in Jerusalem - to sing vespers. This morning there was solemn Mass at St. Saviour's again at 10.30am. Several Consul Generals especially the italian and portuguese came for the Mass. There was a magnificent dais with the statue of St. Anthony near the altar, with baskets of bread that were blessed and distributed after Mass.

I didn't join in as I celebrated the community Mass in our house. I realised I left my medicine (which I need to take daily) in the other library next to St. Saviour's so after Mass I had to rush there to get it. While there I spent 2 hours doing a whole lot of other work and at the end, I went home without taking my medicine. When I reached home, I realised it but I didn't have the energy to walk uphill 1km against the tsunami of people entering the City to get to the Mosque. So I went to the nearest pharmacy and bought a new box and took the tablets there and then. Well while running up and down the City with a swollen ankle, I noticed the dove's nest above the picture of the Annunciation had a baby dove in it.

Baby dove 

Afternoon I had class (all our schools are closed for the solemnity but not some countries) and immediately after I had to rush to M. Teresa's convent to meet their provincial and discuss some important matters. News of their sisters escaping Houdeidah in Yemen is horrific, and the bombings in Iraq have affected their sisters there as well.

Anyway the strange summer rain continued this morning. The wind was cold and damp and the sky was very cloudy. Tel Aviv was flooded again and the govt. warned hikers in the desert to abandon their plans as flash floods are expected and they are very dangerous.  https://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=446611

Meantime the implosion continues as jews and arabs go to cool off in the natural springs and pools in the Judean hills. Only this time the ultra-orthodox go there as well in swarms for their ritual bath. They have started chasing way other people and especially women. Now a group of jewish women and secular groups are fighting back and planning to group at these pools and prevent the ultra-orthodox from controlling these public places.   https://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=446707

And Jerusalem's municipality workers will go on strike on the 27th if they demands for pay are not met. That is bad news ... not just the rubbish gathering at street corners, stinking and lots of flies and rats ... but other services will also be affected.  https://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=446705