Five days have passed since my last update. The violence has increased, cities on both sides of the border have been bombarded. People have been killed, injured and displaced. Properties have been destroyed. Fighter jets and helicopters continue to fly overhead. Police stop and search anyone on the streets.
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| 17 new friars |
Today marks one year of that terrible4 day that started the war. We are spending it in fasting and prayers. May this tragedy never happen again. Too many innocent lives have been lost. And in the end, nobody wins. Those not affected by the war are still affected indirectly ... with the rising cost of food and services. Many businesses have ground to a halt.l Unemployment is high. Tourism is almost non existent.
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| Solemn profession of vows |
I spent the weekend at Jaffa where I have to substitute the filipino chaplain who's stuck in Dubai. Fewer people come to Mass as many are afraid of more missiles landing on us. On the highway, cars fly pass quickly to reach their destinations ... and avoid being caught in the middle of a journey when the missile sirens sound.
Despite the tensions and difficulties of travel, some people made it to the solemn profession of 17 of our seminarians on Saturday. The church was not very crowded as expected. But our brothers braved the situation and went ahead with their profession. All come from Asia, Africa and Latin America. There are still many vocations there. There's still hope for young instruments of peace.
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