Jinxed

It had to be me. Today is the feast of the Chair of Peter (celebrating the unity of the Church under the Pope's ministry) so our superior yesterday had asked me to prepare hymns to sing etc. Worked hard last night to choose some appropriate hymns in latin. This morning I went down to the Church early to set up all the things i needed. Then we started Mass - me being the hebdom. We sang "Ubi caritas et amor, deus ibi est" - wherever there is charity and love, God is there. As we reached the end of the second strophe with the words "we gather here where rancour ends, anger ends, quarrels end" then the lights went out! Blackout again. I nearly laughed because i was thinking - yeah, even the light ends. Luckily it was so dark in the Church no one could see me hiding my laugh. Total confusion in the Church. Some wanted to celebrate only the Mass without Lauds (Morning Prayer of psalms) while others said the psalms are well known to us all so we can recite them by heart. The latter group won out and we recited the psalms mostly by heart. I went ahead with Mass as per normal, sang the usual parts in latin that everyone knew by heart. Fr Niccacci was smart - he went off immeidtaely to the sacristy and took down our emergency fluorescent and placed it on the altar. So at least I had some light to read the prayers from the Missal. In a way it was quite beautiful. The whole church in darkness, only two big candles burning at the altar. When it came to the consecration, as I said the words "This is my body..." and lifted up the host for everyone to see, the lights came back on! Miracle? Hhhhhmmmm I'm smelling a rat here .... knowing what jokers these guys are especially when they try everyday to sabotage me when I start the prayers, I'm thinking of a conspiracy theory ......

Yesterday evening after dinner I had to help wash the dishes. Sr Irmina was busy as usual drying up the plates. She uses the dish-washer so it saves on time. I told her if i can wash my clothes in there as well - Sr Geronima translated into polish - and Sr Irmina couldn't stop laughing. She said I was drunk just like Sr geronima two evenings ago. That was when we finished washing the dishes and Sr Geronima flicked the refectory lights on and off several times and said "Disco!" and started dancing. We laughed so loud I think the superior came to peek at the door to see what was happening.

Anyway we're entering the 3rd week of Lent. Hope you guys are taking this seriously. "I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" that's what God promised through the prophet Jeremiah. Ever thought how stoney your heart can be? How mean-spirited and spiteful you can be? how cold and compassionless you can be? Time to turn it around, guys, before its too late even for regrets!