Way of Cross

 

Cold and wet afternoon

1356 views yesterday even though I haven't updated this blog the past 4 days ... smells fishy

The weather during the weekend was nice and warm .... above 18 degrees. Spring is over. Or so we thought. A few hours ago the sky turned dark. Lots of thunder. Sporadic rain is battering the ground. Winter has returned. This sudden change in temp - with a drop of 10 degrees - is making people sick with sniffles, colds, flu. I'm staying away from crowds so as not to be sick.

Meantime Lent is underway. Groups from overseas and local migrant communities are coming every day to make the Way of the Cross. Last week Christian school children came en masse with the Custos, Nuncio and principals ... a thousand or more, to make the Way of the Cross. It was a lovely sight. Hope you're making the Way of the Cross too.

Students Way of the
Cross

With Nuncio, Custos at the
1st Station

Good Friday Appeal

 Please be generous, make your donations directly to the Commissariats of the Holy Land in your country or region https://www.custodia.org/en/commissariats

Blossoms

Almond blossoms

The weather hovers around 8 degrees and the sky was gloomy and wet till now. The sun is suddenly shining brightly again but it's still quite cold. 3 years ago this very day we had a snow storm. Everyone remembers it ... at least that's what I see in their social media ... videos of the snow storm that we have not had for some time now. Still many parts in the north were under minor flooding, as I saw some photos of the sanctuaries around the Lake of Galilee. Poor drainage of the archeological sites has resulted in flooding and this might collapse existing structures or rebury in mud low-lying archaeological plots.

The almond trees are blooming so it's a sure sign that Spring is round the corner. All the flowers that bloom later in Spring are also opening in this strange weather. Anemones, ranunculi, wild sweet pea, wild mustard are all in full bloom. In another week the fields and roadsides will be filled with many coloured wild flowers. And the wild barley will be ripening as well. There's so much new life coming up ... which brings an ironical sadness to the tragedy unfolding in the country.

 Yesterday's viewers number 1478. That's still highly unusual .....

Weekend

New Year couplets on our
community notice board

It's the weekend and the temp has dropped to 7 degrees. Forecast is 5 degrees the next few days. I must remember to bring my Japanese bamboo indoors as the cold is too much for this tropical plant. And that goes for my 2 pots of cat's whiskers (kidney plant) whose leaves we use to make an infusion. Many of us have problems with our kidneys and this infusion tea really works. Now I can't afford to let it die in this cold.

Our superior has placed New Year couplets on our community notice board. Everyone wants to know what the words mean. And everyone was envious of the New Year Mass and celebration with the Nuncio. Some have wrote to us me why they were not invited. Sigh .....

Chinese arrive on bikes

It's Sabbat and there's a growing community of Chinese migrant workers in the Jerusalem area. Very many cycle to here to buy rice, food and vegetables from the arabs as it's cheaper. Every other person is Chinese. No joke. I just hope they are not ripped off by the shop keepers. I try to hang around to hear the prices and warn them if they're being cheated. Some of them cycle for 5 km carrying huge sacks of rice, canned food and bottles of water. Quite dangerous with this load and cycling on the highways.

Viewership of my blog is still over 1400 and that rings alarm bells. Several of our students have had their phones and social media accounts hacked; even credit card and bank accounts! It's getting rampant. So just to let you know I only have one account for each social media and if you receive any news or request to friend, it's definitely not me and definitely a fake account. Same with my telephone number which someone else is answering. Calls don't reach me but instead to someone else who speaks hebrew.

Storm

Stormy day

Yesterday's viewers number 1253 ... another unusually high viewership.

The 2 days of warm weather has suddenly turned stormy and cold again. Lots of lightening and thunder, and hard raindrops like hail but not so solid. Temp has dropped back to 8 degrees or lower instead of the 18 degrees we enjoyed earlier this week. Well we hope the rains continue as we need it very much. We don't want another drought this summer.

The flood and hailstorm in Dubai was shocking. No one has seen such a thing before. Go watch some of the videos on Youtube.

