Central Perk

The earthquake in China is horrendous - coupled of course with last week's Myanmar cyclone disaster - it jolts humanity back to reality that despite all the high tech inventions, Mother Nature still commands the earth and we are in constant need of God's sustaining help. It reminds me of Pentecost Sunday's responsorial psalm (bet you can't remember it) which says "You [God] take back your Spirit and they turn to dust; you send forth your Spirit, and the world is renewed". Now more than ever need we pray for the Holy Spirit's help for the peoples of these two countries.

And to top that upset, I've been having diarrhea and stomach cramps for the past week. Finally found out today it's one of the side effects of the medicine I'm taking for the BP. Gotta change it soon.

Despite my exhaustion, I went out to the Dominican Ecole Biblique (Bible School) for dinner last night as Fr Thomas Chui (Mainland Chinese priest studying there) invited me for the umpteenth time. Couldn't push it off anymore so I went. It was the solemnity of the dedicaiton of the Dominican Basilica of St. Stephan (it's where they buried St. Stephan after he was stoned to death - see Acts of the Apostles). Solemn vespers was chanted in french - simply magnificent in the basilica. Then we had dinner. I had the chance to share the table with Fr Chui and his thesis director Fr Adrien Schenker - a world famous biblical scholar, and Fr Terence, a young Irish Dominican friar - brilliant young chap. We spent a lovely evening chatting and then I went home. But before that I invited them to our monastery for lunch today.

It was very nice that all three came for lunch today. Fr Schenker is very well respected here in our school and we were very honoured to have him with us. Lunch conversation flowed from french to italian to english to chinese. it was abit complicated to follow, but it worked out. We then showed our guests the terrace panorama of Jerusalem and our school. Then they left for the Dominican priory at 2pm.

I've read Fr Schenker's books, some connected with my own thesis, and was really honoured to have finally met him in person. Imagine my surprise when he saw me for the first time in the Basilica sacristy yesterday evening and said he had heard alot about me and knew that I was in Jerusalem and that he was happy to finally meet me in person. My BP must have shot way up! One of the "Central Perk" moments of my life. Was too excited to sleep last night!