PARING BOL-ANON: A Missionary Journey (series 8)
May 28th, 2009by Fr. Pol Plaza, C.P.
The next day, Friday, September 5, I was left all alone to finish the Morning Prayers. I had all the time to compare the English and the Italian translations of the Breviary and found it enriching. At 11:00 am, I visited for the first time the church of St. Lazarus. It was in the other side of the Wall, but very close to us. An Arab Christian family requested for an English-speaking priest to say mass for a dead relative. The husband of the dead taught me how to properly pronounce her name, Gahda Nasarallah and some Arabic phrase like, Allah Yerhama. The Palestinians changed their time at the start of the Ramadhan, but the Israelis did not. So I waited for one a half hours before they came. The parish priest, an African Franciscan, Fr. Michael was also very upset by the delay for it disturbed the usual schedule of the shrine Church. After the mass, I walked home in the heat of the sun, uphill, and quite hungry passing through the checkpoint. In the afternoon, Fr. Roberto and I joined the Via Crucis of the Franciscans in Jerusalem. I saw and talked with three Filipina tourists who lived in the US. At supper, there were only two of us and, Fr. Roberto communicated with his broken English and I with my broken Spanish. We managed but very difficult.
The next day, September 6, 2008, Saturday, I took the Mass of the Comboni Sisters at 6:30 and the Bridgettine Sisters at 7:15. After breakfast I watered the plants and did the laundry and ironing. I surveyed the Library downstairs and found an English Bible and brought it to the church where I can read an English version of the Readings. I read Jeremiah and found it more interesting and alive. As I knew the places mentioned I can picture the scenes better. I was engrossed in my reading and tried to finish it as much as possible. The following day, Sunday, I had the Bridgettine Sisters Mass at 8:00 a.m. and the 11:00 a.m. Mass, at our chapel. In the afternoon, I watered the plants around the Church. Again only Fr. Roberto and I were left for the Prayers and the meals. The next day, September 8, 2008, Monday, I had Mass at the Comboni Sisters at 6:30 and at the Bridgettine Sisters at 7:15. A Filipina Bridgettines Sister, Sr. Liliana Buenaflor, from Davao renewed her vows at the Mass. There were eleven Sisters who attended including two other Filipina Sisters who were assigned in Bethlehem. They invited me for breakfast and enjoyed speaking with Fellow Filipinos. During lunch, Fr. Roberto and I celebrated the Feast of the Birth of Blessed Virgen Mary by a special meal with wine.
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