Wednesdays - My Day Off

I've selected Wednesdays as my days off because it seems like a natural break in the rhythm of the week. I chuckle as I'm getting ready for Mass. Each day, a deaf Jordanian employee is so busy cleaning the chapel and its narthex. She kisses the head, legs, and feet of Our Lady before he goes to the crucifix with more kisses. Then she sits in silence for a bit. With a burst of energy, she gets up and starts cleaning. Though her world is in mostly silence, she bustles around with the loudest flip-flops. Poor thing can't hear them. Then, she greets me with a "Good morning, Abuna" and continues on with her fast-paced cleaning. When the sounds stops, I realize that she is on the balcony with a cough and a cigarette with its second hand smoke wafting into the chapel windows. I find it comedic.

At Mass this morning, I gave further instructions on lectoring. Two parishioners stayed afterwards to get private instruction. They were so pleased with understanding what we are doing.

We continued to pray for the storm victims and the families who are mourning their deceased loved ones. News stations carry much news about the U.S. and everyone was asking about the storm. We are aware of the incredible destruction and devastation. Our prayers are with everyone who is affected by Sandy. I wish I could be there to cut tree branches away with a chain saw or to help with the clean up of the messy debris. I wish I could help in the restoration of the area.

After celebrating Mass this morning, I was escorted to the Ministry of the Interior's office to establish residency. A whole mass of people were gathered on the first floor, but we were brought up to the second where no lines existed. I filled out a form and then blood was extracted from my arm as a pre-condition for residency. The whole process is moving along smoothly and all the Jordanians have been pleasant and efficient.

I was greeted by a woman who wants her baby baptized this Friday. I inform her of the process and let her know what I need. Then I schedule an appointment with two helpful parishioners and then realize I committed myself to a meeting on my day off. So I head to my office to figure out what I need to do with a couple with a particular set of circumstances who want to get married. My meeting with the two parishioners was very helpful, but all the information and its challenges set my head spinning. There are so many obstacles to navigate. The one thing I know for sure is that I want to build people up and have them feeling welcome to participate in all the parish processes.

By this time it is 1:00 p.m. and lunch is to be served. The dessert was made by the Hallaby bakery, which is the oldest one in Amman. The dessert was quite good though I don't know its contents except for honey. It is like a baklava and very good. One of the desserts contain a lebani, which is like a cream cheese style yogurt. It is covered with a noodle like yellow crust. It is wet and messy, and very tasty. The meal is also very good. We had cosa, which is like a cucumber in size and shape and is very tasty when stuffed with meat and rice. It is very moist, but it has a unique side-taste to it. It is unlike any other vegetable I've ever tasted. The afternoon meals always tire me out. I didn't even have a large portion of food today. I think there is some chemical that makes us very sleepy and lethargic, but then after an hour or so, it immediately lifts.

Fr. Al and I headed out to get our haircuts. We went to an Iraqi ex-pat who was a skilled mechanic in Baghdad, but now survives by giving haircuts. His two sons and one daughter are at university so he is struggling to make ends meet. The place was fascinating though. We started out in Jebel Webdeih and drove some twisting roads towards the bottom of the jebel. Then we parked the car and walked down an alley that looked like it would lead to nowhere. Along the way we saw a one week old kitten. It had no siblings born along with it and this one young man and his family was nursing it to life. Other nearby cats seemed to take interest, but certainly were not the kitten's mother. Anyways, when we entered the barber shop, we stepped out onto the balcony and we were one story up from the downtown major street. We were directly opposite Halaby's, the oldest bakery in Amman and other reputable bakeries were adjacent to it. It was a thriving downtown area. What at first seemed like a dead-end led to a bustling center. It was cool. Oh, and the barber gave a good haircut.

On the way back up the jebel, we stopped by this church that had a sign in Arabic that said "Art Center." We were delighted with what we found. First, the remnants of a 6th century church lay in the courtyard. The mosaic floor was liften and retrofitted into the basement of the adjacent building. The whole place was turned into a sculpture and visual arts center. One Turkish artist gave us a tour of his studios where he was making duplicates of his etchings. A contemporary visual arts movie center had three panels where advant-garde movies were being shown. More interesting than that was the floor and building that contained these studii. Outdoors sculptures were fascinating, but we did not have time to see them all. It is a place where I will return. I also received a tip on finding a water color painting class at the Miriam museum off of Garden Street, which is unpronounceable to me in Arabic.

After a few phone calls to parishioners and getting paperwork ready, I answered a few emails, which were rapidly piling up. It is Halloween and we had a mini-celebration at Mass, but I sent out a very few e-cards to family and friends. I love the holy days of All Saints and All Souls. The Jesuits have their own feast on November 5th - All Saints and Blessed of the Society of Jesus. I love the month of November because it begins with these days, has Thanksgiving contained within it, and the liturgical year closes with the feast of Christ the King. It is a great time to slow down and reflect. It is the time to remember deceased loves ones and the holy people who surround us.

It is approaching 11 p.m. It has been the busiest day off I've recently experienced. I'll soon head for bed, but my bed doesn't feel too inviting. It is a hard mattress and I miss my Sealy Posteurpedic Mattress cover than I had in the U.S. I awake feeling bruised every morning. Oh, the adjustments we must always make, but even now, the bed looks welcoming.