JOURNAL PART IV
December 12, 2008- January 10, 2009
At 5:30 we had common Vespers with the Comboni Sisters, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and Gospel reflection as our Novena for the celebration of Christmas. Fr. Daniele led the prayers and gave the homily. It was finished in an hour and we returned home for our supper.
December 17, 2008, Wednesday. We had our class in Ramallah and Fr. Roberto brought me and Ryan to the bus station. That was our last day of class, and we celebrated it with ice cream at the center of Ramallah. I took fruit salad. Then we parted ways. At Jerusalem I proceeded to Al Quds Learning Center where we used to have classes and got my certificate. I arrived home at 3:30 and had lunch and cherished the feeling of being a graduate alone. In the evening, as Fr. Hugo and I were going to the Comboni Sisters Convent, the soldiers stopped us and ordered us to pass through the checkpoint. I felt this strange but complied nevertheless. There were reactions from the brethren and sisters’ about this. On our way home, we passed through the narrow gate and the soldiers did not bother anymore.
At the Al Cuds Center where I received my certificate from the secretary, Lana 
December 18, 2008, Thursday. I spent the rest of the morning preparing for my homily in the Novena that afternoon. At 3:00, I brought Ahmad, the cook to the small gate at the Comboni Sisters for him to visit his dying mother in their village. After I left the place, a military car passed by, missing me by a matter of thirty seconds. Then I proceeded to Bethlehem to fetch Fr. Sebastian. An American Franciscan, Fr. Lorrence rode with me to Bethlehem. He was assigned in the “Milk Grotto” near the Nativity Church, famous for helping barren couple conceive. So far they received 1, 700 notes from pilgrims thanking them for the answered prayers. From there, I picked Sebastian in the Nativity Church and we reached home in time for the Novena on 5:30. It was my turn to lead the Novena and to deliver the reflections. I talked on the sacrifice of St. Joseph on the Christmas story. Many congratulated and thanked me for the reflection.
The Comboni Sisters during the Novena in their Chapel
December 19, 2008, Friday. I worked on the computer for the early part of the morning and then prepared lunch all from canned goods. In the afternoon, Fr. Hugo and I joined the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem. This time, I was able to enter into the Holy Sepulcher itself and prayed at the site of burial and resurrection of our Lord. I prayed especially for my sister Dina. Upon arriving home, I immediately prepared supper, slicing eggplants and opening canned mushrooms and tuna (again). At 5:30 we had the Novena at the Comboni Sisters and as we returned home, I cooked the ingredients (ginisang talong with canned tuna and mushrooms). It turned out well and I was very full. The others also liked the dish.
December 20, 2008, Saturday. After the Mass at the Bridgettine Sisters, the Patriarch, Michael and me had a short sharing. The reading was on Annunciation, and the Patriarch himself was from Nazareth.
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