Corpus Christi

Sunrise at Damascus Gate

It's Sunday ... Corpus Christi for us latins but ordinary Sunday for the Oriental churches. I had to preside the solemnity at our chapel at 7am then rushed off to the Armenian Catholic church for the ordinary Sunday Mass. All 3 of my armenian seminarians came as well as 4 Missionary of Africa seminarians. It was the last time 2 of the armenian seminarians will help at Mass because they will be transferred outside of Jerusalem for their one year apostolate experience. However it was a grand Mass because the singing was great ... the responses and readings all in armenian. We'll miss the twin seminarians ... now I just hope the last seminarian will remain long enough to help me in summer. I think there was a celebration at the Last Supper Room.

Altar for Corpus
Christi at the
Holy Sepulchre

Being a feast day, I went out at 5am to the bakery to get fresh bread. There were lots of buns fresh from the oven. I bought 11 ... which should be enough for everyone. And the owner who by now knows me, charged me only 1 shekel each. It should cost between 3 to 5 shekels each. And at breakfast time, all the buns were wiped out. They really like it. Since the docs have all agreed I should be vegetarian, meals have become a nightmare. It's ok having veggies and fruit but absolutely no meat ... not even white meat ... is too much. No more Arab Fried Chicken. That's ultimate torture.

But things could be worse. The escalating tensions between US and Iran is making everyone nervous here. If a war does break out, Iran will surely employ its syrian and lebanese allies to attack Israel. We're all watching carefully. Definitely no AFC if there's a war.

Restorers and archeologists claim they have found an ancient baptismal font inside the present baptismal fount in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Sounds interesting. Photos show a round  gray basin encapsulated by the modern octagonal baptismal fount. I think a round baptismal font is strange for the Byzantine period (the archaeologists claim it's byzantine) because such basins are almost always cross-shaped.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-say-baptismal-font-discovered-at-church-of-the-nativity/?fbclid=IwAR3mH7deWzGBNt8R5GMy3ML19p3HoxoKRzdJPStADPgw10ukTQt8nunn7iw