Feast of St. Stephen

Seminarians encounter

What a storm we had last night .... it was actually a regular shower but by Jerusalem's drought standards, it was a storm. And it was very very cold. I had to go visit a group (the 3rd group this weekend) to share a bible talk. It was a wet cold walk 2 kms to the Rosary Sisters convent where they stayed. Nevertheless it was a nice visit. I brought 2 seminarians from Melbourne to meet with 4 Singaporean seminarians who came with the group. It was a good exchange of experiences. And the meeting room was very warm and dry.

Archbishop Pizzaballa in Bethlehem

Christmas Day was exceptional this year with thousands of foreign visitors entering Bethlehem to celebrate and thousands of Palestinian christians coming into Jerusalem because they received permission from Israel for this festive season. Roads and streets were closed not only in Bethlehem and Jerusalem to facilitate the movement of huge crowds ... but also Jaffa where no religious tourists flock to party out the jewish feast of Hanukkah. It was good to see my old friend and classmate, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, entering Bethlehem as Archbishop of Jerusalem. He was our previous Custos of the Holyland and was consecrated a few months back and assigned as Apostolic Administrator of the Holy Land by the Vatican. A few days back I messaged him to ask if 25 years back when we were classmates he ever thought he'd be an archbishop today. I'm very proud of him.

Poor Haifa ... first torched by the immense forest fire that destroyed hundreds of homes, then inundated by the floods ... now there is a huge fire of its oil refinery plant. It's out of control. Haifa has been having such bad luck recently. The residents can't celebrate a proper Hannukah or Christmas.

Thanks for the lovely gifts, the beanie, clothes, calendars and medicines especially Aunties Yvonne, Mary Patricia Lim, the Caveros, Agnes Lee, Irene Teoh, Marveen and many others. Received everything. Really appreciate your kindness.

Christmas Day

Crowds lining up
to enter the Basilica

Merry Christmas to all. As I promise, I prayed for each and everyone of you in Bethlehem. I was there early in the morning yesterday to celebrate a Mass for 120 expats living in Jaffa and Tel Aviv area. They came to make a christmas pilgrimage. It was very cold and drizzling. And the crowds were unbelievable .... crowds after crowds were walking toward the Basilica. Many streets were closed, palestinian security were everywhere making body searches on everyone entering the area.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4897788,00.html

Even so early in the morning there were thousands of pilgrims trying to enter the Basilica of the Nativity. The line stretched all the way out 200 meters into the streets. And the drizzled did not dissuade the people. More and more groups just kept walking up the hill. By 9.30am the scout bands were marching in parade. The giant Christmas Tree was the focus of everyone who wanted to take photos while the Grotto of the Nativity was the main aim. But it would have taken over an hour lining up to reach the door of the Basilica. Many people just gave up trying to get there.

Altar of the
Milk Grotto

I had Mass at the Milk Grotto. The cloistered Perpetual Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament who serve in the chapel send their greetings and assurances of prayers. The Milk Grotto was where the Holy Family lived for 2 years after the birth of Jesus but before the flight into Egypt. There I celebrated Mass, remembering all of you, your prayers and intentions.

As I had mentioned earlier, Christmas this year coincides with the jewish feast of Hanukkah. The rhetoric of the rabbis against christianity is not letting up. The call to punish jewish or public institutions that put up a christmas tree has met with tacit approval by most rabbinical authorities but also opposition by secular and tourist institutes who fear the lost of business .... especially this christmas being the most crowded in many years. Any negative impression on this year's groups would lead to less groups coming next year.

But the real good news for Christmas was to learn that east Aleppo has been liberated from the militias and the govt. has declared it a safe zone. Christians returned to celebrate Midnight Mass in the ruined churches.  Our friar in Aleppo and the little children of the ruined city send their christmas greetings in a video:   https://www.facebook.com/ChristianMediaCenter.HolyLand/videos/1832854670325775/

Also in Mosul in Iraq the muslim militias have been chased out and christians have returned to celebrate Christmas in their ruined churches. As our Archbishop said ... the physical war may be over but the ideological war continues. We need to pray so hard.

