Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Contraception Conversation
In case you didn't notice, there is a great conversation going on about contraception in the Comments section of my contraception post, from a few days ago!
Thanks guys!
-x-
Thanks guys!
-x-
Sunday, October 29, 2006
One photo..
...that represents my experiences of being a Catholic medical student.
This is to add to similar photos taken by Dadwithnoisykids, Paulinus, Joee, Matt (see here)
This is to add to similar photos taken by Dadwithnoisykids, Paulinus, Joee, Matt (see here)
Before you all yell in horror "What a crazy mess!" let me explain what each bit represents....
(starting in the middle, then to left of picture, the round to right)
* Divine Mercy picture; because I couldn’t have got this far (and won’t be able to finish!) without God’s grace.
* Diary (underneath divine mercy picture): because my time-table is way too complicated!
* Annunciation picture; because I need Mary’s daily help with...well...everything! It was also a little wedding present from someone, and 'getting married' was something pretty big that happened for me during medical school!
* Big folder; because I write LOTS.OF.NOTES
* ABC of Rheumatology book on top of folder; because that's what I'm studying at the moment
* Stethoscope; (which I really should use more often!)
* Winnie-the-pooh pot of pencils/pens etc
* Random lists of things to do
* Lap-top (which, to aide my work, probably really shouldn't be on my desk!)
*Pile of books;.....because I have known nothing else since starting medical school!
(nb: the bottom book is 'The art of Natural Family Planning', which definitly isn't on my medical school reading list!)
* Rosary; because my life changed dramatically and noticeably when I started praying it every day
(nb: this is my PAPAL rosary which I got just after kissing Pope Benedict's hand at his papal audience while on honeymoon this summer!)
* Free pens; (why I haven't bought a new pen in over a year. I love drug companies!)
* Hospital badge; my 'back-stage pass'. Noone questions you no-matter when your flounce in the hospital if you have one of these on!
So I was walking round London...
...when I stumbled upon the following sign:
No way?!! There is an ANTONIA station on the London underground?!!! How cool!! I'm famous! Perhaps I will live there someday! Antonia living in Antonia!
hehe! The funny things you find while randomly wandering the streets of London!
~~~
editor's note...when I say 'walking round London' I mean, 'surfing blog-world' and stumbling upon the random sign generator on Paulinus's blog! so now it all makes sense!
~~~
Saturday, October 28, 2006
life changes
walking in as a single girl with my dad
walking out as a married lady with Chris!As you will notice, my blog profile picture has (FINALLY!) changed! The picture I had up had been there since I started my blog, and was taken in Venice in summer 2003!
Waaaay old, and in much need of a change!
and probably less in England...
| HowManyOfMe.com | ||
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What have I been up to?
Post summary:
- Food
- Orthopaedics
- Rowing
- NFP
- Congratulations!
~~~~
No posts for 3.5 days! That's an eternity in blog-world! So what have I been up to?
The simple answer....A HUGE AMOUNT!
On Tuesday evening, as I mentioned in my last post, Chris & I hopped on the train to meet his sisters and brother in a nearby city, out for a restaurant meal followed by the theatre (costing a small fortune for Chris & I, but the birthday girl, his 16 year old sister, appreciated it so much, that the pain of the $$$ was worth it!). (but now we are eating bread crumbs and dried cheese to try and save up!!).
Wednesday evening, following a loong day for me at the hospital and evening Mass, Chris & I rushed home by 6:30pm and cooked a 3 course meal for his parents who arrived at about 7:30pm. It was a total sucess; Chris even cooked soup for starter which seemed a bit brave given he had never cooked it before! But it turned out really well! The rest of the food was also PERFECT (if I do say so myself!) The carrots and cauliflower were done to PERFECTION...not too hard, not too soft, nice amount of butter on....Mmmmm......
So, all in all, that was a success, compared to my meal of toast the last time they came over.
I have also started studying a new course at Medical School. I've finished psychiatry, which some of you may remember I had been doing since middle of August, and now I am doing a mixture of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics and Neurology, with a bit of Elderly Medicine thrown in too.
It's really interesting; all about bones, joints, muscles and nerves, but oh my goodness, I think I have met the group doctors with the WORST people skills EVER!
I think there is a certain truth in the stereotypes of different medical professionals as a whole...certain types of people go into surgery, as opposed to general practice, and so on.
And the Orthopaedic surgeons are, without doubt, the group of doctors with the worst people-skills that I have seen so far! (Orthopeadics are the bone surgeons basically)
Maybe I am just unlucky with my team, but goodness, I have never felt worse for patients in consultations than this last week with the Orthopods (the nick-name given for the Orthopaedic surgeons).
They interrupt patients CONSTANTLY, they don't listen to what they say, they fire off lists of questions and don't want to hear anything other than what they've asked, they constantly talk ABOUT the patient to us students as if the patient isn't there, and then don't explain to the patient what they have been talking about, they use horrible jargon when speaking with the patient and with us students and don't clarify what they're saying, they don't explain anything.
Really, these consultations are painful to behold!
In the day surgery unit the poor patients shuffle in look scared and terrified and the consultant just stands there looking at them, not a word of comfort or a hello or reassuring smile.
UGH!
There was a poor middle aged women yesterday in Clinic who I thought was going to CRY because of how cold the Consultant was towards her. In his mind she was just "a knee with osteo-arthritis", and it showed in how he treated her.
Ugh. Horrible horrible orthopaedic surgeons. I have never felt that distressed in my life for a patient.
Well, except for a couple of times with the Vascular Surgeons (blood vessel surgeons) or the Gastro-intestinal Surgeons....actually, the majority of surgeons have poor people-skills (except for cancer surgeons, they're mostly quite sensitive).
So if you have an orthopaedic surgeon with people skills....count yourself lucky!
So apart from cooking for my in-laws and doing lots of work, what else have I been up to?
Well, yesterday I went to an awesome talk about subjective and objective truth, which was pretty good.
And so far today I have been out rowing for 2hours (nb: picture is not me!)
