Food and full moon

Full moon over City walls

After 7 nights of violence and skirmishes, with over a hundred injured, last night some calm was restored. The police removed or allowed the barriers to be removed so the muslim arabs could sit on the steps of Damascus Gate to eat and drink, breaking the daylong fast. There were no clashes or firing of stun grenades and skunk water behind our house. That's a relief because my asthma had been 24 hours a day as chemicals continue to float through the air even after 12 hours. It's also affecting my throat, as every night my throat gets dry and sore. I have to drink almost a liter of water each night to soothe my throat.    https://www.ynetnews.com/article/B1114ADzvd?utm_source=ynetnews.com&fbclid=IwAR1ZTSNhx4nCD6ypfUa6bidcJy646saaW8avOb9BfNzrUfSrcRRlk9bPsUE

Gaza has been shelling Israel for the past 2 nights in support of the clashes. 32 rockets had been fired and it's making everyone nervous. Clashes have spread to Hebron and the Bethehem border in the south, and Qalandya and other villages in the north. Let's hope calm will resume and spread tonight. Meantime a counter-protest by Israelis against rightwing violence took place last night as well. Several hundred people showed up in support. It's a nice gesture but it'll go unheeded. The leftwing has lost all voice and influence in society.  https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/pro-peace-protest-in-jlem-voices-clear-opposition-to-violence-incitement-666236

Break fast food

It's the full moon and the Samaritans celebrated their passover yesterday night. Because of Covid restrictions, not many families attended. But it was recorded and photos have been appearing in social media. A very interesting and ancient ritual of bloody sacrifice ... sheep are killed and eaten. And talking about food, I decided to visit one of the few cooked food shops in Musrara after the fast ended on Saturday night. The cannon still fires to announce the start and end of the fast. In the shop there were trays of rice and meat which people buy by the boxes, usually for the family. Maybe one day I'll try one. The price has gone up by 5 shekels. That makes a pack of rice and meat about US$12 which is pretty expensive.

Major clash

Crowds flee as water cannon
approaches

What a night of violence! From 10.30pm police had begun shooting stun grenades and spraying skunk water at the crowds. Extremist jewish youths came in a crowd of about 400 (as some newspapers claim), and tried to enter the arab side of the City to attack them, shouting "Death to arabs". Arabs retaliated with stones and bottles. Police tried to separate both groups. Hundreds of police and horses and water cannons were employed. And the clash went on until 4am. Our whole neighbourhood stank from the skunk water sprayed by the water cannons.  https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/police-gearing-up-for-far-right-protest-in-jerusalem-666057?fbclid=IwAR2k8kiZ9P1YF9yJz_3VUG8dtrw2-nUZ3uD_h1Iecrg86aBnxyjtNTNbtxY

At 2am my neighbours messaged me saying the jewish group had entered the Old City up to the Austrian Hospice and 3rd Station of the Cross. Apparently the police allowed them to enter and vandalise the arab neighbourhood. I understood one house was partially burnt. It's been the most serious clash we've had in 5 years or so. https://www.timesofisrael.com/dozens-hurt-at-old-city-clash-as-extremist-jews-march-chanting-death-to-arabs/?fbclid=IwAR27YknhjhWGbOpbRxElfGcoT4mU3ME4skjL-p8TaPckTyjj4QlIw7zjmsM

Extremist Jewish youths
waiting in a corner

For sure today the arabs will continue their protest but the Jewish group will not come as it's the beginning of the Sabbath. But tomorrow night after the Sabbath, things may heat up again.

We could not sleep as the clashes went on till 4am. Then the street-cleaning trucks came to wash away the skunk water, but the chemicals floated into the air into our house. It was suffocating. When I went out to work, the streets were filled with police. It was like during the Intifada days. 

Well right now I'm very sleepy but I must finish a written work. Hope I have the energy to do it. My left eye is red and watery ... maybe it's due to the chemicals of the skunk water. I'll have to be careful going out as I could be allergic to them. That may explain why all night I was coughing and suffocating.