1 day to Christmas

Sufgoniot at a
local bakery

The weekend is upon us .... it's holiday mood throughout Israel and Palestine: Israel because it's the feast of Hanukkah (the re-dedication of the Jewish Temple after it was defiled by the Seleucid kings), Palestine because it's Christmas and tens of thousands of people are flocking into Bethlehem. Most shops in the Israeli side of Jerusalem are closed ... except pastry shops and bakeries selling sufgoniot. That's the traditional jam-filled doughnut eaten during Hanukkah. Shops on the Palestinian side on the other hand are opened 24 hours, making the most of the tourists' visits.

The weather is still very cold. Tomorrow's Midnight Mass will be quite trying for those celebrating in Shepherds' Field. It's all open-air and the night wind blowing from the desert will be biting cold. If you're planning to go there for Mass, you'd better bundle up. Forecast is rain on Christmas Day. I'll be far away in another city near the north to celebrate Mass for the catholic community there because they have no priest. I hope I won't catch a cold.

We're just receiving news that the Berlin Christmas Market attacker has just been shot dead. And that a Christmas plot in Australia has been foiled. So far it's good news ... but goodness knows what's lurking in the dark of people's minds and souls. We must be very vigilant especially here in our land during this festive weekend. Anything can happen.

2 days to Christmas

Lovely gift

I just noticed that there are a lot fewer elderly and poor in the streets this week. The cold has been so harsh most stay indoors. For the poor, heating is too costly so they simply wrap themselves with blankets if they have. I even saw a family collecting wood from the street dumpsters to be used as firewood. Some children were also collecting branches from trees on the Mt. of Olives. This winter cold is making the poor suffer a lot.

And talking about poor, Mother Teresa's sisters are busy visiting these poor to see to their urgent needs. On Christmas Day they will go to the streets looking for street sleepers to assist them. Just an hour ago I was at their convent for Eucharistic Adoration. They surprised me with a lovely gift - handmade ... of an infant Jesus statue inside a plastic cup: the Poorest of the Poor in the poorest chalice. They also cooked a nice warm dinner for me : chapati with boiled potatoes. I like it very much. It's very simple but filling ... what poor people would eat. No frills, no fancy. It's authentic charity in simplicity.

Chapati & potato
dinner

Israel has started moves to bring wounded Aleppo refugees into Israel for treatment. I hope they succeed. Israel is the only country in the region capable of doing this. The other muslim countries, rich like UAE and Saudi, have done nothing to help their own muslims. Other medical teams are lined along the Golan Heights to wait for refugees who enter into Israel.

On the local scene, the rabbis are stepping up their war on Christmas. Hotels are threatened to have their kosher licenses withdrawn if christmas trees are not removed.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.760490

On the other end of pendulum, the muslim mufti of Malaysia declared that there is nothing wrong for muslims to offer christmas greetings or join in christmas festivities. How opposite can the rabbis and muftis get?  http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/kl-mufti-okay-for-muslims-to-wish-friends-merry-christmas?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&xtor=CS1-10#link_time=1482367298

The ultra-orthodox jews are also tightening their grip in the city of Beth Shemesh. They're blocking buses on the road because they do not like men and women sitting in the same bus. They're demanding segregated bus services for men and women.  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/obstruction-and-rocks-religious-war-in-beit-shemesh-25470

Christmas round the corner

Street artist in
Via Dolorosa

The weather was again sunny and there was no threat of rain. But it was very cold ... about 8 degrees during the day but it felt very much lower. Youths took advantage of this sunny day by practising (or showing off) their parkour skills in the park outside Damascus Gate. Old people thickly clothed, sat out in the sun. Businesses were set up in and outside the City Gate. And a foreign artist sat along the Via Dolorosa painting street scene.

My shoulder has been hurting the last 2 nights, perhaps because of the biting cold. Coincidentally this morning there was an article in the news discussing shoulder pain. Looks like I tore a ligament ... from what I read about the symptoms and pain. Anyway the article advised immediate medical attention. Hospital again? No way. I'm not going just yet. I do dread nighttime though. I feel so tired and need so much sleep but the pain keeps me awake. I barely sleep 3 hours a day.