I like rowing; despite the freezing cold and the rain and getting wet, there's something almost spiritual about it I find, especially when everyone is rowing together and well. The harmony of the crew rowing together, the fresh air, that nice feeling that exercising gives in your muscles, the scenery. I only go out once a week though; I don't think I could cope with more than that!!
Also, I know I mentioned a few posts ago that I would post on NFP and on why the Church's teaching on contraception makes such beautiful sense, and I will! Just give me a few days!
hope you're all keeping well!
and Congratulations to Carmel for getting her visa to the USA so she can now go get married! woohoo!!
-
- Food
- Orthopaedics
- Rowing
- NFP
- Congratulations!
~~~~
No posts for 3.5 days! That's an eternity in blog-world! So what have I been up to?
The simple answer....A HUGE AMOUNT!
On Tuesday evening, as I mentioned in my last post, Chris & I hopped on the train to meet his sisters and brother in a nearby city, out for a restaurant meal followed by the theatre (costing a small fortune for Chris & I, but the birthday girl, his 16 year old sister, appreciated it so much, that the pain of the $$$ was worth it!). (but now we are eating bread crumbs and dried cheese to try and save up!!).
Wednesday evening, following a loong day for me at the hospital and evening Mass, Chris & I rushed home by 6:30pm and cooked a 3 course meal for his parents who arrived at about 7:30pm. It was a total sucess; Chris even cooked soup for starter which seemed a bit brave given he had never cooked it before! But it turned out really well! The rest of the food was also PERFECT (if I do say so myself!) The carrots and cauliflower were done to PERFECTION...not too hard, not too soft, nice amount of butter on....Mmmmm......
So, all in all, that was a success, compared to my meal of toast the last time they came over.
I have also started studying a new course at Medical School. I've finished psychiatry, which some of you may remember I had been doing since middle of August, and now I am doing a mixture of Rheumatology, Orthopaedics and Neurology, with a bit of Elderly Medicine thrown in too.
It's really interesting; all about bones, joints, muscles and nerves, but oh my goodness, I think I have met the group doctors with the WORST people skills EVER!
I think there is a certain truth in the stereotypes of different medical professionals as a whole...certain types of people go into surgery, as opposed to general practice, and so on.
And the Orthopaedic surgeons are, without doubt, the group of doctors with the worst people-skills that I have seen so far! (Orthopeadics are the bone surgeons basically)
Maybe I am just unlucky with my team, but goodness, I have never felt worse for patients in consultations than this last week with the Orthopods (the nick-name given for the Orthopaedic surgeons).
They interrupt patients CONSTANTLY, they don't listen to what they say, they fire off lists of questions and don't want to hear anything other than what they've asked, they constantly talk ABOUT the patient to us students as if the patient isn't there, and then don't explain to the patient what they have been talking about, they use horrible jargon when speaking with the patient and with us students and don't clarify what they're saying, they don't explain anything.
Really, these consultations are painful to behold!
In the day surgery unit the poor patients shuffle in look scared and terrified and the consultant just stands there looking at them, not a word of comfort or a hello or reassuring smile.
UGH!
There was a poor middle aged women yesterday in Clinic who I thought was going to CRY because of how cold the Consultant was towards her. In his mind she was just "a knee with osteo-arthritis", and it showed in how he treated her.
Ugh. Horrible horrible orthopaedic surgeons. I have never felt that distressed in my life for a patient.
Well, except for a couple of times with the Vascular Surgeons (blood vessel surgeons) or the Gastro-intestinal Surgeons....actually, the majority of surgeons have poor people-skills (except for cancer surgeons, they're mostly quite sensitive).
So if you have an orthopaedic surgeon with people skills....count yourself lucky!
So apart from cooking for my in-laws and doing lots of work, what else have I been up to?
Well, yesterday I went to an awesome talk about subjective and objective truth, which was pretty good.
And so far today I have been out rowing for 2hours (nb: picture is not me!)
I like rowing; despite the freezing cold and the rain and getting wet, there's something almost spiritual about it I find, especially when everyone is rowing together and well. The harmony of the crew rowing together, the fresh air, that nice feeling that exercising gives in your muscles, the scenery. I only go out once a week though; I don't think I could cope with more than that!!
Also, I know I mentioned a few posts ago that I would post on NFP and on why the Church's teaching on contraception makes such beautiful sense, and I will! Just give me a few days!
hope you're all keeping well!
and Congratulations to Carmel for getting her visa to the USA so she can now go get married! woohoo!!
-
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Spend Time in Silence, Pope Tells Students
Silence is one of the most beautiful sounds
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 24, 2006 (Zenit.org).-
Benedict XVI counseled students of the pontifical universities in Rome to spend time in silence and contemplation, so as not to fall prey to the "inflation" of words.
Benedict XVI told the students: ".... an education in silence and contemplation...is necessary to be able to listen with the heart to God who speaks.
Only if they proceed from the silence of contemplation can our words have a certain value and usefulness and not fall into the inflation of the world's speeches which seek the consensus of public opinion. "
(this post about silence has been ironically, posted by the girl who had an hour of free-time from 9am - 5pm today, and then rushed by train to a nearby big city for a restaurant dinner and trip to the theatre for her sister-in-law's 16th birthday, and just got back now at half-past midnight....and has to start all over again tomorrow at 9am, with a packed day till 5pm, followed by mass at 5:30pm, and then cooking for the in-laws who are coming for dinner!! please say a prayer for me!)
Monday, October 23, 2006
Abortion & IVF...
....there is no intrinsic difference.
My friend over at Waleria's pen has a great post on this that is definitly worth reading!!
My friend over at Waleria's pen has a great post on this that is definitly worth reading!!
Contraception
Here is a table from the World Health Organisation which lists the type of contraceptive use for practically every country in the world.
Natural Family Planning is listed under the heading "Rhythm"
(but note that NFP is NOT the same as the rhythm method and NOT the same as the withdrawal method either. This is a common area of misunderstanding!)
(NFP is a one of my favouritest topics, so I can elaborate if anyone wishes!)
