New Year's eve

Damascus Gate at night

 It's the last day of 2021. Despite all the pandemia and terrible economic situation, we must still be thankful to God for everything. We can only pray that 2022 will be better.

Here the New Year is not celebrated ... because Jews and Muslims have their own new years in autumn. Only the minority Christians and other foreigners celebrate it. Rather subdued as that makes up only 2% of the population. The govt is warning that the Omicron infection has gone over 4000 a day and they are curbing any gatherings tonight. I for one will be avoiding crowds at all cost. It's not worth the risk.

Anyway it's very cold and windy tonight. It might even rain. I doubt most people would want to go out in this weather. However the Orthodox Churches will be celebrating Christ next week and so I'm not sure how the govt will enforce no gatherings when liturgical celebrations begin in Bethlehem.

Happy New Year to All! May God bless you with good health and better things to come!

Cold

Refectory with candles

 Added to the Omicron pandemia and bird flu, we now have news that 2000 have been hospitalised because of the common flu. The hospitals are full. And the rest of us who need special treatment are placed on a long waiting list. After waiting for so long, I've finally got an appointment at the hospital and it's in 17 days time. If only people kept the mask rule, avoid crowds ... there would not be such a crush in the hospitals and people with other medical needs need not be sacrificed for the pandemic infected. I really feel so penalised for other people's carelessness.

The weather continues to be bright and sunny in the morning, but dark and wet in the afternoons. The nights are awfully cold, and I couldn't sleep as I was shivering. I'd love to go down to the refectory for a cup of hot cocoa but the thought of going out of my room in the cold just puts me back to bed under the blankets again.

Newspapers report that a local food company is going to raise prices in the new year, and there's lots of negative reaction by the public. Livelihood is badly affected by the closures and lockdowns, salaries have dropped drastically; people will have difficulty buying necessities as this company covers a wide range of daily products.

The end of the year is ending and we're praying 2022 will bring better things. Annus Horribilis. I'll have to celebrate the New Year Mass for the Konkani community. That'll be nice start to the New Year.

Rain again

Sunset over the division wall

 The news around church circles is the Indian govt freezing the accounts of the MC sisters. Everyone is puzzled why any govt would want to harm a society that does good, that helps the poor whom the govt never helps. Newspapers say it's religious motives ... and history has shown that people who need to do these things to preserve their religion is a sure sign that that religion is deteriorating and its gods can't help themselves. Pathetic. 

The rains returned. The temp dropped drastically. And many people are sick because of it. I'm ready for such weather ... and I brought thick jackets and a shawl which came into good use this evening when I walked home. The paving stones on the road outside the City Walls were very slippery and I had to walk carefully downhill so as not to slip.

The Omicron infection rate is so high the govt is betting on herd immunity as it cannot contain the pandemic. That's what the newspapers say. I read that it's worldwide now, and the rules of the game is changing. The lockdowns and restrictions don't work anymore. The experts must think outside the box. I on my part am steering clear of crowds. 

St. Innocents aday

Strawberries season

 The weather continues to be freezing cold. But it's not raining. Just cloudy and windy. It's the feast of the Holy Innocents and I guess there was a solemn Mass down in the grotto where its believed the Innocents were buried. That's next to the grotto where Jesus was born. 

News reports say the Syrian port of Latakia was bombed a 2nd time, allegedly by Israel. Now that's tense. 

Likewise there's been constant clashes in an arab village where a jewish settlement has been set up. Reports say from 60 to 120 were wounded. This winter is really seeing a rise in violence. But I'm sure it'll not lead to anything serious. It was like that for the past few years. Anyway its the innocent people who'll suffer in a war. May the Holy Innocents pray for us all.

Lots of veggies

One bit of bad news ... bird flu has spread in Galilee where migratory birds spend their winter. 5000 birds have died. That's very worrying. And Covid Omicron has reached 2000 a day here ... which is also worrying. I think sooner or later the govt has to treat the Omicron as other variants otherwise it'll overflow unnecessarily the hospitals. That's what Singapore was advised to do, I think I read it on the news.

Here's a couple of photos of the fresh fruit and veggies on sale in the streets of Nablus I saw on Sunday. They are very wholesome and without chemical insecticides used.

Nablus visit

Crowds at Bethlehem plaza

It's Boxing Day, or St. Stephen's Feast but being the 1st Sunday after Christmas, it's also Holy Family Day. I decided to travel to Nablus to visit the MC sisters and send them some Christmas aid. The traffic to the Samaritan city 90kms away was awful. It took us almost 2 hours to get there. And coming home was also wrecked with traffic jams. Another 2 hours to return home.

For St. Stephen's feast, the friars go down to the site where Stephen was stoned. Vespers is sung and the place is incensed and the people venerate the huge stone before the Greek Orthodox close the sanctuary again. The place was once franciscan property but the greeks took it from us. The Ottoman rulers established the status quo so the property remains with the greeks today.

MC chapel in Nablus

In the meantime, I celebrated Mass for the  patients and the sisters. It was very cold ... almost freezing. but seeing the handicapped and elderly residents again was great, and making them laugh during Christmas was special. They have no visitors at all. After Mass the sisters offered a lovely lunch: rice with spicy brinjals and curry veggies. They also baked a lovely orange cake. I ate some and would have loved to eat more but the journey is too far and I'm afraid I might need a toilet along the way ... which in the desert is impossible to find.

Well the whole Nablus adventure took from 8.15 am till 4pm when I arrived home. Now I'm exhausted. Going to bed early.

Christmas at Shepherds Field in Bethlehem

 

Merry Christmas
(Jn 1 in syriac)

last night despite the very cold weather and feeling unwell, I decided to go to Shepherds Field to celebrate Mass for all of you. The chinese catholic community came from all over the country. It was good to see them all. I prayed for all of you, living an dead. May Christ bless you all this Christmas and 2022.

Shepherds Field grotto

Communion

Christmas eve

christmas wreathes at table

 It's Christmas Eve. I spent the whole morning preparing the christmas candle wreathes for our refectory and the statue of the Madonna. I had gone to the park to cut the berries and branches yesterday evening after the funeral Mass. It was very dark at 5.30pm and drizzling very heavily. Fr Romeo came with me as I was afraid of slipping in the wet ground and hurting myself and no one would know. We did alot of collecting and because of the weather, no one was around in the park.

This morning I started arranging the wreathes and placed them on the refectory tables. The sisters first set the tables with dining clothes. Now it looks very festive. There were few for lunch today as several had gone back for the holidays and others went to Bethlehem for the solemn entrance of the Patriarch and bishops followed by solemn vespers and preparations for Vigils and Midnight Mass.

Free Christmas trees

The weather is extremely cold. 3 degrees I think now, and drizzling. But I nanaged to find a car that will bring me to Shepherds Field tonight to celebrate Mass with the chinese community and pray for all your intentions. I just hope it won't rain or hail, as I'd get quite sick. Fingers crossed.

Yesterday I also saw the Jewish group donating Christmas trees to Christians free of charge. They do it every year but orthodox jews frown and even attack them because they consider the trees to be idols.