Snow is back!

The snow came back with a vengeance. Yesterday afternoon I went to the Missionaries of Charity for bible lessons as usual. The sun was up and bright, but when I stepped out of the monastery - I felt the cold; I mean really cold. A very strong wind was blowing and bits of hail were falling. Everyone was rushing home, the shops were closing and the Bedouin women were packing up their wares all along Damascus gate. By evening the first light snow was falling. It's strange because we usually get a couple of days' rain before it snows, but this time there was no rain. This morning when I went out to open the monastery gates, I got my feet wet in the sludge. It stopped snowing just before Mass started but again fell a few minutes after I began Mass. Heavy snow - large flakes and very strong winds. After Mass the students were all happy and chatting in the sacristy - no school today because it's snowing! Then again everything closes when it snows here, except for the cafes that do a bristling business serving hot drinks.

Fr Carlo our superior asked me yesterday to sing something in chinese for Mass today so I chose Ps 130 composed by the maestro Jiang Wen Ye. It was nice and slow and suited the atmosphere this morning. I'm glad they liked it. Sr Geronima said it was soooooooo nice so I said tomorrow I want her to sing a communion song. She got all flustered and rushed away because she's down with the flu and lost her voice!

Today's Gospel reading was harsh - Jesus reproving the Pharisees and scribes. No gentle message here; everything is black and white. I think that's why many people join fundamentalist groups because they espouse a clear black and white doctrine. The world is too blurred in grey areas, too compromised, too uncertain and too unclear. People seek clear directions as a reaction, and Jesus today gives it to them. So no wishy-washy christianity, guys! Get radical!