Thanks

Thanks to the Thursday evening class for their generous donation:
Portia Pang, Susannah Chua, Patrick Leung, Garley Wong, Louisa & Brian Tam, Ellen & Johnny Tong, Susan AuYeung, Sam & Nina Ip, Julia Lai, Lau Fai Fung, Paul Chan, Stella Lo, Iris Lee, Ma Fung Ming, Ho Hei Ming, Ma Kim Yee, May Yu, Luk Shuk Ying (Mrs Ng Chun Hon), Grace Ma, Agnes Leung & Sister Regina Tao.

Your gift will help make Christmas a healthier one for the many children in the various regions here. They are not asking for computer games or nice clothes. All they want is a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste and a Dettol soap to keep them clean and germ-free. And it cost only US$3.

Judea a military zone

Judea is now declared a military zone as fear of widespread violence wraps the region. This is the result of Israeli soldiers forcefully removing Jewish settlers in Palestinian land near Hebron this morning. In retaliation to this forced removal, the settler supporters have attacked Palestinian property, burning and rioting. This is not good news as the muslims are converging into Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Sacrifice. A potential powder keg. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702434796&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Jerusalem is in Judea, so I don't know how this declaration of military zone is going to affect us. One thing for sure - stay at home is safest.

enough is enough

So I was coming home, walking up the Way of the Cross. Stopped by to speak with Hasan, the shop keeper near our place. Broad daylight - 4pm. As I got out onto the streets, someone from the 2nd floor spat on my head. An arab family lives up there. Enough is enough.

I got home and told our arab porter Mahjed. He was furious and went out into the streets looking for the culprit. Hasan came out as well and went up to the house above but the people there denied having spat at me.

It is becoming quite a tradition here - spitting at Christians. And I am fed up with it. Jerusalem is no longer the place it used to be. The hatred and aggression has spread its roots to every conceivable facet of life. It is now a battleground of beasts.

Christmas generosity

One would have thought after living here for so many years, I would not be shocked by anything in the Old City. But shocked I was when I visited some of the "houses" (really apartments) in the Old City. Small cubicles where a family is crammed - one room that serves as bedroom, dining room, kitchen... everything, a small toilet in a corner, walls cracked and leaking, roofs leaking, damp and fungus growing on the walls. It's like the walled city of Kowloon City minus the cages. So that's how some families are living in here. Appalling. There's so much need to repair these cubicles - about 92 of them at the moment so that some appearance of normalcy is in place.

The Franciscan Sisters in charge of Caritas Baby Hospital just (literally 35 seconds ago) called to say thank you for your help. They received your donations and it will go a long way to keep the babies healthy and warm.

The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa) in Nablus (biblical Shechem) and Gaza also wrote to say thanks for your kind donations. Right now I'm buying toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap for them to distribute as basic hygiene is a major problem in those poor places. Because of lack of hygiene, the kids get sick and need the doctor and they can't pay for it, so the vicious cycle continues. By providing basic hygiene, we hope to break this cycle. The warm packs are coming very handy for all of them who have no heating this cold winter. What we now need is water purification pills. if we can't get them, then I'll resort to using ketapang leaves for them.

The Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul (orphanage in Bethpage) also thank you all - especially the St Vincent de Paul society of St Andrew's parish - for your support to helping the 28 orphans have proper schooling, food and clothes.

And of course Fr Vincenzo thanks you all for helping the poor families in Musky (Cairo). Right now with your help, you're sponsoring 6 children for food and schooling. We hope to sponsor more children in the coming months. By providing food and education, they can better their lives and future, thus breaking away from the cycle of poverty that has gripped their families for generations. Christmas is coming and Fr Vincenzo and his community will do a big cookout with meat to feed these children in our parish hall.

And finally Mr Kassis thanks you all for your generous help to his family. He is still in need of help though, so if you're thinking of doing something meaningful this Christmas, spare a thought for these poor families and send your donations in.

And we all here in the Holyland especially your beneficiaries will pray for you and your family, that God will reward your generosity with His blessings for the new year. I will go to Bethlehem on Dec 24th to celebrate the Vigil Mass at Shepherds' Field for you all.

spiralling towards what?

Jewish aggression is on the rise as a reaction probably to the Mumbai massacre. Now they've stabbed an arab this morning in Jerusalem. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702408649&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull This follows the spitting incident at the friars (which has nothing to do with Mumbai) and other incidents mentioned in the news. What will be next?

No doubt an arab retaliation is in place ... and the spiral of violence will spin its way throughout this winter. Makes you think twice about going out.

Of instant noodles and the like

A group of East Malaysians are here making a pilgrimage - from Sabah and Sawarak. It was good to meet them as I know some of them in my previous talks in Sabah of the last few years. They came to my place to make the Way of the Cross and called on me. But not having much time, I decided to go meet them in their hotel last night - the Grand Court, which luckily is close by my place. We chatted and I landed up with packs of Instant Noodles that they didn't use and were not considering in bringing back home. And .... there was a pack of "bak gua" or "chu yuk kon" (can't give you the english equivalent because it's not kosher!!!!) which tasted soooo good.

Meantime am still working on my text for analysis ... the last few verses. But it's not really over because I'll still have to go over it and add more observations. Then I have about another 250 pages to go.

The nights have been frightfully chilly. Everyone has mentioned how cold the nights have become. I've finally taken out the down-blanket as the "hot air fan" is no longer enough to keep my room warm. Maybe a hot bowl of Tom Yam instant noodles will warm me up.

News update

For those of you interested in the situation in Israel in the past 24 hours:

There was a terror alert in Tel Aviv this morning. I heard there were roadblocks everywhere and most parts of the city were affected. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702392775&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The 6 Israelis killed in Mumbai were brought home to rest this morning. But one victim's family has refused a State funeral because of their beliefs - as haridim Jews, they reject Zionism and the State of Israel. Nevertheless we pray for the repose of their souls. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702398037&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

This morning 1,500 Israeli rightwingers rampaged into Hebron to storm Israeli police for evacuating a Jewish settlement - which turned out to be a rumour. They clashed with local Hebron Palestinians. Also in Samaria rightwingers destroyed palestinian property. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702390742&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And finally a tongue in cheek look at breaking the Kosher law: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702389284&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull