Holy Wednesday

Veneration of the Column of the Flagellation

Although it is not recorded in the Gospels, ancient Christian tradition holds that Christ was bound to a pillar when he was scourged (flagellated). The pillar was noted by a 4th century pilgrim to Jerusalem, and was venerated for over 1,000 years until the 15th century when it was removed to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. On Holy Wednesday, the column is venerated as a testimony to the Passion and death of Jesus Christ.

(c)2010 Franciscan Multimedia Center and Cancao Nova

Holy Tuesday

The Passion of Christ sung at the Chapel of the Flagellation

The torture of Jesus Christ by the Romans is recounted in all 4 Gospels (Mk 15:1-20; Mt 27:1-31; Lk 23:1-25; Jn 18:28-19:16) and it is commemorated in the Chapel of the Flagellation, where the Passion narrative is sung at Mass every Holy Tuesday. Here Christ showed his love for us by enduring great suffering .... it is now our turn to respond to his love.

(c) 2010 Franciscan Multimedia Center and Cancao Nova

Holy Monday

Mass at the 5th Station of the Cross

The tiny chapel on the Way of the Cross commemorates the event of Simon the Cyrenean who was forced by the soldiers to help Jesus carry the Cross (Mark 15:21). In Luke 23:26-27 Simon is presented as the model Christian, the one who takes up the cross and follows behind Jesus.

(c) 2010 Franciscan Multimedia Center

Palm Sunday Procession

Over 12,000 joined in the annual Palm Sunday procession from the village of Betphage to Jerusalem. Some of the more significant moments are now presented .... 


(c)2010 Franciscan Multimedia Centre

Holy Monday.

This morning I was at Mass at the 5th Station ... which takes place once a year on Holy Monday. Every half hour there's a Mass. And unusually they were all very crowded. Well over 60 people for each Mass, many having to stand outside the small chapel. I remembered you all there.

Wasn't feeling too well during Mass as I only slept 2 hours last night. The fever and cough and congested lungs kept me awake the whole night. And I'm not the only one ... Fr Giovanni Loche is going through the same illness. We're both wrecks.

This evening the Jewish Passover begins. Already the West Bank has been closed off; people have been stuck in Bethlehem and cannot come to Jerusalem including some of our workers. Today they'll close off the Old City as well. I don't expect any violence or resistance but when they close the Old City again for Holy Saturday - barring entry into the Holy Sepulchre the many pilgrims and local christians - I think there'll be scuffles.

By the way if you want to watch the Mass of the Palms at the Holy Sepulchre, here it is (in italian):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlNzyJ6c2Eg

Palm Sunday

I didn't go the Vigil last night. I felt too sick. But I went to the Holy Sepulchre for Mass at 4am. Prayed for you all at Mass. Later at 7am the bishop came to bless palms and celebrated the Mass of the Entry to Jerusalem. It was a pretty small crowd. Not like previous years. I managed to get some olives branches blessed by the bishop.

I decided not to go the procession of the palms as well because its well over a 2km walk down ... but to get there you have walk the 2km up first! The dean suggested I meet the procession halfway through when the Patriarch reaches Gethsemani. From our terrace I could see the procession snaking slowing down the Mt. of Olives, so before the bells of Gethsemani were rung to announce the Patriarch passing by, I went out to St Stephan's Gate to wait. The crowd wasn't as big as previous years. But it was sizeable. When it ended at St Anne's Church (Pool of Bethesda), the Patriarch gave a sermon and blessed everyone with a relic of the Cross.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=171985
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1159713.html 

Most people who met me at the end of the procession insisted that I shouldn't have come out. Anyway the Missionaries of Charity told me to stop by and they'll cook some white rice and stuff to relieve my cough and fever. They take good care of me. Anyway I'm helping them create their earthquake survival pack. Did I say last week we had a minor earthquake? 3.6 on the Richter. The big one is going to land soon.

Rain

The forecast for rain yesterday came true. It rained. And the temperatures dropped to 8 degrees. Wasn't good for my flu ... especially when I had to go out to buy medicine. Was soaked through. Came back coughing even worse and fever went up.

The rains stopped during the night and started again this morning and all through the day. It'll make the Palm Sunday procession (2 km) pretty damp and off colour if it continues tomorrow. It's unlikely I'll go for the procession as I'm feeling pretty sick. Better to rest .... well sort of, because I just went for the solemn procession in the Holy Sepulchre (packed with Greeks, Armenians, Copts and Syrians all doing their own processions). Tonight I intend to go to Vigils and then for Mass because tomorrow morning at 7am I have to help with the solemn Mass in the Holy Sepulchre and cannot concelebrate. Will be praying for you all there.