Anyways, in the more economically developed countries as a whole, about 69% of the population uses some method of contraception, and of those 4.6% of people use NFP .
while in less economically developed countries, 49% of people use contraception, and 2.6% of these use NFP.
(just to note, I would debate the fact that NFP is called 'contraception'...as it isn't "contra-conception" but that's another post topic for another day.)
But anyway, of the people who use 'contraception':
In the UK: 1% of those use NFP
USA: 2.3% use NFp
Canada: 0.6% (shocking low for a once very Catholic country)
Australia: 2%
Poland tops the NFP usage though, with 19.3% usage of NFP
Call me naive....but these figures are HUGELY less than the corresponding proportion of married Catholics in each of these countries!
And it's waay lower than even the proprotion of regular Church-attending Catholics!
Why are all these Catholics using contraception?!!
Why don't they care?!
How could people do that to their marriage, their family and to God?!
NFP really isn't that difficult!
Contraceptions fosters such an evil mentality...sex is turned into an act of self-seeking...it's all about ME using YOU, and distorting the sexual act so that we can ensure that we will be slapping God's hands away should He choose to give us new life...and contraception turns children into objects that you can just block out at will.
Instead NFP is beautiful; you cooperate fully with God and with the natural order He has established!
It is so harmonious and holy, I wish every married couple lived it!
I believe, hand on heart, it NFP is the greatest kept secret to a happy and blessed marriage, and the best method ever to an open and loving relationship between spouses.
(not neglecting of course the Sacraments & prayer, but really NFP flows from both of these.)
anyway, the WHO table is pretty interesting anyway, in a sad, poor Jesus :-( , kinda way.
Natural Family Planning is listed under the heading "Rhythm"
(but note that NFP is NOT the same as the rhythm method and NOT the same as the withdrawal method either. This is a common area of misunderstanding!)
(NFP is a one of my favouritest topics, so I can elaborate if anyone wishes!)
Anyways, in the more economically developed countries as a whole, about 69% of the population uses some method of contraception, and of those 4.6% of people use NFP .
while in less economically developed countries, 49% of people use contraception, and 2.6% of these use NFP.
(just to note, I would debate the fact that NFP is called 'contraception'...as it isn't "contra-conception" but that's another post topic for another day.)
But anyway, of the people who use 'contraception':
In the UK: 1% of those use NFP
USA: 2.3% use NFp
Canada: 0.6% (shocking low for a once very Catholic country)
Australia: 2%
Poland tops the NFP usage though, with 19.3% usage of NFP
Call me naive....but these figures are HUGELY less than the corresponding proportion of married Catholics in each of these countries!
And it's waay lower than even the proprotion of regular Church-attending Catholics!
Why are all these Catholics using contraception?!!
Why don't they care?!
How could people do that to their marriage, their family and to God?!
NFP really isn't that difficult!
Contraceptions fosters such an evil mentality...sex is turned into an act of self-seeking...it's all about ME using YOU, and distorting the sexual act so that we can ensure that we will be slapping God's hands away should He choose to give us new life...and contraception turns children into objects that you can just block out at will.
Instead NFP is beautiful; you cooperate fully with God and with the natural order He has established!
It is so harmonious and holy, I wish every married couple lived it!
I believe, hand on heart, it NFP is the greatest kept secret to a happy and blessed marriage, and the best method ever to an open and loving relationship between spouses.
(not neglecting of course the Sacraments & prayer, but really NFP flows from both of these.)
anyway, the WHO table is pretty interesting anyway, in a sad, poor Jesus :-( , kinda way.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Purgatory
An absolutely brilliant (imho) article on Purgatory
The part which really spoke to me about pain in Purgatory:
"Today bring me the souls in Purgatory. They are greatly loved by Me. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw from the indulgences of My Church".
The whole article is all really good; short and easy to read, so I would recommend reading it all!
Don't forget, if we are the lucky ones, we will probably be in Purgatory one day, so let's do all we can now to try and reduce the length of time we have to spend there!
Our eternity is, literally, in our hands!
~ Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them Oh Lord, May Your Light Perpetual Shine Upon Them, May They Rest In Peace. Amen !
So let's never ever forget to pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Here is a short prayer, from St. Gertrude, that we can say every night (or memorise it and say it when we remember during the day):
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
The part which really spoke to me about pain in Purgatory:
This is like what Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for on the 8th day of the Divine Mercy Novena:One pain that is likely in store for most of us is the frustration that will come from the awareness that the living have the ability to grant us
tremendous relief by offering fasts, alms, prayers, i.e., The Rosary, The Act of Reparation, The Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, The Stations of the Cross, and The Sacrifice of the Mass, etc., in suffrage for us, but are not doing so because they don’t realize they have this power to help us, nor that there is a spiritual treasury of the Church available for them to relieve us, nor that we even need their help, because we did not pass on to them these enduring truths of the faith.
"Today bring me the souls in Purgatory. They are greatly loved by Me. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw from the indulgences of My Church".
The whole article is all really good; short and easy to read, so I would recommend reading it all!
Don't forget, if we are the lucky ones, we will probably be in Purgatory one day, so let's do all we can now to try and reduce the length of time we have to spend there!
Our eternity is, literally, in our hands!
~ Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them Oh Lord, May Your Light Perpetual Shine Upon Them, May They Rest In Peace. Amen !
So let's never ever forget to pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Here is a short prayer, from St. Gertrude, that we can say every night (or memorise it and say it when we remember during the day):
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
Never adopt a superior air towards Church matters, or towards your fellow human beings – your brothers. On the other hand that attitude might be necessary in your social behaviour, when it is a matter of defending the interests of God and those of souls, for then you would not be acting out of superiority, but out of faith and fortitude, which we practise with a calm and humble confidence.
– St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, #720
I like that; 'calm and humble confidence'!
Let us pray for a true solid unshakable faith; for only then can we defend it with unwavering confidence, and with Heavnely calmness!
Who cares what others think or say about us? We know that the Catholic faith is true, and we should be confident in professing this beautiful truth, no matter how the world percieves it(no contraception & no sex before marriage being, in my opinion, two of the issues that the majority of the Western world would disagree with us on).
