Christmas 2008

What a lovely Christmas surprise - the two nieces of Venerable Fr. Allegra came to visit me. They were on a pilgrimage here i the Holyland but insisted on breaking away from the group to come visit me and the school where Fr Allegra taught in 1965 and 1974. It was good to see them again: Giovanna and Gabriella. And they were so very pleased as well. What a lovely start to a bitterly cold and wet Christmas.

Sr Maria and I walked in the drizzle to grand Court Hotel to meet the Singapore pilgrim group that was to bring us to Shepherds' Field for the Vigil Mass. The traffic was tolerably peaked as countless pilgrims were heading the same direction. Despite the cold and rain, many pilgrims walked to Bethlehem from Jerusalem or at the checkpoint of the infamous wall that cuts Bethlehem from the rest of Jerusalem. We celebrated Mass inside the Chapel of the Shepherds. Then we returned to back to the hotel after midnight as the rain began to pour. The group was nice enough to make a detour and dropped me and Sr. Maria off at Damascus Gate, saving us a half kilometer walk in the rain. Sr Maria is spending the night at our school's student pantry as its too dangerous for her to walk home alone to the Mt. of Olives after midnight. Our superior and dean were very kind to allow her to stay there for the night, and expressed concern for her. I'm so fortunate to be living with such kind and caring friars. What a lovely reminder of the inn that took in Mary and Joseph at the original Christmas!

The rains are continuing as I write - 1am or so now. Fr Tomislav, our Ancient Near East languages professor told me to sleep in and he'll take my place at presiding the 6.30am Mass. That's very nice of him. I am very exhausted after a day's work and the night's liturgy.

Remember - it is Christ whom we're celebrating at Christmas - not consumerism, materialism and especially greed.