Where Home is Found

Hey Pilgrims!

I was on dish duty this morning- always fun! We have three nuns and a head cook who kindly make our food and even do our laundry! There are two older sisters (from Sri Lanka, I think) and a younger one (who’s all business!). They’ve introduced to us to all sorts of Mid-Eastern food here: humus, cheeses, cucumbers and other vegetables for which Bethlehem is known, ‘rice pasta’, and very tasty soups. Back at Mundelein we don’t have a kitchen- but here with the schedule as it is everyone takes a turn doing dishes at a meal about once every three days. Laughing and talking over this simple household chore makes it feel a lot more like homey and domestic here, and makes the community feel a lot more like a family! We’re very grateful to the sisters for their ministry to us- without which we would be unable to have the time and energy to visit and experience the Holy Sites (in order that all of us seminarians might bring what we learn back with us to the people in each of our Dioceses across the States and the world: think of how many people these sisters are effecting just by cooking food!)
Life around the house is settling into a pattern- the streets here clear out come nightfall and most people [including us] stay at home. It’s not small here, though certainly tighter quarters than our seminary back in Chicago. There are usually a couple groups playing cards in the lounge by the classroom, a pot of mint tea being made, a group crowded in uncomfortable wicker chairs at my own end of the hall (trying to get Internet reception on their laptops), and other people scattered about: down the stairs, some of us praying or playing music in the chapel to the left, others tucked away in their rooms reading. Outside you might find a seminarian sitting in the courtyard patio between buildings (trying to make friends with the 2 rather elusive cats)- Into the next building you’d see tall arched ceilings and would walk past the dinner bell and the hallway to our dining room to get to the wide, stone spiral staircase on the left with plants on its steps. Upstairs it’s always dark and quiet- sometimes the doorway to the ornamented private chapel is open (for the 4 or 5 Italian speaking priests and brothers who live here). At the end of the hall is a small library mostly filled with French books- there’s a sort of balcony giving access to the highest bookshelves, and an angular staircase with cuts across to the door which goes to the rooftop. (I usually find my own hideaway sitting on those stairs) Through the door and up uneven narrow stairs, yet another seminarian sits on the roof and says his prayers while overlooking the city.
Christmas is coming soon! Weird not to have snow, but no complaints! We’ll be missing everyone back home. For many, including myself, it will be the first Christmas without family. Maybe that’s why it’s so important to us to try and make a home of sorts here!

Luke 9:57-60
Until next time-



mike