Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Frau Reuter, Me, Martin, Thomas w/ Ayla, Fr. Basilius w/ Jack, ML w/ George, Johannes w/ Garfield

It is hard to get into the Christmas mindset without snow. As beautiful and green as it is here, the line rings true, you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone. We had a lot of rain in the days leading up to Christmas morning which is a blessing in this country. We need more, I might bust out my rain dance soon.

Kind of hard to get everyone on the same page

We had a thoughtful and profound midnight Christmas Eve mass. Candles and lights from the trees lit the church and the air was crisp. It was a moment that begged you to collect yourself. I managed to keep my screw-ups to a minimum while alter-serving.



ML and I were asked to prepare the turkey for Christmas Eve dinner. It being our first turkey we managed to conjure up a miracle. Our Christmas feast was extraordinary with the people, decorations, and delicious food.

Part of the Tabgha family: Mary Louise, Fr. Zacharias, Fr. Ralph, Fr. Basilius, Thomas (behind) Martin (green), Johannes (orange), Br. Franziskus (behind), ML

Yesterday (Friday), the whole family took a trip. We visited a coastal site, Rosh Hanikra. It is embedded into the side of huge bluffs where the Mediterranean crashes into the rock. I love looking out into the blue sea and listening to the powerful waves shatter onto the shore.

I long-armed this picture hoping I would catch the waves break on the rocks behind me

We rode cable cars down to the sea

Many coves created by many years of waves

The British armed forces dug two huge tunnels through the cliffs in order to run a rail line during the Second World War.

Small military ship keeping watch

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch sitting at a park along the sea before heading to Bethlehem. This is not to be confused with the Bethlehem just south of Jerusalem. This Bethlehem is near Nazareth. We visited a building constructed by the German Templar.

Another cove

Violence has broken out again. I say again, there is always violence here though, because a cease-fire between Gaza and Israel ended some days ago. Sorry I'm not do my job Br. Paul, maybe we should think about putting a BVC site in Gaza to double-team the peace process here.

We ate lunch on the sea side of the road across from that large building on the left

I try to keep up by reading credible online news sources. It appears innocent people have been the common victims so far. I hope this settles down quickly and nothing more happens causing my time here cut short because of evacuation.

A couple pics from here and there

It is our rainy season here but as you can tell by the three following pictures the season is not living up to its name.

I had to take Frau Reuter back to the vet today because as I was hanging up laundry this morning she strolled up to me, tail wagging. Yes we had her leashed up and fenced in after her surgery on Thursday but she broke what she was leashed to and then dug and crawled under the fence which opened the wound on her abdomen. Did you just gag? Are you gonna throw up?

Sitting around the table on St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6th)

Nothing really looked appetizing on this sign in Bethlehem (there are no letters missing, they were all spelled like this)

Thomas and I drove her to the vet and now you can add "veterinary assistant" to my resume, as we had to hold onto her (she was adequately sedated) during the re-opening and re-stitching. I was hoping that after he was done looking around inside her he was gonna say "okay nurse, stitch her up" and then hand me the catgut, but he didn't.

ML, Thomas, Martin, and me at the Church of the Nativity manger site

Enjoying an ice cream cone wondering where we are on the huge physical map on the way to Jerusalem last week

Showing my [Door of] Humility in Bethlehem

Bethlehem

I write this entry in short intervals that I find myself not in bed or in the bathroom. I was in the West Bank this last weekend and while the street food in Israel is by no means governed by the FDA, the two times I have left Israel for the West Bank and eaten from a vendor I have returned to Tabgha being followed by some foul satanic food vermin that lives in dark corners and alleys and feeds on the goodness of our hearts.

This is a picture of my immune system fighting dragons in my body (actually St. George at Church of the Nativity)

This journey begins with the 5 volunteers departing from Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem for Paulus House (a hostel on the other side of the Old City). As we were walking the cobblestone street just outside Dormition I slipped (I love the look of cobblestone but hate the function, its slick). Wearing open toed sandals I was in no means prepared to protect myself. My left foot dragged on the ground to help me regain my balance, the trade-off being my left foot dragged on the ground.

Victory in my body (Statue of Michael at the Milk Grotto)

The resulting injury was a nasty sight. If I were being hunted, the blood trail I left would have been so informative my hunters would have been able to figure out my age, weight, and social security number.

It is a 20 minute walk to Paulus House from Dormition when the Old City is busy. It’s always interesting to walk through the Old City because you never know what to expect. I had freshly cut open my foot and the top priority of mine was to keep it clean. On this trip through the Old City I encountered: live corralled sheep, brains and intestines strewn on the ground from butcher shops, and the constant odor of feces and urine.

We got to Paulus House and after finding our room, I quickly found help. Help came in the form of an angel named was Sister Merriam. She was a German Sister and we spoke a little bit about what happened (very simple German). After she finished cleaning me up I could not thank her enough. I felt like a little kid and was only waiting for the lollipop for not crying.

The next day, Monday, minus Johannes plus Richard we headed to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is in the West Bank which means you have to pass through a security checkpoint. Your bus drops you off at the checkpoint, you walk through on foot, and then you catch a taxi on the other side. Intimidation is the best feeling to describe the wall separating these people.

You walk down long narrow fenced corridors to ensure controlled traffic

Many messages cover the wall in the fashion of graffiti. They are messages of hope, connection, prayer, remembrance, and even anger (more so anger at the purpose of the wall).

