Eve

Damascus Gate decked for Ramadan

Another busy day today. The change of weather made sleep impossible. From 4 degree nights, it turned to 18 degrees last night. Too hot and kept me awake. I barely slept 3 hours. Then day work started before dawn and I've not stopped till now at 8pm.

As I reached home at my front door, I met 2 Israeli security friends on duty at the Western Tunnel exit. We chatted for a long time ... over an hour. It was good. We talked a lot of history. Will miss both of them as they're leaving this job tomorrow ...  though they promised they'd return to visit me as civilians. That would be nice.

Palm Plaza lighted

It's the eve of Holocaust remembrance day in Israel. It starts at sunset and a siren will sound at 8pm. Tomorrow morning another siren will sound at 10am. It will be a day of national mourning ... but not for all. Ultra-orthodox jews refuse to celebrate it ... they believe the 6 million jews killed by the nazis were justly punished for their sins. It usually draws anger from mainstream jews and criticism from politicians. We christians on the other hand also commemorate the day with added memories of our martyrs of nazism such as St. Edith Stein, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Titus Brandsma etc...

Next week begins Ramadan and the Muslim Quarter is preparing for it by decking the streets with lots of lights. Damascus Gate was lighted up last night and so was Palm Plaza. Our street too is decked with many rows of lights but this is financed privately by the residents and not by the Municipality. I look forward to the evenings when all types of arab food and desserts are sold in the streets. Will try some of it. However the noise of the crowds will keep us awake till 3am. That I don't look forward to.

Back to school

Easter sunset at Musrara market

It's Monday and back to routine. School has restarted but exams are soon round the corner so students have begun cramming. I slept only 3 hours last night as I was nervous about oversleeping and missing class at the morning. I had to postpone my Mass with the elderly nuns at the Ivrea Convent at 6am as class would just have ended and I can't reach the convent 1km away in 1 minute. Postponed it to evening at 5.30pm and then I received a message from the Archbishop who wanted to see me at 5pm. I had to find another student to substitute me for the Mass. What a clash of busy schedules on Monday. I must have been very very tired because at 2pm while writing I fell asleep. Woke up to find a half written message. Anyway finished an afternoon class and rushed off for the meeting with the Archbishop. Now back in my office feeling hungry but not really wanting to eat.

On Holy Week which coincided with Jewish Passover, we had an invasion of locusts not unlike the biblical epic account. Today we have an invasion of huge black beetles. At the Patriarchate while waiting for the Archbishop there were numerous beetles flying and crawling around.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/beetles-invade-israel-but-ministry-says-to-let-them-be/?fbclid=IwAR3G52H8sjFYgyAygPGDPywe4d8NIo5MuUng_xB9rZd5vJV5HBGe62HbUO0

Easter eggs/buns

I bought some traditional greek easter buns and eggs which were being sold in the streets of the Christian Quarter. Gave them to some first comers who don't know of this tradition. It's a nice treat ... a little something different from our routine.

Now its time to recover from this first day of over-scheduled work and catch up with some sleep. We'll see if the beetles will leave us during the night or the invasion get worse. By the way the plague of measles is terrifying many people here. The outbreak is caused by communities who refused to be vaccinated. Now one air stewardess is in a coma with measles because an infected person was onboard a flight to Israel from New York. People here are now told to avoid crowds especially with ultra-orthodox jews because they refuse to be vaccinated.

Easter Sunday

Holy Fire spreading from the Empty
Tomb (photo from FB)

It's Easter Sunday for the Orthodox Churches ... and those who don't know these Eastern Churches will find it strange that it's totally quiet and unfestive. It's a total anticlimax after 40 days of Lent and an intensive Great Week (as they call Holy Week). But that's how they celebrate Easter ... the high point is the Holy Fire on Saturday afternoon and after that it's life as normal.

It was just as well for us. The streets are again passable with normal traffic. Shops are again open. The tension of road blocakages and extensive police presence is lightened. But not totally. Next week Ramadan begins and there are fears of muslim riots and agitation so the police are not relaxing their vigilance. And rightly so. Then there is Holocaust Day on May 1st and Memorial Day on May 7 and Independence Day on May 8. The coincidences of muslim and Israeli feast days will once again require intensive military vigilance.

Holy Fire from the Empty Tomb
(photo from FB)

I had the Armenian Mass this morning and fortunately one of our armenian seminarians was free to help me. It's not possible to celebrate alone with all the singing and responses. After that I thought of going for a walk in the New City but I felt very tired so I went home instead.

Tomorrow school reopens and the routine of work restarts. Not that it's anything exceptional as I've been working all through Holy Week and Easter Week as well. I've not had even a half day off so school restarting is just a name for an unending routine.

Holy Fire

Immense crowd at New Gate

If yesterday was bad .... today was triple bad. All streets and alleys leading into the Christian Quarter were closed off. No exceptions. The only way I could get to my office was walking outside the City and entering from New Gate. But I knew New Gate was equally closed. Thought I'd give it a try because I had to preach a retreat. When I reached New Gate, it was exactly as I had feared. Thousands of Orthodox pilgrims cramming at the police blockade  ... haggling to enter the Old City despite an enormous sign saying all pilgrims should use Jaffa Gate to enter. The orthodox were either illiterate or they simply ignored the sign. Anyway no one got in. I squeezed through the crowd and showed my ID to the military police. One of the officers further inside the Gate saw me waving my ID and shouted orders to let me in. Lucky me.

