Overdosed

Overdosed on my asthma medicine yesterday evening. Thought I was going to die. I bought a nebuliser on Saturday as my asthma has become severe again. But since all the explanations were written in russian or arabic (although the machine is marked "made in China"), I thought I'd add 25 mg or more of ventolin into the tube for breathing. Must have been too high dosage because after a while I could feel my heart thumping very hard. Hands were tremoring uncontrollably. And legs were so weak I couldn't stand. It was all so wobbly and I was very faint. I dragged myself slowly off my study table to my bed but felt I needed fresh air. So when my legs were better, I walked out to the terrace. There was a cool breeze and a lovely full moon. The riots have died down and there's silence in the streets. Bro Rosario came out to join me and we chatted for some 20 minutes. I felt better and went back to my room. Well, so much for self-cures. Now looking again at the instructions in russian I think it's trying to say 5mg of ventolin and 25mg of saline solution mix for the nebuliser.

Jordan joins in

Now Jordan has joined the row that Israel keep the Temple Mount open. I can imagine soon Syria and Lebanon will do the same, then really the violence will become interntional. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254393091294&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Happy Feastday! This morning there was solemn Mass celebrated at our Custody's main church of St. Saviour. As is the usual custom, the main celebrant of the Mass is a Dominican friar. And on the feast of St Dominic, it's a Franciscan who presides at their Mass. It's an ancient custom that goes way back ... apparently Francis and Dominic were friends.

Yesterday evening's Vespers and Transitus was simple and nice. Religious from all other congregations came to join in, as well as local christians. The liturgy recalled the death of St Francis, how he asked the Gospel of John to be read, a psalm sung and finally the Canticle of the Sun. Then he died, lying naked on the floor because he wanted to be poor up to the very end of his life. Surrounded by his brothers, they wept as the Little Poor Man breathed his last breath. I think scholars suggested that Francis by then was emaciated due to his severe fasting, blind, possibly with stomach ulcers, liver and kidney dysfuntion. And of course anaemic because his 5 wounds kept bleeding every day right up to his death. Can't help thinking of poor Fr Johannes Sweetser who died last week. And Daniel Cavero who loved St Francis. And so many others whom I knew. Today they will celebrate with St Francis in heaven. They are so happy. You know, people are captivated by Francis because he was a normal person like us, and he had dreams and aspirations. But instead of following the crowd, he dared to be different. He chose to be poor while his world chased after wealth and greed; he chose simplicity while the world complicated itself; he chose joy while the rest of the world sought to hate and revenge. And this paradox is our daily experience; it struggles within us. How wonderful to be joyous, uncluttered and simple. No double talk, no hidden agendas, no greed. Francis was truly a free man.

More riots this morning at our place. I saw soldiers and police in the streets while on my way up to St. Saviour's. Helicopters flying above. It looked pretty tense but I didn't realise how serious until I read the news. Better stay indoors. The police have closed the Mosque again and no one could enter to pray. Well there were muslim rumours that the police were letting Jews enter the Mosque to pray - today being the 1st day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Let's see how things will develope today. Check out http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1118665.html# and http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254393091294&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Rosary procession in Nazareth

It's October, the month of the rosary. If you haven't had the chance to pray th rosary in the Holyland, then watch Eternal Light Webcast. There's a candle-light procession on Saturday evenings at the Basilica of the Annunciation (Angel Gabriel appears to Mary) and the rosary is recited there. Hundreds of people join in. You can join in too .... virtually through the web.

Go to http://elwebcast.blogspot.com 

Transitus

Yesterday being the first Friday after the riots of last Sunday, the military presence in the Old City was incredibly huge ... people were saying it's like the Intifada ("resistance" 1989 and 2001) all over again. I personally saw numerous young men below 45 yrs prohibited from entering the Old City. I could enter and exit only because I have an ID card and am a foreigner. The Dome of the Rock was closed even for prayers and those older than 45 yrs who could enter the Old City blocked the streets of the Muslim Quarter, kneeling and praying at noon. They blocked the whole of the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) from our monastery all the way down to the 5th Station. It was very very tense.

Tonight we celebrate the Transitus ("Passing") of St Francis. The friars will sing vespers and commemorate the death of St Francis by reading the last moments of his life. It will be a solemn affair.

Tomorrow morning there'll be a solemn Mass at 10am. But I'm so tired with all my studies I can hardly move. I'm not going. Have missed dinner for 3 straight evenings because I fell asleep a few minutes before vespers and didn't wake up till midnight. Was terribly hungry last night though. The instant noodles were a great help!

Anyway the worse news ever ..... all my hardwork rewriting my paper .... well it's lost. Couldn't find it in my computer even though I'm sure I saved it there. Some other guys also came to help me search in the 3 computers and no result. It just disappeared into thin air! And now I have to redo the WHOLE thing in 2 days before consignment dateline strikes!!! Why do these things happen to me? I figure computers give me more problems than solutions. I've lost so much info. from my research as it is.

Ring of Fire

Unbelievable and frightening - another earthquake ... this time in Tonga .... after the tsunami in Samoa and the two earthquakes in Indonesia. All centred around the Ring of Fire. And I predict this is not the end. There'll be one in Japan and California soon. 

It's apocalyptically frightening. What is God telling us?

Feast of St. Therese

That's Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face ..... or as we call her in chinese, the "Little Theresa". Her "little way" to heaven consists of embracing the little ordinary fusses in life - squabbles, jealousies, talkback, sickness. She doesn't see them as virtues ... but opportunities for greater things to come.

Today also happens to be the birthday of Fr Buscemi, who turns 65. No one knew about it. It was only after lunch, when I walked down the corridor with him that he told me. Then he offered some sweets to those of us who gathered in front of his room. He's a good man; thorough in his research and methodology.

The sofa that was burnt yesterday at our backdoor was removed to the main street by someone. But the walls of the school remain black all the way up to the 3rd floor. I want to take a photo of it and show you all how bad the situation is becoming inside the Old City. Things are NOT good, and someone remarked that this is only the beginning. There was alot of consternation and anger among the christians who knew about this. Some were saying soon they'll enter our monastery to burn and kill us if we do not openly protest or do something. St. Therese, pray for us!