Rest

1st Mass for the nursing nuns

 It's chilly ... autumn has set in and some trees have begun to shed their leaves. In fact Spring bulbs have already sprouted! My freesias and muscaris have sent out leaves, which is too early. They usually do so at the end of December. The Passion fruit vine is finally flowering after a year's dormancy and the golden spider lilies are also flowering after several years of refusing to put up blooms. 

After yesterday's exhausting work, I slept most of the morning today. I did have to go to Gethsemane to preach a retreat but came home in an hour and slept. Had no energy to clean my room or prepare the laundry for tomorrow. The abdomen pain was acute several times today. And I've no appetite to eat anything. I had 3 small drumsticks for lunch ... leftovers from yesterday's meal I think. I'll just have to rest more till tonight when I have class at 4am.

Yesterday I managed to celebrate Mass for the Maria Bambina sisters at Caritas Baby Hospital, the first Mass in their convent chapel. I had to consecrate 2 large hosts for the convent chapel and the hospital chapel, as well as many small hosts because the sisters have no priest to celebrate Mass for them. Let's hope for the best for them.

Tomorrow is the eve of the end of Sukkot ... the most important day of the 8 day feast. Lots of extremist jewish youths have been passing through our streets, provoking locals and police alike. We feel unsafe walking in the streets as these people get violent and aggressive. Some have been sitting opposite the basilica of Gethsemane, watching our schedule. They had burnt part of the entrance of the basilica last year ... and they have tried to reenter it again yesterday. There are no police watching our basilica, no protection.

There's been clashes when Israeli police raided several arab towns to capture terrorists. 5 arabs have been killed. I think there'll be a rise in violence these next few days. Dreadful cycle.