Orthodox christians and tourists jam
Damascus Gate to a standstill

Going home at noon was another worry. I knew I could get out from New Gate but where could I re-enter the City in order to reach home? Squeezing through the crowd to exit New Gate I decided to try Herod's Gate since Damascus was stuck with human traffic. The Copts, Ethiopians and Russians jammed the streets inside the Gate ... and Jews were still trying to enter for their Sabbath prayers at the Wailing Wall and the Muslims to the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Well I must confess one thing ... the police did a fantastic job. Yes the closures are a bother but it's necessary for crowd control and the safety of everyone. The police were very patient and courteous ... no shouting, shoving like in previous years. Kudos to them!

Crowd spilling onto the tram tracks
and into the road

Anyway the mysterious Holy Fire descended inside the Empty Tomb at 2.30pm and the Patriarchs carried the fire out to be shared to all the orthodox faithful. Then almost as quickly as it started, it ended. Everyone ran back to their hotels and packed their luggage and left for the airport. The City became deadly quietly and happily tranquil again in a matter of minutes! The Orthodox Church do not celebrate the resurrection of Christ as we do but rather focus on the Holy Fire ... which is neither biblical or logical. Anyway not my business.

Really bad news this afternoon : muslims in Ramallah attacked a christian village, terrorising them with live firing and stone throwing. Palestinian police came only 3 hours later. Apparently the attack was instigated by a high ranking Palestinian official of the area to intimidate a christian who accused him of something or other. It's no longer in Sri Lanka ... the terror of christian presecution has entered our own backdoor.  https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Gunmen-attack-Christians-near-Ramallah-after-dispute-involving-PA-official-588010?fbclid=IwAR3OhlOcDnR2-LD3FmUWaEWnzyqyScS6vQwvqfhIJfPDp_uUAv0xm7b04zw

Friday nightmare

Street closure today

Today was the dreaded day ... the Orthodox celebrate their Good Friday. Our area was packed by the Copts and Ethiopians. No offence meant but truth be said ... they are the most unruly crowd ever. Even while I was celebrating mass at 6.30am with our community and congregation, a group of ethiopic women walked in right up to the sanctuary and started chatting and taking photos like we never existed. Then later a coptic man walked in browsed around like a museum while we were preparing for communion. Minutes later after Mass ended, thousands came shouting, talking, eating ... utterly unbelievable. Flower vase were broken and anything that could be removed was taken away as souvenirs.

Luckily the police stepped in at 9am. Streets were blocked and groups were allowed to forward only after another group moved on. By staggering the movement of massive groups, the police prevented a crush. Mind you the crowds were massive, not merely because of the orthodox feast but it's also the last day of the jewish Passover and Muslim Friday prayers. All 3 groups use the same streets to get to their respectively places of prayer. The Police did a great job.

More closures

I however was caught in the closure. I had rushed off to my other office 1km away hoping to miss the closure but on my way back the police won't allow me to cross the blockade. It was only after 10 mins that the go-ahead was given and I could go home. Still I appreciated it because it prevented me from being trampled by the hoards of copts blocking our entrance and courtyard.

The rest of the day was spent in the kitchen. Our cook was alone because our sisters went on an excursion to Caesarea Maritima. I helped prepare the salad and breaded the fish. But I couldn't eat lunch as I had a class. After class I worked in the library and attempted to go out to buy some arab pancakes for my community. The streets at 4.30pm was a lot quieter ... by that I mean several hundred orthodox pilgrims instead of thousands. Then I helped prepare dinner. Now I am exhausted.

At 3pm the Greek Orthodox at the Holy Sepulchre began tolling the death knell. It will continue till tomorrow at 2pm when the Holy Fier descends in the Empty Tomb. Will tell you more about it tomorrow.

Easter Week

Hailstones in our
backyard

It's Easter week and unbelievably it's already Thursday and I haven't had time to update my blog. Emmaus Monday was no holiday for me while the rest of the local Church was. They had gone to Emmaus-Qubeibeh for solemn Mass with the Custos and the blessing of bread. I on the other hand had to work because the workers had come to install a new elevator in the library. Then when they left at 3pm I had to rush to 3 meetings ... which turned out to be only 2 because another meeting was due on Tuesday but I confused the dates. Anyway everyone ... and everyone agreed that Easter Monday was the coldest day ever in this decade even though meteorological stations say it was 6 degrees. It definitely felt below zero degrees. It rained hailstones twice and in the north of the country, snow fell again. It's the first time in over 20 years snow has fallen in April.

And it was also the morning in which the jewish priests came to bless the jewish people. They do it twice a year ... on the 3rd day of Passover and Sukkoth. The western half of the City was locked down. No traffic passed. Security helicopters flew overhead. Police were everywhere in the Old City. Some 10,000 people attended the blessing.

Capuchin superior celebrating his
anniversary

On Easter Tuesday it was another day of work and meetings. My left ankle is little swollen and it hurts to walk but there was work to do. In the evening I was invited for dinner at the Capuchin house as the superior was celebrating his 20th anniversary of ordination. A nice group of religious friends were invited ... mainly tamils from the salesians and other sisters' congregations. It was a nice simple dinner and we learned more about him as he shared his life story with us. 

