1 day to D-Day

Fr Loffreda gave a nice sermon this morning. We're celebrating the feast of St Philip the Apostle today - here in Israel we have a different liturgical calendar from the rest of the Church. Philip of course as many of you remember, came from Bethsaida and it was he who brought Nathanel to Jesus. Two things struck me in Fr Loffreda's sermon - "come and see" is an important factor here in the Middle East: people need to see and touch, it is a world that does not have abstracts, everything must be material and tangible. This is reflected even in their language. Second "God is not in a hurry"; He does things in His own good time. Which reminds me tomorrow I must go back to the Ministry of Interior to see if I get my visa (if I ever do get it - but "God is not in a hurry", so we'll just wait and see.)

I was extremely busy yesterday transcribing the last few pages of Fr Allegra's commentary on the 1st Letter of St. Peter. It wasn't an easy job as he used an older form of italian that I'm not used to. Luckily after dinner Fr Niccacci came over to help me with some difficult words. Did some reading on my thesis as well just for a break.

The sun is up - the rains stopped yesterday and the skies cleared. The crowds returned to the streets and the noise is back to its usual "breaking the sound barrier" level. Then again we're not all used to silence. Ever experienced an "awkward silence"? Like in our refectory with some 35-40 people. The noise is usually loud, with everyone speaking at the same time. Then once in a while, there is a pause - a silence when everyone stops speaking because they're eating or there's nothing to say - and it's shocks everyone to have such silence in such a crowded room. A nervous laugh breaks the silence, someone will quip "So many people, so little sound" and things get back to "normal". I wonder why we become uneasy with silence - well certainly computers and MP3s don't help. And how can we hear God's voice amid all the din? Maybe that's why God lets the rains come, to force us back to silence and listen to him. But the rains are now few and far between - then again "God is not in a hurry".