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Refugees at our monastery
in Latakia

Yesterday's post raked 1401 views ... that's a record. I wonder how many are just stalkers. Anyway I guess the topic of the earthquake is catching everyone's attention.

11,200 dead from the earthquake. It's a dreadful tragedy and all manner of help is needed - from prayers to financial to going and serve in those affected places. Of course I won't recommend the last option as you would need to be a professional. But everyone can pray ... and we should. The poor victims have lost everything, and in this cold and rainy winter with no food, medicine or family. The friars in Aleppo and Latakia are doing their best to shelter the survivors in our schools and parish halls. 

I was asked this morning to help raise funds for our parishioners ... for our churches sheltering the victims. If you can help, please write to holylandassist@gmail.com

Thanks very much

Earthquake!!

Sheltering in our
monastery

It rained all night. And all morning as well. It feels freezing. I had to go meet the librarian of the Dominican Ecole Biblique as we had an appointment this morning at 8. It wasn't the best weather to go out. I was totally soaked when I reached it. We had an hour of discussion and checking up books. Then Fr Bernard the librarian offered to drive me to my office since his car cannot enter the Old City. You need to be registered with the police to drive into the Old City.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake at the Turkey-Syrian border hit us as well. It could be felt not just here but all the way to Egypt. I didn't feel it but a student who was up in the library (3.30am!!!) felt it. It was powerful.

St. Anthony statue in our
Aleppo church

Our mission areas in Syria were struck. Both Aleppo and Latakia had many casualties. Our monasteries immediately opened up to shelter the victims. The winter spell is very cold right now, with rain and sleet. The people needed shelter and food. Our buildings were damaged but not bad enough so we could still offer a place for the many families.

On the Turkish side, the Capuchin cathedral collapsed. The various religious convents are also trying to offer shelter to anyone, though their own buildings are damaged. They'll need alot of help to dig up victims buried beneath the rubble. And in this rain and cold, it will not be easy. Pray hard for them.

Snow?

Heavy rain and cold

The temp dropped drastically to 4 degrees and a heavy drizzle ... sometimes breaking out into a shower ... is battering us. The winds are gale force. And the weather forecast says it feels like -3 degrees. Believe me it really feels like below zero. Absolutely freezing.

Some forecast say it might snow tomorrow. Well I'd really like that ... it finally feels like winter. Except for the usual problem ... the rains cause electrical blackouts in our neighbourhoods. So we don't get heating if there's no electricity. That's awful. Everyone is just huddling under their blankets to stay warm.

Despite the weather I still had to go to work. Walking as slowly as I do uphill 1km to work in the rain is something you won't want to do if you can avoid it. But I had some special guests coming ... the librarian and his assistant  of the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate. They wanted to see our manuscripts, so I should them some of our treasures. Then our head of Cultural Patrimony showed them our material artefacts and relics and ancient archives. Then we had lunch with our main community. It was a good meeting. But immediately in the afternoon I rushed home ... afraid the rains would get heavier. Well I;m wet and cold and hiding under my blankets ... hoping the electricity doesn't go out again.

Give them a king ...

Jewish solidarity

 This morning we celebrated a Mass in reparation for the desecration of our Church. All the bishops and nuncio, with representatives from the Orthodox and Protestant churches came. A jew desecrated our church, but we have to do the reparation. Will the govt pay for the repairs?

A group of leftwing jews and rabbi came yesterday to show solidarity with us. They mean well. But then again I'd say it's too little too late: why hasn't the Israeli left done something more significant to stem out these jewish extremists? Why a far-right govt that encourages such anti-christian hatred? Because the left is in total disarray from infighting and lack of leadership and no focused agenda. There is nothing to check and balance the far-right power. Not even the judiciary which the govt is passing a law that allows the govt to override the judiciary. The far-right is now all powerful, with nothing to hinder them. Except God.

1Samuel 8:4-22

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Justice and truth

 A huge delegation of representatives from many embassies arrived this morning to show solidarity with us after the jewish terrorist attack on our church. Don't know how much that'll help us. The ambassadors of all these countries should protest vehemently and demand justice be done. Call it as it is: an anti-christian hate crime. No newspaper dares to call the perpetrator a jew ... but all the shopkeepers around our house swear he was speaking hebrew with the police who apprehended him. Newspapers simply say he's an "american tourist" and "insane" ... which of course automatically absolves him of all crime and will be let scot free. Will we ever get justice?

Diplomatic delegations this morning

My church attacked!

Destroyed statue

Three jewish terrorists came to our chapel of the Condemnation (2nd Station of the Cross) and destroyed the statue and tried to burn it.  

Attacks on Christian churches and christians have risen since this extremist govt took power. It emboldens these extremists to attack us with impunity. We all know these culprits will be declared insane and so released.

This is not good. The anti-Christian feelings have always existed and sometimes they're expressed in violence. But the past 3 months we've seen a consistent open attack with no arrests. 

The rest of the world especially Christians should be aware of this.

Storm

 

Musrara in mud

Despite the sunny bright morning that lasted 3 hours, the storm returned and temp fell even lower ... feels like zero degrees now with a gale force wind whipping through the country. And as usual of rainy winter days, the electricity cuts off either due to overload or more probably short-circuiting due to the underground wiring system that gets wet. I stopped counting how many types the electricity stopped. Can't use the lift, can't use the electric heater, can't boil hot water. It's freezing cold and miserable when there's no electricity. I imagine how the poor and refugees in our surrounding countries must be suffering in this cold.

Musrara neighbourhood which is under municipality makeover is like a war zone. Mud everywhere as roads have not been paved. I had to go out in the storm to buy medicine. I was down to one pill today. I thought I had another box but I was wrong. So in the dark and cold, I walked out to the pharmacy. And since I was out, I decided to buy food supplies as well. It was quite a different experience from a normal day. Few people in the streets. Few cars and motorbikes in the streets. Hardly anyone uses an umbrella ... which is useless anyway in this gale force winds. Everyone is just dashing from one awning to another. The numerous kabab stalls on wheels were all missing. No charcoal smoke and smell of roasting meat. 

One good thing is this cold stormy weather deters terrorism. Let it rain on!!!