Summer heat

Engraved gable

The weather is truly summer ... but like August heat in July. It's only 32 degrees but it feels like 40. Having to walk up to the New City to do a chore at 5pm is the ultimate penance this week. The body is screaming "I can't do it" but the mind is saying "There's a job to do". I really like summer ... like at the beach or having a drink in the shade or sleeping in an aircon room!!!!! But we're in Jerusalem and the reality is we have to walk and work in this heat.

One thing good though ... there'll be less violence in the streets. Like every year, the heat is so intense, no one bothers to go out and cause trouble. However I'm worried for the poor syrian refugees at the northern border. Without shade and water, many will die from heatstroke. Let's hope international aid will come to supply these necessities to them.

Locally the nurses and doctors and other medical attendants have gone on strike over violence against them. There 's been an alarming increase of patients or families attacking medical staff. This is awful. I wonder why security hasn't done anything to protect our health workers. It's such a shame because they are overworked and give so much but in return they become victims of mad patients or violent family members very low on EQ.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/nurses-hold-nationwide-strike-to-protest-violence-against-medical-staff/

Meantime an uproar is starting when the newspapers reported that a jew who killed an ethiopian, thinking he was a terrorist, got only community service plus 2000 shekel fine. Unbelievable. Anyone else would have been thrown into jail for manslaughter or murder. It's outrageous ...
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-handed-community-service-for-lynching-migrant-mistaken-for-terrorist/

Archbishop with ordinands in the
grotto of the Annunciation

Anyway I passed by the place where the stone masons were working on the gable. It's almost finished ... in less than 24 hours. Very beautiful. And here's a photo of last Saturday's ordination of our 12 deacons and 2 priests at Nazareth.