THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...
JOURNAL PART X
MAY 27-JUNE 30, 2009
Hello again. Marhaba kamaan. Much as I love to be at home, I had to obey the call of duty. I left Baclayon, Bohol on May 25, 2009 for Manila, thinking I could extend my vacation for three more weeks as a silver jubilarian according to our newly approved manual. But when I reached Manila my travel agent informed me that my ticket was a non-rebookable one. So, the “Interlude” had to end that abruptly. I was so grateful though, for everything that transpired and for everyone that was part of it. To all my loved ones in the Philippines,” ‘Til we meet again”. Meanwhile I continue my journey.
(At our baluarte in Baclayon, Bohol, where I used to contemplate before my joining the CP’s.)
May 27, 2009, Wednesday. Aboard KLM 801 for Amsterdam at 10:30 am, at NAIA with Junjun Maramara, a worker hired to help us in maintenance and driving. We arrived at Tel Aviv via Amsterdam at 2:00 am, Thursday, May 28. We took a shuttle bus to Jerusalem until the Notre Dame Center, and from there, we took a taxi to Bethany arriving at 5:00 am. I joined the Morning Prayers with the full community (Fr. Gianni, Fr. Sebastian, and Fr. Roberto), took the Mass at the Bridgettines, and gave a pack of sweets (peanut kisses) as pasalubong . In the afternoon, I went to the city with Fr. Sebastian, to pay Junjun’s plane ticket through Western Union. But offices were closed due to a special Israeli holiday.
(Junjun Maramara, our maintenance man and driver from the Philippines)
May 29, 2009, Friday. I had Mass at the chapel with Junjun (at least I have a companion now). Since Ahmad was away, I prepared lunch for the community, even if I still felt groggy from the flight. In the afternoon, the community joined the Via Cruces in the city, together with Junjun.
May 30, 2009, Saturday. I had Mass at the chapel with Junjun and Fr. Sebastian. In the afternoon, I joined with Fr. Gianni and Fr. Sebastian in attending the Vigil of the Pentecost at the Syrian Orthodox Church of St Mark. It was part of the prayer for unity of the Jerusalem Church. On our way home, we joined the Roman Catholic procession of the Virgin Mary as culmination of the Marian devotion on the month of May. We toured almost all the Christian houses in the Christian quarter of the Old City finishing at almost eight pm.
May 31, 2009, Pentecost Sunday. At 10 am, I joined the celebration of the Sta. Cruzan of the Filipino community in Holy Rosary Church in Agron. Fr. Angelo said the Mass and Fr. Ric preached the homily. There was a procession before the Mass and a program and meal after the Mass. Everybody enjoyed, especially the “Sagalas” in their beautiful gowns. In the afternoon we joined the Evening Prayers of the Franciscans at the Cenacle. Many religious joined, including the Bridgettines from Bethlehem.
June 1, 2009, Monday. I had Mass at the Bridgettines. After breakfast, I prepared fishburger for lunch, but Fr, Gianni could not eat because of oil, so he prepared his own and volunteered to prepare supper. At prayer time in the evening, Sr. Dalilah, a member of the Mariana, a Congregation founded by Fr. Gianni arrived to stay with us for one month. In the mail, I was informed by my Provincial Fr. Lito Villarente, that Fr. Edward Loberiano, would be the one to come to Israel in answer to the request of Fr. Angelo for extra priest to help in the Filipino chaplaincy.
(Sr. Dalilah)
June 4, 2009, Thursday. I communicated with Marimar in the Yahoo messenger, using phone services of Yahoo (my first time on this). Communication was faster, easier and cheaper. I was spared from typing and sometimes waiting for the response. I also talked with Eva and Richie Sevilla in the USA.
June 5, 2009, Friday. I attended the Via Cruces with Fr. Roberto, Fr. Gianni, Sr. Dalila, and Junjun. I met some young Mormon missionaries from the US, who joined the Via Cruces and one of whom has a Filipina mother.
June 6, 2009, Saturday. Junjun and I went to Ratisbonne at 4:30 and while waiting for the car to bring us to Rehovot, Fr. Michaeli invited us for merienda inside their refectory. We met Fr. Francis, their superior, seminarians, and other Salesian priests. Bro. Lucio, an American seminarian and Rev. Ijuls, an Indian deacon accompanied us and at the same time oriented us how to go there on our own. We arrived there at past six and had the Mass. Then we had supper in one of the Filipinos who was celebrating her birthday. There were plenty of food and people. We were home at 11:00 pm.
