Lenten Vigil

Via Dolorosa at
2.30am in rain

What an incredible weekend weather. Violent thunderstorms after midnight, hailstones during the afternoon, gale-force freezing winds all day and night. People are ravaged by a contagious flu and no one wants to go out if they could possibly do. The weather was so bad, the annual Sounds of the Old City music festival had its opening cancelled last night. Tonight is the opening instead ... I hope to go see it, But having been so busy in the past 60 hours ... having slept only 6 hours in all ... I am today brain-dead. In fact I fell asleep while writing a report.

Sunday midnight I went to the Lenten Vigil. It was raining very heavily. From 12.30am to 2pm we sang Matins with canticles and read passages form the Church Fathers. Then there was the procession around the Empty Tomb in candlelight. It was very crowded despite the late hour and bad weather. There was Mass after the Vigil but I went home instead. Drenched when I arrived home at 2.30am. I had a hot cup of coffee and a piece of bread, then I had to prepare the chapel because a group was coming at 5am for Way of the Cross. They were wet and made the pews and church all wet. When they left I spent one hour mopping and wiping the entire chapel because our Sunday Mass was at 7am and the chapel needed to be orderly. After Mass, I had to rsh off to the Armenian Catholic church because the 3 PDDM sisters were leaving the premises, having finished their contract with the Armenian Catholic Church.

Robotic mini-tank

The weather is not the only thing going extreme. The political environment is quite heated up as elections will take place next week. And the war with Gaza, though quiet now, has spilled into the City. Police have stepped up their presence and the other day I actually saw - the first time in my life - a mini robotic tank. Soldiers were guiding it into its carrier. It was really frightening to see it. It had 4 gun guns attached ... meaning one mini-tank does the job of 4 soldiers. Truck-drivers next to it stopped their machines and scattered as far as possible.

Hailstorm

Damascus Gate at 4.30am - cold & wet

What a storm we had last night. It was forecast for 3am but at 2.30am I was woken up by thunder and lightening  .... very loud. And it rained. And the wind was very strong. My windows and door were shaking from the wind. Morning was cold and wet but the rains and thunder had stopped. The sky remained very cloudy though ... like the deep of winter. I had to wait for a visiting group making the Way of the Cross at 5.30am but since I was already up, I decided to go buy some fresh buns for breakfast at 4.30am. It was very cold and wet but the thunderstorm had past. The 24 hour bakery was very quiet ... no arabs in the coffee shops around, It's Saturday and most arabs don't work. Being Sabbat the jews also don't work but gathered in droves to the Wailing Wall. Muslims were also arriving at the Al Aqsa Mosque for the daybreak prayer. Quite a busy scene ... at 4.30am.

Hailstones today

I had to go to the Salesian University to collect books at noontime but as I was leaving, it started to rain very heavily and then huge hailstones began to fall. It hailed very hard for several minutes and the sound of hard ice balls hitting car roofs and windowpanes could be heard all over. Deafening. I had to wait almost 20 mins before it subsided to a drizzle ... light enough for me to walk home 2kms away.

Today's expected massive protest at the Gaza border took place in the late morning. Some 40,000 participated. It's the 1st anniversary of the March for the Right of Return protest ... arab refugees from Gaza demanding their right to return to their lands and houses occupied by Israel today. Even before the protest started, one arab was killed by Israeli soldiers in the early morning. But makes today more worrying is it's Land Day ... the day back in the 1970s when 6 arabs were killed by Israelis who took their land and built houses for themselves. I've seen lots of violence on Land Day ... but the past few years, Land Day passed quietly in Jerusalem. The violence occurs only at the borders and villages.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5486596,00.html?fbclid=IwAR3Gak4eBuKcxgppVIy8NANu5iOj9FLnDY0N67tT24kxqYjVOLKCZUOq8rA

More drizzle

Cold drizzly at Jaffa Gate

A rather uneventful Friday after yesterday's tensions. Well actually I'm no position to comment as I didn't go out to see the situation. It drizzled all morning and I stayed at home. But I could hear security helicopters flying overhead and jet fighters roaring towards the south ... which is Gaza. In the Old City things were quiet and subdued. Tourists are flooding our streets such that there's practically no space to squeeze back home.

