Ordination

Garden of Gethsemani

Yesterday being Sunday, I decided not to do anything much. I just wanted to rest in bed. I'm still a little lightheaded and was afraid walking long distances would make me faint. So Buddy and JJ also had a good time ... quality time with me. Buddy must have been traumatized badly when I was hospitalized. No food for 2 days. Now he refuses to leave me ... literally clinging with his claws into my T-shirt and refusing to let go. Now he even sleeps with me at night on my chest.

I'm getting back to normal and today is my first day of work after a week in recuperation. Lots of workload especially with the Printing Press ... books for repair, rebinding, payments. I'm still waiting for the Press to send down the load of books this afternoon.

11 new deacons

Last Saturday 11 of my students were ordained deacons. Because the Thai seminarian had no family or friends here in the Holy Land, he asked me to support him and dress him in the dalmatic. I went down to the Basilica with a few of our guys and sisters ... as I was afraid I might faint along the way. Gethsemane is 10 minutes down our road in the Kidron Valley. After the homily and helping him wear the dalmatic and stole I walked home to rest. I could not stay for the whole Mass as I was exhausted.

Tomorrow the govt has allowed the controversial Flag March to take place. It was cancelled halfway through 3 weeks ago when Gaza fired rockets into Jerusalem to protest the March. It's the israeli celebration of the conquest of East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan in 1967. The March goes through the muslim quarter and that provokes alot of tension and anger from the arab population. We've been warned not to go out tomorrow ... I guess there'll be a curfew for us since we stay right in the heart of the muslim Quarter. So it'll be another day for me to rest.