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.