National Day

Watching the Parade

I spent the last several days on retreat. It was really good ... the topic was very interesting : jewish feasts in the Gospel of John. Lots of material to meditate and apply. There was no pressure or dateline ... everything was free-timing and that was very good for me. I found it very relaxing and stress-free ... which is what I needed. All in all the retreat was a success. The chinese sisters and priests also joined me ... but not for the entire length of days.

My retreat ended with Eucharistic Adoration at 6am and then Mass yesterday. Then I went to join some Singaporean friends to celebrate Singapore's National Day. We had home cooked char siu, chicken rice and satay while watching live the Parade streamed on the Internet. I must admit it was the first parade I've watched in 30 years ... and I could hardly recognise the city as shown on the screen. Things have changed so much. And the patriotism is palpable. And the hiphop culture was very strange to me ... like why should Singapore youths need to follow America? On the other hand, the many flashbacks on the history of Singapore was very good. It was the 200th anniversary of the "discovery" of the island by Stanford Raffles. It's such a colonial patronising term - "discover". Singapore was always there ... occupied by the portuguese in the 16th century and then the dutch before the british came. There was no need to discover Singapore.

Homecooked singaporean food

Back to Israel ... we're expecting some major clashes tonight and tomorrow. The jews celebrate Tisha B'Av this evening till tomorrow ... which commemorates the destruction of the jewish Temples in the 9th century BC and the 1st century AD on the same day. The jews try to enter the account Temple site which today is the golden Dome of the Rock mosque ... and muslims resent that. On Sunday evening the muslims commemorate Eid al Adha of the sacrifice of Ishmael (instead of Isaac in the jewish/christian tradition). But fearing the jews will enter en masse into the Mosque, the Grand Musfti of jerusalem was called all mosques in Jerusalem to be closed on Tesha B'A and brought forward the Eid al Adha to coincide with Tisha B'Av so the muslims will fill the mosque and prevent any jew from entering. It is unprecedented that a muslim feast be moved not according to a religious command but a political one. Well ... the streets are filled with police and barricades are being set up all over. Let's see what'll happen.

Cooler weather

Millstone and olive press at Neot
Kedumim

This morning was very strange weatherwise. It was chilly and the sky was covered with rain clouds. Some drops of drizzle even fell. And the westerly wind was chilly as well. I went off to the Ivrea convent for Mass at 5.45am and I thought it felt very much like late early winter. Well summer is definitely sliding to autumn as sunrise is now 4.25am ... only a month ago it was 3.40am (2.40am solar time).

Grinding wheat for flour

The chinese-speaking religious asked me to organize a retreat-study session. We studied the jewish feasts and its significance in John's gospel for 3 days. Then we visited Neot Kedumim - the biblical garden 2.5 hectares large. It has all the biblical plants and the guided tour is interactive. We could pluck the fruit and flowers growing on the branches ... eat them or grind them to make spices. Learning about cisterns and olive presses and winepress and threshing floors taught us about life in biblical times. But more importantly we learned about the fruit and plants linked to the various jewish feasts. That supplemented our study. It was very enlightening. And the cool weather was a great help.

My food poisoning episode is over. But I'm eating less than usual as I've lost my appetite after the food poisoning. I still have a fever but I'm not sure why. The chinese sisters have been cooking food for me since I had the poisoning. Plain simple noodles to settle the stomach. That was a great help to recovery.

The hot weather has resulted in lots of mosquitoes and insects that bite. Many people can't sleep in peace because of this. I have to spray insecticide before I sleep otherwise the mosquitoes will keep me awake.

Transfiguration feast

Fight inside Damascus Gate

Spent the whole day recovering yesterday. Food poisoning is no fun. Alot of vomiting and diarrhea for 14 hrs. And I blacked out once ... crashed into a side table. Legs were really weak and wobbly. By night time ie 10pm I felt better enough to go home.

Just my luck as I entered Damascus Gate, there was a big fight going on. 2 arab shopkeepers joined by their supporters in a fistfight/ Israeli soldiers ... about 10 of them ... rushed in to separate the groups but they became the targets of both groups. The area was getting more crowded by the minute as tourists were also passing through. Then the soldiers charged at the arab youths surrounding the fight ... everyone ran down the steps. As I wasn't feeling well, I was hugging by the wall but in the stampede was pushed down. It was not a lucky day at all.

Bus to Bethlehem

Today I'm feeling better but my stomach and throat hurt. I've eaten very little and mostly only liquids to stay hydrated. Though I'm very hungry ... I have no appetite. The thought of eating makes me nauseous again. And yes I drank coca-cola ... the perfect cure for diarrhea. I had to celebrate the Mass at the Ivrea convent at 6am and then rushed off to Bethlehem to celebrate another Mass for the MC sisters. Gave them an hour's bible conference before the Mass. It's been a long time since I took the bus there and things  have changed in a year. The price is still the same ... 6.80 shekels ... but the tickets are computerized and not those colored printed papers torn from stubs. The bus-stop in Bethlehem has moved some 30 meters down to the John Paul II center instead of the Ephrata School for the Deaf. And the buses left on time ... even when half full. I rather enjoyed that. And at the Israeli checkpoint, local arabs no longer need to get off the bus for permit checks. The soldiers come onboard and checked everyone ... arab or foreigner alike. That was another good surprise.