My favorite message on the wall

It was a Moslem feast day so there were few people out. Why there were few Christians out I do not know but the taxi drivers felt the decline. We unsuccessfully bartered a good price to the Church of the Nativity.

I do not know if it was because of the feast day or my self-consciousness but as we walked the last 100 yards up to the church we received awkward glances of surprise from townspeople. We walked in front of the church the square was almost vacant.

"Door of Humility" Church of the Nativity

The door in which you enter the church is maybe 4 feet tall (it is called the “Door of Humility” because you must bow in order to enter). Other than the door the church is immense. There is a high bell tower outside to the right of the door. Inside huge wooden rafters soar and gigantic limestone pillars line both sides of the church.

Parts of the floor have trap doors that are lifted up to show you the old mosaic floor from the 4th century. There is yet another grand altar decorated by candles, shining metals, and rich colorful cloths. There is a staircase that allows you to descend under the altar onto the “sight” of Jesus’ birth. I was told normally one must wait half an hour because of populace. We did not wait at all.

There is a brilliant fourteen-pointed star in the manger site and people bow to touch it or light candles. The star was a gift from the French in 1717 and it marks where the birth site is supposed.



I ascended into an adjacent church run by Franciscans and sat in the pews to collect some thoughts and ideas.



This church had a vibrant stain glass window behind the altar and a deep colored painting on the sidewall. The art at the religious sites could even bring in those who are not believers.




After touring the church everyone was starving. We walked a little more of Bethlehem, but it was a ghost town. We finally came upon a small broiled chicken stand. Some of us had our doubts in how sanitary it was but there was no place else to eat and everyone was famished. And there’s the rub. I am fully confident in the thorough cooking of the chicken; it is the refrigeration of everything together with the chicken that makes me cringe. Hindsight is 20/20.

While we were eating, the nearby mosque announced time for all of Islam’s followers to pray. I love this act. The mosque blares Moslem prayer over a loud-speaker. It is like a chant/song/poem all in one and the pitch at which the voice reverberates is gentle and alluring.


After eating we hiked about a mile over to the Milk Grotto. This is the site where Mary was nursing Jesus and three drops of milk dripped onto a red rock turning it white. Those who touch the rock are said to have nothing but grade A Land-O-Lakes for their children to nurse from.

Picture above rock

I was easily lost in thought on the taxi ride back to the checkpoint. You look out your car window at the clusters of houses, damaged buildings, the unsymmetrical waves of the landscape, and the beautiful sunset on the horizon and quickly lose attentiveness to the moment.

On Tuesday morning Martin, Thomas, ML, and I were given permission from the Father to drive Jumpy (van) to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. It was about a 25-minute drive across the New City of Jerusalem. My first time driving in the greater area of Jerusalem went off without a hitch.



Yad Vashem is an architectural wonder. It sits upon a hill and one of the numerous buildings is long and thin and runs through the hill. There are countless works of art in remembrance of those (Jewish, Polish, American, German, etc.) who lost their lives combating the Holocaust. Even with the impressive layout of Yad Vashem the mood is solemn.



You walk the halls reading dates, names, and facts and scan every picture. There are so many faces and so many stories. 6 million, and that’s the number who died, so many more were involved in trying to save them. The four of us agreed to go at our own pace but meet back out front at a certain time. I got misplaced in the constant crowd working its way through the museum which was at least 50% Israeli military (unarmed but in uniform).
I look at this material in utter stupefaction and do not comprehend the entirety but I am an American-Christian two generations removed. I wonder what emotions stir in these young people when they look at their ancestry, hopefully peace and reconciliation.



Yesterday we took Jack (my cat roommate) and Frau Reuter (mother of latest 11 puppies) in to get “fixed”. I’ve described the veterinarian’s small office before, its smaller than many single bedrooms with only one window. He has a small moveable table, sink, cabinet, mini-fridge, and desk. I think there are high schools around the US better equipped. I will not be contacting PETA with a recommendation for any awards.

Scattered thoughts

Odds and ends in this post that I will try to piece together.


Two weeks ago the Philippine Sisters had their Christ the King celebration. They had 150 Philippine people who work around the country come to mass (100 of them in the last 5 minutes of mass). They had great food, songs (sung by a Philippine choir), and friendly smiling people at their house.

Martin and Thomas eating and listening to the singers

We were hoping at this time to give them one of our countless puppies as a gift. When we gave the Sisters the puppy they were having a hard time finding a name they could all agree on.

The Sister with Br. Franciscos, Fr. Basilius, and pup

4 of the 5 loved it but having one allergic person they must think of family first. So we had to take back the gift we brought. We've got a lot of dogs here.

The singers on the steps at the Sisters

Monday the 1st Alexander left for Jerusalem to fulfill his 1 year novitiate. You cold see how much Tabgha and the "family" here meant to him. He will most likely return when he is finished at Dormition. The "family" will go to Jerusalem this coming Monday to celebrate his entering the program.

Yesterday (Thursday) Fr. Jeremias left for California. He will spend some months there, then in Germany, before returning here in May. His time here in May will be to wrap up all his work as Prior and then back to Germany. Our family yet again gets smaller.

Another pic of me and ML before our celebration Nov 8th.

We have begun the Advent season. I have not memory of Advent songs or of doing anything special for Advent (outside of Church) but here we sang songs and drank tea while making Advent wreaths. I have found myself searching for songs, events, and ideas that we as Americans feel define us or shed light on who we are and how we became what we are because it feels at times the Germans have many of them.

For anyone back at St. John's: please give Br. Dietrich my best when you see him. I keep him in my thoughts.