LIFE
The beauty of human life
Abortion is always the selfish and cowardly choice.
Let's say a Haily Mary for a woman who, right now, is considering abortion.
The heart-felt prayers of one person can move the heart of God for the conversion of thousands.
Haily Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is Wth Thee, Blessed are thou among women, and Blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen
Not so funny
I was at a medics dinner the other day and was sitting next to a medical Professor and I was telling him that I'd got married over the summer. After the usual 'Oh! congratulations!' (& me getting the feeling that he didn't think that was the wisest of career moves...!), the girls around me started talking about marriage and medicine, and he said:
Everyone kinda laughed but....it's really not that funny!!
"Did you know, that the life-expectancy for a kidney transplant is
longer than an average marriage?"
Everyone kinda laughed but....it's really not that funny!!
Friday, October 20, 2006
THE PILL CAUSES CANCER
Hot off the press:
The journal of the Mayo Clinic has published a key article in its October 2006 issue entitled “Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis”.
Basically, their major findings were that oral contraceptives ARE, beyond any doubt, linked with a measurable and statistically significant increase in pre-menopausal breast cancer.
Basically means that the contraceptive pill can make you have breast cancer before about age 50yrs.
The study showed that this especially true if a woman was on the pill before her first pregnancy.
The oral contraceptive pill has already been classified as a Type 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research, and this research majorly supports that.
That means it the pill is classfied as being one of the most serious cancer-causing drugs around, bet that's not something GPs tell the 15 year old girls who will be on the pill for about 20 years.
To READ THE STUDY, CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF ARTICLE
You know, if this were ANY other drug, it wouldn't be allowed to be used in women with such horrendous frequency, especially not in young girls aged 13...but because it means free sex for all...then the fact that is causes cancer is just conveniently over-looked...
The journal of the Mayo Clinic has published a key article in its October 2006 issue entitled “Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis”.
Basically, their major findings were that oral contraceptives ARE, beyond any doubt, linked with a measurable and statistically significant increase in pre-menopausal breast cancer.
Basically means that the contraceptive pill can make you have breast cancer before about age 50yrs.
The study showed that this especially true if a woman was on the pill before her first pregnancy.
The oral contraceptive pill has already been classified as a Type 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research, and this research majorly supports that.
That means it the pill is classfied as being one of the most serious cancer-causing drugs around, bet that's not something GPs tell the 15 year old girls who will be on the pill for about 20 years.
To READ THE STUDY, CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF ARTICLE
You know, if this were ANY other drug, it wouldn't be allowed to be used in women with such horrendous frequency, especially not in young girls aged 13...but because it means free sex for all...then the fact that is causes cancer is just conveniently over-looked...
The study concluded:
Use of OCs is associated with an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer, especially with use before first full-term pregnancy in parous women.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
wedding day
Some more wedding photos (just got them from relatives in Italy)
30th July 2006
30th July 2006
in the garden
with bridesmaids
Having just stepped out of the Rolls at Church, you can see the pearls in my hair
walking towards the Church entrace; bridesmaids holding train, dad and brother
An hour into Mass; Chris & I saying out vows
Chris putting the ring on my finger
After Mass; running outside and getting covered in rice!
More rice!
Now I'm throwing rice back at people in retalliation!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
only crazy people do medicine
So I had a 10 hour long day today (from 8:45am - 7pm)
For 7 hrs15 mins I was sitting on my behind in lectures!
NO KIDDING
and for an additional 1 hr 15 mins I was standing on my feet on the Wards being taught.
SO I've had over 8 HOURS of solid teaching today!
My brain is exhausted! I then came home (at 7:30pm), cooked dinner and have just done 1.5hours of additional revision.
aaaarrgghhh!!
and tomorrow I am scheduled to have lectures from 8:30am - 5:30pm with only 1.5hour break in between!
I WISH I WAS JOKING!!!
better go, because I am so tired and have loads of prayers to say!
God Bless!
-x-x-x-
For 7 hrs15 mins I was sitting on my behind in lectures!
NO KIDDING
and for an additional 1 hr 15 mins I was standing on my feet on the Wards being taught.
SO I've had over 8 HOURS of solid teaching today!
My brain is exhausted! I then came home (at 7:30pm), cooked dinner and have just done 1.5hours of additional revision.
aaaarrgghhh!!
and tomorrow I am scheduled to have lectures from 8:30am - 5:30pm with only 1.5hour break in between!
I WISH I WAS JOKING!!!
better go, because I am so tired and have loads of prayers to say!
God Bless!
-x-x-x-
Monday, October 16, 2006
I have a phobia!
Chris (looking excited): It's not too late Antonia, why don't we make a hot chocolate?!
Me: hmmmmmm.....*looking unconvinced*
I don't want to portray psychiatry as a lazy/easy/i-barely-did-any-work subject, but I had A LOT of free time during my psychiatry attachment, and drank A LOT of tea.
Hot tea.
I don't drink that much tea, but I drank about 3 cups a day during my psychiatry attachment, and I think my inexperience was my punishment.
I wasn't quite able to judge when the tea was too hot to drink, and I didnt quite appreciate how much HOT tea burns! So after 3 weeks of drinking lots of HOT tea, I successfully managed to burn my tongue quite badly!
I kid not! I actually have a little mark on my tongue when it is burnt (& it corresponds to where the tea touched my tounge when sipped in).
OW!!
I've had it about 2 weeks now and it really quite hurts! The burn mark looks like it's getting better, but it is still there!
and now I think I have developed a phobia of hot drinks!
Half way through our massive afternoon of lectures today, the organisors (quite shockingly!) had set up a table of teas, coffee, biscuits, juices for all the students during our half-time break.
There were shortbread biscuits, which I LOVE to dip in my tea...but I just couldnt bring myself to have a cup of tea, and so had juice instead!
and I am supposed to love hot chocolate! We barely ever have it, so normally I'd be excited at the prospect of hot chocolate with Chris......but at the thoughts hot drinks.....all I can think is 'ouch'.
My advice...DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! A burnt tongue really does hurt!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The greatest things in the world!!
