Feastday

Sr. Francesca
renews her vows

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception; a very franciscan feast ... championed by Duns Scotus, our great 14th century theologian. The teaching was banned by the dominicans whose thomistic theology does not allow for such a miracle. With the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes and the declaration that she is the Immaculate Conception, the franciscan theology was vindicated.

I presided the Mass at the MC convent. One of their junior sisters renewed her profession. Soon she'll go back to India for her internship before making her perpetual profession. I've been following her formation for 4 years now since she arrived in the Holy Land; she and 9 other juniors. Almost all have made their perpetual profession, only 2 left to go. 

I didn't get to rest on this feastday as I had planned. It was a big rush to complete errands and datelines even though both libraries were closed. One good thing happened ... Ah Ling from Mandarin restaurant prepared alot of food for me ... again. 60 dumplings which she made herself, and 20 Springrolls and 2 fried fish. I'll share it with some of our students.

M. Teresa statue

The gloomy weather finally broke into a short but heavy shower at 6pm. it was 11 degrees but it felt freezing. Tomorrow's forecast is for more rain. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. I hope I won't catch a cold on my way there and back. It's a clinic about 2 and a half kms away. 

Infection rates have gone further up to 1800. The govt decided to impose a nightly curfew from tomorrow till Jan. 1st 2021 ... probably to curb jewish crowds during the 8 day feast of Hanukkah. Also it'll curb christian crowds gathering for Christmas. And it'll curb both groups from celebrating the New Year as well. Enough opposition from the public has forced the govt. to backtrack just a few hours after its declaration. This type of lack of political will and tough leadership has only prolonged the pandemic and a 3rd lockdown is almost inevitable.

Another week

Georgette makes
burbara

Yesterday a Mass was celebrated at Gethsemani in reparation for the sacrilege committed on Saturday when a jew burnt parts of the basilica. Everyone is asking, "where's next?" These attacks tend to be followed by copy-cat attacks. 

A 3rd lockdown is under discussion as the Knesset meets today. Infection rates have shot up both in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, over a 1000 in 3 days running. Borders might be closed. Then that's the end of Christmas if we cannot go visit the birthplace of Christ. It's happened before during the wars and muslim threats. The important thing for us is that we keep Christmas spiritually alive in our homes. Some chinese catholic migrant workers are hoping to go to Bethlehem but we'll have to update them daily to see if it's possible. Otherwise we'll celebrate Christmas here in Jerusalem with other chinese religious. Rather sad but there's nothing we can do.

Sr. Regina at the
souvenir shop

Here's a photo of Georgette our chef making burbara on the feast of St. Barbara. Lots of barley and cereal. Ought to be healthy except alot of sugar is added later in the cooking. I like burbara but I'm cautious as I'm diabetic. 

The rains have stopped but the skies continue to be overcast and gloomy. The temp has risen by 1 degree which in effect makes no difference to us. It still feels terribly cold. That doesn't help my toothache which is like a sledgehammer bashing my head. My plantar fasciitis is almost gone as my insole is doing a good job. However I have a sharp pain in my abdomen area whenever I cough ... feels like a hernia. I've had a hernia in the diaphragm before so I'm quite worried. It makes coughing up the phlegm very difficult so I'm left choking most of the time. Health issues are a heavy cross. And it's not easy to see the doctor due to cover restrictions. Let's hope for the best. 

I had to preach the Advent retreat for the english-speaking sisters in the Judea district. All via Zoom of course. I used to preach to them for the past several years and it was good to see most of them again ... even if online.