Bombscare at Light Rail station

Easter Wednesday was tense. The light rail station at Damascus Gate was locked down.  So was the carpark adjacent to it. A bomb squad arrived. Crowds were moved far away and passengers were evacuated. It reminded me of the 2 Intifadas and the bombs. Awful. More police presence in and around the Old City, more top-and-search in the streets. I felt very uncomfortable. I had to work as usual so I had to walk up and down the City for work. Felt so exhausted as there were datelines to be met. Every night I just look forward to sleep.

Today we read of riots in the jewish ultra-orthodox neighbourhood. They were protesting against mandatory military service and attacked an Israeli soldier (whom they view as traitors) and hurled stones at police, almost injuring a baby nearby. This morning one ultra-orthodox man was arrested. The implosion is more dangerous to the country than an external enemy. We've seen all this 2000 years when the Romans invaded Jerusalem because the jews were fighting among themselves.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ultra-orthodox-hurl-stones-at-soldier-in-jerusalem-nearly-hit-baby/?fbclid=IwAR1IOkVM_roSYBJD9H9oH3FH74voGnh0qbotpdjofCvFxtuKj02hh9rAOYQ

and

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Soldier-attacked-by-Haredis-in-Jerusalem-rescued-by-Police-587781?fbclid=IwAR1w5sW-kfeNTJzde7cKC-NONOcM9gdJ333rsno1VvxFka1zsvqc2fdH7wA

Easter Sunday

Procession around the Empty Tomb
on Easter Sunday

I got home at 1am from the Easter Vigil in Jaffa and had been working all morning ... had Mass at 7am and then cleaned my room and helped in the kitchen and blessed the food for lunch. At 4am as I was awake, I decided to go to the 24 hr bakery and buy fresh bread for Easter breakfast. It was a lovely walk ... cold but crispy. I managed to get quite a variety of bread for a mere 18 shekels. The rest of the guys enjoyed it ... since all our bread are defrosted from the freezer. On the way back from the bakery, there were 3 ethiopic women rushing to the Holy Sepulchre. I immediately thought of the 3 Marys rushing to the Empty Tomb on Easter dawn and snapped a photo. Very coincidental.

The 3 "Marys"

AT the Holy Sepulchre the Archbishop celebrated the Easter morning Mass. The basilica was packed because the Orthodox are celebrating Palm Sunday. Both Churches had simultaneous celebrations, each giving way to the other when space was crossed. Very interesting but confusing for first time visitors. When we celebrate the Ascension, the Orthodox will celebrate Easter and the jews will celebrate the last day of Passover. I've been told that the Christian Quarter will be locked down on that day.

The weather has swung back to bitterly cold winter. Today was 8 degrees but it felt like 4 degrees. Hail fell several times today and then there was heavy shower ... not drizzle. And the wind was very very gusty. It was so cold the northern Golan snowed and roads had to be closed. It's the first time in over 22 years that snow fell in April. Well on one hand we really need this rain after a 15 year drought ... but it's quite inconvenient to go out when the streets are very slippery and no amount of raincoats can keep you dry.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5497582,00.html?fbclid=IwAR26K016cJanrfh812pSERRExLVCQ84EgsU3ZV1W8E8s8CeX7WOHlRs1e_w

The talk that's overtaking all else is the dreadful bombing of 3 catholic churches in Sri Lanka this morning ... one of which is a franciscan church. Over 150 people have been killed. Utterly despicable and cowardly. The persecution of the Church is worldwide but sadly no one wants to be aware of it. This indifference is a greater danger than the persecution itself. The Church will surely diminish in these attacks while everyone ... including christians ... close their eyes. The Easter message becomes so helpless.

Holy Saturday

The statue is laid in the Tomb

Holy Saturday was an extremely busy morning. Altars had to be prepared, Easter candles and giant candle stands, wood had to be prepared for the bonfire, water urns for the blessing .... then there was crowd control ... utter chaos as hundreds of Coptic christians came for their Palm Sunday. They talk at the top of their voices, eat inside churches and take whatever their hands can lay on: from flowers and candles to books and pictures. We have to watch, wen and chase after people the whole day.

Meantime in the Holy Sepulchre basilica, the ancient ritual of bringing the statue of the dead Christ down from Calvary, anointed with perfumes and laid in the Tomb was re-enacted with precision as dictated by the Status Quo laws. It's a stunning experience especially when you realise it all took place here 2000 years ago. Traditionally we recall the harrowing of hell ... when Christ broke the gates of Sheol and brought the Old Testament righteous up to heaven.

Anointing the statue with myrrh

In the afternoon I helped in the Konkani Mass. There were over 2000 konkanis present ... and 4 baby baptisms. The Mass lasted over 3 hours. Luckily the weather was sunny at best, cloudy at worst. The wind was very cold though and since Mass was held in the open-air. After the Konkani Mass I had 20 minutes to run to another church to celebrate the English Mass. It was very evocative - the darkness, the lighted Easter candle, the incense, singing and blessing of water. We had 7 readings and I preached the sermon. It typically lasted for 7 minutes. Nevertheless the Mass ended only 2 hours 25 mins later.