Saturday
As I have quadruple booked myself for this morning & afternoon (...i'm not joking!) I will be unable to go to Confession. This will be the 4th week that I haven't been to Confession....the longest in about a year! aargh! I need to go! I will see if I can ask my Priest friend tomorrow after the Rosary prayer group if he'll hear me.
But anyway, here is a beautiful quote about confession:
So no matter how long it's been, or how dirty and decomposed with sin you are....go back to the increadible Sacrament of Reconcilliation and you will have life!
And now a stunning quote on the greatest event in the history of mankind:
Holy Mass is where we participate in the Last Supper, and in Jesus's crucifixion.
We don't "pretend" to participate, it's not an "imitation" of the Last Supper or of Jesus's death on Calvery.....we are really and truely there!
A priest once explained to me that being at Holy Mass is JUST THE SAME as having been at Calvary with Jesus.
Jesus invented the Mass as a way of allowing everyone, no matter when in history they live, to participate in the Last Supper with Him, and to be present at Calvary.
It's not an imitation of anything...it's REAL.
The Church teaches us that at every Mass it’s as though we stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary, as we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrificial prayer. ‘We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’ ( Heb 10:10). OIL-M:1271
So the Mass is a A WINDOW INTO TIME. Jesus actually INVENTED a way of time-travel!
No, seriously!!
He invented a way of making it possible to participate in events which occured at a certain point in time, no-matter when in the history of man-kind you live!
YOU can be present at Calvary WITH JESUS HIMSELF, at Mass!
You don't pretend to be...THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE!
The Holy Mass in a window back in time to that event...so whenever you are at Mass, that is where you are going....the foot of Jesus's Cross, looking up at Love Crucified for YOU.
How awesome is that?!!
We who could not be with Christ on Calvary can be with Him today as He offers that same sacrifice at the hands of our priest
you actually get TO BE WITH JESUS Himself at Mass!
That God whom everyone searches for is THERE! really and truely! How fantastic is that?!!
And also you are participating in that event with every other person in the history of mankind who participated in it...MARY, St. Peter, St. Paul, every single Saint, or holy person all took part in the SAME Mass as the one going on at your local Chruch!!
Each Mass isn't a different event in history....they are all the SAME event, but just taking place at different points in time!
wow!
and Jesus set this all up just so that He could be really & truely present with every person no matter when in history they lived!
and this all occurs through the action of our Priests who act in persona Christi (in the person of Christ)
GOD BLESS OUR PRIESTS for giving up their lives for the service of mankind, because it is only through them that we have these Sacraments!
Priests: God's gift to man; and man's gift to God.
As I have quadruple booked myself for this morning & afternoon (...i'm not joking!) I will be unable to go to Confession. This will be the 4th week that I haven't been to Confession....the longest in about a year! aargh! I need to go! I will see if I can ask my Priest friend tomorrow after the Rosary prayer group if he'll hear me.
But anyway, here is a beautiful quote about confession:
Never despair. Lazarus was dead and decaying: 'By now he will smell; this is the fourth day', says Martha to Jesus.
If you hear God's inspiration and follow it – 'Lazarus, come out!' – you will return to Life.
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #719
So no matter how long it's been, or how dirty and decomposed with sin you are....go back to the increadible Sacrament of Reconcilliation and you will have life!
And now a stunning quote on the greatest event in the history of mankind:
The Mass is the most holy act of religion; you can do nothing that can give greater glory to God or be more profitable for your soul than to hear Mass both frequently and devoutly. It is the favorite devotion of the saints.– St. Peter Julian Eymard
Holy Mass is where we participate in the Last Supper, and in Jesus's crucifixion.
We don't "pretend" to participate, it's not an "imitation" of the Last Supper or of Jesus's death on Calvery.....we are really and truely there!
A priest once explained to me that being at Holy Mass is JUST THE SAME as having been at Calvary with Jesus.
Jesus invented the Mass as a way of allowing everyone, no matter when in history they live, to participate in the Last Supper with Him, and to be present at Calvary.
It's not an imitation of anything...it's REAL.
The Church teaches us that at every Mass it’s as though we stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary, as we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrificial prayer. ‘We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’ ( Heb 10:10). OIL-M:1271
So the Mass is a A WINDOW INTO TIME. Jesus actually INVENTED a way of time-travel!
No, seriously!!
He invented a way of making it possible to participate in events which occured at a certain point in time, no-matter when in the history of man-kind you live!
YOU can be present at Calvary WITH JESUS HIMSELF, at Mass!
You don't pretend to be...THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE!
The Holy Mass in a window back in time to that event...so whenever you are at Mass, that is where you are going....the foot of Jesus's Cross, looking up at Love Crucified for YOU.
How awesome is that?!!
We who could not be with Christ on Calvary can be with Him today as He offers that same sacrifice at the hands of our priest
you actually get TO BE WITH JESUS Himself at Mass!
That God whom everyone searches for is THERE! really and truely! How fantastic is that?!!
And also you are participating in that event with every other person in the history of mankind who participated in it...MARY, St. Peter, St. Paul, every single Saint, or holy person all took part in the SAME Mass as the one going on at your local Chruch!!
Each Mass isn't a different event in history....they are all the SAME event, but just taking place at different points in time!
wow!
and Jesus set this all up just so that He could be really & truely present with every person no matter when in history they lived!
and this all occurs through the action of our Priests who act in persona Christi (in the person of Christ)
GOD BLESS OUR PRIESTS for giving up their lives for the service of mankind, because it is only through them that we have these Sacraments!
Priests: God's gift to man; and man's gift to God.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Modesty & Decorum
Decorum and modesty are younger brothers of purity.
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #128
Let us reflet on purity, and how we can nurture that beautiful holy nurture in our lives by...
