Vigil

Yesterday afternoon I gave a thorough cleaning of the birdcage. The canaries are now so used to me, they have lost all fear. When I was spraying the dung away from the bottom of the cage, "Granny" the oldest canary flew down and followed the hose. She enjoyed the water sprinkling all over her. Slowly several other males came to follow her. She became so wet she couldn't fly after that ... but hopped around chirping happily. Then there is my favourite "Baby". She was the first baby canary born and survived last year and she also has no fear of me. She perches on branches or the feed-trough near my nose and looks at me. The other males will cling to the door of the cage whenever I come to the courtyard. They know I bring food for them. The two mottled females are bad. Every time I put my head inside the cage to remove or put in food, they fly close to my head. Don't know if they're attacking me or playing. But with such familiarity, it means they might want to fly out of the cage one day when I open the door. Anyway this is their meal arrangement. Every morning they get a new refill of mixed grain, lettuce, cucumbers, bell-peppers and egg-shell. Once a week they get boiled eggs and a stick of fruit and grain stuck together with honey. They love this! Usually they finish it off within an hour. In the evenings they get either the leftover vegies from the salad we had for lunch, or a different type of mix grain. And Fr Bissoli leaves them the apple cores and seed he eats after meals.

Last night I made it to the Holy Sepulchre for vigil. Went to sleep at 9.30pm but by 10.30pm was up and changing to go out in the cold. Many of the fathers here were already on the way there. There was a blackout here in the Muslim Quarter so we had to walk in the dark. Quite terrifying. Reached the Holy Sepulchre at 11.25pm - crowded with people. Vigils started at 20 mins. to 12 with hymns, psalms, responsories and readings (Leviticus and St Augustine), followed by Lauds (more psalms and readings). It lasted way over an hour. When the Benedictus was sung, everyone lit a cndle and there was a procession around the Empty Tomb. Fr Armando played the organ - it was so majestic, pounding loud ... even the Orthodox pilgrims were impressed. It was all so beautiful. That was what "church" was about - gathered around the Empty Tomb to proclaim the Resurrection. The Custodial Vicar Fr Artemio sung the Gospel of John's account fo the Resurrection and appearance to Mary Magdalene. When it ended, it was past 1am. Many fathers continued to stay back to celebrate Sunday Mass. I wanted to do so too but because Jean Paul did not bring the keys of the house, I had to accompany him home. I wanted to go back to the Holy Sepulchre at 4am to celebrate mass but my legs were so tired from all the walking the past week, I stayed back. Went to sleep at 3am and woke up at 5am for our own Mass at the Flagellation Monastery.

Anyway I wanted you to know that I went for Vigils to pray for all of you. Believe me it is not easy to wake up at midnight and pray for over an hour, then getting 2 hours sleep only to wake up and pray some more. But that's what our mission is here in the Holyland - to pray for all of you who cannot be at the actual place where the Resurrection took place. Know that during these last 2 weeks of Lent, you are very close to these holy places when I come to pray.