This year jewish religious extremists again tried to sacrifice a lamb near the Al Aqsa mosque where they believed once stood the jewish Temple. It's forbidden by law and by religious authority. People who filmed this extreme sect doing it were instead arrested by police and footage confiscated ... while the perpetrators of civil and jewish laws were allowed to go free.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-police-detain-journalists-documenting-temple-mount-activists-confiscate-equipment-1.7138775?fbclid=IwAR0pudXM87tgPIWpYtVB-q8-rmmG6P_J6qHhZldXk37K3kBdDCVPiDHXnyc

Good Friday

Crowds at the Way of the Cross

Thousands flocked to make the Way of the Cross this morning in Jerusalem. There was hardly any space to walk as groups jostled with each other while praying and carrying crosses. At the junction between the 3rd Station and the 5th Station, muslims going to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque an jews beginning to celebrate the Passover prays at the Wailing Wall crossed paths. There's no place in Israel more crowded than this small 120 sq m. of street.

Preparing the statue
for procession

In the afternoon at 3pm all the churches in the Holy Land read the Passion of Christ according to John's Gospel. Crosses were venerated and communion was distributed before leaving the churches in silence. I was at our parish in Jaffa for this celebration. And it was very solemn. Celebrating the liturgy with the parish community is very special ... instead of just our small community go friars. The sense of church united in faith becomes tangible. And this unity was wonderfully manifest last night at the celebration of the Lord's Supper in our parish when our friars from the byzantine, ethiopic and gyro-malabar traditions joined in. And the Mass was celebrated in hebrew ... the local language of the parish.

Priests of the byzantine, ethiopic,
roman and malabar rites at Mass

As the sun sets and our liturgies end, the jews begin their passover meal. One thing is sure ... the streets and highways in Israel will be very quiet tomorrow. No work is allowed .... including driving.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/pilgrims-mark-good-friday-in-jerusalem-as-passover-and-easter-converge/?fbclid=IwAR0CSVBLFB_I082-DEgLWkTw6EGE62-_fB63-g-Kxs-15P1m8Up6CopYi-8

And a little storm is stirring in the teacup of hospitals because rabbis have forbidden bread or anything leaven to be eaten in there ... even for non-jewish doctors, staff and patients. Most hospitals refuse to obey it.  https://www.janglo.net/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&page=display&catid=99&tid=465274&Itemid=0&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Maundy Thursday

Wild barley ripening by the road

It's Maundy Thursday and in the Holy Sepulchre basilica, the Chrism Mass is celebrated together with the Lord's Supper. The Mass lasts for 3 hours in front of the Empty Tomb. All the Catholic bishops will be present and as many priests as possible. Few people actually know this but the olive oil used at the Chrism Mass come from the olives gathered from the ancient thousand-year-old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. It's then mixed with myrrh and nard before being blessed by the bishops and priests at the Chrism Mass.

Barley and bread

Traditionally on Maundy Thursday we recall Christ eating the Passover meal with his apostles ... at least according to Matthew, Mark and Luke's gospels. That means eating the passover lamb and unlearn bread. Too often we ignore the unlearn bread feast (which is celebrated for 8 days) in favour of the passover lamb (celebrated for one day only) because the lamb has been associated with Christ's death. That's a great mistake ... because it was bread that Jesus took to bless and consecrate as his body, not the piece of lamb. This feast of the unleavened bread is actually the celebration of the barley harvest. Barley is ground and made into unleavened bread because wheat matures and is harvested only 50 days later.

Barley is a hardy cereal and grows in every corner. It is so common it's the poor man's common meal. It is the first fruit of the land to be harvested after winter. According to jewish tradition in the Torah, the first bundle of barley harvested on Passover must be offered to God. This becomes the symbol of Christ ... the first fruit of the resurrection. It becomes the Eucharistic Bread. Barley is the symbol of the poor and oppressed. The symbol of barley is very powerful but too bad it's forgotten in favour of the lamb. Nobody consecrates a piece of lamb during Mass to commemorate the Last Supper ... but unleavened bread. So think about that.

While people around the world bewail the burning of the Notre Dame, I cannot but think of other tragedies that cost human lives and have never been financed: 4900 babies dying in Gaza every year; christians killed and persecuted in Iraq and Syria and Africa; 100s of palestinian homes destroyed and families evacuated in order for jews to takeover the land .... all these are human lives and tragedies worse than burning timber and cracked stone.

 Christ did't die for a building ... he died for human lives.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-police-begin-demolishing-palestinian-homes-in-east-jerusalem-neighborhood-1.7134693?fbclid=IwAR3REJRvo5cvy9yrH6O87I-JcfAPUUsqhsQLyYGuF0WHDq31xvFoqivcgXs
and
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5495872,00.html?fbclid=IwAR0DTFpzZelvuwVwE1lneYdoie5yCYkUS_UrW1h7TN9xU41tqYYl8Ojszn8

Holy Wednesday

Venerating the Column

Holy Wednesday is usually celebrate here with the veneration of the Column of the Flagellation. The daily procession in the Holy Sepulchre takes place in the morning and ends at the Column of the Flagellation ... a red marble column where tradition says Jesus was tied to and whipped before being made to carry the Cross. The column is broken. Part of it is in Malta and here we hold the other piece. It's a unique ritual that takes place nowhere else in the world.

Meanwhile everyone else is busy preparing churches and chapels for tomorrow's Lord's Supper and the Washing of Feet and the removal of the Blessed Sacrament. Florists are making a fortune selling flowers by the kilos.