Heatwave

Police charge at crowds

It's been 4 days since I last posted ... wow ... I've been exhausted to be honest. Hardly sleeping. One reason is my asthma. We're having a heatwave which peaked at 38 degrees. Dust from the desert was blowing in. It made me very sick. I can't walk 100 m without pain in the chest, lost of breath and dizziness. Doc thinks it could be a heart problem and wants me to get a cardiological test. Well ... I'll see when I can go in. I dread making appointments and waiting in line. Especially in hospitals. I might catch a mutant strain of the Covid.

Mounted police on standby

But the big news is, every night there's been clashes between Israeli police and arab muslims at Damascus Gate.The obvious reason was banning people sitting along the steps of Damascus Gate, everyone has to keep moving. But deeper, it's about the jewish settlers buying over property in Jaffa ... a very arab and christian town. Fear of israeli jews taking over arab towns and cities has led to anger. Arabs have attacked jews as a result. And in response, the extremist jewish group by attacking anything arab. So Jerusalem has become a hornet's nest of revenge attacks ... big scale. Mounted police and water cannons were used yesterday night, with hundreds of police chasing and breaking up crowds. Despite my health situation, I had to go out and catch the adrenalin rush.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-arrest-6-in-jerusalem-on-assault-charges-mob-chants-death-to-arabs/?fbclid=IwAR2_BH7AGM4pySX6dMswBVLAEXtJaCCjYzfpZx1aXg1i7Dg0eid58bm51hI

Water cannon ready for fire

I was almost trampled by the charging police horses ... they're enormous animals trained not to fear stun grenades and other explosives. Then the water cannon tank was racing full speed up and down the street, occasionally spraying at crowds. Most arab youths took it for fun and played cat-and-mouse ... running away each time the police charged forward. But I and another cameraman stood our ground and filmed the events. I don't think anyone was hurt ... but it got the adrenalin pumping.   https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SyFU7k0IO?fbclid=IwAR2UVzxk_O16-tJzZsMBgogX1Ulv1lvBK_KmlpWDRe2C7nZmiJApdE6Lx9s

I doubt these clashes will be over soon. The heatwave is just making things worse ... after 14 hours of Ramadan fasting, the youths are agitated and aggressive. We'll see how it developes in the coming days. And I'll be out there taking pictures all night.

More clashes

Clashes at Damascus Gate

 4 nights of clashes between arab women and israeli police. Friday night I just could not resist. So I went out to watch the fights. It was after the break-fast meal and crowds had gone to the Mosque to make the last prayers of the day and were coming out of the Old City. Thousands, some 70,000 muslims, from around the country were exiting and at about 9.30pm, the clashes began. Cheers and jeers from the arab youths ... then Israeli police fired stun grenades. It went on till midnight.

Police and horses charged many times at the crowds, which ran into the smaller streets at Nablus Road. But within minutes they regathered and returned to Damascus Gate. Police again charged and fired stun grenades. It was a cat-and-mouse game. 

Huge crowds of rioters

But still hundreds of others were not bothered. They sat in the park and at Palm Plaza, eating their picnic dinners, caring less of the chaos 30 meters away. It was surreal. People talking about shopping, weather and food ... I really wanted to laugh. Background were explosions of stun grenades, screams and shouts.

Anyway I couldn't go home till midnight as the clashes continued down to Herod's Gate, and police had blocked off the roads. The nights are getting warmer now ... about 16 degrees ... and today shot up to 33 degrees. That provokes the quick temper of everyone, plus the hunger from fasting. Ramadan is always an interesting (exciting) time. Adrenalin pumping. I was close enough to the crowds but not close enough for the police to mistake me as one of the rock-throwers. I just took photos. But it was fun.

Mounted police in front of me

From today we don't have to wear masks anymore in public open spaces. Only in enclosed spaces must we wear it. But I'll keep wearing it anyway because I'm not vaccinated. And there's an Indian strain detected here. They say it's a deadly strain. Still the govt. feels confident enough to open the country back to almost normality. Let's hope for the best.

