The Early Morning

Well, not that early. But for the second time this week, two maids and I wheeled/walked to church for the 6:30 a.m. mass. Prior to doing so, I asked Maid C if it were raining or seemed like it would rain. She said yes, the skies were dark. As I could see a glimmer of the sky through the blinds in the room, I wasn't sure she had answered me truthfully. So I asked her to call my husband who was in the sala surfing. Asked him the same question. His answer "the sky is clear, no threat of rain is evident." I called Maid B and prepared for mass. As maid C was putting on my sandals, she said "Abi ko anay kaina daw ma ulan, indi gali." Whoops, now I wonder how many times they had deceived me in the past just so I stay put and not be asked to be wheeled to mass or the grocery. Hmmmmmm.

As we reached the gate, I saw a tiny plant on the ground where the cement had given way to soil, maybe two inches in diameter. The plant had dicotyledons breaking apart revealing a stem creeping up. what a refreshing sight.

As we neared the church, I saw a motorcycle-riding newsboy (a man actually) make the sign of the cross as he drove past the church. Wow how edifying.

Come communion time, the ladies in brown (Mother Butler) asked me to go first (this was news: in the past, my being in a wheelchair saw me requested by at least two priests to go last so I wouldn't disrupt the flow of people). Apparently, they're trying out a new system where the last row goes first, then the second to the last, onto the first row.

Something the priest said disturbed me. He talked about how the disabled have charism according to Fr. arevalo, in that they allow those around them to show compassion. Then he said something to the effect that even the seemingly useless have charism. was he alluding to my ilk? Wow, low blow. Benefit of the doubt but coming so close to the heels of his mentioning the sector to which I belong...