Procession at the Stone
of the Unction below Calvary

Meantime I'm awed by the coincidences of calendars. Tomorrow we celebrate Christ's Last Supper ... meaning the traditional passover lamb should have been killed in the late afternoon and eaten in the evening. This follows Matthew, Mark and Luke's Gospels. And this year it coincides with the Samaritan Passover as they will kill and eat the passover lambs when we celebrate the Lord's Supper.

On Good Friday when we celebrate Christ's death at 3pm, John's Gospel records that it was the same time as the killing of the passover lambs. According to John, Jesus didn't eat the Passover meal since he died before the lambs were cooked and eaten. This year it coincides with the jewish Passover but since they no longer have a Temple and altar, they do not slaughter the lambs. However when they eat their Passover meal on Friday evening, we celebrate the burying of Jesus.

I'm leaving for our parish in Jaffa this evening as there's a shortage of english-speaking priests to serve the filipino, indian, asian expat communities in the 5 surrounding cities. I was asked to help for the Triduum.

Holy Tuesday

Bringing donations to Nablus

The weather was not what was forecast. Though it began cloudy, it turned very sunny and bright by midmorning. My trip to Nablus was thoroughly enjoyable. I had to bring sacks of clothes and many boxes of canned and dried food to the MC sisters for the poor. The donation was so much I had to hire a minivan to carry all the stuff there. I thought it was good the poor have some food and new clothes for Easter ... and they are very grateful.

The Samaritan
Museum

I was lucky several seminarians and their Master came along to help me. I wouldn't have been able to do it by myself. We also visited Jacob's well and ancient Shechem along the way. The MC sisters cooked lunch for us which was very nice of them. Then we visited Mt. Gerizim and the Samaritan community. They will be celebrating their Passover this Thursday which coincides with out Last Supper on Holy Thursday. We met a samaritan priest and visited the Samaritan museum where the history and culture of the Samaritans were explained to us.

On our way back we made a stop at the only surviving christian village in Israel/Palestine ... Taybe or ancient Ephraim. Jesus hid here for a week before going to Bethany and riding a donkey down on Palm Sunday. There was a funeral going on and we entered the church once the coffin was carried to the cemetery.

This morning fire broke at the Al Aqsa mosque ... hours after the Notre Dame cathedral was on fire. For sure it was arson but we're not sure who yet. The Muslim administrators think it was due to muslim children playing with fire. https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Fire-breaks-out-near-mosque-on-Temple-Mount-586985?fbclid=IwAR2TG8pcz3buqGGz7y2pAXht6BEmYXOcHT74-JoxNfCMTMYAxndxmYhy8Vo

Holy Monday

Scouts parade yesterday

Yesterday our catholic scouts did their annual march from St. Stephan's Gate to New Gate (Muslim East Jerusalem to the Christian Quarter). The main road running along the northern City Wall was closed off all afternoon till evening for the procession of palms and scouts parade. It was a very proud moment for catholics as once a year we're allowed to make a public show of our faith and presence. And our scouts and their marching bands and bagpipes are the stars .... no other scout group whether christian orthodox, jewish or muslim, are as well trained.

Thousands at Damascus Gate watch-
ing the parade

About 17 bands from the various parishes and schools around the entire country came to participate. And literally thousands of people, mostly christians, lined the entire route to cheer and photograph the parade. Muslims were also there to watch the parade but the jews avoided it totally. It's idolatry for them to see flags with images and crosses.

Mass at the 5th Station of the Cross

This morning there was Masses at the 5th Station of the Cross chapel. Masses are celebrated there only once a year on Holy Monday and my house is responsible for it. From 6am to 8,30am every half hour a Mass is celebrated in different languages. I was too late to book a Mass so I joined the 7.30am Mass which was celebrated in english. I remembered you all at Mass ... which is a very special place: 5th Station is Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross. Most of you are Simons of Cyrene ... helping the poor in the Holy Land with your kind prayers and donations. St. Simon the Cyrene will intercede for you all.

The warm sunny weather has again changed and it's drizzling with dark gloomy skies. I have to bring food and clothes to the poor in Nablus tomorrow and I really hope it won't rain because the journey will be dangerous. It will be nice for Easter if they had some food and clothes to celebrate. Spoke to soon. It's raining now. Let's hope for the best.

Palm Sunday

Archbishop in procession before
the Empty Tomb

It's Palm Sunday at last. I had already celebrated the Mass at 2.30am and have decided not to join in the procession at 2.30pm .... 12 hours apart. I'm exhausted from yesterday's Lenten rigours and my left ankle is hurting. The younger guys have walked up the Mt. of Olives to Betfage for the start of the procession while older ones wait at Gethsemani for the procession to pass. I stayed in my room so I don't know what's happening below in the streets. There's a hams blowing and I don't like it ... it's the hot, dry desert sandstorm which gusty winds. It affects my asthma ... so it's safest to stay indoors.

my palm cross

The old man who weaves palm fronds into lovely patterns started selling his wares 2 ays ago. He sits in a corner of the Old City street and weaves the palms for people to see. It's quite an art. Since I wasn't going to the procession, I decided to buy a small cross woven from 2 palm leaves instead. It's enough for me.

Tomorrow is Holy Monday and Masses will be celebrated at the 5th Station "Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carries the Cross". Masses are celebrated there only once a year. I'm not sure if I will join in.