Clashes

Vandalised public piano

Today is the 1st Friday of Ramadan ... and last night saw one fo the fiercest clashes in recent years. Arab muslims against Israeli police. The news say that there was already several nights of clashes but I only heard the one from last night. Apparently the police were trying to control crowds in order to prevent Covid contamination, so they chased away arab youths seated on the steps of the Damascus Gate cavea. That led to clashes all the way down to Herod's Gate near my house. Stun grenades were exploded to disperse the rioters but a policeman was injured in the fracas. This morning there were hundreds of police at every corner of the Muslim Quarter ... and entry to the Old City was restricted to muslims who are inoculated. That of course will lead to more discontent. But the fear of a 4th wave of Covid is very real since most of the arabs are not inoculated. And they come from all corners of the country to the Mosque to pray during Ramadan.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-gird-for-possible-unrest-after-friday-ramadan-prayers-in-jerusalem/

Honeyeater on my flowers

The public piano placed at New Gate for the public to play and enjoy was totally stripped of its keys. I said it 3 months ago when it was installed ... it won't last long. It took 3 months for the vandals to destroy it. With such destructive behaviour, can anyone wonder the violence they'll get up to at Damascus Gate during Ramadan?

My little garden behind the library is blossoming so well, yesterday I saw a honeyeater coming to feed from the many flowers there. It was very satisfying. It means the flowers are healthy and natural, so the birds know it's safe to come to this little corner t feed. And there are no cats to bother them! Now that's a nice break from all the clashes happening around us. The flowers and the birds are not bothered by that.

Well I have to be worried because I need to go home. And if there are clashes, the police will close off my area and I won't be able to go home. It might be a very long weekend stuck in the library.

No holiday

The drummer and caller
at 3am

 It's Independence Day today ... the airforce flypass is taking place right now above my head ... but I'm indoors in my office typing this blog. I wanted to go to Jaffa to rest today and watch the flypass  by the sea. It's spectacular, and last year it was cancelled due to the pandemic lockdown. But I was told that some roads might be closed today due to Ramadan coinciding ... so some of my workers may not be able to come to work. So I had to stay back and do their jobs at the libraries from 8am to 5pm. End of my holiday dream.

Anyway I think there was fireworks last night. I was dead asleep so I didn't know what was happening. But I did get up at 3am and went to the terrace for some fresh air ... the weather was warmed up to 16 degrees now. Below the terrace the drummer was beating his drum and another was calling out to people to wake up and eat before the Ramadan fast begins at daybreak. At 4am the cannon blasted to announce the start of the fast and the streets suddenly became empty. All the muslims were back home sleeping. It staves off the hunger and thirst.

Patriarch and sisters

Anyway I'm feeling unwell today ... dizzy, nausea and no appetite. People say I'm exhausted ... from my eyes and face. I feel it. I'll go rest in Jaffa later this week ... if I can. Part of the exhaustion came from yesterday's heavy workload, including accompany 2 nursing nuns to see the Patriarch. They had a new superior and I had to connect them with the Patriarch  for a courtesy visit.

Israel is allowing foreign tourists to come in groups in May. The economy based on tourism is vitally in need of reviving this sector. But only people having been vaccinated may come. That's a good start. 

Mass for benefactors in the Tomb

Last week's full moon

It's been several days since the last blog. Time flies so quickly. The country is slowly opening up and school officially opened today for our students for face-to-face classes. That meant that I had to ready the libraries for students to come back and set the procedure of checking vaccination certificates and sitting arrangements; and that also meant briefing the staff what to do. Suddenly all the peace and quiet of 1 year is (almost) gone.

The Empty Tomb yesterday

The full moon was above us ... whenever the Passover/Easter is celebrated 10 days ago. It's quite a sight. But last night 5 loud blasts from the cannon in the muslim cemetary sounded. Ramadan started ... one day ahead of prediction. It should have been tonight but last night the muslims sighted the new moon so Ramadan started. Of course it's Saudi Arabia who sets the rules, so Jerusalem's new moon had to be confirmed by Saudi Arabia. Anyway the streets today were deadly quiet again, like during the lockdowns. Only this time, it's because the muslims are fasting and all shops are closed except those selling fresh vegetables and fruit. But come evening and all the food stalls and wandering hawkers will be packing Damascus Gate. I hope to enjoy my usual Ramadan food which was not possible last year. There's the almond and date syrup, qatayef (pancake), and some other snacks. Something I can look forward to.

