Rain!

I was quite sure it would rain last night because the sky was a dull red yesterday afternoon. I decided to cover the birdcage with plastic. Sure enough it started raining hard by 4am this morning. Very strong winds too. And it was freezing cold. This is all very unexpected as it should be dry and sunny - Easter season. Everyone said the weather is going crazy.

Yesterday I was so exhausted i fell asleep at 6pm. I thought I could wake up by 7pm for vespers and a talk by Fr Giorgio, our visiting professor who is a benedictine monk. Slept right through to midnight!I was feeling very hungry when I got up, but was feeling even sleepier - so fell back to bed and slept till 4am when I opened the window to check if it rained. Slept right through in my day clothes - jeans, turtle-neck, woollen jumper, socks .... it was like being drugged. I couldn't move a bone ... just laid in bed with very heavy eyes. But I was pretty fresh this morning for Mass though! Some of the guys said that I must have slept well - well how did they know???

Today most of the friars in Judea came to our Flagellation Chapel to commemorate the Passion of the Lord - the gospel is solemnly sung in 3 parts (Christ, Narrator and crowd). And lots of people came as well. But I wasn't in though; had a previous appointment at another Monastery.

The Pious Disciples of Our Lord (Pauline sisters who are dedicated to the liturgical ministry) have arrived in Jerusalem to start a convent - somewhere near our monastery. They come every morning for Mass and Lauds since two are Italians (one Indian) and our liturgy is always Italian.