Well the weather has turned cold and drizzly. Once again my workers were mostly sick and me too ... but I had to rush between both libraries to cover for those who didn't come. And once it hits sunset ... I go straight to sleep from exhaustion and sickness. My fever is still floating around causing me at midnight every night to wake up.

And talking about sleeping and waking ... we changed to daylight saving this morning. That means we had 23 hrs today and one hour short of sleep. Summer is certainly here despite the wintry weather ... the sun being up by 5am (6am daylight saving). I'm no fan of daylight saving .... but I'm usually up before sunrise anyway so it makes no difference to me. I do look forward to summer though ... the hot sunny weather.

News just in ... Israel is heightening its military at the Gaza border and preparing for an incursive raid into the territory. Looks like a war is inevitable.  https://www.jerusalemonline.com/idf-prepares-for-large-scale-campaign/?fbclid=IwAR0of6j_AyQV5eHp5xLqaC9RTQabWLpawP2AbVICF3GV4HBJhzHRjzMRLog

Silent but tense

Bread vendors at Damascus Gate

Everyone is sick ... everyone. Of my 7 librarians in 2 libraries, 4 called in sick. With only 3 working in 2 libraries - one university another a research centre - I had no choice but run back and forth to make sure everything is smooth ... inasmuch as a skeleton crew can do. And mind you, I'm sick myself with runny nose, fever, nausea and pain in the joints. Docs are saying it's a viral epidemic with over half the population of the City struck. And it's contagious. Doesn't help me one bit as I still have to work while the rest get to rest. Luckily the university faculty is on a 5 day excursion in the desert so only a few external students are using that library.

So what's the cause of this epidemic? Everyone blames the weather. From hot summer weather, the temp. dropped to winter 6 degrees again. One day rain, another day hot and dry. The fluctuations are so rapid and extreme everyone's health is affected.

On the national level, tensions continue at the Gaza border though there's been a lull in the firing of rockets from either side. Israel continues to build up military reserves at the border and Gaza, though panicking, will not admit it but has called for a massive protest at the border this Saturday. The Egyptian brokered ceasefire, bantered about in the news, never got underway. And just now, Israeli intelligence agree with Hamas that the original 2 rockets fired into Tel Aviv were accidental. But it triggered the series of tit-for-tat bombings that we're witnessing now. Helicopters have been flying overhead this afternoon. Let's see what will happen tomorrow ... Friday.

We just received news that a children's hospital in Yemen was bombed. Absolutely dreadful. And no one is talking about it.

War?

Damascus Gate
hawkers

What a dreadful deterioration of the situation south of the country. Israel started bombarding Gaza in retaliation for the missiles that i lured israelis. The so-called ceasefire brokered by Egypt came to nothing as Israel continued to bombard Gaza. Gaza responded with another volley of missiles. Then Israel stepped up the bombings and continued through the night. It was relentless. The Gaza's do not want a war ... life is difficult as it is with no electricity, water, food or medicines. They blame Hamas for this. This time Hamas learned a lesson ... Israeli patience is wearing thin with Hamas provocations. The only winner from all this is the PM who is seeking re-election in 2 weeks time.

News just in ... a 17 yr old arab volunteer was killed by Israeli soldiers when he entered a demonstration to help someone. This took place in Bethlehem. It seems Palestine is breaking out into pockets of riots and violence after the Ariel car ramming and Israeli revenge attacks. It's escalating very fast. War is int he horizon.

Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights is causing anger all over our region. It sets a dangerous precedent that whatever land Israel fights for, it can claim as it's own. Israelis are celebrating ... but i say a little too early. In fact it's the israelis who will lose.  Trump is a businessman ... he's not going to give away anything free of charge. Later he's going to ask the Israeli's for something in return ... and the Israelis will pay the price ... giving up East Jerusalem for the Palestinians to start their capital. Already the US embassy move to Jerusalem was a precedent, with Trump publicly stating that such a gift to the israelis should be reciprocated with Israel giving something back (to the peace process and to the Palestinians). Israeli celebration is too shortsighted and seeks only immediate gains.

Well I've been very exhausted trying to catch up with work. I have slowed down a lot and my constant loss of memory (what day, what time, who, where) isn't helping. I show up at the wrong place for the wrong class. Anyway the fever is still on ... and I should really start organising another series of medical checks that the specialist had ordered. We'll see how soon we can get it done. Who knows? Maybe a war will breakout and there's no possibility of seeing the doc again if roads and neighbourhoods closed.

