Overrun with work. I guess I'm so stuck with so much reading and writing various things, I can't decide which one to begin; so it's dappling a bit here and there, and finally not getting anyone finished. Gotta concentrate on one thing at a time I guess - beginning to sound like Martha.
Fr. Alliata found my blogspot! Hmmm..... now I got to say nice things! hahahaha! Anyway he has a blog at blogspot too. It's http://visiopacis.blogspot.com and it's all in Italian, so you guys can learn some Italian when browsing through it!
The week is ending and the 4th Lenten week is starting soon. I feel 2008 is going faster than 2007. Are you guys prepared for Holy Week? Did you fulfill your Easter obligations? - duuuh? You know, confession ...... ?
Well I'm really busy today so I'll have to end off here. Just a quick thought for the day. Today's reading recalls Jesus telling the scribe what the most important commandment is: love God with all your heart, soul and might, and your neighbour as yourself. I wonder if we ever see God in our neighbour - especially the one we dislike. Remember some time back I asked you to think about God as your friend?; well he's also your neighbour.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Of old age and sharp tongues
Age is not only catching up - it's hanging here tenaciously!!!!!!! Yesterday at 9.15am Sr Capilla (superior of the Missionaries of Charity) called and said desparately (as only sisters can), "Where are you Father? We're all waiting for you!". So I forgot to go to their convent yesterday!!!! Aiya!!! Rushed over and gave them a short talk on loving your neighbour!!!!!
Then this morning after breakfast, I asked Jean Paul to cut my hair. When finished, I vacuumed my whole room, took a shower and .... panic .... I couldn't find my spectacles (the bifocal one). Cold sweat, wet palms, I felt my asthma coming. I'm practically blind without my bifocals: I will have to carry two different specs all the time; horrid prospect! 45 minutes going through my whole room. No....I checked if I left it on top of my head first! (I know you guys are thinking about that!). Couldn't find it so I wanted to rest on my bed to calm myself. Put my hands on the bed and voila! felt something under the bedcover! It was my specs!!!!! Aiya what to do? It's time to go to the Old Folks' Home. Make way!!!!!!!!!
Big news - 15 Indian pilgrims are missing! Police came over to our place and questioned if we saw them and whether anyone came to take them away. Well apparently these gyus came over to work but couldn't get a visa, so they came as pilgrims and halfway through the tour, they were spirited off by, according to some sources, the local mafia. Terribly sad! Here are 15 guys who desperately want to work, they go through all kinds of stuff just to get here; while some of us are so lucky to have a stable job and good pay, and still we complain.
Which reminds me .... today's Gospel reading has the scribes and Pharisees accusing Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub because he was exorcising demons. Believe me, guys, no matter how much good you're doing, if people want to find fault with you, they'll come up with all kinds of stuff imaginable and unimaginable to get you. They will always have something to say; something to complain. And worse, sometimes we do it to our ownselves! I think we should practice what Pope Benedict recommended for this Lent - fasting and abstinence from words. Just shut up! If you have nothing good to say, don't open your mouth - no one will accuse you of being a mute. So guys, control your tongue this Lent - it's the same tongue you use to receive Holy Communion!
Then this morning after breakfast, I asked Jean Paul to cut my hair. When finished, I vacuumed my whole room, took a shower and .... panic .... I couldn't find my spectacles (the bifocal one). Cold sweat, wet palms, I felt my asthma coming. I'm practically blind without my bifocals: I will have to carry two different specs all the time; horrid prospect! 45 minutes going through my whole room. No....I checked if I left it on top of my head first! (I know you guys are thinking about that!). Couldn't find it so I wanted to rest on my bed to calm myself. Put my hands on the bed and voila! felt something under the bedcover! It was my specs!!!!! Aiya what to do? It's time to go to the Old Folks' Home. Make way!!!!!!!!!
