Divine Mercy Sunday

Thunder, lightening and rain yesterday evening. And the temp. was a miserable 10 degrees at 7pm. Everyone is hoping it'll all go away tomorrow. Though we really need the rain, we're also tired of the sudden fluctuation of temperatures and rain. Many people are sick.

Sr. Vincenta and Sr. Lucia preparing
dinner after their celebration

Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday and our sisters celebrated their feastday in a big way ... solemn Mass by the auxiliary Bishop Shomali at the Patriarchal co-cathedral. It's their feastday as they belong to the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy or commonly known as the Faustina nuns ... I call them penguins. The heavy rain hindered many people from joining in but there still was a crowd for Adoration, then Mass. Confessions were heard throughout the afternoon in several languages.

I didn't go though. I spent the afternoon clearing the huge pool of rain water that has become a pool in the sisters' courtyard because of a clogged drain. Half an hour in the rain ... but I managed to sweep the water down to another drain. However another shower later that evening flooded the courtyard again.

I cooked these

The previous day I spend the morning cooking. It's been a long time since I cooked. There was fried rice, pak choy, shrimps with broccoli and spicey chicken. It wasn't so much for me ... I share it with other chinese students in the City here. Haven't lost my cooking skills. And I must say the food tasted good. So far no one suffered from food poisoning ... hahahahahahaha.

Holy Fire ceremony

Spreading the Holy Fire around the
Empty Tomb

The weather has gone utterly berserk!!! From 30 degrees it dropped to 8 degrees in the afternoon! And then there was a freak hailstorm ... so heavy the noise was unbelievable and people were running outdoors to see what it was. I thought shrapnel from a bomb had exploded near my window. I think several windows from nearby buildings have been smashed. And after the hailstorm, it drizzled all night. The temperature was no higher than 8 degrees.

But the strange weather did not dampen the Orthodox christian Holy Saturday. At 2.20pm the bells of the Holy Sepulchre basilica were ringing madly ... the Holy Fire had descended into the Empty Tomb and people were sharing it all round. I heard the crowds in the Holy Sepulchre basilica were much more than last year. There were scuffles and police had to deal firmly with many pilgrims. Some were dragged off for provoking disturbances. Nothing unusual ... it's normal for every Orthodox Holy Week to witness these fights.

Bird's eyeview of the Empty Tomb
and the Fire spreading

This morning the Orthodox will celebrate their Resurrection liturgy very early in the morning just before sunrise and then everything becomes quiet ... like nothing had happened all week. Pilgrims had already been leaving for the airport last night. For them the ceremony of the Holy Fire is the climax of Holy Week ... it has practically substituted the Resurrection of Christ as the Easter celebration. Strange ... but then again we're in the Middle East. Anything can happen and it usually does.

Orthodox Holy Saturday

The temperature has dropped almost 10 degrees and it's been drizzling since yesterday. It seems like winter is back again. Everyone finds it disturbing. It's not been like this for many many years.

Amazing balance as this
Coptic pilgrim carries her
luggage on her head while
making the Way of the Cross

Since noon yesterday the bells of the Holy Sepulchre have been tolling the death knell. By lunch today it should stop as patriarchs of the Orthodox churches enter the basilica and into the Empty Tomb to await the Holy Fire to descend. It is orthodox tradition that every Holy Saturday the miracle of a divine fire will descend from heaven into the Empty Tomb. The Greek, Armenian, Coptic and Syrian patriarchs or bishops will light their candles with it and spread it among their faithful. Rivalry among the churches to first light their candles have led to scuffles and fights before. Police are out in force and this year they have even asked the help of my Israeli security friends. Watch Youtube if there'll be a fight today.