Annunciation day

This morning started with missile sirens wailing throughout the coastal cities of Tel Aviv and surroundings. Rockets from Gaza were fired into several injuring 7 and causing damage to property. There was heightened security and right now as I write, Israel has begun bombarding Gaza in retaliation. It will be horrific. Reserve soldiers had been called up for service this morning and weaponry moved to the Gaza border. The news is carrying live videos of the situation.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-sirens-wail-in-central-israel-amid-reports-of-explosions/?fbclid=IwAR1QUH1pGuWHjIIYo9sSQai8trOcV-DlHhWdAMBl7SCrBfqJ9rQdlytNAC0
and
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5483940,00.html?fbclid=IwAR1zv9XwNY2ma6vUm5HZJ_eRd-4D8IOor9WEUFym9YndBgk19BJHWhbpa_A

The Archbishop at the
Basilica of the Annunciation 

The weather seems to reflect this tense situation ... with the bright sunny day suddenly turning dark and gloomy, rain and very cold winds. Winter is back again. People er complaining of this pendulum effect ... one day 20 degrees, next day 6 degrees. Most people are sniffling and sick. I certainly am. And my fever is still around. Think I'll sleep early tonight as it's raining hard. I'm cancelling a meeting this evening as I really can't walk 1km in this rain without catching pneumonia.

Anyway it's the solemnity of the Annunciation today. Schools are closed for this holiday and many have gone north to Nazareth and join solemn Mass at the Annunciation Basilica. The grotto of the Annunciation still stands in the basilica. In a surprising move, the king of Jordan declared the feast of Annunciation to be a joint celebration with muslims. In the Koran, Mary is mentioned 35 times and is held as a virgin and the most splendid of women. In Lebanon muslims and christians have been celebrating the Annunciation together for 8 years now and the Jordanian king thinks his kingdom can do the same. That is very nice.  https://www.lastampa.it/2018/03/22/vaticaninsider/a-christianislamic-celebration-of-annunciation-for-the-first-time-in-jordan-d8lwoQQQOrE95Z5MMskOCK/amphtml/pagina.amp.html?fbclid=IwAR1u7j0WLsiBoe6_2Voad_EDjVvrpzuZE44fgUhev_xqghYJZu7Ii8w0OTk

Sand storm

Mediterranean coastline

Had been offline the past 2 days as I was ordered to have a rest by docs and superiors. Memory loss, confusion, upper lung infection, fever ... and the stress of overwork have taken its toll and everything came crashing. So went offline, no computers, no work, no phone calls ... just 2 days away from the City. Friday was spent sleeping ... something I lack very much. Saturday was work in the sacristy ... the community in Jaffa was out doing their apostolates so I had to cover for them: had to prepare the chapels for an african-french Mass and a german Mass at the same time ...  and an unbooked Slovak Mass for a group on the way to the airport. In the afternoon there were 2 other unbooked Masses by 2 korean groups ... also rushing to the airport. Then there was the Sunday Mass for the Spanish and Hebrew-speaking communities. When everything was ready by 6pm, I had to go off to the other parish to celebrate the English Mass because this other community was also not available. And being Sabbat there was no cook at home so I had to go buy my own meals out in the City.

Afro-french Mass

My only worry last night was how to find a taxi to get me back home. I need to leave by 5am to avoid the dreadful traffic ... but where to find a tai at that hour. Took my chances and walked down to the town centre .... and there was a taxi waiting. Very lucky.

Back home it's work immediately. There's a sandstorm and the sky is yellow. It's suffocating not to have fresh air but sand and dust with every breath you take. In the afternoon I have an appointment with a specialist in another hospital. Hope I don't get lost there as everything is in hebrew and I'm not good at that language.

Last Friday the arabs celebrated Mother's Day. It's usually festive but this year Israel shut down the celebrations, saying it's all financed by the Palestinian govt. and therefore has a political aim behind it. Too bad.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-police-shuts-down-mother-s-day-event-in-east-jerusalem-claims-it-s-pa-funded-1.7045434?fbclid=IwAR2zcg-m2wQcTSH1GIR8glQ4dXrjmSiHtv6z8nQLDTHJ37xz0fZdoDtFUrY