Belated Cheers to Ireland

As I prepare to leave the Emerald Isle, I realize that there are several notable points that I have neglected in previous blogs.

1) Eddie Murphy Menswear
This may or may not be an upscale brand, but I can't help but see this face in my head every time I see an ad for it:

2) "Your Man"

This phrase is one of my favorites. The first time someone used it, I thought, "My man? How do you know? Can you introduce me?" Ways people use this phrase: "Your man come in and try to tell me that we gave the sheep the wrong medcine, Charlie. That we're doing it wrong like, Charlie." "Your man is at the door to fix the sink." "Why is your man discriminating against me like that? You saw him. He didn't ask for her papers but he asked for mine." 

3) Family 

The family aspect of Ireland runs deep in the heart of the culture here. It's not something you get away from on purpose. If your father has your grandfather's business, and you don't honestly want to have that business as well, that's a shame, and you are ungrateful. Family is something you defend and propagate, right or wrong. Maybe that's your understanding of family already, but I just find the whole concept of family to be something with a stronger weight here than in the U.S.

My Life in the Holy Land in Video Clips

I apologize for not having the appropriate space/time for blogging lately, but here are clips from my life. Life is good.

Missing the Caravan

You know the story of twelve-year-old Jesus getting lost in the Temple in Jerusalem for three days? Mary and Joseph were worried sick when they couldn't find Him in the caravan, remember? I mean, maybe He purposefully didn't tell His parents that He was going to hang out with the scholars, but maybe He just missed the caravan. No cell phones back then, after all.

I recently spent a day in the Old City, Al Quds. A few things didn't go as planned, and I was only able to pray the Via Dolorosa (which I found quite fruitful, despite the market scene) and visit the Holy Sepulcher Basilica. Have a look at my photos for more details. And while you're looking, have a gander.

Seen in the Holy Savior Parish, I think.

view from the Austrian Catholic welcome center

Site of the Scourging:"I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who tore out my beard; my face I did not hide from insults and spitting." Isaiah 50:6

Ecco Homo Arch

Station III

Station IV, right beside Station III

I missed both Stations VII and IX.

Site of the Crucifixion

Site of Christ's Death (I got to read Psalm 22 there!)

Not sure if this was underneath the site of the Resurrection or the site of the Crucifixion, but two different Orthodox priests came to incense the area while I was standing there.

Site of the Pieta

wall behind the Pieta site

I had a plan to meet Fran (a co-volunteer and student from Spain) at Notre Dame of Jerusalem, right outside of the New Gate, for English Mass at 6:30pm. In my mind, this was going to work out really well since my bus was leaving at 8:30pm.

They have an exhibit on the Shroud of Turin (actual Shroud not present) at Notre Dame, and I found it fascinating.

Well, this was Saturday, which is Shabbat, and I don't know if that made the difference or if the internet was just wrong. Either way, the last bus left at 7:30, and I missed it. I went back to Notre Dame because it's a big center for pilgrims (plus a church) and contains a hotel, restaurant, wifi, etc. I emailed the Mother of my house (because no, I don't have a working phone with me on this trip) to let her know I would be spending the night where I was, added Fran as a Facebook friend to let him know my predicament, and settled in to have a meal and a milkshake at the restaurant.

At the end of my meal, I heard rushing behind me, and then there was Fran in front of me. "I've found you!" First thought that went through my head was this: Was I lost? Let's be real, I knew exactly where I was, what I was doing, and thought I had responsibly informed those who needed to know my situation. Well, I should have called the house. It's been a long time since I've lived with people who were "ready to call the police" to find me. Apparently, Mother wasn't at our house and didn't get my email, the Sisters had lost power at the home and had contacted everyone and his brother to try to get in contact with me (and there is no way to contact me other than email and Facebook), and Fran (the last person who saw me) was under lots of pressure from Padre Pablo and the Sisters to find me. "You're such an American, sitting here drinking a milkshake!"

The Sisters came to pick us up and were probably very upset, but thankfully, they just spoke rapid Spanish to Fran, and he had to handle it. I should have called. It would have been very simple, but I just wasn't aware that the Mother was not in the home that day. There are many, many things I'm not told because I don't speak the language. In my mind, I had basically texted her, and that would have sufficed in most situations. Oh well.

The point is, maybe Jesus just missed the caravan and then saw a great opportunity to go about "His Father's business" in "His Father's house" (depending on your Bible's translation). He was twelve; I'm 27; it's a stretch, but it maybe it happened. And how many people can say that they missed the caravan and had their "parents" worried sick while they were in Jerusalem? Yes, oh yes, folks, I'm becoming more like Jesus everyday.

