Presentation feast

Crowds outside Damascus Gate

It's the feast of the Presentation ... and the Church celebrates religious and consecrated persons. Jerusalem based religious gathered at our St. Saviour monastery with our bishops and they had a small prayer service in our courtyard before proceeding to the parish church for solemn Mass. I would have preferred it to be celebrated at the ancient Temple steps south of the Temple Mount where it actually took place: where Mary brought the baby Jesus to be offered in the Temple and where Simeon and Anna met them and prophesied to them.

The weather continues to be bright and shiny ... which means summer will be nice and hot. But the winds are still cold. Almond trees are blooming wildly ... and it's a spectacular sight. More people are out today ... Sabbath ... because of the weather and the Old City was very crowded with local jews and arabs. Tourists though are lessening ... which is typical of February. There were no extraordinary security measures. What a relief!!

Inside Damascus
Gate

I am sure the air in Jerusalem is very polluted because once I'm out of the City, my wheezing and coughing stops. Maybe it's time for me to move out.

No remarkable news from the northern or southern border. That's good news. It would make celebrating the Chinese New Year a lot more joyful. As usual the chinese religious and priests will gather for a reunion dinner but this year we won't celebrate a Mass on the New Year as most of us are too busy with work. For some it will be the first New Year away from home.

Tomorrow I have to go back to Nablus to celebrate Mass as the nuns there have no priest. The parish priest is away on retreat and the nuns didn't have Mass almost all week. Also I have a lot of canned food and clothes donated by many people for the poor. They amount to over 15 boxes and sacks. I'll need someone to help me carry them.