It's Transfiguration Day ... and there was a solemn Mass up at the Mount of the Transfiguration. I saw the live broadcast online ... it was quite crowded with local religious and local christians. I no longer have the energy or health to travel so far and remain for such a long Mass. But it's a big celebration in the middle of summer ... which is nice. Otherwise

Sick

Very sick today ... vomitting, diarrhea, headache ... I think it's food poisoning. Must be the leftovers I ate ... I usually eat leftovers as my meal times are very inconsistent. Am still sick now ... got to go vomit.

New ordination

Empty street on Sabbath

Yesterday one of my students was ordained in India. There were many concelebrating priests and laity. A very big affair. In 2 weeks another will be ordained in Puerto Rico. 3 others had already been ordained in July ... in Albania and Sri Lanka. They are the last of my students whom I taught full-time. With over 20 years of students passing through my hands and getting ordained ... it's time for retirement. Age and sickness have caught up.

This morning was eerily chilly ... and very humid. Rain clouds floated pass toward Jordan and dew covered most of the ground. You could smell the dampness in the air. But the hot dry sun came in the late morning and it became another hot day. Lucky for the cool morning because I had to walk 2km to celebrate Mass for the Ethiopians. I love their singing .... it's a mournful chant which is very melodious. I like to learn it ... maybe I'll get someone to teach me.

Another deserted street

The walk to and from the chapel where Ethiopic Mass was celebrated was really surreal. It's Sabbath so there were no cars and very very people and no dogs or even cats or rats in the streets. It's surreal .... the silence except for the wild parakeets screeching their heads off. It's been quite some time since I walked in the jewish side of town on a Sabbath and it was quite relaxing and stress free with all that silence ... except for a drunk arab who was bleeding from the head and 5 emergency attendants were surrounding him.

News-wise there's nothing significant .... it's a rather quite weekend. We'll just wait for the feast of the Transfiguration to come so we can get busy over something.

Porziuncola feast

Demolition work at Damascus Gate

Today is a big feast day for us ... the Porziuncola or "Little Portion" - the tiny chapel of St. Mary of the Angels where St. Francis rebuilt and treasured. It's the only chapel that St. Francis allowed the friars to keep ... despite the stringent vow of poverty. It's been such a special chapel that popes down the centuries have granted a special plenary indulgence to those who come to pray in it. And this indulgence can be gained multiple times during the day of the feast. That's special.

Nonetheless work goes on ... feast day or not. Was back and forth from both libraries twice in the fiery heat of the sun. One thing good was there was a cool breeze blowing in the morning and that made walking outdoors alot easier and bearable. At least once I reach my workplace I get to enter indoors. I was wondering how the demolition crew could work in the heat .... they've demolished the stepped garden on the eastern side of Damascus Gate. I see they've flattened it out and paved cement to create a walkway. The dust and heat over there is terrible.

Buddy reads a book

Between work I've had more free time than on usual school days ... so I spend more time with Buddy my conure parakeet and JJ my white cockatiel. It's a great time bonding with them and they love to play and play and play. In fact I can't do any work when I'm with them. They're my best companions. Today being a feast day I spent a little more time with them. It was fun.

That aside, it's Friday and the usual Friday protest at the Gaza border took place. Reports say 6000 were there protesting against the Israeli soldiers on the other side of the border. Then internally within Israel, another implosion occurred when ultra-orthodox jews attack conservative or other progressive jews praying at the Western Wall. It happens every full moon when they gather there to pay to start a new month.

Yesterday Jordan closed down the sanctuary of the Tomb of Aaron because jews from Israel came to pray there. I really don't see why they can't pray there if they are not there to claim the place.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-closes-holy-site-to-visitors-after-jewish-group-prays-without-permission/

Liguori feast

Char-grilled chicken

Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists. I presided at the memorial Mass and then it was back to work. This morning I had to bring cooked food to the M. Teresa's sisters in Bethlehem. There were lots of uneaten dinner servings in the 2 largest monasteries in Jerusalem because due to poor communication, most of the guys had gone to Bethany for lunch. So instead of wasting food, I was asked to bring it to the poor in Bethlehem. That was when I decided to buy the iconic char-grilled whole chicken which I hadn't eaten in a year. It's a dying arab cuisine as only one stall in Bethlehem makes and sells it. I bought 2 so I could share it with our sisters and workers. We don't get this in Jerusalem. And everyone loved it.

Then it was back home to do some work before going to the M. Teresa's convent in Jerusalem for a conference, eucharistic adoration and confessions. It's my weekly responsibility ... and it takes about 2.5 hours each Thursday evening. Tomorrow will be our solemnity of St. Mary of the Angels so I guess I'll be singing most parts of the Mass. Maybe I should take a day off tomorrow.

A sudden spike of tensions at the southern border when an early morning attack by Gazans injured israeli soldiers. Then up in the northern border come reports that Israel bombed the town of  Quneitra where 2000 yrs ago St. Paul encountered the Risen Lord. It's quite a jittery day as no one knows where its all leading us.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561730,00.html  and  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561904,00.html