Mass in the Tomb

Mass inside the Empty Tomb

It was a difficult moment this morning when I found out I had to celebrate Mass at the Ivrea convent at 6am but another Mass at 7am in the Holy Sepulchre for the filipino community from Jaffa. It's one and a half kms apart ... and I only have 15 mins to get from one place to another. Luckily at the last minute I found our Indonesian student who was able to go to the Ivrea convent so I could go to the Holy Sepulchre in time.

The weather was still cold and the sky dark when I walked out to the Holy Sepulchre. My student Pushpa who is now a deacon came to help me. We started Mass without the filipino group because they were late and in the Empty Tomb, Mass is restricted only within that half hour. Anyway I prayed for you all. The group arrived only at offertory time.

Altar piece of the Empty Tomb

Consternation this morning as reports flow in saying Israel bombed Damascus again. Many military depots were destroyed. We're not sure if there will be retaliation ... we're all just waiting tonight to see what will happen. But down south there were also riots at the Gaza border with one arab killed. I'm surprised they rioted in this bitter cold. They must be really desperate ... or Hamas must be twisting their arms to do it. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5445112,00.html?fbclid=IwAR3NlE3OfOY9HJT9YqiJ3JtX9K0-qz5aWnDzVxg7IbGy7QjV0FGl6-ZmETE

Meantime Israel opened a road only for israelis. Arabs must use the old road. Cries of apartheid are heard on the left wing and foreign press. Well this isn't the first and it won't be the last road to be built.  https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-apartheid-on-the-roads-1.6829222?fbclid=IwAR3rCFOVkN96wNLwMbzBmLimnXbq6DTnVESuMEic-0dPD7ENpwTHnBgFiCo

In the northern city of Haifa there were riots and scuffles with police as christians protested against an exhibit at the Haifa Museum depicting Ronald MacDonald crucified on a cross. Even the controversial rightwing Ministrer of Culture called for the exhibit to be removed ... but the Museum will not budge. If it were a figure of Muhammad, you can be sure a war would have started and the museum would have shut down that exhibition. And if it were jewish ... the organisers of the exhibition would be in jail for antisemitism.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-christians-in-violent-clash-with-police-in-haifa-over-mcjesus-sculpture/

And finally epic apocalypse ... the sacred Mosque in Mecca was swarmed by a plague of locusts. You should see the photos.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/meccas-grand-mosque-plagued-by-swarm-of-locusts/?fbclid=IwAR27AbRUDZ3ZiLqlYBF1R96SBiCJA9zYlS2m7X47MEZbPkrfEo3IxBE6M5Q