Back again

Small family group

Viewers numbered 3013 yesterday and 441 today ... when I haven't updated for over 5 days. Alarm bells are ringing

Pilgrims are coming back. Yesterday evening I met a group of Taiwanese who were very enthusiastic. They were making their way to the Wailing Wall and we chatted and exchanged New Year greetings.

In the morning there was a large group of Indians from Kerela ... about 40 with a priest. They came to make the Way of the Cross. Then there are many small family groups numbering 5 to 10 people. From France, Spain, Brazil, Russia .... they're all here. And of course the largest national group is the Indonesians who send practically one group every 2 days. 

It's time to make a comeback to the Holy Land. We need you. Holy Week and Easter will not be the same without Jerusalem!

German group

Korean family

Taiwanese group

Group from Kerala

CNY

At the altar

Religious sisters from Asia

The past weekend was very hectic as the CNY started and there was a lot of organizing to do. There was a reunion dinner  on Friday with the chinese foreign workers in the Holy Land, then next morning we had Mass of Thanksgiving. Those who stayed back made a visit to the Holy Sepulchre and the Jewish Quarter for a visit. 

It was good that many came to join in the event as most are first-time workers here and miss their families during this festive season.

Religious sisters from Asia

The next day we had a CNY Mass with the nuncio, with some 70 religious from East Asia. It was the 1st ever event to take place here in the Holy Land. And I was extremely busy organizing it. From Japan, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesian, Myanmar ... all the religious came to join in. It was very touching and significant. Everyone one without exception told to organize again such a gathering so we can all meet. 

Nuncio presides the Mass

CNY

Cold and wet streets

The Chinese New Year is round the corner. Who knows if the Dragon will bring some fortune and peace for us all? Let's pray that it will benevolent. Heard that it's a bad year for Rabbits ... 

The cold and rainy season is practically over. The past weekend went down to 1 degree and there was also hail. The nights were very cold ... well not as cold as in past years but still it's a huge drop from the summer heat that we had.

The exam season is over and students begin their 2nd semester. The rising temp and sunny days will make going to school easier. 

I've lost some weight since the hospital put me on this diet. Need to wear a belt for my pants now. Some people have noticed and asked if I am ill because I've lost a visible amount of weight. Well I hope it's for the best ... lower cholesterol, diabetes and BP. But for the CNY I'll be breaking the diet!!

Damascus Gate

Aid Appeal from the Custos

 *Message of the Custos*

Custos with a donation from
the Benedictine Monastery

Good Friday Collection 2024

Dear friends,

May the Lord give you His peace!

1. After experiencing more than two years of uncertainty due to Covid and deluding ourselves that normality had returned, suddenly on the 7th October 2023 we were taken by surprise by the outbreak of a new war in the Holy Land, which, in addition to causing thousands of deaths, once again blocked the flow of pilgrims, prevented our children from attending school for long periods and left many of our Christians in the Holy Land unemployed, especially in Bethlehem and Palestine, but also in the Old City of Jerusalem and in Israel.

2. In this situation we feel the need for the closeness and solidarity of Christians throughout the world. First of all, through prayer, because we are convinced that only the action of God's grace can change hearts and turn them to dialogue, reconciliation and peace. Then solidarity and closeness through pilgrimage. Finally, closeness and solidarity also through the sharing of economic resources,

3. As friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, it is our task, according to the mandate of the Holy See, to take care of the holy places, to dwell there and make them places of prayer, to be welcoming to the local faithful and to pilgrims, and also to put in place educational works such as schools, social works such as homes for the elderly and for young families, clinics and dispensaries, works of human promotion through the creation of jobs.

4. The Good Friday Collection serves to cover part of these costs, thanks to the generosity of the faithful throughout the world, thanks to your generosity.

5. On this occasion, we friars of the Custody of the Holy Land become beggars and we turn to you so that Good Friday may be a day of universal solidarity, a day on which Christians from all over the world take concrete care of the Mother Church of Jerusalem, which at this moment is in dire need of it.

6. Please open your hearts and help us according to your possibilities, so that we too can continue to care for this Holy Land and its children.

Peace and goodwill!

fr. Francesco Patton, OFM

Custos of the Holy Land