I'll rest for the rest of the day. This week is going to be gruelling as the liturgies intensify.

Eve of Palm Sunday

Saturday afternoon
procession

Holy Week is upon us. The preliminary feasts of Lazarus' raising and Our Lady of Sorrows mark the end of Lent and tonight we begin Palm Sunday with Vigil. On the eve of Palm Sunday we have a solemn procession inside the Holy Sepulchre Basilica  at 2.30pm ... the usual 40 minute procession now lasts 95 minutes. I decided to join ... though I was exhausted from Mass inside the Empty Tomb at 7.30am and then preaching a retreat from 9.30pm to 12.30pm. It brought back many memories when I was younger and could go up and down the numerous steps from one altar to another, singing the hymns. The basilica was packed with pilgrims and tourists and police and our traditional kawas (dragomans) had to keep them away otherwise they would block and disrupt our procession. It was a madhouse. But that was how it was 28 years ago too.

Vigil procession

I was lucky that in the busy schedule the filipino community of Jaffa came and cooked pancit so I had something to eat for lunch. At 5pm I had 3 simultaneous meetings to attend. Then at 11.45pm I accompanied our indian sisters to the Holy Sepulchre for the Vigil. It was less crowded than the previous 4 Vigils ... mainly because most people want to attend the Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday at 9am. I instead concelebrated the Mass at Mt. Calvary immediately after the Vigil at 2.30am. That was a great relief because the Gospel reading at the normal Palm Sunday Mass is very long and I would not have been able to stand it. At Calvary Mass is restricted to half an hour so the Gospel was specially abbreviated to suit the Status Quo requirements. By then time I got home it was past 3.30am. Useless to sleep as instead I had a very early breakfast and worked through to 6am.

But all in all it was a good experience ... reliving the old times when I was younger and more energetic ... participating in all the processions, liturgies and vigils of Lent. Now I wheeze and cough when the incense is too close by; seminarians bring me a chair whenever the liturgy is too long and I need to sit.

Last Friday of Lent

Roadworks in front of my house

For the past 2 nights, municipality workers were digging up our road and re-paving them with new stone slabs. The jackhammers breaking the ground and electric saws cutting up stones are very loud ... and the diesel machine belches black smoke that choke me. Obviously they want to finish the work by Palm Sunday but there's still quite a stretch undone. The noise and pollution is keeping us all awake for the past 2 nights. Nessun dorma.

Fa Lun Gong at Jaffa Gate

Security was tight today in the Old City as muslims flooded into the Al Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers. Security helicopters have been hovering above since morning till now. Our Way of the Cross is guarded by several police to prevent any attacks from muslims or jews. At Jaffa Gate today where I had to go buy medicine from the pharmacy, there was a small group of Fa Lun Gongers at the corner of street ... all local Israelis speaking hebrew. Well they should be thankful Israel allows them to exist here. At least they don't need police protection like we do.

The tourist crowds are getting more and more, with Orthodox from Slavic countries and Egypt arriving. And jewish pilgrims are also coming in huge groups for the celebration of the Passover. Next week will see crowds from different religions mingling through the 3rd to 5th Stations as that's the crossroads where all 3 religions meet ... either to the Wailing Wall or the Al Aqsa Mosque or the Way of the Cross. That will be interesting to witness.

End of week

Damascus Gate
hawkers

It's Thursday and another weekend begins tomorrow. Students and profs are returning to their countries for Easter and the school will be quiet at least for 2 weeks. It would be a good occasion to rest ... except that I was asked to help with the Easter Triduum at our parish. Well at least I'll be away from the maddening crowds that'll flock our courtyard and streets. I don't need the stress from these tourists. But packing and moving to the parish for 3 days and travelling back is also quite stressful .... well I guess it's the lesser of 2 evils.

Today was another busy day which ended at 7pm after 2 hours of Eucharistic Adoration and bible conference. There was also 50 mins of confessions. Before that I had 2 hrs of class to teach. And before that I was out in the New City for an errand. It's important to do all errands today because tomorrow the Sabbath begins and most shops and offices are closed. Luckily the eastern part of the City does not observe the Sabbath as it's muslim. So we can still get emergency supplies from there.

Accident at arab
bus terminal

This evening I was home for dinner. Rare. I usually finish work late and return at 10pm or 11pm and eat my dinner which is usually cold leftovers. Tonight being Thursday ... we have home-baked pizza. It's a Thursday night tradition. Because of my particular diet, I asked for a simple focaccia and the profs who were baking obliged. It was nice and simple. Salt and olive oil over the dough. Love it ... except others loved it too and I only got one slice while others finished it off. Better luck next time.

The talk about town is now the 5th term of the PM. I am simply too exhausted to follow the news and arguments so I just get second-hand news. Let's see how things will develop before Passover begins next Friday. It coincides with our Good Friday.

Pilgrimage Mass at the Condemnation

Pilgrimage Mass at the Condemnation

It's the 5th Wednesday of Lent and the pilgrimage Mass is at our Condemnation Chapel. It's very small and accommodates about 50 people. SO it's quite crowded and warm inside. Most of the people and clerics are sitting outside the chapel. The pilgrimage Mass is celebrated on every Wednesday of Lent at one of the churches commemorating the suffering of Christ. The Passion of John is sung in 4 parts and the entire Mass is in latin. It lasts at least 1 and a half hours. Next week the commemoration Mass will be at the 5th Station of the Cross .... which opens for Mass only once a year on Holy Monday. From 6am to 8am there are Masses every half hour.

