Retreat day

 Back on the blog again. As you can see I've been up to my neck with work ... no time even to eat. I eat only one meal at 3pm as every hour is packed with some work or other. It's hectic. But I try to get as much work finished as possible and not leave it for tomorrow.

Bethesda Pool archeological
site

Yesterday I had a good break though. Went to next door St. Anne's Church which includes the Bethesda Pool where Jesus healed the paralytic by the pool. The chinese sisters and I and Fr. Abraham our student who's a missionary in Taiwan decided to have a day's retreat.  It was a great place. Despite being inside the Old City and surrounded by muslim houses, the enormous grounds were very silent. Birds chirp and sing among the huge cypress trees, bees buzzing through the rosemary bushes ... even a preying mantis was basking in the sun. We spent the day meditating on the explanations of the Fathers of the Church regarding the healing of the paralytic at this Pool of Bethesda. At 5pm we ended with a Mass ... and it was very dark by then. Using torchlights to get to the main gate, we noticed lots of frogs and toads jumping all over the ground. I've not seen toads and frogs all these 30 years here. It was amazing. I guess it's because of the abundance of water in the pools that's letting these amphibians breed. All in all it was a good refreshing day .... no work, no phones, no computers.

Our Patriarch comes home

Our Patriarch has returned to claim his diocese. It was a very low key affair as corona restrictions don't allow large gatherings. The Patriarch made his solemn entry through Jaffa Gate ... a ritual since Crusader times late in the night. Clerics and lay people had gathered to welcome him ... and tough the police were there, they did not stop the procession. The installation of the Patriarch which usually takes place in the co-cathedral in solemn ceremony was reduced to a reading of the papal decree around a meeting table. The annals of the patriarchate will not let this unusual event go by without photographic and audio/visual testimony.

I'm back in reality ... and even though it's Sunday, I've started work. Another gruelling schedule this week. Need food reinforcement ..... hahahahahahahaha.