Covid cases have gone down from thousands to just a few hundred. The vaccination programme has been a success. But now the scare is that people become over-confident and by being careless, a new strain might cause chaos again. I still wear the mask everywhere and avoid being with crowds. Even when I celebrated Mass in the Empty Tomb yesterday morning. It was for all you benefactors of the Holy Land for your kind contributions to help the poor in our mission. Very generous of you. I prayed for your intentions, for the living and the dead. You can watch it on the following link.  https://youtu.be/Nmaht1w666o

9 degrees

Cloudy cold windy day

It's still 9 degrees today with a gusty icy wind blowing across the City. I thought I was prepared, wearing a woollen sweater and a hoodie ... but it wasn't. It was so cold I had to wear a long sock round my neck because I didn't have a scarf. Everyone on the streets had their hands in their pockets. I had to carry a bag of books and my hand was frozen. I'll have to turn on my heater tonight if I want to keep warm. I guess Buddy and JJ need it too. They've been all fluffed up to keep warm themselves.

I guess I must be very tired ... I'm losing much of my memory as a result. This morning I went to work in the other library 1km uphill in this terrible weather. When I reached the door, I realised I wasn't carrying my bag pack with all my keys. Could it be possible I walked 1 km without realising I didn't have my bag pack with me? So I walked home and searched for it. It was on my table. Then I had to walk back again to work. That's 3kms I walked this morning. I was by then too exhausted to do any work. 

Coffin today

As I stood outside the library door catching my breath, our infirmary van came. It stopped at the inner courtyard and the driver opened the back door and brought out a coffin. Another friar had died. I don't know who because I didn't receive any news. The dreadful weather and pandemic is not helping. In the past year we lost about one friar a month. With my health going downhill ... and I can feel it every day with difficulty in walking distances ... I guess my time is also soon. 

But before I die, this coming Monday I'll be celebrating Mass inside the Empty Tomb for all the benefactors who helped answer our call for help. The Custos is very grateful and the superior of the Holy Sepulchre allowed me to preside the Mass in thanksgiving for you all. Will be praying for you all there.

Cold storm

Sahlab yesterday

 The temp just plunged 20 degrees. From 28 degrees, hot and sunny during the day ... it just plunged. By 6pm it was freezing, and a gusty biting wind was tearing through the City. Utterly unbearable. I wasn't dressed for that weather. I only had a T-shirt and a hoodie on my way to work and it was already hot. I had to remove the hoodie. But on my way home, it wasn't enough. I had to rush home in order to keep warm. What's happened to summer?

This cold weather is perfect for sahlab ... the turkish orchid-drink with roe syrup typically drunk in winter. My friend yesterday had invited me for tea to celebrate my birthday, and I decided to order a sahlab. Every winter I drink it once, as it makes winter feel like winter. This year I missed it due to the lockdown, so yesterday I just had to make up for it. It was 28 degrees yesterday and felt weird  drinking hot sahlab ... I should have waited for today.

Way of the Cross today

Today is the last Friday before Ramadan. Thousands of muslims from around the country tried to enter the Old City to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque. But the City Gates were blocked by police who checked permits to enter the City. Many were turned back. Many jews were also entering the City, because in a few days it'll be Memorial Day for Fallen soldiers and Independence Day, which is a sore point for arabs who lost their land. There was a scuffle at the junction of the 3rd Station of the Cross. There were lots of soldiers, and I saw a jewish man with a badly bruised face. I guess an arab must have pushed him and he scraped his face on a wall or floor.

Just a few hours earlier, there were groups of catholics from outside of Jerusalem came to make the Way of the Cross. They celebrate Holy Week with the Orthodox Churches and that will be next week. That's the arrangement between the churches here in the Holy Land because we use the Gregorian Calendar and the orthodox use the Julian Calendar, resulting in a 2 week gap. In turn, the orthodox will join the catholics to celebrate Christmas on December 25th.  Nice deal.