My margaritas in bloom

The weather is fine and summer is surely upon us. My daisies ... we call them margaritas in italian ... are blooming profusely so much that everyone who sees them is astounded. And not so astounding was last night's announcement that the incumbent PM has won the elections. It's going to his 5th term in office ... which makes that 20 years. What scares us is the extreme rightwing coalition that will make up his govt. It will be quite hostile to arabs and non-jews. The left totally lost it ... merely 6 seats of 120 in parliament. The ultra-orthodox have made the greatest gains. We just pray that we'll have peace for the next 4 years ... no more violence, no more deaths.

And talking about violence and deaths ... yesterday ISIS attacked the Sinai peninsular killing 4. The danger of terrorists must never ever be underestimated and we must be on our watch every moment.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEG5cqTaJjs

Holiday

Thick fog at the highway

So it's the 3rd successive  day that I woke up at 3am to do something .. this time it wa to travel to Tel Aviv for my doc appointment. I had to leave at 5am otherwise the traffic would be impossible. Then again today is a national holiday ... being Election Day. The highway was a lot quieter with families waking up late. By 8am I saw crowds lining up at polling stations to cast their vote. Then it was beach time ... thousands took advantage of the sunshine and especially school kids ... the beaches were packed. Other families were shopping in the major thoroughfares of Tel Aviv ... the sidewalks were so crowded, people spilled onto the roads and blocked traffic. Quite annoying ... except that it is after all a holiday ... so after a few curses by drivers, things moved on. Public transport between cities today are free of charge ... so people can go to vote and also enjoy the holiday. I rather liked that.

However the early morning ride to the city was dangerous because of a very thick fog that enveloped the highway 20 kms away from Tel Aviv. Visibility was down to 3 metres ahead. I have never seen anything like this before.

Holiday crowd at Allenby Road

The checkup was good and the doc was pleased ... she said it's no problem. Then she corrected herself and said it's a problem but it's a solvable problem. Just need to make more tests to figure what treatment is applicable. I was quite pleased. After that I took a walk along the beach and bought some chinese food at the fantastic Peking Duck restaurant. It was still early and no clients arrived yet s I was the first. The 2 shanghainese cooks came to speak with me. Anyway I remembered I have to keep a vegetarian diet ... and the doc said this morning that I must also cut down on sugar and carbohydrates. Looks like I can only eat air ... and even that is polluted.

Police were everywhere ... not just in Jerusalem but also Tel Aviv ... which is very rare. They were at the beaches and roads with restaurants and shopping malls. The borders with Palestine were all closed for 24 hours. All the tensions will die down by this evening ... but tensions will rise within the Israeli side of the border when the votes are counted tonight.

Last week of Lent

Procession around
the Empty Tomb

I did go to the Lenten Vigil on Sunday at midnight and prayed for you all. The psalms were shorter this week but the readings from St. Augustine of Hippo and the Letter to the Hebrews were much longer. I decided to go up to the gallery and watch the procession around the Empty Tomb instead of joining in. It's a spectacular view and the pipes of the organ and up there so it's thunderous. I managed to take several nice photos of the procession.

It was a tiring day in all because I walked up to the Holy Sepulcher on Saturday at 11.45pm and the Vigil and Mass ended only at 2.30am. By the time I reached home it was 3am and I had to prepare my homily for the Armenian Mass at 9am. I had to go early to the Armenian Catholic church because I had no one to help me that day. My armenian seminarians and organists could not make it and the PDDM sisters had left their service ... so I had to prepare the altar, lights, microphones, books ... everything by myself. After the Mass I cleaned my room and then went out for a walk. It was such a lovely sunny day to waste it staying in the room. I walked to the Mamilla Muslim cemetery where the wild flowers were blooming profusely. There were especially numerous the wild barley and oats. I harvested quite alot of the barley to decorate our altars. The Feast of Unleavened Bread which falls on the same day as the feast of Passover, uses barley to make the unleavened bread. We usually harvest the wild barley to offer on our altars and they look spectacular.

Vase of barley on
Mary's altar

Then I had a short meeting with a student and then a dinner meeting with a professor before returning home to sleep early. That's mainly because I have class at 5am (4am real time) and it was work all through the day. Tomorrow morning I must wake up at 3am again because I must go to the Tel Aviv hospital at 5am for another checkup. That's 3 days in a row I wake up at 3am. It's exhausting. No wonder I lose my memory and get horribly confused. I think I'll move to Jaffa for Holy Week away from the chaos of tourists in our streets and the police blockades that disrupt our daily lives. So yes ... its the last week of Lent and another Holy Week is upon us. The Resurrection is waiting .....

Lenten Vigil

The Empty Tomb at mid-
night for Lenten Vigil

It's the 4th Saturday of Lent and tonight will be the last Vigil at the Holy Sepulchre. The weather is holding up ... cold but cloudy ... no rain ... so I hope to go and pray for all of you from midnight to 3am. I do tire easily so last week the seminarians brought me a chair to sit during the service. And it rained very hard as well so I was caught in the rain and was sick. Tonight should be a lot better.

