Blackout again!

Blackout again last night. I thought it was pretty funny. We were having dinner - the sisters made pizza (vegetarian and tuna: it was Friday) and just as we got started the lights went out! Somehow the younger guys at the other end of the table tohught it was very funny because they couldn't stop laughing and joking. It was total darkness - believe me. Somehow someone managed to grope his way out of the dark refectory, got to his room and got a torch; then more torches appeared from others, candles in the kitchen for the sisters to see. Anyone who had anything brought it along. It was really nice to see the community chipping in like this. As it was too dark for me to read the thanksgiving after meals, I decided to pray the traditional latin that everyone knew by heart. But again I nearly laughed because at final prayer for the dead "Eternal rest grant unto them..." everyone had to respond "and let perpetual light shine upon them" - very ironical as we were all standing in the dark!

After dinner all the guys flocked at our upper corridor staircase. Everyone was joking. Well almost all the students were there only because they have no lights in their rooms - so I went and got all my extra candles to give to them. Almost everyone took one because even the smallest tea-light can burn for 4 hours. Its a great help! I guess the next group will have to bring another pack of tea-lights for me. The torch that Agnes and my sis Catherine gave came in very useful - they're very powerful! The guys borrowed it and went to the Sala Cafe. It brightened the entire room. We had a nightcap there and chatted and laughed and slowly we trickled back to our rooms. Some of the guys came over to my room and we continued chatting till about 10pm. then they left and using the torch, I read several pages of a book that provides background knowledge to my thesis. When I finished those pages, at about 11pm, the lights came back.

By the way as I'm writng this, I see there's another blackout right now. Luckily its daytime and the sun is up. But I'll keep my candles ready.

Today is Saturday and the Lenten procession at the Holy Sepulchre will take place at 2.30pm. I hope to be there. The Custos Fr Pierbattista is back from Rome so he'll be presiding at the procession. We were good friends back 15 years; but now he's so busy as Custos we hardly have time to catch up anymore. Once in a while I make an appointment with his secretary to see him. I'm only allowed 10 minutes or so but we do chat and laugh and talk about our future plans. He's really a nice guy even though he looks very stern. And he's younger than I!!!

Today's Gospel reading was on the Prodigal Son. I always wonder why the elder son gets such bad publicity. Put yourself in his shoes - half the property was lost by his younger brother. Now his younger brother comes home and the elder brother has to divide his own property with him. It's a much smaller share now. Hhhmmm I guess that's a very capitalist way of looking at it. Perhaps the father should have got a crisis manager for advice. Maybe the elder brother should have immediately tried to cut back losses by retrenchment and consolidating whatever assets he now has. Maybe the servents should have done some PR training and be more articulate in breaking the news to the elder brother. Or maybe it's better to just forgive and forget. Life is too short for anger and regrets.