Mass at the Tomb

Sr. Marina &
Fr. Abraham

 It's Easter Thursday ... I was able to celebrate Mass in the Empty Tomb this morning. It was a privilege because this week, all Masses in the Tomb are totally booked. The superior there kindly squeezed me in in a 20 min slot before the Tomb was transferred to Greek Orthodox guardianship at 8.45am. It was a last-minute arrangement for Sr. Marina, who is here for a sabbatical leave but was stuck in the pandemic lockdown. Next week she will return to her mission in Taiwan. I got a fellow filipino priest to preside as he never had the chance to celebrate inside the Tomb itself.

Sr. Marina was very touched. I gave her a crucifix with a relic of Mt. Calvary as a reminder of the Holy Land. Hopefully she will return safely to her mission and share her experiences. I also remembered all of you at Mass and prayed for all of you.

Then I had to rush off immediately after Mass to Bethlehem to celebrate another Mass for the MC sisters there. The 4 sisters are elderly and care for 12 mentally-handicapped men. To relieve their stress of work and going out for Mass (not priest comes to their convent), I decided to go today. I also brought 12 sacks of clothes, shoes etc... for the poor there. Then in the afternoon I went to the MC convent in Jerusalem for Adoration and confessions. So it has been a very busy day running between 2 countries. 

Ma'amoul ... Easter cookies

One nice thing though ... some people made ma'amoul  for me. It's the Easter cookies eaten by locals. It's made from samolina and date fillings. That for me is a typical Easter celebration. I must have ma'amoul for Easter!

Today is also Holocaust Day. At 10am a 2 minute siren was sounded and everyone stood still. I was in Bethlehem though. Next Tuesday will be Memorial Day which commemorates all the soldiers who died since the founding of the country. But this year it coincides with muslim Ramadan. It will be very tense and I'm expecting road closures, neighbourhood lockdowns etc. I'm not sure if it'll affect my workers from coming to work. I'll have to reassess it and make a last minute decision if the libraries should close.

Day off

Carmel market

It's Holy Tuesday. I decided to take a day off and visit our community at Jaffa. The superior there has been calling to go ovr and have a rest many times. And really, I felt so stressed the past week I decided to drop everything and went to visit them. I left very early at 5.15am to avoid the traffic jam. Then upon the arriving, I could smell the salty sea air and hear the waves smashing on the rocks. It's been over a year since I sensed all that. It felt very good.

Foot volleyball at the beach

I then concelebrated Mass with the community with Lauds. Then had breakfast and an hour long chat with everyone. It was good to catch up with everyone. Then I took a long slow walk along the promenade along the shore ... it was great. A hot 28 degrees, sunny with sea wind blowing hard. The sea has been cordoned off because of the oil slick that polluted all the beaches in Israel. Lots of people, old and young were enjoying the sun and breeze, and groups were playing foot volleyball (like sepak takraw). Then I went to the Carmel Market ... all the colours, smells and tastes of the food there. I missed it after a year's lockdown. 

Anyway I walked back and forth around, a total of 10km I guess. It was something I needed. I didn't cough or had an asthma attack. But when I got home, the sore throat and cough and wheezing came back immediately. Guys at home say its the dust in the air ... a desert wind is blowing, causing desert sand to blow into the city. In Jaffa, the moist sea air coagulates the dust and drops them on the ground because they become to heavy to be airborne. I wish I could take a longer holiday there. Maybe summertime ... and I can bring Buddy and JJ along with me.

Easter!

Patriarch blesses the water

It's Easter! Holy Saturday saw the Patriarch presiding at the Vigil which takes place in the morning not night, of Holy Saturday. The Holy Sepulchre was relatively crowded. Many priests came to join in, as did local christians and religious. The Easter proclamation "Exultet" was sung in front of the Empty Tomb. It was very poignant and moving. And taking place at 7.30am, it is the first Easter vigil even before New Zealand or Japan begins the ceremony. Here we call it the Mother of all Vigils. Jerusalem comes first ... after all the Resurrection took place here.

Lamb of God

I followed everything online as I cannot join in the celebration. It was too crowded and risky for me. Likewise on Easter Sunday, the Patriarch presided at the first Mass at the Empty Tomb at sunrise. I believe it was even more crowded than Saturday. I was told priests could only celebrate if they were given a ticket. Those without cannot concelebrate. 

