Easter octave

So we're into the Easter octave. I'm absolutely exhausted. We've spent many midnights at the Holy Sepulchre praying, followed by early morning Mass. Every moment when I tried to rest, someone comes knocking at the door. They come to ask if they can help me - which of course is the opposite of what they're doing by knocking at my door and waking me up. If they really wanted to help, they would let me rest as I was to the point of fainting from exhaustion. Well I don't doubt their good intentions, but believe me it was a week of horrors: I literally jump up with fear as the telephone rings or the door suddenly knocks (nobody does things quietly nowadays).

Yesterday I brought the sisters of Mother Theresa to the Negev desert. We saw the huge krater called Maktesh Ramon which is close to the border with Egypt. The strange rock formations and colours were quite a sight. Then we went to see the ruins of the Nabatean city of Avdat and its ancient Byzantine churches. We also visited the ancient ruins of the Canaanite city Arad and its sanctuary to Yahweh and Asherah. Then we had a picnic lunch at the Ben Gurion University in the desert that faces Ein Avdat - an awesome valley among the desert mountains. All in all it was a great day outdoors, lots of sun and breeze.

On the way home, we stopped at the gas station of Bet Guvrin (ancient Eleutheropolis) with it's magnificent Roman ruins. In the field nearby was a stunning carpet of red anemones. Crowds had stopped to take photos. It was an amazing sight.

But I'm so exhausted and I need to sleep really bad. Will give you a run down of Holy Week services once I recover from this exhaustion.

Guardian of the Tomb

Today is Good Friday. We gathered at Mt. Calvary to sing the Passion. It was very very crowded. We had to wait for the doors of the Basilica to be opened and then the friars filed in followed by the canons and the Patriarch; then by hundreds of christians.

The Passion began on time but the sacristans (all 3) were so busy running between Mt. Calvary and the sacristy getting things that no one was available to guard the Tomb of Christ. The Blessed Sacrament was placed inside the tomb yesterday after the Mass of the Last Supper and no one is allowed to enter it. So it had to be guarded from the throng that gathered to try and enter it. Well I was then told to be the guardian of the Tomb as everyone else was up on Mt Calvary. I was down near the Tomb to keep crowd-control at that time.

It took a while for it to soak in - the guardian of the Tomb .... the empty Tomb..... recorded in all 4 Gospels.... the very place where Jesus was buried and rose again after 3 days. It was an awe-full experience: it was terribly humbling. There I was standing at the entrance of the Tomb - watching over it on behalf of the entire Catholic Church while the Passion of St John was sung up on Mt Calvary. It was frightening. I could not but help think of my unworthiness to be guarding the Tomb, yet I also thought of God's mysterious ways in choosing me on Good Friday to do this. Our Franciscan friar who was in charge of maintaining the Status Quo in the Holyland places passed by the Tomb and asked if I was the guardian of the tomb and I said yes. It was a frightening answer... knowing that no one else in the entire world at that moment could say the same thing.

There was a small crowd praying in silence before the Tomb, some on their knees. While I stood there for almost 2 hours, I thought of all of you and prayed for everyone as I served as the guardian of the Tomb of Christ on Good Friday 2009.

Maundy Thursday

A very intense Holy Week so far - lots of prayers, processions and other services. Am running around every few hours to the Holy Sepulchre to join in. Am also remembering you all in my prayers there.

Birthday.

So word got out that yesterday was my birthday. I was out with a group in Bethlehem were we had lunch. My friend Khadir came to the restaurent to visit and he was drawing me aside all the time from the group. Then suddenly the lights went off and the cook brought in a birthday cake. It was a great surprise. Thanks to Wahib, Tawfik and gang who arranged it.

Then at dinner, the group brought won ton noodles from HK - something I miss very much! It was really fun. They also got 2 bottles of Salesian Cremisan wine which we couldn't (actually they because I don't drink alcohol) finish so i shared it with a group of germans nearby.

And apparently word was getting around because during the solemn procession inside the Holy Sepulchre in the afternoon (with lots of friars and the Patriarch in attendance) - some of the guys were whispering or making hand signals to say happy birthday; as did different groups of nuns living in the Old City. You see, it's a small place and news gets around really quick.

Am back home for 2 hours to change my habit (dirtied with wax because of the candles used during the procession) and all the students and professors here were wishing me a happy birthday. Apparently someone mentioned it during lunch and they checked the schematismus to confirm it. I got severla phone calls from them as well. And of course the muslims in the street also learnt of it and were sending wishes.

And thanks to all you guys who sent greetings through the internet. Sorry I can't answer each and every one. But am assuring you of my prayers here in the holy City.

So all in all, it was a nice surprise. But I think what's more important is the Holy Week celebration - despite the suffering and death of Christ, it was a birthday of sorts - a birth into eternal life. Now that's what's truly worth celebrating!

Preparing for Holy Week

Last Friday of Lent. How quickly time flies. Holy Week is upon us. Hope you spent this Lent meaningfully.

The Jewish Passover coincides with our Good Friday this year. It actually begins on the evening (sunset) of April 8th and goes on for 8 days ending on April 16th. Something for us especially here to reflect on this Jewish background when we celebrate the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday.

My shoulder still hurts very much and causing many sleepless nights. Compound that with the terrible cold in the nights, and you have the perfect ingredients for Holy Week here in Jerusalem. I wonder how the Christians in Gaza will be celebrating Easter. I know for sure the children in Musky, Cairo will have a full, warm meal at least for Easter Sunday as Fr Vincenzo and his community will do a big cook-out for the poor living around the monastery.

Try and join in your parish liturgy this Holy Week. Pay attention to the readings and see the symbols and gestures that try to bring out the indescribable message of suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.

April's Fool

So yesterday was April Fool's Day. I was the first victim. It was very cold and at 6am when I was in the sacristy preparing for Mass, Jobi our indian 2nd yr. student came up and said it's so cold it snowed last night, and told me go out to see. Stupidly I went out to see nothing. He had a great laugh. But that isn't as bad as when Jean Paul told Pavel our polish student that a polish bishop was waiting for him down in the courtyard. Pavel waited there for 3 hours only to realise he was tricked.

Yesterday was also the pilgrimage Mass at our Chapel of the Condemnation. Local christians, religious and friars gathered in the tiny chapel - originally built in the 7th century - to sing Vespers, celebrate Mass and sing the Passion of John's Gospel. It was a crowded affair.

Holy Week will soon start and we have to register if we want to concelebrate Mass at the Holy Sepulchre. The tiny space restricts concelebrants to a limited number.

The number of American tourists have risen these few weeks - you see them everywhere in the streets of the Old City. The Pope's visit in May is being arranged with massive activities for the altar platforms in the Kidron Valley and on the Mt. of Precipice (Nazareth where Luke says the people wanted to push Jesus off) and Bethlehem's Nativity Square in front of the Basilica. Maybe you want to come and join in the papal visit?

Weather

Have been very busy the last 2 days - hence no updates. So much to be done before the Holy Week services - note I didn't say holiday because it isn't. Liturgical services will take place in the traditional places and traditional times - meaning several time at midnight. It will be exhausting and the experience is unique - to celebrate Holy Week where it all took place 2000 years ago.

The weather is still freezing in the nights and mornings. I wonder why this strange weather now that should be Spring - an ominuous sign perhaps as we have a new government sworn in today?

Well back to studies now. Nothing worse than a shwarma in this crazy weather.