The last few hours

An eventful and success-filled New Year to everyone ... May your dreams come true, your sleep be restful, your laughter be bountiful, your joys be memorable. No regrets, no regrets.


An advice for 2012 - "All that glitters is not gold" ... that includes people.

2nd last day of 2011

2011 comes to an end. Not that I'm sorry about it. It was a horrible year. Lost alot of friends to Sister Death. Lost my health. Lost my orientation. Lost my trust and faith in people. Lost my time. Lost my mind. Well instead of picking up the pieces, I'd rather let it all go and start 2012 from scratch. There comes a time when you just need to let go and move on.

Thanks to all the friends and family who made 2011 more bearable. I remember the happy and awesome moments too. It was good to have friends that were loyal and sincere, those who stood by and gave support.

The New Year of course doesn't mean anything to the locals here - the Jews have their own calendar and  the muslims have their's. Damascus Gate bedouin women continue to sell their veggies and herbs. life goes on.

And so we end the year with the brawl in the Basilica of the Nativity ... what a way to go!!!

Holy Innocents Feast yesterday

Feast of the Holy Innocents yesterday ... the solemn Mass in Bethlehem would have been memorable if not for the fight between Greek Orthodox monks and Armenian Orthodox clergy. It's the annual brawl that never fails to draw journalists. In fact the fight was broadcast almost immediately on BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera!!! The Orthodox celebrate Christmas in a week's time and they must do the annual cleaning of the basilica which they stole from the Franciscans about 100 years ago. One particular wall is ultra sensitive as both greeks and armenians claim ownership over it. So the result - fight. Brooms hurled and punches pulled. Palestinian police had to come in and restore calm. What a fiasco. Talk about Holy Innocents ... they must be having a good laugh in heaven.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16347418

That fiasco has only added more entertainment to the Christmas spirit of the Western christians ... ironically. They're having a real good laugh at the ridiculous situation. Anyway here are a couple of photos of how the streets in the Christian Quarter look like this Christmas. Pretty tacky ... but what the heck, it's only once a year and it does cheer up the arab christians from an otherwise miserable existence in this land.

Yesterday should have been the feastday of Sr. Innocentina. She died last week at a ripe old age of I think almost 90. She used to work in our kitchen 20 years ago. Also I cannot forget that it's just one year since Sr. Rania died in the car-crash, killing also Srs. Salvatorina and Valeria. It's been a sad Christmas for me.

At 5pm yesterday there was the annual Christmas greeting with the Custos. The few of us who are home had to go up to S. Saviour's to exchange greetings with him. He spoke for a while and noted that this year we had many funerals. How true ... we lost so many this year. 2011 was not good ... not least for me. We lived like the Holy Innocents ... victims of circumstance. Wrong time, wrong place.

Israel implosion?

Yesterday's counter protest against gender segregation was really big time. Some say 10,000 people came out - mostly women - who have been harassed by ultra-orthodox Jewish men who spit and hurl insults at them because they were not properly dressed or walked on the wrong side of the road. What they want is for Jewish women to be wrapped up in a burkha like muslim women .... Can this be called the "islamisation" of Judaism?

Recent weeks saw ultra-orthodox Jews attacking police for removing a sign demanding gender segregation of roads. When I asked a friend what she thought about it, she said Israel is reverting to the Middle Ages. Looks like the police have more problems with these extremist Jews then with arab terrorists. The President and PM have stepped in to condemn these ultra-orthodox violence. So have the key rabbis of the State. Israel has finally realised that its real enemies are not from outside but from inside. It will implode like the rest of the arab states around.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-of-israelis-protest-gender-segregation-in-beit-shemesh-1.403916

http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=251154

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/world/2011/12/27/flower-israel-ultra-orthodox-row.cnn

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16338376

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16335603

Added to this, the political faction of these extremists also use violence against soldiers and Palestinians in the settlements.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-police-jerusalem-yeshiva-students-linked-to-attack-on-west-bank-base-1.403976

It's been a day of frightful tensions, but this time it's from within Israeli society. So I thought a lovely vase of flowers would lighten the atmosphere. It's delightfully simple. Roses, anemones and creeping daisies. Arranged by Maron, a modern Jewish lady who doesn't bow to ultra-orthodox demands and who's finishing her BA in Literature. We shared a lively discussion on authors, works and critical points of view. I haven't quite lost my interest for literature and drama.

Feast of St John

It's the 3rd day of Christmas ... feast of St. John. The weather is still very very cold but the rains have stopped. Yesterday as is traditional for the past 30 years, I read T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. It's the marvelous play about Thomas Beckett's murder in Canterbury Cathedral and I have reread it every year on the feast of St. Stephan.