At lunch, there was the usual easter eggs but this year we have no ma'amoul ... the cookies with date filling shaped as the crown of thorns, the sponge and the spearhead. That's a very traditional local christian goodie here. One big surprise tough ... someone gave us a "Lamb of God" which is a marzipan cake shaped as a lamb. Our italian and polish sisters working in the kitchen always made 4 every Easter, but now our indian sisters don't know the recipe. It's a pity ... maybe I'll teach them to do it next year.

Easter eggs from Georgette

Today is Easter Monday. Everyone goes to Emmaus for the solemn Mass. It's not easy to get there as there are many police roadblocks. You need to bring your passport and vaccination clearance document in order to get back to Israel. Emmaus is Israeli-controlled, an arab village surrounded by a jewish settlement. It's so sad. I was the acting parish priest there 2 decades ago during the 1st Intifada. I miss it very much ... but I can't take the long journey with so many police checks that slow down the trip. I get sick very easily.

Good Friday

Packed Way of the Cross

 It's Good Friday. At 5.30am there were already 3 groups at our door waiting to make the Way of the Cross. I was out throwing the rubbish so I could have a cup of coffee before sunrise and the fast began. It was still very dark and cold, and lots of muslims were coming out from the Al Aqsa Mosque which is typical of Saturday. Police began setting up road barriers all around our house to control the crowds.

By 8am more and more people, all locals or religious living in the country, were coming to start the Way of the Cross so we finally opened out main gate to let them in. At 11.30 the friars with the Nuncio came to start the official Way of the Cross and the crowd was impressive. 

Dark sky and rain at noon

I on the otherhand had to stay away from crowds because I'm not vaccinated so I went 1km away to the Herodian Tombs which I usually do every Good Friday morning. There in the park there are several tombs from the time of Christ, one still intact with a rolling stone at the door. I sat there and read the Passion according to John. The sun was shining, a cold breeze was blowing, birds singing and I was all alone at the tomb. It was very evocative ... to be sitting in front of the tomb from the 1st century. After meditating on the Passion, I went home through the lower park towards Jaffa Gate of the Old City.

The rest of the day was spent in my room, cleaning and studying while following the celebrations in the Holy Sepulchre online. At 12pm the sky suddenly turned very dark, a strong cold wind blew and a couple of thunder rumblings were heard. It started to rain and continued to do so till 6pm. 

Procession of the True Cross

The Patriarch this morning presided at the Passion liturgy on Mt. Calvary. The relic of the True Cross was carried out and venerated up on Calvary. It's a very poignant liturgy. While the rest of the world, churches symbolically celebrate these rituals, here it takes place at the very spot where it occurred 2000 years ago. You should come and join in once in your lifetime. It's very special.

Police barrier in
front of our house

Maundy Thursday

Patriarch washing feet

It's the Triduum. But I had to work today. I couldn't join in the Chrism Mass which is always together with the Lord's Supper ... here in the Holy Sepulchre. But I watched it online. The Patriarch washed the feet of 12 friars; and consecrated the 3 jars of oil. These oil are crushed from the olives of the 8 ancient trees in the Garden of Gethsemani. It's always a moving celebration. And this year it was crowded with locals instead of tourists and pilgrims. A good sign ... but not good for non-vaccinated people like me. Regretfully I must stay away from all these celebrations for the sake of my health.

Crowded Chrism Mass

The weather is dreadfully cold. It was no higher than 13 degrees today and indoors it felt much colder. I guess Easter will be just as cold. Maybe back 2000 years ago, Easter was also just as cold or colder. We;re used to seeing the flagellation and crucifixion in hot, sunny desert weather. But it was the end of winter and the start of Spring ... which can be as cold as today.

Tomorrow is fasting day. I want to fast (no food or drink like the jews and muslims) but I'm afraid I might faint again and bash my head or something worse. I'll see what happens tomorrow. Meantime a good sleep might help.

Praying for you all here even though I'm not at the celebrations. 

Crowded Mass

Holy Chrism