Holy Tuesday

5th Station Mass

Yesterday ... Holy Monday ... is the only day in the year when Masses are allowed in the 5th Station of the Cross "Simon helps Jesus carry the Cross." I booked for the 7am slot ... each Mass is given 30 minutes before the next Mass. A nice crowd of english speakers came ... an american layman, 7 MC sisters, 2 PDDM sisters, 2 chinese sisters, 1 Teresian sister, 2 Maria Bambina sisters and another layman. The chapel was crowded. It was a good celebration and everyone felt privileged to be able to celebrate Mass in the little chapel. Since there was no one who booked the 7.30am slot, I celebrated a 2nd Mass for another group of sisters who came later.

Today my librarian at the other library had gone to the doctor's. With no other workers, I had to stay at work till closing time. It was exhausting. I managed also to deal with payments for book orders at the Finance Dept., then went to book a room at our hostel for a student from Haifa University who wants to come and join in the Triduum celebrations, planted some geraniums in the library garden and dug up lots of flowering bulb from a broken pot and gave them to 2 accountants at our Finance Dept. 

After closing the library at 5pm, I went to Mian restaurant to buy fried rice. I was famished. A box of fried rice costs US$20. It's expensive ... but that's life here. No other restaurant was open because it"s the Jewish Passover and no leaven is allowed, so restaurants close for 8 days. After eating the takeaway in my office, I walked the 1km home. It's freezing cold. Forecast says 5 degrees but it feels like 1 degree. I wasn't dressed enough and my only help was my scarf to keep my neck warm. 

Well tomorrow is Holy Wednesday and I have more work. Early bedtime for me.