Big news - 15 Indian pilgrims are missing! Police came over to our place and questioned if we saw them and whether anyone came to take them away. Well apparently these gyus came over to work but couldn't get a visa, so they came as pilgrims and halfway through the tour, they were spirited off by, according to some sources, the local mafia. Terribly sad! Here are 15 guys who desperately want to work, they go through all kinds of stuff just to get here; while some of us are so lucky to have a stable job and good pay, and still we complain.
Which reminds me .... today's Gospel reading has the scribes and Pharisees accusing Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub because he was exorcising demons. Believe me, guys, no matter how much good you're doing, if people want to find fault with you, they'll come up with all kinds of stuff imaginable and unimaginable to get you. They will always have something to say; something to complain. And worse, sometimes we do it to our ownselves! I think we should practice what Pope Benedict recommended for this Lent - fasting and abstinence from words. Just shut up! If you have nothing good to say, don't open your mouth - no one will accuse you of being a mute. So guys, control your tongue this Lent - it's the same tongue you use to receive Holy Communion!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Proud to be Catholic
Age is really catching up - I was still recovering from the Bulgarian group yesterday! Couldn't focus on my thesis work at all. Fell asleep once after lunch and then at 6pm fell asleep again. missed dinner. Woke up at 12.30am but was still feeling so tired i went back to sleep till 5am this morning. Like wow - my body must be telling me something! And my left leg still hurts. Gotta let it rest more.
Was just reading the latest bulletin from the Catholic Biblical Association - lots of articles on Lectio Divina (Don't know what that is? Hmmmm have been saying alot about it during my VC classes. Go check out a website!) Hope you guys will pick up this way of praying the Bible - it's not like the protestant way that's commonly used by Catholic circles. Rather it's a very ancient method used by the Church for centuries. Like the late Fr Pennington (Benedictine monk expert on Lectio Divina) once said, it's the art of doing nothing. It's letting God do the talking to you, not vice versa. And believe me, that's tough as we come from a pro-active world!
Today's first reading from Deuteronomy has Moses reminding the hebrews not to forget the laws and customs God had given them - through these laws and customs, an identity and life-orientation is created. I wonder how much we as Catholics remember our laws and customs. Like I said last year in our faith formation course: there is such a thing as 'tradition' with a small 't'. We used to learn about being Catholic through assimilation, watching and learning from the earlier generation. Little things like using holy water, scapulars, kneeling etc.... even Lectio Divina ; all seems to be lost. This lost of identity has slowly made Catholics lean towards protestantism; losing even our catholic vocabulary and using protestant ones. A swing towards conservatism is a reaction to this. I hope that through our faith formaiton courses we can re-incalcate this Catholic instinct in us. Be proud to be Catholic, guys - it's a privilege.
Was just reading the latest bulletin from the Catholic Biblical Association - lots of articles on Lectio Divina (Don't know what that is? Hmmmm have been saying alot about it during my VC classes. Go check out a website!) Hope you guys will pick up this way of praying the Bible - it's not like the protestant way that's commonly used by Catholic circles. Rather it's a very ancient method used by the Church for centuries. Like the late Fr Pennington (Benedictine monk expert on Lectio Divina) once said, it's the art of doing nothing. It's letting God do the talking to you, not vice versa. And believe me, that's tough as we come from a pro-active world!
