Live prayerfully - pray livingly

The Minister General arrived at 6.25pm yesterday evening with the Custos of the Holyland, the Gen. Sec. for Formation, the Holyland Formation co-ordinator and Fr Enrique Bermejo - straight to the Flagellation Chapel where we were all gathered for Vespers. Fr. General presided and gave a short address to us all, remembering Fr Piccirillo who taught him (Fr. General studied his Licentiate here in our school in the 70s) and reminding us of the Synod of Bishops recommendation to use a wholistic approach to biblical studies.

During Vespers the Custos sat next to me and I was very happy - he made some funny remarks (whispered of course) before Vespers.

After Vespers we proceeded to the refectory for dinner. That's when the General (by the way it is not a military term!~ it simply emphasises his role as an international leader and not restricted to any one country or province) called me over and we greeted each other. As it was the dining room, it wasn't a place to talk much with him so I left it at that. But after dinner I caught up with him and we chatted with a few other friars. Fr General immediately recounted that in his address to the Synod of Bishops, he specifically mentioned Fr Allegra and his work. Then he went back to St. Saviour's monastery to pass the night.

And the dinner was stupendous - being Friday we abstain from meat so Bro Rosario our vice-superior came up with a seafood spaghetti that was fantastic; followed by the best baked salmon ever cooked by our cook Khalil. It was a fitting welcome meal for Fr General who is the successor of St. Francis of Assisi.

This morning we had Mass to commemorate Blessed John Duns Scotus, one of our most illustrious friar-theologians of the 13th century. After Mass I prepared to go to St. Saviour's monastery where the inauguration events of our school year will take place. Jadallah our handyman offered to drive me there since our superior, dean and guest speaker will also be in the car - he knows my left leg is not good and my asthma is severe enough to make my walk up to the monastery quite an ordeal. But I turned it down - imagine sitting in the car with so many bigshots! It took 35 minutes to walk up to the monastery but I made it. The hall was very crowded as our school includes our Philosphy and Theology departments (I think a total of 135 students), with other representatives from other academic institutions, the papal nuncio and many friends. Of course friars from all around the Holyland came also to pay their respects to Fr General.

The event began with an intro by our dean with last year's report of events. Then Fr Martinelli our guest-speaker spoke for an hour on St Francis and his spirituality and modern theology. We then had a break where everyone caught up with everyone else over drinks and snacks. The second part comprised a talk by Fr General on John Duns Scotus and finally a report by Fr Manns on the Synod of Bishops where he attended as an expert. On the whole I thought the talks this year were very instructional and relevant.

We got back home just in time for lunch - which was again great because the leftover salmon was mixed with macaroni - I loved it! And no salt too! I had 2 helpings!

Tomorrow Fr General will celebrate the High Mass at Gethsemani's basilica for the 700th anniversary of Blessed John Duns Scotus. I'll go for the Mass but will not concelebrate as I plan to celebrate it in the Holy Sepulchre at 5am tomorrow morning.

Anyway want to share with you a thought/message after all the talks these 2 days - don't divorce religion from your daily life. it is a false dichotomy and a destructive road. The person who works and eats and breathes and faces problems and laughs and cries is the very same person who kneels to pray to God. Don't relegate your religion to an hour a week at Mass while the rest of the week you live as if there is no God. Do what Duns Scotus did - think prayerfully and pray thoughtfully or in this case, live prayerfully and pray livingly. Everything is a unity despite the tensions that exists. They complement, not contradict.