* our speech; the way we talk, the words we use, the jokes we tell
* our actions; the way we behave, the way we react when angry, how we compose ourselves, our reactions to memebers of the oposite gender; how we behave when hungry or when things don't go the way *we* want
* our dress; the clothes we choose, the amount of flesh they show, the images they portray
* our minds; the books we read, the internet sites we visit, the tv shows we watch, the thoughts we indulge in
* the company we keep; our friends, the people we socialise with, the things we speak about
Tabernacle
Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart.– St. Therese of Lisieux
So let us make sure that we never ignore Him while walking past the tabernacle; we show the respect due to the King of Kings Himself who dwells there, and say hello, and tell him we love Him in our heart.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
abortion > birth
Radical Catholic Mom linked this article from the Los Angeles Times in one of her posts.
The fact that Russia, like Europe, is dying a slow death because of lack of births is sad, but unfortuntaly not surprising, because it is the trend of our times.
Just last night I was thinking about Italy, where the birth rate is 1.1 or something, which is hugely less than the death rate, and how perfectly this is refelcted in my own Italian family
...my mum is one of 4 siblings...they each got married...so that makes 8 people in Generation1
these 8 people had a total of 7 children between them...
So the Generation 2 has almost (but not quite) balance the Generation1.....
The 7 cousins in Generation2 range in age from 40years - 20years:
Oldest, 40years, never married, not interested in "settling down" or ever having kids
Next, 38years, just got married, had one baby, having a second in April
Next, 33 years, will probably get married in next few years and will have 1 or 2 children
Next 30 years, stated he doesn't want kids
Next 25 years, said she's not interested in children
Then you have me & my brother
So, so far ar we only have 1.5 offspring in Generation3 (one isn't born yet).....and there is NO way that my Italian cousins will have, between them, enough children to replace their generation.
So yes, Italy is dying!
Luckily though my brother & I are both major Catholics who love the idea of a big families, and we will probably have 6 kids each, so we will replace our generation!
So yeh, Europe is dying!
But for me, the most shocking part of the article was this statement about the situation in Russia:
The fact that Russia, like Europe, is dying a slow death because of lack of births is sad, but unfortuntaly not surprising, because it is the trend of our times.
Just last night I was thinking about Italy, where the birth rate is 1.1 or something, which is hugely less than the death rate, and how perfectly this is refelcted in my own Italian family
...my mum is one of 4 siblings...they each got married...so that makes 8 people in Generation1
these 8 people had a total of 7 children between them...
So the Generation 2 has almost (but not quite) balance the Generation1.....
The 7 cousins in Generation2 range in age from 40years - 20years:
Oldest, 40years, never married, not interested in "settling down" or ever having kids
Next, 38years, just got married, had one baby, having a second in April
Next, 33 years, will probably get married in next few years and will have 1 or 2 children
Next 30 years, stated he doesn't want kids
Next 25 years, said she's not interested in children
Then you have me & my brother
So, so far ar we only have 1.5 offspring in Generation3 (one isn't born yet).....and there is NO way that my Italian cousins will have, between them, enough children to replace their generation.
So yes, Italy is dying!
Luckily though my brother & I are both major Catholics who love the idea of a big families, and we will probably have 6 kids each, so we will replace our generation!
So yeh, Europe is dying!
But for me, the most shocking part of the article was this statement about the situation in Russia:
In addition, abortions outpaced births last year by more than
100,000.
My word! how horrendous!!Abortions are MORE THAN births?!!!!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Jesus = Eucharist
From Mother Theresa:
"The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven, and will help bring about everlasting peace on earth."
"Through Mary the cause of our joy you discover that no where on earth are you more welcomed, no where on earth are you more loved, than by Jesus, living and truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament ... He is really there in Person waiting just for you."
"We cannot separate our lives from the Eucharist; the moment we do, something breaks. People ask, 'Where do the sisters get the joy and energy to do what they are doing?' The Eucharist involves more than just receiving; it also involves satisfying the hunger of Christ. He says, ' Come to Me.' He is hungry for souls."
From Antonia:
NEVER MISS SUNDAY MASS!!!! If we wouldn't miss an appointment with a dearly beloved friend, then how could we ever contemplate missing our obligatory meeting with GOD Himself?!
and let us never be content with doing the bare minimum; let us strive to love God as much as we possibly can, and to go to Mass and adoration at every avaliable opportunity, to see Him and show Him how much we love him, and tell Him that we want to love him more and more!!
Remember, God is never ever outdone in generosity!! You can't possibly be more generous with Him, than He is with you! Whatever you put in, you will get an abundance back!
Manic Depression help!
also known as Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD).I am supposed to be doing a short presentation on bipolar disorder this Friday, and I have been assigned to talk about the drug treatments.
But NOT stuff like "Lithium is used, and these are the side-effects...Zzzzz", I am supposed to talk about issues like compliance, and how some people with bipolar disorder really quite enjoy being manic and so avoid taking their drugs, and some of the stigma around taking the drugs, and worries, over-doses etc etc...
so as BAD is actually kinda common (apparently 1% life-time risk), I was wondering whether anyone reading this has ever had any experience with it (e.g. personal or family members) and whether you could pass on a few words of experience or advice or any internet sites....
(thanks to the read-before-I-publish nature of the comments section, I won't publish any comment that people don't want published!)
any help is much appreciated!
-x-
Monday, October 09, 2006
Pope: The family, a mission open to life, against hedonism and relativism
from Pope Benedict's Angelus yesterday
Today's world "needs families who do not allow themselves to be swept away by modern cultural trends inspired by hedonism and relativism, and who instead are ready to fulfill their mission in the Church and in society with generous dedication."
"Overcoming hedonism and relativism, parents are "true 'missionaries' of love and of life (cfr n.54).This mission is directed within the family -especially in reciprocal service and children's education - and outside: the domestic family, in fact, is called to be a sign of God's love towards all.It is a mission, this, that the Christian family can bring to fulfillmentonly if sustained by divine grace."
The pontiff closed his address by inviting families to pray: "It is necessary to pray tirelessly and to persevere in the daily effort to keep to commitments taken on the day of marriage. I invoke the maternal protectionof Our Lady and her spouse Joseph on all families, especially those indifficulty. Mary, Queen of the family, pray for us!"
Today's world "needs families who do not allow themselves to be swept away by modern cultural trends inspired by hedonism and relativism, and who instead are ready to fulfill their mission in the Church and in society with generous dedication."