(The Filipino meal at Rehovot after the Mass, with the birthday celebrant at my side.)
June 7, 2009, Sunday. I had Mass at home at 11:00 with Fr. Sebastian and Fr. Roberto concelebrating. Martha, her mother-in-law, and Laila, three Comboni sisters and Francisca and her two sons were there. In the afternoon, Sr. Dalilah, Junjun, and I went with Fr. Sebastian to Tel Aviv where Fr. Sebastian voted in their Consulate for the European election. After voting, we toured at the St. Peter’s Church and at the St. Anthony Parish, the churches where Filipinos usually have their Sunday Masses. We did a lot of walking between the two churches, back and forth. We arrived home in time for our Exposition at around 7:15 pm.
(Junjun, Sr. Dalilah, and Fr. Sebastian at a marker in Jaffa)
June 8, 2009, Monday. In the afternoon, I helped Junjun in the garden transferring the soil to the garden at the front. I softened the soil with a hoe and he gathered them with the wheel borrow. The soil was just enough to fill the garden I made earlier in the front of the gate. We don’t need to buy soil anymore.
June 9, 2009, Tuesday. The whole day my right knee was swollen from the work the previous day. I could not bend it so I had a hard time climbing up and down the stairs. I could not kneel during prayers. It was very painful all day. I was a bit worried what happened and how long would this last. Fr. Sebastian suggested seeing a doctor but I did not agree. I had this before and I knew this was only temporary. The whole day I was limping and uncomfortable.
June, 10, 2009, Wednesday. My knee was still painful. In the morning, I received a forwarded prayer to St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I followed the instructions, wished or prayed for healing and sent to it seven people. To my surprise the pain started to ease. I could climb the stairs already. Was it coincidence or really an intercession from St. Therese? Whatever it was, I thanked the Lord for the healing and certainly I became a devotee of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. In the Mass at the Bridgettines, the following day, June 11, I used this as the content of the homily. The following day, June 12, I was already driving the Pulmeno to the city to attend to the Stations of the Cross.
June 13, 2009, Saturday. Whole day I helped Junjun in mixing cement for the garden, arguing with Fr. Roberto on the amount of cement to be used. I did not have the knee trouble anymore, but this time my whole body is aching, especially my waist. However, it was manageable, only the usual, ”pamaol”. Instead of the Mass in Rehovot, I was told by Fr. Ric to take one of his Masses in Tel Aviv. I took the 8 pm Mass and after supper, we went back to Jerusalem with Sr. Rebecca and Vicky, arriving home at 11:30pm.
(At the Divine Mercy Chapel in Tel Aviv of the Filipino Chaplaincy)
June 14, 2009, Sunday. There were only 16 people in the Mass at Ratisbonne, the usual members of the San Lorenzo Ruiz community. They had just resumed weekly Mass after a month of rest. At the 11:00 am Mass at home, thirty pilgrims from Australia attended and with music of Sr. Rebecca and Kathy the liturgy was very alive. We invited the group for a drink and later, they had lunch at the grounds, picnic style.
(The Australian pilgrims who attended our Sunday Mass.)
June 15, 2009, Monday. Fr. Edward arrived at Ben Gurion airport at 11:10 pm. Fr. Roberto, Junjun and I fetched him. We arrived home at 1:00 am. I could not sleep well after that. I attended the morning prayers and said Mass the following day, still groggy, as if having jet lag myself. Later in the day, I introduced Fr. Edward to the community.
June 16, 2009, Tuesday. I toured Fr. Edward to the City. We visited Sr. Rebecca and had coffee in their flat. Then we visited the Holy Sepulcher. In the afternoon, we visited Bethlehem at the church of the Nativity, the Milk Grotto, and the house of the Bridgettine Sisters. That was my first time too in their house and it had a good panorama at Bethlehem. Sr. Franzen and Sr. Faustina entertained us while the rest were having their evening prayers. That was a promise fulfilled, for it’s been a while that I promised them a visit.
