Another raining day

Cold and wet this morning

The storm was really bad last night at 11pm with lots of thunder and lightening and strong winds that beat the rain down hard. I decided not to go to the Lenten Vigil at the Holy Sepulchre. Wise decision. Those seminarians who had to go are all sick today. It was 6 degrees but it felt like zero. The storm continued all trough this morning ... and unfortunately I had to run an errand in the New City 2kms away so I went out. Unbelievable that in March, I still saw locals in raincoats and down-jackets ... it was that cold. Only 2 tourists were in shorts and T-shirt ... and they were freezing but trying to look cool.

Israeli-Gaza tensions have eased a lot but within the enclave problems exploded when local Gazans protested against their own govt. run by Hamas for a 3rd day running. Gaza police beat up these protesters and one Gazan burned himself alive in protest because he was evicted from his shop for not paying rent. The people are so poor there's simply no way they can pay for even food or heating. The situation is very bad and the govt. must go. The biggest danger to the Gaza's is not Israel but their own govt.    https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-hamas-forces-clash-with-gazans-protesting-high-cost-of-living-1.7023612?fbclid=IwAR1LOMx9c6zNvRscF8YfLYg0SPYJCx38niTSoXOKCdWetRUxXXq0ncuXC8U

Lots of rain

Sad for the muslims who were attacked and killed in New Zealand. Not to trivialise the situation but we mustn't forget tens of thousands more christians and Yezidis and Mandaeans were crucified and tortured and killed by muslim extremists and no one has remembered this. Yesterday we received news that over 50 churches in France have been burned and vandalised ... but its not in the news ... and no one cares. It's normal now to persecute the Church ...  https://aleteia.org/2019/03/12/vandals-target-french-catholic-churches-in-series-of-attacks/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=english_page&utm_medium=aleteia_en&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3YqRbmKpVrY7L25Mr0DUVQXAcA0Io1H1WWtoeYuSwB0UvaUE9kl-KtkuY#Echobox=1552777310

Meantime news is out that the Palestinians are planning to build a railway line in the West Bank. That should ease traffic, eliminate dangerous driving through the desert hills and valleys ... all very good. But everyone is asking how many years it will take ... with deplorable work attitudes, rampant corruption and shortage of building materials.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5478674,00.html?fbclid=IwAR18sOVooeKI2ic2xBzYoEfwlJKScdCDxlTGVGYqZGpfOXbpG7yKRXod278