Holy Week

5th Station Mass

 Holy Monday is the unique day when the 5th Station of the Cross is opened for Masses from 6am to 8am. It's the only day in the year that the chapel is open for Masses and the community at the Flagellation is responsible to celebrate the Masses every half hour in various languages to suit the congregation. I was too late to sign up to preside as I was away at work when the roster was posted up on our notice board, so I asked to concelebrate both the 7am and 7.30am Mass. Both were in English. At both Masses, I offered all your intentions - relatives, friends and benefactors, living and dead. No one was forgotten.

The rest of the day I spent in my room. Having my neighbour infected with corona has deterred me from going out, to even open my door or walk on our corridor as the virus would linger in the air ... and the corridor has no windows and the only door is always closed for fear wild cats would enter the building. I guess my fears are paralyzing me. Today I decided to leave my house very early to my office and will stay there all day till it's evening. I need to take care of myself.

Catholic bands on parade

Palm Sunday evening ended with the annual Catholic schools' band parade form Lions Gate to New Gate .... a good 1km uphill through East Jerusalem (arab) to West Jerusalem (israeli). It's always a very crowded and proud moment for the Catholics because once a year we can parade publicly for muslims and jews to see. Traffic along the main road was stopped and for a full hour, Catholic pride was up on the banners for all to see. The Orthodox are less organized and don't have this parade. Too bad for them. They don;t have the tradition of making the Palm Procession from Betphage to Jerusalem. Neither do they have the Way of the Cross. But many orthodox nowadays invent their own processions and Way of the Cross to satisfy the needs of their laity.