Holy Tuesday

Bringing donations to Nablus

The weather was not what was forecast. Though it began cloudy, it turned very sunny and bright by midmorning. My trip to Nablus was thoroughly enjoyable. I had to bring sacks of clothes and many boxes of canned and dried food to the MC sisters for the poor. The donation was so much I had to hire a minivan to carry all the stuff there. I thought it was good the poor have some food and new clothes for Easter ... and they are very grateful.

The Samaritan
Museum

I was lucky several seminarians and their Master came along to help me. I wouldn't have been able to do it by myself. We also visited Jacob's well and ancient Shechem along the way. The MC sisters cooked lunch for us which was very nice of them. Then we visited Mt. Gerizim and the Samaritan community. They will be celebrating their Passover this Thursday which coincides with out Last Supper on Holy Thursday. We met a samaritan priest and visited the Samaritan museum where the history and culture of the Samaritans were explained to us.

On our way back we made a stop at the only surviving christian village in Israel/Palestine ... Taybe or ancient Ephraim. Jesus hid here for a week before going to Bethany and riding a donkey down on Palm Sunday. There was a funeral going on and we entered the church once the coffin was carried to the cemetery.

This morning fire broke at the Al Aqsa mosque ... hours after the Notre Dame cathedral was on fire. For sure it was arson but we're not sure who yet. The Muslim administrators think it was due to muslim children playing with fire. https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Fire-breaks-out-near-mosque-on-Temple-Mount-586985?fbclid=IwAR2TG8pcz3buqGGz7y2pAXht6BEmYXOcHT74-JoxNfCMTMYAxndxmYhy8Vo

Holy Monday

Scouts parade yesterday

Yesterday our catholic scouts did their annual march from St. Stephan's Gate to New Gate (Muslim East Jerusalem to the Christian Quarter). The main road running along the northern City Wall was closed off all afternoon till evening for the procession of palms and scouts parade. It was a very proud moment for catholics as once a year we're allowed to make a public show of our faith and presence. And our scouts and their marching bands and bagpipes are the stars .... no other scout group whether christian orthodox, jewish or muslim, are as well trained.

Thousands at Damascus Gate watch-
ing the parade

About 17 bands from the various parishes and schools around the entire country came to participate. And literally thousands of people, mostly christians, lined the entire route to cheer and photograph the parade. Muslims were also there to watch the parade but the jews avoided it totally. It's idolatry for them to see flags with images and crosses.

Mass at the 5th Station of the Cross

This morning there was Masses at the 5th Station of the Cross chapel. Masses are celebrated there only once a year on Holy Monday and my house is responsible for it. From 6am to 8,30am every half hour a Mass is celebrated in different languages. I was too late to book a Mass so I joined the 7.30am Mass which was celebrated in english. I remembered you all at Mass ... which is a very special place: 5th Station is Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross. Most of you are Simons of Cyrene ... helping the poor in the Holy Land with your kind prayers and donations. St. Simon the Cyrene will intercede for you all.

The warm sunny weather has again changed and it's drizzling with dark gloomy skies. I have to bring food and clothes to the poor in Nablus tomorrow and I really hope it won't rain because the journey will be dangerous. It will be nice for Easter if they had some food and clothes to celebrate. Spoke to soon. It's raining now. Let's hope for the best.

Palm Sunday

Archbishop in procession before
the Empty Tomb

It's Palm Sunday at last. I had already celebrated the Mass at 2.30am and have decided not to join in the procession at 2.30pm .... 12 hours apart. I'm exhausted from yesterday's Lenten rigours and my left ankle is hurting. The younger guys have walked up the Mt. of Olives to Betfage for the start of the procession while older ones wait at Gethsemani for the procession to pass. I stayed in my room so I don't know what's happening below in the streets. There's a hams blowing and I don't like it ... it's the hot, dry desert sandstorm which gusty winds. It affects my asthma ... so it's safest to stay indoors.

my palm cross

The old man who weaves palm fronds into lovely patterns started selling his wares 2 ays ago. He sits in a corner of the Old City street and weaves the palms for people to see. It's quite an art. Since I wasn't going to the procession, I decided to buy a small cross woven from 2 palm leaves instead. It's enough for me.

Tomorrow is Holy Monday and Masses will be celebrated at the 5th Station "Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carries the Cross". Masses are celebrated there only once a year. I'm not sure if I will join in.

I'll rest for the rest of the day. This week is going to be gruelling as the liturgies intensify.

Eve of Palm Sunday

Saturday afternoon
procession

Holy Week is upon us. The preliminary feasts of Lazarus' raising and Our Lady of Sorrows mark the end of Lent and tonight we begin Palm Sunday with Vigil. On the eve of Palm Sunday we have a solemn procession inside the Holy Sepulchre Basilica  at 2.30pm ... the usual 40 minute procession now lasts 95 minutes. I decided to join ... though I was exhausted from Mass inside the Empty Tomb at 7.30am and then preaching a retreat from 9.30pm to 12.30pm. It brought back many memories when I was younger and could go up and down the numerous steps from one altar to another, singing the hymns. The basilica was packed with pilgrims and tourists and police and our traditional kawas (dragomans) had to keep them away otherwise they would block and disrupt our procession. It was a madhouse. But that was how it was 28 years ago too.