Too much food! They're definitely conspiring to fatten me. Yesterday and this morning I decided not to eat anything. It felt good. No cramps or diarrhea. But by afternoon I got hungry and had a salmon donburi with a friend at Sakura's. It was nice to feel the hot rice down the stomach. Guess what? Diarrhea in 15 mins.

Yesterday being the feast of St. Stephan, the basilica which contains his tomb held a solemn Mass with bishops all attending. Its a big deal as Stephan is the first martyr of the Church and of the Holyland. He's the symbol and example of the christians living in this land.

Lovely bronze hanukia at Mamilla Mall

Today is the last day of Hanukkah. The streets are all festive and lots of Israelis are taking the day off. The hanukiot (8 candlestand) will be lit the last time and then removed tomorrow.

Spent a lovely day with Loradana whom I've not seen for almost 20 years. She headed the language school in Rome where I studied Italian. Since then she married an Israeli Eli and has a son Emanuele who is 17 years old. She's hardly changed - still the same old self. We chatted alot about the other teachers, most of whom have now left the school to further their careers. She was back in Rome for Christmas and Ulisse, another of my teachers and very good friend, sent me a present through her. A lovely green woolen scarf ... something that I was thinking of getting last week. He reads my mind!!!

Anyway on a lighter note, here's a pic of a message stuck on Aladdin's (money-changers) shop. Enjoy! ===>

Christmas 2011

Rain over the City this morning

So the predicted rains came ... started with a drizzle and then it became harder. Very strong winds. Blew the coverings off the canary cage. My friend in Bethlehem called to say it's even colder there. I switched on the CNN news online and saw the reporter huddling under an umbrella: Manger Square was deserted and the Concert stage was stripped .... apparently the concert before Midnight Mass was cancelled because of the strong rains. Pity the groups that decided to walk there and back ... they'd be frozen cold.

Wet and cold today

This morning the rains continued to beat down. Thought the thermometer reads 13 degrees, it feels alot colder. Fr Manns preached the 8am sermon and said the rain is a good sign on Christmas; it's the Word of God come down on earth, like rain that falls to earth from heaven, making the earth fruitful (cf Isaiah). Nice thought.

Sr. Vincenta with the ribbon that was on my head

Anyway I had to celebrate 1 Mass last night and 2 this morning (6.30am and 8am) because no one else was around. Most if not all were at Bethlehem. No one came ... absolutely no one. Just me and 2 other priests. But the Mass went on ahead. I'm tired. Hardly slept except for the 3 hours in between Masses. Then helped out in the kitchen as Khalil was the only worker working today. Cleaned out the canary cage. Fed the cats. Threw out the garbage. Set the flower pots upright as they were blown down by the wind last night. Served lunch to the guys who came back from Bethlehem - nice lunch cooked by Khalil: roast lamb. Cleaned the dining room. And during lunch, Buscemi put a gift ribbon that wrapped a christmas cake over my head .... I was to be a Christmas present. Everyone laughed and clapped.

A friend called to ask what I was doing today. I said I'm spending the afternoon in bed wasting away. Too tired and cold. Christmas thus passes on .... 10 hours more to go.

Christmas Eve

Suffered from a severe bout of nausea and diarrhea yesterday. Was really sick. Had a plate of rice with a piece of fish ... and everything came right out. I must stop eating ... because then I'll not suffer from that. But its Christmas and food goodies are everywhere.

It's forecast to rain heavily today ... and the day began with dark grey skies and a very very cold wind. But by 10am the skies cleared and it's bright and sunny ... with still the very cold wind blowing. I was struck by the beautiful spikes of aloe in the garden of the Notre Dame Centre. In the cold, it made me think immediately of flames of fire. It was very nice. Christmas ought to be like that - a little warmth and light in a very cold world.

Groups upon groups are walking to Bethlehem right now. The main road is packed with people walking towards the site of the Incarnation. It's a good 11 kms away and will take several hours ... and the security checkpoint will be one long queue ... but that all adds to the festivity. Right now I think the procession from Rachel's Tomb to the Basilica in Bethlehem will start ... cavalry accompanying the Patriarch and Custos. Very solemn procession and very impressive. But like I said, this year I'll be staying in Jerusalem and maybe Jaffa serving the congregations. No Bethlehem ... which is just as well if it starts raining tonight. They say it'll be 4 degrees tonight. The Ministry thinks some 90,000 people will be gathering in Bethlehem tonight.   http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-gather-in-bethlehem-ahead-of-christmas-eve-1.403314 

Merry Christmas to all; thanks for all your support and prayers this year. May Mary and the holy Child bless you and your family this Christmas.