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