(At the rooftop of the Bridgettines Sister’s convent in Bethlehem with Sr. Franzen)
June 17, 2008, Wednesday. I visited the Tomb of Lazarus in the morning with Fr. Edward and junjun. Then we toured the Church of the Franciscans nearby, including the chapel and rooms of the Crusaders. In the afternoon at 4:00, Fr. Edward and I attended the meeting with Fr. Angelo and Fr. Ric at Notre Dame Center. I introduced Fr. Edward to them and we finalized our schedule of the Masses of Ratisbonne, Rehovot, and Tel Aviv. With Fr. Ric on vacation, many of the work would be on us (CP’s).
(With Fr. Edward Loberiano inside the Tomb of Lazarus)
June 18, 2009, Thursday. I visited the Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene at the Mount of Olives, together with Fr. Edward and Sr. Dalilah. That was my first time to enter the beautiful Church with a golden roof. With Orthodox sisters taking care of it, it was very clean and well maintained. From there, we went to Dominus Flevit, Gethsemani, the Grotto of the Betrayal and the Tomb of Mary. In the afternoon, Junjun and I went to Tel Aviv to check on the renovations of the Divine Mercy Chapel. We then proceeded to Rehovot to familiarize the way. At supper, Fr. Gianni reported that our telephone line was burnt with the grasses at the other side of the road and tried to find somebody to fix it. Without the connection, we could not use the Internet, so the rush for repair.
(At the beautiful church of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives)
June 19, 2009, Friday. We attended the Via Cruces in the City and showed Fr. Edward the Antonia Fortress and the Chapel of the Flagellation before the start of the Stations. After the Stations, Fr. Angelo showed us to the chapel of the Mother of Sorrows that was adjacent to the Holy Sepulcher but was seldom opened. There we prayed for my mother whose death anniversary we remembered today. That Chapel was the original entrance to Calvary but now closed and a window was placed instead. Upon home, I paid Chico 1,300 NIS for restoring our phone service.
June 20, 2009, Saturday. I had a baptism at Ratisbonne at ten am. That was my first in Israel, and the child’s name was Israele Mae Lopez, a daughter of OFW’s. At three pm, we brought Fr. Edward at the Divine Mercy Chapel in Tel Aviv and proceeded to Rehovot with Junjun for the 6:30 pm Mass. After supper at the flat of Rose, we went back to Tel Aviv to pick Sr. Rebecca and Vicky and returned to Jerusalem, arriving at 11:30pm.
(My first baptism in Israel at Ratisbonne Church)
June 21, 2009, Sunday. I had Mass at the Ratisbonne at 9:15 and there were around 26 people with one Palestinian Catholic, Ellie Rasul. Sr. Aurelia, SPC, led the people. At the 11:00 am Mass at our chapel, Martha, her mother-in –law, Laila and three Comboni sisters attended, with Fr. Roberto concelebrating. I rested in the afternoon, while Fr. Edward attended the unveiling of a Holocaust Memorial in Riyon Lesiyyon by the Filipino Embassy, upon the request of Fr. Angelo.
June 22, 2009, Monday. The Mass at the Charity Sisters was attended by three sisters, two deacons, Andrea and Lorenzo, and two other lay persons. At 9:30, a group of Missionary Sisters of St. Theresa from all over the Middle East came to see our place as part of their pilgrimage. I toured them to the old water cisterns and to the Gariffi Grotto mentioned by Fr. Bargill in his book, as the probable place where Jesus took his ritual bath before Passover Meal. I spent the afternoon catching up with my journal.
June 23, 2009, Tuesday. We received a phone call from Fr. Luigi in Rome, informing us that they are coming for the Canonical Visitation. They had a meeting with the General and they decided to come as a response to our invitation. They would send their flight schedules in the email.
June 24, 2009. Wednesday. Fr. Roberto, Fr. Edward, Sr. Dalila, and Junjun, and I had Mass at Ain Keren to join the Franciscans on the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. Sr. Rebecca did the English Reading. After the Mass, they invited us for refreshment and it was a nice gathering in their garden. A priest even invited us for lunch, but we went home instead and ate the lunch prepared by Ahmad. I sent text messages of greetings to some friends in the Philippines, one of whom was to my Provincial, Fr. Lito Villarente, and to Sr. Lilian Espinosa, the Vice Provincial of the Passionist Sisters.
TOP