Present Moment

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking with the Middle East Provincial Mother for the SSVM. Mother Nazaret has been to our house several times, but as the house is Spanish/Arabic/Italian-speaking, I requested her special English attention last night. What a witness! She said that the founder of their Order told her that the life of a Sister can be divided in two: before the Holy Land and after the Holy Land. That's how special this area of the world really is. Her first mission in the Middle East was in Gaza, and she loved the work there. Then the Order was considering closing their house in Syria in 2014 because they only had a pair of Sisters there, so Nazaret volunteered to join them and continue the mission. She said that living in Aleppo required her to live in a very different manner. "When you go to sleep every night with the thought, 'I may die tomorrow,' you learn to live each moment to the full. You don't care about non-essentials, and you're very conscious of the way you react to and interact with others." That's a paraphrase, but that's basically what she said. She said the Church in Aleppo dug a well because there is no water or electricity in the city, and so she was able to encounter people in very vulnerable situations and minister to them. She also spoke of the danger the faithful put themselves in just to get to Mass, citing the importance of the Blessed Sacrament in their lives.  She left for Jordan today, and I don't think I will see her again, but she is perhaps the most joyful person I've ever met. There is a life coming forth from her that I can only describe as the Holy Spirit.

I've been having a difficult time planning my future; those of you who know me well know this about me. I think this is because I try to soak every ounce of good out of the present. Even when I'm certain I want the present moment to end, I'm just as certain that it will end, so I try to make the most of it. Also, I've always found that planning for tomorrow 1) really takes time away from living today and 2) doesn't actually take into account how the rest of the day will affect tomorrow. Basically, I've found planning useless on most occasions, except when I am certain about what I want. Anyways, chatting with Mother Nazaret calmed my spirit about living in the now. Perhaps taking full advantage of the present moment will take me right where I need to be for the following moment. Maybe life really could be that simple. 

Me, Rouja, Bensa, and Elona at Rouja's goodbye party

The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem

Driving through Bethlehem, this is a wall that separates the West Bank (Palestine) and Israel.

Seen in Bethlehem

Cappuccinos with Elly and Julia

Christmas tree going up in Bethlehem

Proceed with Poles

My Polish friends Elona and Rouja (unsure about the spelling) are physical therapists working with me at the children's home. Two weekends ago, we were together in Nazareth. Wow. I've got pictures for you at the end of this post.

Bartering is part of Middle Eastern culture, and I'm out of practice. The Polish girls, however, were in fine form in Nazareth. A priest told us it would cost 100 shekels to take a cab from Nazareth to Sephora, where we spent the night on site of the childhood home of the Blessed Virgin Mary (yeah, no big deal). Rouja approached the cab, chatted with the driver, told us to get in, and we paid 60 shekels total. No problem.

The next day, we were traveling to the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area and were planning on taking a bus. A taxi driver approached us at the bus stop and offered a deal of 500 shekels for a cab to Tiberius, around the Sea while stopping at the notable events in the life of Jesus, and back to Nazareth. Elona promptly told him to go away because we weren't tourists, we had no money, and basically that he was wasting his time with us. Within the next 30 minutes, he had approached us two more times with different offers, and Rouja managed to get the price to 250 shekels if he left us in Tiberius so that we could catch a bus there. So we went to Capernaum to see the home of Peter and the site of a synagogue where Jesus taught. We prayed at the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where the Beatitudes were proclaimed. We also stepped into the Benedictine monastery on the site where Jesus fed the 5000 and relayed the Bread of Life discourses. Awesome, in the truest and most Angus-sense of the word.

On another occasion, I was with Elona in Bethlehem. She wanted to walk to The Bethlehem Hotel to seek out some Polish people she had met to see if she might be able to tour with them. Really, she and Rouja wanted to go to the Dead Sea the next day. The two of us walked 20 minutes from where we were staying after dark for her to get to the hotel reception desk and literally ask which rooms the Polish priests were staying in. Of course, the concierge didn't feel comfortable giving out that information, but he did suggest the hotel restaurant on the third floor. We actually stopped at the cafe/bar on the second floor because, according to Elona, she was just going to walk around and listen for the Polish language. And lo and behold! there it was. These Poles were not part of the group she had met previously, but wouldn't you know, their itinerary included going to the Dead Sea the next morning. So she and Rouja got their chance (probably for free) to  see those sites. Unfortunately, I had to be back to work the next day, but the moral of the story is: When traveling, don't forget to take your Poles. 

Somewhere between Haifa and Nazareth

Nazareth

Inside the Church of the Annunciation

Poland's art depiction of Mary

Mary from the USA

On the way down to the Grotto of the Annunciation

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word." Luke 1:38

These are depictions of Mary from all over the world, often images of an apparition in that country.

Ireland in Israel--full circle! This is Our Lady of Knock.

Rouja said this is like the Miss Universe pageant of Mary

Then she said, "And it's all one woman." What a mystery!

pellegrino trio: Elona, Rouja, me

Nazareth market at night

Sephora: the chapel of St. Anne

Ruins at St. Anne and St. Joachim's house

view from Sephora at sunrise

The childhood home of Our Lady is now occupied by Priests of the Incarnate Word

Capernaum: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

Sea of Galilee = Lake Tiberius = Lake Gennesaret

"Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught." Mark 1:21

They built this church on top of the ruins of St. Peter's house.

I just think the flowers are gorgeous here.

"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." John 6:56

The Beatitudes in Latin

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9

I think I would go up a mountain with that kind of view to pray and teach people, too.