Little old lady

The weather changed very suddenly last night. The temperature fell to 14 degrees and the sky is a dreadful yellow with dust so thick you can't even see the Mt. of Olives from our terrace. My right eye is swollen 4 days straight because of the dust. And everyone feels so lethargic, several are even ill.

And because of the terrible dust level in the air, I've been hit 4 nights straight with asthma at 1am or thereabouts. Absolutely no sleep. So you can imagine my exhaustion on this 4th day.

It's Friday - I went to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass at 4pm, so I couldn't join the Way of the Cross. I passed by the 8th Station and saw, as I usually do when I pass by that way, the shop that sells "frozen" food. I've been meaning to write this for a long time. I say "frozen" because in the night all the stuff is kept in the deep freeze. But during the day, it's laid out without chilling/refrigeration on the streetside - it thaws for the next 9 hours, and if it's not bought, it goes back to the deep freeze for the night and taken out again the next day .... cycle. Each time I pass there, I look at the sausages, schnitzels, chicken drumsticks and I say "Boy, the germs are having a party". The shopkeeper always looks back - he doesn't understand what I say, thank goodness!

Anyway at the Holy Sepulchre I met my former superior Fr Carlo who's now stationed in Palermo and is bringing a group on a pilgrimage. Then I also met Fr Ladislaw the superior of the Holy Sepulchre back in 1992. He could recognise me and called out my name, even after 15 years of not seeing each other. He looks good and healthy. I'm happy for him. Also at the Holy Sepulchre I met the little old lady - I really mean "little, like she's shrunk down to 3 feet, no joke. And she's legally blind. I've seen her around at the Holy Sepulchre and sometimes found her a seat if she's left to stand when huge crowds come to our church.

Today she got to speak to me. She was carrying a plastic bag of little souvenirs: holy cards and book marks and such. She's selling them to the friars in the Holy Sepulchre in the hope of making a little money to survive and to see the doctor for her eyes. But the friars don't have the time to sell the stuff to people who come to the Sepulchre - they're overworked as they are. So she asked me if I could help her sell her stuff. Could I say no? Anyway some of you have offered money for the poor in the Holyland - I'll give her US$300 from it so she can see the doc next week, ok?