"Overcoming hedonism and relativism, parents are "true 'missionaries' of love and of life (cfr n.54).This mission is directed within the family -especially in reciprocal service and children's education - and outside: the domestic family, in fact, is called to be a sign of God's love towards all.It is a mission, this, that the Christian family can bring to fulfillmentonly if sustained by divine grace."
The pontiff closed his address by inviting families to pray: "It is necessary to pray tirelessly and to persevere in the daily effort to keep to commitments taken on the day of marriage. I invoke the maternal protectionof Our Lady and her spouse Joseph on all families, especially those indifficulty. Mary, Queen of the family, pray for us!"
woohoo! another baby in the family!
Congratulations to my baby cousin, who will be a big sister in April!
THANK YOU CHRIS!
Chris is RomeI just wanted to say a very special thank you to Chris for his exceptionally hard-working day yesterday...
He got up at 7am to do rowing training
Came to Mass at 11am
Stay after Mass till 1: 40pm to announce about Catholic football which he is Captain of this year
Cycled home to get his rugby kit
Went to rugby practice from 2pm till 4pm
Arrived home and immediatly started mowing the lawn till 5pm
At 5pm he started cooking us dinner
At 6pm we left for the rosary together
At 7:30pm we went to my parents house
We arrived back at 8:30pm and I washed my hair and started doing some work, while darling Chris..:
washed all the dishes
cleaned the entired kitchen (counter, stove, sweeping the floor etc)
took down and folded a load of laundry
hung up a second load of wet laundry
vacuumed the ENTIRE house, every room, upstairs and down
and then finished at 10:30pm, totally exhausted!
SO THANK YOU for your hard-work CHRIS!!
The house looks fantastic!
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Sunday, October 08, 2006
~update~
So I haven't updated my blog in a couple days...and I'm not entirely sure why! I guess I have been trying to work a little bit more efficiently than usual...it's now got to the stage that I actually have to remove my wireless card from my laptop to stop me from wasting time on the internet while working!
I have now finished my psychiatry attachment and in 10 days time I have my mini psychiatry exam, so that has filled me with sufficient fear that I am revising more consistently.
I am also starting to get very scared about my exams next May. Although I don't take my proper FINAL MEDICAL EXAMS till 2008, these actually count as part of my finals (*feels panic attack starting*), and so am trying to be more consistent with my work, because otherwise I will not pass them (they have been described by some people in the year above us as the hardest exams they have ever taken).
and they're horrible too--like 3 hours of multiple choice questions, 3 hours writing 7 essays, and then another 3 hours of data interpretation (blood tests etc).
*tries not to freak out with fear*
Also, as well as dfoing lots of work, I just haven't had anything exciting to report!
It was the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary yesterday which was beautiful.
Oh, I also got my hair cut!! It is short and choppy and layered, and looks kinda funky! (although I got it done yesterday and haven't washed it yet...so it'll probably go all floppy and straight as soon as I do! I need very low maintenence hair-styles because I don't really look after my hair any more than washing and drying it...).
Also, I have been kinda down about my friend with the cancer. I have emailed her a couple of times, but no reply till yesterday when all I got was "Thanks, Antonia" sent at 2:30am. I have no idea which other students she has told so I can't talk to any of my friends about her, and I don't think she is coming in to lectures anymore either, so I don't know how she is doing.
This was made worse by the fact that we had a teaching day in Palliative Care at the local hospice during the week, and so all we did was talk about issues in terminally ill patients, like weight loss, nausea, vomiting, constipation, pain etc(mainly cancer), and I kept thinking about my Uncle who died so horribly of cancer last April (it's in my archives), and his children, my cousins.
Also, I think I really over-did it with my crazy week last week; rushing around (through no fault of my own) to 50 gazillion events, and so I had an almost constant head-ache for the first 4 days of this week...not fun! I always get head-aches like that when I am chronically stressed.
This morning I've been out for the entire day so far because we had a little party with a free lunch for all the new students at our Catholic Church. This evening I have a pro-life meeting for students at 5pm, a Prayer Group at 6pm (+ the Rosary I always go to also at 6:15pm), plus a party for the new students at 7pm....
I don't think I can cope with more than the rosary prayer group, so unfortunatly I'll have to miss everything else!
and of course I have about 95 things on my revision 'To Do' list!!
Oh dear, this is turning into a bit of a sorry post isn't it?! I should probably end now!!
But other than that everything has been fine & dandy with me!!
Chris & I had a fun day together yesterday. We didn't really do anything special (and in fact I was out at a friend's birthday lunch for the entire afternoon) but we just had a particularly funny time when we were together in the evening!
God Bless!
-x-x-x-
I have now finished my psychiatry attachment and in 10 days time I have my mini psychiatry exam, so that has filled me with sufficient fear that I am revising more consistently.
I am also starting to get very scared about my exams next May. Although I don't take my proper FINAL MEDICAL EXAMS till 2008, these actually count as part of my finals (*feels panic attack starting*), and so am trying to be more consistent with my work, because otherwise I will not pass them (they have been described by some people in the year above us as the hardest exams they have ever taken).
and they're horrible too--like 3 hours of multiple choice questions, 3 hours writing 7 essays, and then another 3 hours of data interpretation (blood tests etc).
*tries not to freak out with fear*
Also, as well as dfoing lots of work, I just haven't had anything exciting to report!
It was the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary yesterday which was beautiful.
Oh, I also got my hair cut!! It is short and choppy and layered, and looks kinda funky! (although I got it done yesterday and haven't washed it yet...so it'll probably go all floppy and straight as soon as I do! I need very low maintenence hair-styles because I don't really look after my hair any more than washing and drying it...).
Also, I have been kinda down about my friend with the cancer. I have emailed her a couple of times, but no reply till yesterday when all I got was "Thanks, Antonia" sent at 2:30am. I have no idea which other students she has told so I can't talk to any of my friends about her, and I don't think she is coming in to lectures anymore either, so I don't know how she is doing.
