New Year

Reset to zero

The New Year came in quietly here ... neither jews nor muslims follow the Gregorian calendar. They follow the lunar calendar and their new years begin in autumn. Still at midnight, some fireworks were set off in Sultan's Pool 1.5km away. It's something the Municipality has been doing for some 30 years now since Mayor Teddy Kolleck introduced it. Last year there was no fireworks because of the war. And fireworks are expensive so the pyrotechnic show lasted less than one minute. Still it brought a little festivity to us in the midst of war and a very subdued Christmas.

I concelebrated Mass last night, with some of the migrant chaplains at the Rosary Sisters chapel where the filipino community gathers. There were 3 other chaplains plus the patriarchal vicar for migrants. The choir was vivacious as usual, with lots of christmas carols.  Mass ended at 10.30pm.

Mass at the
Rosary chapel

I had a hard time walking to the chapel in the rain. It has rained for 2 days now and very cold. My heart cannot take the strain of walking uphill anymore. I had to stop many times to rest. I'm feeling so old and tired, yet I see people older than I am more fit and healthy.

I came home just 14 minutes to midnight. It takes me one hour to walk 2km home. Managed to captured the time on my phone. It was like resetting your computer back to the start. Begin again. I just hope 2025 will not be as disastrous as 2024 was. It's the Holy Year of Hope ... and 2025 should give us reason and result of it.