Today's first reading from Deuteronomy has Moses reminding the hebrews not to forget the laws and customs God had given them - through these laws and customs, an identity and life-orientation is created. I wonder how much we as Catholics remember our laws and customs. Like I said last year in our faith formation course: there is such a thing as 'tradition' with a small 't'. We used to learn about being Catholic through assimilation, watching and learning from the earlier generation. Little things like using holy water, scapulars, kneeling etc.... even Lectio Divina ; all seems to be lost. This lost of identity has slowly made Catholics lean towards protestantism; losing even our catholic vocabulary and using protestant ones. A swing towards conservatism is a reaction to this. I hope that through our faith formaiton courses we can re-incalcate this Catholic instinct in us. Be proud to be Catholic, guys - it's a privilege.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Golden calf
Wow - it was a tiring day yesterday. Picked up 3 Bulgarians (ministers of parliament) at King David hotel and visited the Old City on foot. The crowds in the Holy Sepulchre were incredible, but luckily because of their diplomatic status, I managed to get them to visit the Tomb without lining up. The Greek Orthodox sacristan was a young guy - new because I've never seen him before. He stopped the crowds from entering and allowed our group to go in and pray for some time. Then we visited all the stations of the Cross and finished at the Russian excavations where the Judgement Gate is still standing. few people know of this place. It preserves the Roman City Gate theshold where jesus would have crossed, carrying his cross to Golgotha. Then we went off to the mt. of Olives, visiting Dominus Flevit Church and Gethsemani. Then we got a taxi to go to Bethlehem and pray at the grotto of the nativity. When we finished at 4.30pm it was raining very hard. In fact there was hail! Dropped the Bulgarians off at King David's hotel and walked home in the rain. It was cold and I was very hungry (no lunch!).
Anyway I slept right through from 7pm till 2am. Got up and did some work. My knees and ankle were killing me. Still hurts.
The Office of readings today was on the Book of Exodus - about the hebrews making a golden calf while Moses was up on Mt Sinai. read it carefully because it says Aaron tok the ear-rings of the people to make thie golden calf. Ear-rings, of all things. Isn't it strange but it's these little things that eventually become our idols? Computer games, cell phones, yes even jewelry ... when we become too focussed on these little things and allow them to take over our priorities, time and money - they become idols. Time to get our priorities right, people! These little things are not going to get you to heaven. You can't bring them with you when you're dead. So wake up and do a reality check. Life must mean more than that.
Anyway I slept right through from 7pm till 2am. Got up and did some work. My knees and ankle were killing me. Still hurts.
The Office of readings today was on the Book of Exodus - about the hebrews making a golden calf while Moses was up on Mt Sinai. read it carefully because it says Aaron tok the ear-rings of the people to make thie golden calf. Ear-rings, of all things. Isn't it strange but it's these little things that eventually become our idols? Computer games, cell phones, yes even jewelry ... when we become too focussed on these little things and allow them to take over our priorities, time and money - they become idols. Time to get our priorities right, people! These little things are not going to get you to heaven. You can't bring them with you when you're dead. So wake up and do a reality check. Life must mean more than that.
Monday, February 25, 2008
spiritual lepers
Just a quick note before I go meet my little group of pilgrims. Today's 1st reading about the healing of Naaman the Syrian general of leprosy. Being a bigshot, he was probably used to everything big style - even probably expecting a healing that was dramatic and spectacular to fit his status. Elijah's orders were too simply and undramatic. But here's the rub, guys - God works through simple ordinary things in our lives; rarely the spectacular and dramatic. Don't put your expectations and demands too high because God doesn't work that way. Lower them drastically and realistically - like Naaman. He had to realise before he is a general and hero, he's first of all a leper.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
3rd Sunday of Lent
Another week gone. Time really flies, doesn't it? Managed to finish another paper yesterday. Really exhausted now. I decided to cook rice yesterday with chinese mushrooms and sausages you guys brought. Hhhmmmmm delicious. It feels so good to have warm rice in your tummy.
Received a call from Fr Dobromir, my former superior and now treasurer of the Custody. He asked me to guide a group of Bulgarian members of parliament tomorrow and the next day. I spoke with Fr Niccacci immediately since the dean is in Rome at the moment. He said it's a service to the Custody so i should do it. OK so I spoke to the superior and he said ok too. that means I'll be out for the next 2 days. Will be off the blog.
