Hot and humid

Grotto of the BVM Nativity

Today's humidity is 87% ... so 33 degrees feels more oppressive than it should. This morning I had to move 40 heavy boxes of books from St. Anne's Church down the road to our library ... and working under this heat was unbearable. The White Fathers who care for St. Anne's church is giving us many of their books as their new library is too small. And we appreciate it very much as some of their books are very valuable form a printing point of view ... 1st editions, complete collections and such stuff. In one of the boxes I found the 1st edition fascicles of the original Jerusalem Bible authored by the famous Fr. Abel who autographed it. So all the heavy work moving those boxes were worth it. Except that there are some 300 more boxes to go.

Minor chapel in the
Nativity Grotto

Since I was at St. Anne's church, I decided to stop by the crypt of the Crusader church. That's where tradition holds the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrated the feast 2 days ago ... so today I went down to say a prayer for all of you. Without tourists and pilgrims, the church was serene and prayerful. I liked it.

Covid infections have reached 4000 today ... curfews continue to be flouted and law enforcers are not  enforcing the law. I must be so careful now when I go out. I'm sticking to my auto-restriction of 2 mornings a week going to work in the other office. And the rest of the time I'm staying home ... a few hours a day spent in the university library and nothing more. Can't trust those students who flout the mask-wearing and distancing rules ....  News reports say since the new academic year has started, 42 schools and 150 preschools have been closed after the first day because students and teachers have been tested positive.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/widespread-reports-of-public-flouting-health-directives-as-cases-shoot-up/?fbclid=IwAR3FCdCLmu1u7QZTQXOhH1AeoInRI41vsIJ36FLVRjfbvlOxxMQIcaB316U#gs.f5n321