Vigil procession

I was lucky that in the busy schedule the filipino community of Jaffa came and cooked pancit so I had something to eat for lunch. At 5pm I had 3 simultaneous meetings to attend. Then at 11.45pm I accompanied our indian sisters to the Holy Sepulchre for the Vigil. It was less crowded than the previous 4 Vigils ... mainly because most people want to attend the Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday at 9am. I instead concelebrated the Mass at Mt. Calvary immediately after the Vigil at 2.30am. That was a great relief because the Gospel reading at the normal Palm Sunday Mass is very long and I would not have been able to stand it. At Calvary Mass is restricted to half an hour so the Gospel was specially abbreviated to suit the Status Quo requirements. By then time I got home it was past 3.30am. Useless to sleep as instead I had a very early breakfast and worked through to 6am.

But all in all it was a good experience ... reliving the old times when I was younger and more energetic ... participating in all the processions, liturgies and vigils of Lent. Now I wheeze and cough when the incense is too close by; seminarians bring me a chair whenever the liturgy is too long and I need to sit.

Last Friday of Lent

Roadworks in front of my house

For the past 2 nights, municipality workers were digging up our road and re-paving them with new stone slabs. The jackhammers breaking the ground and electric saws cutting up stones are very loud ... and the diesel machine belches black smoke that choke me. Obviously they want to finish the work by Palm Sunday but there's still quite a stretch undone. The noise and pollution is keeping us all awake for the past 2 nights. Nessun dorma.

Fa Lun Gong at Jaffa Gate

Security was tight today in the Old City as muslims flooded into the Al Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers. Security helicopters have been hovering above since morning till now. Our Way of the Cross is guarded by several police to prevent any attacks from muslims or jews. At Jaffa Gate today where I had to go buy medicine from the pharmacy, there was a small group of Fa Lun Gongers at the corner of street ... all local Israelis speaking hebrew. Well they should be thankful Israel allows them to exist here. At least they don't need police protection like we do.

The tourist crowds are getting more and more, with Orthodox from Slavic countries and Egypt arriving. And jewish pilgrims are also coming in huge groups for the celebration of the Passover. Next week will see crowds from different religions mingling through the 3rd to 5th Stations as that's the crossroads where all 3 religions meet ... either to the Wailing Wall or the Al Aqsa Mosque or the Way of the Cross. That will be interesting to witness.

End of week

Damascus Gate
hawkers

It's Thursday and another weekend begins tomorrow. Students and profs are returning to their countries for Easter and the school will be quiet at least for 2 weeks. It would be a good occasion to rest ... except that I was asked to help with the Easter Triduum at our parish. Well at least I'll be away from the maddening crowds that'll flock our courtyard and streets. I don't need the stress from these tourists. But packing and moving to the parish for 3 days and travelling back is also quite stressful .... well I guess it's the lesser of 2 evils.

Today was another busy day which ended at 7pm after 2 hours of Eucharistic Adoration and bible conference. There was also 50 mins of confessions. Before that I had 2 hrs of class to teach. And before that I was out in the New City for an errand. It's important to do all errands today because tomorrow the Sabbath begins and most shops and offices are closed. Luckily the eastern part of the City does not observe the Sabbath as it's muslim. So we can still get emergency supplies from there.

Accident at arab
bus terminal

This evening I was home for dinner. Rare. I usually finish work late and return at 10pm or 11pm and eat my dinner which is usually cold leftovers. Tonight being Thursday ... we have home-baked pizza. It's a Thursday night tradition. Because of my particular diet, I asked for a simple focaccia and the profs who were baking obliged. It was nice and simple. Salt and olive oil over the dough. Love it ... except others loved it too and I only got one slice while others finished it off. Better luck next time.

The talk about town is now the 5th term of the PM. I am simply too exhausted to follow the news and arguments so I just get second-hand news. Let's see how things will develop before Passover begins next Friday. It coincides with our Good Friday.

Pilgrimage Mass at the Condemnation

Pilgrimage Mass at the Condemnation

It's the 5th Wednesday of Lent and the pilgrimage Mass is at our Condemnation Chapel. It's very small and accommodates about 50 people. SO it's quite crowded and warm inside. Most of the people and clerics are sitting outside the chapel. The pilgrimage Mass is celebrated on every Wednesday of Lent at one of the churches commemorating the suffering of Christ. The Passion of John is sung in 4 parts and the entire Mass is in latin. It lasts at least 1 and a half hours. Next week the commemoration Mass will be at the 5th Station of the Cross .... which opens for Mass only once a year on Holy Monday. From 6am to 8am there are Masses every half hour.

My margaritas in bloom

The weather is fine and summer is surely upon us. My daisies ... we call them margaritas in italian ... are blooming profusely so much that everyone who sees them is astounded. And not so astounding was last night's announcement that the incumbent PM has won the elections. It's going to his 5th term in office ... which makes that 20 years. What scares us is the extreme rightwing coalition that will make up his govt. It will be quite hostile to arabs and non-jews. The left totally lost it ... merely 6 seats of 120 in parliament. The ultra-orthodox have made the greatest gains. We just pray that we'll have peace for the next 4 years ... no more violence, no more deaths.

And talking about violence and deaths ... yesterday ISIS attacked the Sinai peninsular killing 4. The danger of terrorists must never ever be underestimated and we must be on our watch every moment.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEG5cqTaJjs