The Samaritan woman by the well is the subject of this Sunday's gospel reading. Lots of people say she's a prostitute because she comes to collect water at noon - something they allege no one does because it's too hot; women would usually collect water in the mornings when its cooler; and because the Samaritan was allegedly a prostitute and unclean, she could not mix with these other women. Well, let's consider another possibility. Let's say you used up all your water that morning (maybe some friends came and you need more water, cf. the importune man who's friend arrived in the night and he had no bread so he had to knock on his neighbour's door to borrow bread), well whether you're a sinner or not, you'll have no choice but to go out to the well and get more water, in the heat of noon In this view, it is out of need, out of urgency that you go out and do this fastidious chore. Makes me think of Jesus saying "If you give to these the least a cup of water in my name..." Getting a cup of water back then was not just turning on a tap; if you ran out of water in the jar, you had to go all the way out to the well to draw water - in otherwords, you go to all the trouble just for one person, and the least among people at that. So I'd like to think of the Samaritan woman not as a sinner but someone who was in urgent need of water and thus had to go to the well in the heat of the day. That's comforting for me because then when we're in dire straits, terrible crisis or urgent need, we do our best to alleviate the problem, go to all the trouble to try and fix it; and there Jesus is waiting for us to give us the solution, to re-orientate our priorities and see things clearly. If the Samaritan woman did not go to the well, she would never have met Jesus at all. So God helps those who help themselves.
Received a call from Fr Dobromir, my former superior and now treasurer of the Custody. He asked me to guide a group of Bulgarian members of parliament tomorrow and the next day. I spoke with Fr Niccacci immediately since the dean is in Rome at the moment. He said it's a service to the Custody so i should do it. OK so I spoke to the superior and he said ok too. that means I'll be out for the next 2 days. Will be off the blog.
The Samaritan woman by the well is the subject of this Sunday's gospel reading. Lots of people say she's a prostitute because she comes to collect water at noon - something they allege no one does because it's too hot; women would usually collect water in the mornings when its cooler; and because the Samaritan was allegedly a prostitute and unclean, she could not mix with these other women. Well, let's consider another possibility. Let's say you used up all your water that morning (maybe some friends came and you need more water, cf. the importune man who's friend arrived in the night and he had no bread so he had to knock on his neighbour's door to borrow bread), well whether you're a sinner or not, you'll have no choice but to go out to the well and get more water, in the heat of noon In this view, it is out of need, out of urgency that you go out and do this fastidious chore. Makes me think of Jesus saying "If you give to these the least a cup of water in my name..." Getting a cup of water back then was not just turning on a tap; if you ran out of water in the jar, you had to go all the way out to the well to draw water - in otherwords, you go to all the trouble just for one person, and the least among people at that. So I'd like to think of the Samaritan woman not as a sinner but someone who was in urgent need of water and thus had to go to the well in the heat of the day. That's comforting for me because then when we're in dire straits, terrible crisis or urgent need, we do our best to alleviate the problem, go to all the trouble to try and fix it; and there Jesus is waiting for us to give us the solution, to re-orientate our priorities and see things clearly. If the Samaritan woman did not go to the well, she would never have met Jesus at all. So God helps those who help themselves.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Blackout again!
Blackout again last night. I thought it was pretty funny. We were having dinner - the sisters made pizza (vegetarian and tuna: it was Friday) and just as we got started the lights went out! Somehow the younger guys at the other end of the table tohught it was very funny because they couldn't stop laughing and joking. It was total darkness - believe me. Somehow someone managed to grope his way out of the dark refectory, got to his room and got a torch; then more torches appeared from others, candles in the kitchen for the sisters to see. Anyone who had anything brought it along. It was really nice to see the community chipping in like this. As it was too dark for me to read the thanksgiving after meals, I decided to pray the traditional latin that everyone knew by heart. But again I nearly laughed because at final prayer for the dead "Eternal rest grant unto them..." everyone had to respond "and let perpetual light shine upon them" - very ironical as we were all standing in the dark!