Gethsemani basilica arson

 

Damaged mosaics at
Gethsemani

Yesterday afternoon a jewish man entered the basilica of Gethsemani and poured inflammable fluid over the pews and mosaic floor of the sanctuary and set it on fire. The guard was quick to realise and held the man till the police arrived. Other youths helped put out the fire. It was clearly a hate crime, anti-christian, as that same church was set on fire 15 years ago by an jewish soldier before - destroying the altar, carpet, organ and tabernacle. It's an easy target because it's huge and dark. From that basilica up to where we live on the Via Dolorosa (Way of the cross) in the Old City, jews daily pass by to spit at the cross, the church and at us. Daily. Even the muslim neighbours here know about it and have videoed it. What has upset everyone was when the police arrested the man, they immediately changed the attack from hate crime to criminal act. We have seen all this before ... he'll not be charged. He'll declare insanity. He'll be freed. That's exactly what happened to the jewish soldier who burnt the same sanctuary. That guy even went to Jaffa and threw a hand grenade, destroying the tabernacle and desecrating the hosts. And he was not charged because he pleaded insanity. If it were a synagogue that was burnt, the perpetrator would have been charged with anti-semitism hate crime, his house destroyed, his family and whole village would be collectively punished and world leaders will be raising a hue and cry over the vandalism of a synagogue. But here it's only a christian basilica, 1600 years old whre Christ sweated blood before his crucifixion .... no christian world leader will open his mouth. Nothing from Trump, Merkel, Macron, Trudeau .... not one peep. There is Divine Justice ... and many many people will be called to task.

New Patriarch at Holy
Sepulchre

At the same time inside the Christian Quarter yesterday, our new Patriarch made his solemn entrance into the Holy Sepulchre, and then a reception at the Patriarchate where he received well-wishers. Due to covid restrictions, few people were allowed to participate but the entire ceremony was streamed live. That's how religious services will be for some time to come. Get use to it.

St Barbara

Violets blooming

 It's the weekend. Nationwide protests against the PM took place for the 24th week and shows no signs of abating. The opposition parties are calling for another election. And the pandemic infections have soared. 2020 is ending with alot of uncertainties and fear. All I can say is ... don't forget the poor people, those who lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their dignity. Care for the people.

Anyway optimism for a virus vaccination is in the air ... but no one is putting much hope in it. There's been alot of hype about it and people are wary of it. It usually means higher prices ... and anyway foreigners like us will not be in the frontline for sure.

It's sunny and cold this weekend. The violets that I planted in front of the library are blooming profusely. I like the purple hues on them ... very rewarding also to see the anemones and freesia sprouting strong stems and large leaves. I think 2021 Spring will see alot of scented flowers in bloom. At least they don't have to worry about lockdowns and vaccinations.

It's the feast of St. Barbara and in the Middle East, children dress up in masquerade to remember St. Barbara disguising herself to escape the roman persecutors. As she ran way, wheat sprouted behind ehr to cover her footsteps ... so christians here grow grain in small pots. By Christmas these would have germinated and they are used to decorated the crib. And of course they make burbara ... a sweet dessert made up of barley and types of wheat and dried fruit. That's what our cook Georgette is doing right now. I'll have a version without nuts.

Full moon

Full moon

Electricians have come to do an overhaul of our ancient electrical system. It's quite a bother as they'll go floor by floor, room by room over a month's period. We'll have to be ready whenever they come knocking at our door. That means I'll have to cancel some classes in order to be on standby. I dislike that very much as it waste's my time.

There's a full moon out these nights ... not only huge but very red. No one could miss it. An amazing sight. I took several photos of it ... and realised I was the only one. Most people just stopped to gaze at it and moved on. I just pandemic is wearing down people's sense of awe.

Yesterday's infection rate shot up to 1500+ cases and the country is bracing for a 3rd lockdown. Christmas will probably be reduced to 20 persons a church. I was just discussing this with an elderly sister of St. Dorothy who was my classmate 30 years ago. We agreed it'll be a very different Christmas ... more spiritual and less noisy. It's back to the essentials.

Looks like Israel is heading for another election ... the 4th in 2 years. It's that messy political game that the parties and religious groups play ... and the losers are the people. And with this pandemic where people lose their jobs and welfare, infection rates spiking again and again ... another election is a bad sign.

