Yesterday

Yesterday's celebration of the jubilees went off well. I didn't concelebrate the Mass because I was already at the Holy Sepulchre earlier (4.30am) to say Mass and Lauds. At lunch the Custos with the Custodial Economo (treasurer) came. Spoke with the Custos twice during lunch - he was very insistent that I complete my studies by this year as he has an new assignment for me - you wouldn't guess where! As usual we bantered. I always look forward to meeting him because we can talk.

The lunch was also a turning point because our superior for just one year will be transferred to Sicily this Friday. The new superior also came for lunch - Fr Najib Ibrahim - a Lebanese bible scholar whom I met back in 2004 in Rome. The letters of obedience were read before we began lunch and the transition will be 5 days. Hope Fr Carlo our outgoing superior will be fine in his new monastery.

Bro John Savage of the Holy Sepulchre made his solemn profession yesterday with 6 other friars. He mentioned to me last week that he would like to eat chinese food so yesterday morning I walked up to the Chinese restaurent "Mandarin" behind the Jaffa Street Post Office and got some takeaways - sesame shrimps, sweet/sour pork and cashewnut chicken. Hope he liked it. The friars in the Holy Sepulchre work very hard and rarely have days off. They still wake up at midnight for prayers, then again at 3am I think. They take constant care of the Empty Tomb as well as Mt. Calvary and since the Church doors close early (keys kept by 2 muslim families), their movement outside the basilica is very limited. I try to make them happy and life less stressful; after all they are taking care of the most important place in all Christianity - the place where Christ died, was buried and rose again. I think we owe them alot.

And yesterday the Pope canonised Sr. Alphonsa the indian Clarist nun. She's the first Indian woman saint - a boost to the persecuted Church there. Lets hope she does a miracle soon and save the Christians there. Which leds me to the other point - Catholics being killed in Iraq. Let's see if the Iraqi govt. will do what it promises. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7665830.stm