Coptic christians making
the Way of the Cross with
banners and cymbals and
drums

Yesterday morning our street was packed with orthodox pilgrims making the Way of the Cross. This is strange because the Way of the Cross was never part of Orthodox tradition but recently they have taken on our latin tradition and walk the Way just as we do. This however causes serious blockage of our streets. Last year was a total disaster - chaos and disorder as crowds fought and pushed their way. This year hundreds of police have been stationed every 10 metres of the Via Dolorosa. Groups are staggered every 10 metres, moving forward only when the group ahead moves on. This has kept alot of order and peace. But I guess the police needed to do that because it's also the last day of the Jewish Pesach. Jews going to the Wailing Wall cut across the Via Dolorosa from the 3rd Station to the 5th Station. Nobody wants a religious war erupting there. Besides it was also Friday and thousands of muslims are entering and leaving the Al Aqsa Mosque, using the same road.

Cold and rainy

Blueberry cheesecake with
a giant sparkler

The weather has suddenly turned damp and cold again after a lovely summer spell the last few days. Forecast is for rain during the weekend ... not very good as this evening begins the end of the Jewish Passover and the beginning of the Orthodox Paschal Triduum.  People celebrating the feasts outdoors will find it impossible. The ritual of the Washing of Feet for example takes place in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre ... outdoors. The Patriarch and bishops will be drenched.

Yesterday my library collaborators celebrated a belated birthday lunch with me. Simple food of spaghetti and a lovely blueberry cheesecake. Enjoyed it very much. There was no place in the library to eat so we had the meal in the alley behind the library ... which is a lot nicer than you imagine because it runs along the 16th century City Walls build by Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire.

16th century City Wall as seen
from the outside

Despite the cold weather, the canaries are now nesting and one actually laid an egg this morning. I hope this year's broods will do well. Miss Bird loves her wooden nestbox which I lined with sawdust. She brings her bell inside the nestbox and makes a lot of noise with it. She needs new toys all the time as she's intelligent and tries to learn new things ... now she's learning how to open her cage door and escape!!

My nose has begun bleeding since yesterday. Don't know why. It hasn't happened since I had my nose operation a year ago. One thing I'm really thankful for was that operation ... I can finally breathe. In fact I'm acutely aware of the great difference that had made in my life. No more breathing through the mouth, no more blocked nose and the dreaded sense of suffocation. I can breather normally ... and that's alot to be thankful for.

Stromata

Eating matza at work

There's been some tensions in the Al Aqsa compound these days when jews celebrating Pesach enter the area. Muslims get upset and yell abuse ... but so far no stones thrown, no shots fired. Still the City is filled with riot police and soldiers.

Yesterday my jewish security friends shared matza with me ... it's unleavened baked "bread" actually  being square crackers. Jews eat this as part of the 8 day Feast of Unleaven Bread. No one likes it ... it's dry, tasteless and sticks to your stomach as one gluey mass which is hard to digest. But it's compulsory eating for observant jews ... or you can always eat meat and fish with veggies - just no rice, bread, eggs or milk products that can ferment. That also means no soy sauce and noodles and sushi. Most restaurants are closed for 8 days. Supermarket shelves selling these products are cleared off or covered by plastic bags.

Mother finch protecting
her 3 babies inside the nest

My Mortan's neuroma has been mostly resolved after physical manipulation of the bones on the nerves. But now I've developed another problem on my left foot which looks like plantar fasciitis. It makes walking very painful until after a while when the foot is more flexed, the pain is reduced. And my asthma has returned ... severely. I've noticed this happens whenever my steroid Prednesone treatment ends. Looks like I'm dependent on Prednesone to survive now ... but this steroid will eventually kill me as well as it affects the liver and kidneys. No win situation.

Meantime the finches have been breeding lots of babies. Time to sell them away as there's no more space left in the cage. The canaries have now been separated into their breeding cages as well. A couple have already nested. Let's see how well they'll do this year.

Emmaus Monday

Jewish priests covered by their prayer
shawls and raising their hands
in blessing

Today large groups of pilgrims made their way to Emmaus to celebrate the Resurrected Lord's appearance to the 2 disciples while on their way back to Emmaus. The village is closed by Israeli military and special permission is required to enter the area in order to visit the basilica. But today access was opened for the festive celebration of Mass and the blessing of bread.