My plantar fasciitis is much better now ... solved by a good night's rest and a new insole. I try to keep warm at night so I don't get sick. The temp is between 6 degrees and 13 degrees today. The last thing i need is to catch a cold or flu during this corona spike. Let's hope for the best ... that 2020 will fade out quietly and better things will happen in 2021.

Midweek

Cold, wet market

The temp. is not getting anywhere ... from 8 degrees to 18 degrees. Chilly though the sun is shining brightly.  Shops selling christmas decorations are opened but hardly anyone is buying. The economy is bad ... there are no tourists. But christians will still try to be joyful and hopeful ... and the cold weather is a good start.

I'm juggling between settling transactions of books and magazines, Human Resource for settling the new statutory holidays for 2021, payment of workers for November, ghost-writing sermons, writing my own assignments, teaching in class ... 20 yrs ago this would have been nothing. But now I feel my age ... doing only one thing at a time. And I think Alzheimers is showing its signs ... I cannot finish a sentence ... I get lost for words, lost in train of thought, typing wrong words when I'm thinking of another ... it's getting scary. I must prepare for the possibility that one day I might be mentally incapacitated. Find Buddy and JJ a good home first. Other things can wait. 

I hope to have a good rest during the Christmas break ... lots of personally reading, walks and play time with Buddy and JJ. Maybe cook some stuff for our asian students. That'll be a nice break .. I haven't cooked for the past 3 months. And if there's no 3rd lockdown, I'd like to go to Jaffa and enjoy a walk by the beach. It will be nice to get away from the claustrophobic Old City. But infection rates are irising on both sides of the border ... we just might have to be locked in again. Poor people ... who've lost their jobs and livelihoods. All because a few selfish people insist on gathering for weddings and worship, the infection rates have rose rapidly and out of control. The whole country suffers. And the govt should have been very strict with these people ... make a lesson out of them. But it cowers because it fears this minority.

Aid to orphanage

Preparing the boxes of fruit
& veg for the orphanage

November is gone. December is here. 2020 is on its way out but not the pandemic. I don't know how yesterday passed ... it just went. I can't even remember if I wrote on this blog. Work goes on as if it never ends ... Oh now I remember ... I was out in the morning delivering fresh fruit and veggies to the St. Vincent de Paul orphanage in Bethpage on the Mt. of Olives. The Poor Clares in south Jerusalem had harvested their autumn produce of cauliflowers, brinjals, capsicums, bananas, tomatoes, pears and oranges. Usually alot of extras that they themselves don't eat, they give to M. Teresa's sisters. The last time there were alot of it and the MC sisters couldn't distribute them in time before they spoilt. So I suggested giving them to the orphanage instead. So yesterday I brought some 12 cartons and the 3 elderly sick Sisters of Charity were delighted. They have a hard time raising funds to care for the 18+ girls in their care, since they rely alot of on pilgrims for donations.

Fruit & veg at the orphanage

I managed to lay out a simple Christmas decoration on my table ... it gives a little cheer to an otherwise horrendous year. Most of the decorations are old ... like 10 years old .. and all are broken. Still I don't want to waste money on these things, so I only bought a paper boa of green pine needles. That's enough for me. And Buddy and JJ watch it from afar ... they're very timid with new things in the room. I'm making my own Christmas presents this year ... infant Jesus statues on oyster shells. I'll put up a pic when it's done. It's a little gesture, something unique but simple for my friends and workers.

Corona infections in Palestine has run out of control ... Nablus city is closed. Other West Bank towns are under tight lockdown and Israel has decided to close the borders every Friday and Saturday; and every night from 7pm to 5am. Well as long as the people continue to congregate without masks, no lockdown will succeed. It's all about information and convincing the people that's its for their own good. Israel too has spiked to 1000+ cases a day. Govt is mulling a 3rd lockdown. But at this point, who cares? It's a bouncing ball going up and down ... so long as the people don't keep the rules.