Nablus visit

Traffic jam in Nablus city centre 

Yesterday was another very busy day. I had woken up at 2am to finish a translation job so I could be free during the day to do other urgent chores. Managed to finish the translation by 9am and then it was a rush to Nablus 60 km north of Israel. because it's in Palestine, there's need to pass through checkpoints ... and there the traffic jam can be horrendous. Then once inside Nablus city, the traffic at the city centre was even worse. All in all it took almost 1 hr and 40 minutes to reach the MC convent. Nablus by the way is ancient Sebastiya and eve more ancient Shechem where Joseph 11th son of Jacob is buried, and where Jesus met the Samaritan woman by the well.

Once there we had to carry all the donated food to the convent and then celebrate Mass for the sisters who have no priest. The sisters there care for some 20 handicapped and sick women from all around the West Bank. After that it was another quick rush back to Jerusalem where I had to do another translation job for 2 hours. Then it was bible conference and confessions with the MC sisters in Jerusalem. Ended by 8.30pm and I was ready to sleep without dinner. Simply too exhausting.

Fresh fruit for sale in Nablus

This morning was we had solemn Mass at the Armenian Catholic church ... solemn because today both armenian seminarians came and they chanted the creed for the first time. Everything was sung and the readings were all in armenian ... another first. For the past 2 Sundays, we've also been visiting families and blessing their homes. The families love it especially because they have not had their homes blessed for almost 20 years ... because they have no resident priest. I hope to visit a few more families during this Christmas period.

There's a good article on one of our friars who works in Syria ... a true hero. Read it  https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-12/the-franciscan-who-stayed-in-war-torn-syria.html?fbclid=IwAR2JSEePq5eFMoN3RYDk47FiZHlKCEhrUUTqG-LjbO2OSw920Nxbea3MvGw

Armed police are all over our neighbourhood, behind our house. I think it's our neighbour again ... he's very violent and is in and out of jail regularly. He must have caused some trouble again and the police are watching him. 3 weeks ago he started a fight with another neighbour ... so violent that the police had to close the road and make arrests. That's the environment I live in.