Meantime, the Israeli and Palestinian security forces, in a rare act of unity, are co-ordinating their actions on a massive scale for one of the largest pilgrimages this Christmas. Expected to enter Bethlehem (Palestine) are 35,000 people and just as many Palestinian christians will be coming out to Jerusalem (Israel) instead to celebrate Christmas. Checkpoint crossings will be relaxed and free shuttle buses from Jerusalem are being offered by the Municipality. It's a little sign of hope for us. But please ... right at the back of all this is money ... tourist money. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Police-finalize-Christmas-security-for-pilgrims-476031

Tel Aviv on the other hand is preparing to celebrate Chrismukkah ... Christmas and Hanukkah on the same day. Should be interesting. This can never ever happen here in Jerusalem because the ultra-orthodox control the City and consider Christmas as a menacing idolatrous threat to Judaism.

After the call by many isarelis to intervene in the tragedy in Aleppo, the PM announced he's ready to take syrian casualties. Israeli doctors have asked to be allowed into the syrian border to treat the wounded. This is a good sign. Very humanitarian. http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=24586

Cold but sunny

Wet cold & deserted
Via Dolorosa

The sun is up ... it is bright and sunny today ... but it is freezing cold; in fact today is one of the coldest days this winter. Last night the temp. fell to 2 degrees and today the maximum is no more than 9 degrees. It will get down to 2 degrees again tonight. Forecast for the weekend is rain ... so Christmas will have it's feel but it'll be quite uncomfortable walking about in the mud and sludge.

I had a horrid evening because I was caught in the heavy shower that fell between 6.30pm and 7pm. I had just completed an important translation of a document and sent it by email before walking home from office in the heavy rain. Was wet through. As soon as I entered my room, I received a message that I had sent the wrong document and they needed it urgently in half an hour. So I ran (actually shuffled) up the hill in the downpour to resend the correct document and returned home. Was absolutely drenched. I thought I would get sick so I stayed in my room instead of going down to the freezing chapel for vespers. I think I was the only crazy guy out in the streets .... everyone else was probably indoors as the streets were deserted.

The sisters of the Silent Workers of
the Cross come to visit.

This morning the sisters of the Silent Workers of the Cross came to pay a visit. They have a convent and pilgrim hostel up on the Mt. of Olives, between Bethphage and Bethany. It's a very special congregation of religious priests and nuns ... most of them are disabled. It's the only congregation that accepts physically challenged people with religious vocations whom other congregations would reject. In their quiet way they work in projects for other disabled peoples in the various parishes around our area. It's a very brave apostolate which few people know about.

The attack in Istanbul that killed the Russian Ambassador and the Berlin truck murder shocked all of us. It's an extension of what is going on here in our region ... the ripples are extending to Europe. And it's not the first time. If the war does not stop in Syria, then Europe will have no peace either. It's dreadfully tragic.

Bleak Christmas in the Middle East

Yesterday saw a series of demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by local israelis protesting in solidarity with the syrians in Aleppo. Recalling how they suffered in the Holocaust, these Israelis used their rallying call for the Holocaust "Never Again" to apply also to Aleppo. And in the face of world silence and reluctance to stop the massacre, I seriously think Israel alone is brave enough and capable to end this massacre.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-denounce-aleppo-massacres-in-tel-aviv-protest/ 

There is also a report on the small and persecuted community of christians in Gaza and the bleak Christmas they face. It seems that all christians in the Middle East are facing serious persecution in all forms with no world help. Extremely bleak for the local christians ... and an appalling reflection on the universal christian church of all denominations for their silence.    http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.759270

Yet in the dark news christians in the Middle News there was a little light ... news is leaking out that the ISIS occupied monastery near Mosul which was liberated recently still held a few hundred precious manuscripts secretly hidden by a priest before fleeing from the muslim extremists 2 years ago.  http://www.livescience.com/57240-historic-texts-hidden-isis-occupied-monastery.html

Mini-panettone

Weatherwise it is still a little warm ... about 10 degrees. But in 4 hours it'll drop to 3 degrees. I forgot to bring a pullover so I think I'll freeze on my way home. I dread it. Last night was tough as it was cold and I had an asthma attack and my shoulder hurt very much. I don't think I was made for winters. Can't understand how anyone could enjoy winter ... except of course if it's Christmas time and we get panettone to eat!!! The shops are now selling mini-panettone ... small as your palm. Just nice for me as it won't be too much of a danger for my diabetes.