St. Stephan Day

Today started with very bright sunshine and even warm ... 18 degrees I think. But by 3pm the temp. began to drop and the sky got very cloudy. A storm is coming tomorrow ... a big one say the forecasters. Well I look forward to that. With my bronchitis still around, I can stay in bed and not work.

The MC Bethlehem chapel

This morning I had to go to Bethlehem and visit the Missionaries of Charity. I had 7 bags of clothes and food for the sisters who care for abandoned, handicapped men. The sisters asked me to celebrate Mass and hear confessions as well so it was only after 2 hours that I was able to leave the town, first visiting the patients in the home and surveying the convent for any needed repairs. The sisters were kind enough to cook some rice and fish for me to bring home. Bro. Leo accompanied me to carry the bags. On our way home, just before crossing the checkpoint, I decided to also pay a visit to the Caritas Baby Hospital and the Franciscan Sisters who manage the institute. This was my first time in 28 years that I've visited this place. It was a pleasant Christmas visit since I preach to the sisters for their monthly recollection days.

Our cook in festive
mood

Well celebrations are taking place in our shrines dedicated to St. Stephen ... the place of the stoning which was once a Franciscan shrine but occupied now by the Greek Orthodox; St. Stephen Basilica where he was buried (today red for by the Dominicans) ... and a late spurious legend at Beit Jamal which says the body of St. Stephen was reburied there (today cared for by the Salesians). Wherever it was, Masses are being celebrated in all these places. Tomorrow is the feast of St. John but there is no church dedicated to St. John nor any of the apostles except St. Peter (2 churches) and St. Bartolomew (in Cana) in the Holy Land.

Volcanoes Krakatau and Edna, at 2 opposite ends of the world ... are exploding at the same time. This is apocalyptic. Everyone here is talking about it. Jewish groups have started sending aid to Indonesia ... remarkable because both countries are official enemy states with no diplomatic relations.  https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Jewish-groups-send-aid-to-Indonesia-as-death-toll-tops-400-575377?fbclid=IwAR3jJMXnFFeLUqguFzWY0M9HEdIfsEAnuGaKBXog34hEwkzzi4HeJXH0Imk

But even more exciting ... for lack of a better word, is Israel's bombing if Syrian sites yesterday, particularly in Damascus.  It was apparently so massive the explosions were felt as far as Israel itself. In response the Syrians fired missiles into Israel but were intercepted by antimissile rangers. Smells like a war has started on our northern border .... thanks to Trump for wanting to pull out the US forces. It's open war now ... free for all. The biggest massacres and genocides will now take place.  https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/syria-says-missiles-intercepted-near-damascus-1.6783667?fbclid=IwAR3Wmw1ad0Nfnw1C68ke1vR0cZVIVse1y77PiT2tjWPOnSkOGBaavR4gaJk