Feast of Immaculate Conception

Today's feastday reminds us that God originally created humanity to be without sin. But through human free choice and folly, sin entered our lives. There's a very nice passage from the Book of Wisdom (you guys who never read the Bible, start reading today!!!) that says "Death was not God's doing; he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living..." (1:13 meaning chapter 1 verse 13 for those who are still struggling to understand the bible) and "God did not make man perishable; He made him in the image of His own nature; it was the devil's envy that brught death into the world..." (2:23). Mary's immaculate conception reminds us what it would be like for us if sin didn't creep into our lives. But don't despair! Christ came to save us, as He did for Mary, so we will return to that pristine state again if we do all that he tells us.

And of course today's feastday reminds us also of Duns Scotus who fought for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception 700 years ago but was condemned and persecuted. He was vindicated only in the 19th century when the Pope declared Mary's Immculate Conception as dogma and that Scotus was correct after all.

Yesterday was wet! The rains came in the late evening at about 5pm. That was when Lang and I were out in the streets - was going to check him in at our Franciscan hostel "Casa Nova". We could only see the Holy Sepulchre as all the other churches were closed by then. And we had a simple dinner at Notre Dame of Jerusalem. Today I'll bring him around the churches of the Old City since the Jewish Quarter is closed for the Sabbath.

There's no school today because of the feast so I think I'll not study today - as a treat. So nothing much else to report. Will update you tomorrow.