For the jews, it's the 3rd day of Pesach ... and the national priestly blessing took place at 8am and again at 9.30am at the Wailing Wall. Hundreds of descendants of the priestly cast came to give the blessing that their ancestors once gave when the Jewish Temple was still standing. And according to reports, 75000 jews and tourists gathered at the Wall to receive the blessing. Security was high ... police helicopters flying low overhead all morning and soldiers everywhere.

Young boy in the midst
of jewish priests

I was cleaning out the bird cages and putting the canaries in 6 nesting cages when sudeenly I heard the opening words of the blessing. I'm one km away from the Wailing Wall but the cantor was loud enough on the microphone to sound the blessing. It was an incredible experience ... hearing the blessing from such a distance reverberating through the City.

The Orthodox christians on the otherhand are celebrating Holy Week. There is an unprecedented number of Copts from Egypt this year ... they are flooding the entire Old City. I have a feeling there'll be a clash during the Orthodox Triduum when the Copts outnumber the Greeks at the Holy Sepulchre.

Easter Sunday

Procession around the Empty Tomb

Holy Week was a long tiring period of intense service. Holy Monday started with Masses at the 5th Station of the Cross "Simon the Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross". This is the only day of the year that Masses are celebrated there.

Holy Tuesday had solemn Mass with the singing of the Passion at the Flagellation Chapel. The singing in 4 parts takes almost a full 15-20 mins. Holy Wednesday had the same liturgy at Gethsemani. Then Holy Thursday morning was solemn Mass at the Holy Sepulchre with the blessing of the Chrism and the washing of feet in front of the Tomb. In the afternoon the Custos and franciscans had the ceremony of the Washing of Feet at the Last Supper Room, then a visit to St James Armenian Basilica and St Mark Syrian Church. In the evening there was the prayer vigil at Gethsemani till midnight. When the basilica closed at midnight, the procession fo thousands in candlelight went down the Kidron Valley and up to St. Peter Gallicantu - "Prison of Christ".

Removing the body of Christ
from the Cross on Mt. Calvary

On Good Friday there was the Way of the Cross form my house to the Holy Sepulchre. The streets were packed. It was also the Jewish Passover. And the christian orthodox were coming for their Holy Week which begins on our Easter Sunday. The Veneration of the Cross then took place at 3pm on Mt Calvary ... where it actually happened 2000 years ago. n the evening was the Tenebrae or Funeral service where the statue of Christ was removed from Mt. Calvary, anointed with myrrh and nard, wrapped in a shroud and carried into the Tomb. The Tomb was then sealed by the sacristans of the Franciscans, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches. Then the basilica was evacuated and shut till Holy Saturday morning.

The burial of Christ in a casket of
flowers at St. Anthony's Church, Jaffa

On Holy Saturday morning the Easter Vigil was celebrated ... unlike the rest of the world which takes place in the night. The fire and water were blessed, the Easter Candle lit and the commemoration of the Resurrection was announced in the readings.

I wasn't in Jerusalem for the celebrations as I had to help out in the parish in Jaffa. Over there the expat communities have their liturgies: africans in french, spanish and latin-americans have their spanish liturgy, the Poles have theirs in polish, hebrew-speaking catholics have it in hebrew, indians have malayalam, konkani and several other languages in different rites (latin, malabarese and malankar rites), the eritreans and ethiopians have their ethiopic rite with Fr Medhin ... sometimes I would have to celebrate in chinese but this year there was no need. The crowds lining up for Mass is incredible ... each Mass following another. The indian konkani Mass alone had 4000 people, taking up the entire carpark and basketball court of our school. Then at the same time there was a singhalese Mass in the St Anthony's church next door for ceylonese catholics and also at the same time in St Peter's church 5 mins walk away there was a Malabar rite Mass for malayalams. So after one week of intense service - confessions, cleaning the churches, practices ... I'm totally worn out. Came home at 1am last night and I hope I can sleep for the next few days.