The past few days I've been feeling drained and tired easily. It's been getting more and more pronounced. And the memory is gone ... I was trying to connect with Toronto at 2.45pm for class but couldn't get through. Late I realised that class was at 3.45pm. Utter confusion. Hope it doesn't get worse or I'll book myself into the infirmary. We did have a good laugh about losing the memory ... the cook and sisters in the kitchen ... the funny things that happen when people lose their memory.

Since I'll be up all night I'm thinking of going to the muslim cemetery tonight (actually morning at 3am) to harvest some barley for decoration of our refectory altar. It's best to harvest it while its cold so it doesn't wither too quickly.

Election fever is hitting the country ... and it's anybody's guess who'll win. Election day is on Tuesday and its a national holiday. However I have an appointment with the doc ... so now I'm not sure if the doc is working or not. I'll need to check it out. Anyway regarding the elections, one thing is clear: the left is in total disarray and this election is all about the right wingers.

News just in ... 10,000 protesters had gathered at the Gaza border. But it didn't affect us in the cities north of Gaza.    https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Over-10000-Palestinians-protest-on-Gaza-border-585932

Quiet Friday

Wild mustard in the muslim cemetery 

Friday passed without major incidents here in the City though security helicopters flew overhead for several hours at noon. I didn't want to stay in the Muslim Quarter because of the crowds of tourists and muslims coming into the City to pray ... so I stayed in my office 1km away till the noonday prayer was underway ... the streets are quieter because most will be in the mosques and tourists will be eating lunch.

Damascus Gate vendors

The weather continues to be cold but sunny. No drizzle at all. The wild flowers are particularly profuse this year because of the rains. Streets, walls ... everywhere is blooming in colourful flowers. The Music Festival ended and right now I can smell someone barbecuing somewhere nearby. The smell of summer. But I feel fatigued and sick. No appetite for food or anything. High fever every night. Yesterday I had a talk with out house doctor. Talked about death and he described his duties when I die. Morbid I guess ... on my birthday ... but I thought it's important to discuss these things while I'm still alive.

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and prayers and gifts. With the relative peace we're having in the City, I'm taking advantage of it and going to sleep early. Tomorrow is the last Lenten Vigil at the Holy Sepulchre and I'll go again and pray for you all.

Festival of Music

Music and light show along the
City Wall

Last night I decided to go see the Music Festival. The weather was cold and there was a blackout along the main road but the crowd was still quite large. However the festival was reduced to one third of its normal size. No concerts inside the Old City. 7 concert locales all along the City Walls .... outside. The massive exhibition was the western wall ... the entire stretch had very loud music blaring and light show synchronised to the music. Jewish performers had their concerts along the south-western to western part of the City walls while the northern section had a couple of concerts ... one which for the first time is totally dedicated to arab performers. It was good to see the arab population included in this festival. It was very crowded and among the crowd were sephardi jews ... those who grew up in arab countries, speak arabic and share arabic culture. It was good to see music uniting the 2 races.

Arab concert at Damascus Gate

This morning I had Mass on Mt. Calvary ... with a few friends in attendance. Some baked brownies for me. Then I bumped into an old classmate from 26 yrs back. We chatted before I rushed home to start work. The 3rd Station sisters gave me a gift which was rally nice of them. Then at my other place of work, the Curia staff had a surprise birthday cake for me. In the afternoon I had english class with my students in a cafe ... they had to learn how to order and pay for food in english. Then it was adoration and confessions at Ml Teresa's convent till 7pm. They gave me a box of chocolate doughnuts. How nice everyone was! At dinner our cook prepared 2 cake to celebrate my birthday and my community was very festive about it. There was even a bottle of champagne.

Well I'm exhausted with work and social obligations for today. Age has caught up. Time to rest.

Wednesday

Xinjiang muslim pilgrims

Though the bad weather has ended and forecast was sunny for today ... it was everything but. The sky remains cloudy and gloomy and slight drizzle fell in the morning. And the wind is still very cold. People are complaining that winter is not going away ... but those who can remember winter 30 yrs back will remember it was a lot colder and lasted a lot longer ... all the way to Holy Week. Anyway the rain is good as the Sea of Galilee has risen in volume.

Tourists are flocking into the Old City in unbelievable numbers ... not just christians but muslims as well. Today there were countless Xinjiang muslims at Damascus Gate ... speaking turkish and mandarin. Holy Week is starting in 10 days and the Jewish Passover falls exactly on our Good Friday. The crowds of christians and jews will be enormous.

Village vendors at Damascus Gate

There was another stabbing attack in Hawara, the town just outside Nablus in Samaria this morning. I think it's the 2nd terrorist attack. That means entry into Nablus will be very difficult as road blocks will be set up all along the way. And jewish settlers will be waiting along the highway stoning arab cars that pass by the way. It's dangerous.

Meantime in Gaza the Hamas govt and terrorist group Jihad have ordered Gaza's to stop violent attacks at the border with Israel. Israel had last week granted concessions by widening the fishing boundaries (many Gazans are fishermen). The checkpoints and borders have reopened and I think some food and medical supplies are permitted to re-enter. That's good news.

It's 4th Wednesday of Lent ... so right now the Lenten pilgrimage celebrates Mass at our Condemnation chapel. There's a small crowd here in attendance with many friars singing solemnly the Passion. I have a high fever since this morning so I'm not going down. Just stay in bed and hope the fever goes away.