After dinner all the guys flocked at our upper corridor staircase. Everyone was joking. Well almost all the students were there only because they have no lights in their rooms - so I went and got all my extra candles to give to them. Almost everyone took one because even the smallest tea-light can burn for 4 hours. Its a great help! I guess the next group will have to bring another pack of tea-lights for me. The torch that Agnes and my sis Catherine gave came in very useful - they're very powerful! The guys borrowed it and went to the Sala Cafe. It brightened the entire room. We had a nightcap there and chatted and laughed and slowly we trickled back to our rooms. Some of the guys came over to my room and we continued chatting till about 10pm. then they left and using the torch, I read several pages of a book that provides background knowledge to my thesis. When I finished those pages, at about 11pm, the lights came back.
By the way as I'm writng this, I see there's another blackout right now. Luckily its daytime and the sun is up. But I'll keep my candles ready.
Today is Saturday and the Lenten procession at the Holy Sepulchre will take place at 2.30pm. I hope to be there. The Custos Fr Pierbattista is back from Rome so he'll be presiding at the procession. We were good friends back 15 years; but now he's so busy as Custos we hardly have time to catch up anymore. Once in a while I make an appointment with his secretary to see him. I'm only allowed 10 minutes or so but we do chat and laugh and talk about our future plans. He's really a nice guy even though he looks very stern. And he's younger than I!!!
Today's Gospel reading was on the Prodigal Son. I always wonder why the elder son gets such bad publicity. Put yourself in his shoes - half the property was lost by his younger brother. Now his younger brother comes home and the elder brother has to divide his own property with him. It's a much smaller share now. Hhhmmm I guess that's a very capitalist way of looking at it. Perhaps the father should have got a crisis manager for advice. Maybe the elder brother should have immediately tried to cut back losses by retrenchment and consolidating whatever assets he now has. Maybe the servents should have done some PR training and be more articulate in breaking the news to the elder brother. Or maybe it's better to just forgive and forget. Life is too short for anger and regrets.
After dinner all the guys flocked at our upper corridor staircase. Everyone was joking. Well almost all the students were there only because they have no lights in their rooms - so I went and got all my extra candles to give to them. Almost everyone took one because even the smallest tea-light can burn for 4 hours. Its a great help! I guess the next group will have to bring another pack of tea-lights for me. The torch that Agnes and my sis Catherine gave came in very useful - they're very powerful! The guys borrowed it and went to the Sala Cafe. It brightened the entire room. We had a nightcap there and chatted and laughed and slowly we trickled back to our rooms. Some of the guys came over to my room and we continued chatting till about 10pm. then they left and using the torch, I read several pages of a book that provides background knowledge to my thesis. When I finished those pages, at about 11pm, the lights came back.
By the way as I'm writng this, I see there's another blackout right now. Luckily its daytime and the sun is up. But I'll keep my candles ready.
Today is Saturday and the Lenten procession at the Holy Sepulchre will take place at 2.30pm. I hope to be there. The Custos Fr Pierbattista is back from Rome so he'll be presiding at the procession. We were good friends back 15 years; but now he's so busy as Custos we hardly have time to catch up anymore. Once in a while I make an appointment with his secretary to see him. I'm only allowed 10 minutes or so but we do chat and laugh and talk about our future plans. He's really a nice guy even though he looks very stern. And he's younger than I!!!
Today's Gospel reading was on the Prodigal Son. I always wonder why the elder son gets such bad publicity. Put yourself in his shoes - half the property was lost by his younger brother. Now his younger brother comes home and the elder brother has to divide his own property with him. It's a much smaller share now. Hhhmmm I guess that's a very capitalist way of looking at it. Perhaps the father should have got a crisis manager for advice. Maybe the elder brother should have immediately tried to cut back losses by retrenchment and consolidating whatever assets he now has. Maybe the servents should have done some PR training and be more articulate in breaking the news to the elder brother. Or maybe it's better to just forgive and forget. Life is too short for anger and regrets.
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