This was made worse by the fact that we had a teaching day in Palliative Care at the local hospice during the week, and so all we did was talk about issues in terminally ill patients, like weight loss, nausea, vomiting, constipation, pain etc(mainly cancer), and I kept thinking about my Uncle who died so horribly of cancer last April (it's in my archives), and his children, my cousins.
Also, I think I really over-did it with my crazy week last week; rushing around (through no fault of my own) to 50 gazillion events, and so I had an almost constant head-ache for the first 4 days of this week...not fun! I always get head-aches like that when I am chronically stressed.
This morning I've been out for the entire day so far because we had a little party with a free lunch for all the new students at our Catholic Church. This evening I have a pro-life meeting for students at 5pm, a Prayer Group at 6pm (+ the Rosary I always go to also at 6:15pm), plus a party for the new students at 7pm....
I don't think I can cope with more than the rosary prayer group, so unfortunatly I'll have to miss everything else!
and of course I have about 95 things on my revision 'To Do' list!!
Oh dear, this is turning into a bit of a sorry post isn't it?! I should probably end now!!
But other than that everything has been fine & dandy with me!!
Chris & I had a fun day together yesterday. We didn't really do anything special (and in fact I was out at a friend's birthday lunch for the entire afternoon) but we just had a particularly funny time when we were together in the evening!
God Bless!
-x-x-x-
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
We Love You Mary!
Try to give thanks to Jesus in the Eucharist by singing the praises of Our Lady, the Virgin most pure, without stain, who brought forth the Lord into this world.
And, with childlike daring, say to Jesus: My dearest Love, blessed be the Mother who brought you into this world!
I assure you it will please him, and he will put even greater love in your soul.
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #70
The picture is a photograph I took in the Vatican Museums
-
useless BBC
Bishops Defend Pope Against BBC Attack
Say News Report Is Misleading
LONDON, OCT. 2, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The bishops of England and Wales are accusing the BBC of misrepresenting two Vatican documents that the news organization says Benedict XVI used to cover-up the sexual abuse of minors.
According to the prelates, the program "Sex Crimes and the Vatican," broadcast Sunday by Panorama, the BBC's investigative news show, is unwarranted and misleading.
The program claims to have uncovered secret Vatican documents that imposed silence regarding all claims of child abuse, and accused then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- now Benedict XVI -- of shielding priests from investigation in his previous role as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
One document mentioned is "Crimen sollicitationis," (The Crime of
Solicitation, 1962) issued by the Congregation of the Holy Office -- future Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- which was made public in 2003.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, sent a letter today to Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC "to express the enormous distress and alarm of the Catholic community" regarding the program.
"No one can deny the devastating effects of child abuse in our society and the damage inflicted on the victims and their families. This is particularly shameful if such abuse is committed by a priest and it is of course legitimate to portray heart-rending elements of this evil," the cardinal said.
The letter continues: "However, your program sets out to inflict grave damage on Benedict XVI, the leader of a billion Catholics throughout the world. It is quite clear to me that the main focus of the program is to seek to connect Benedict XVI with cover-up of child abuse in the Catholic Church. This is malicious and untrue and based on a false presentation of Church documents."
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, who is also president of the episcopal conference of England and Wales, said that he "cannot understand why no one from your corporation made any attempt to contact the Catholic Church in this country for assistance in seeking accurate information about this matter."
"I must ask if within the BBC there is a persistent bias against the Catholic Church. There will be many, not only Catholics, who will wonder if the BBC is any longer willing to be truly objective in some of its presentations," he said.
Unwarranted attack
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham, and chairman of the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults, also issued a statement today in which he states that "as a public service broadcaster, the BBC should be ashamed of the standard of the journalism used to create this unwarranted attack on Benedict XVI."
"Viewers will recognize only too well the sensational tactics and misleading editing of the program, which uses old footage and undated interviews. They will know that aspects of the program amount to a deeply prejudiced attack on a revered world religious leader. It will further undermine public confidence in 'Panorama,'" he added.
According to Archbishop Nichols, the program's attacks against Benedict XVI are "false and entirely misleading."'
"It is false because it misrepresents two Vatican documents and uses them quite misleadingly in order to connect the horrors of child abuse to the person of the Pope," he said.
The archbishop continued: "The first document, issued in 1962, is not directly concerned with child abuse at all, but with the misuse of the confessional. This has always been a most serious crime in Church law. The program confuses the misuse of the confessional and the immoral attempts by a priest to silence his victim.
"The second document, issued in 2001, clarified the law of the Church, ensuring that the Vatican is informed of every case of child abuse and that each case is dealt with properly.
"This document does not hinder the investigation by civil authorities of allegations of child abuse, nor is it a method of cover-up, as the program persistently claims. In fact it is a measure of the seriousness with which the Vatican views these offences."
"Since 2001," added the prelate, "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, took many steps to apply the law of the Church to allegations and offences of child abuse with absolute thoroughness and scruple."
A BBC spokesman announced today that the corporation's management will respond to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's letter.
ZE06100208
Say News Report Is Misleading
LONDON, OCT. 2, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The bishops of England and Wales are accusing the BBC of misrepresenting two Vatican documents that the news organization says Benedict XVI used to cover-up the sexual abuse of minors.
According to the prelates, the program "Sex Crimes and the Vatican," broadcast Sunday by Panorama, the BBC's investigative news show, is unwarranted and misleading.
The program claims to have uncovered secret Vatican documents that imposed silence regarding all claims of child abuse, and accused then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- now Benedict XVI -- of shielding priests from investigation in his previous role as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
One document mentioned is "Crimen sollicitationis," (The Crime of
Solicitation, 1962) issued by the Congregation of the Holy Office -- future Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- which was made public in 2003.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, sent a letter today to Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC "to express the enormous distress and alarm of the Catholic community" regarding the program.
"No one can deny the devastating effects of child abuse in our society and the damage inflicted on the victims and their families. This is particularly shameful if such abuse is committed by a priest and it is of course legitimate to portray heart-rending elements of this evil," the cardinal said.
The letter continues: "However, your program sets out to inflict grave damage on Benedict XVI, the leader of a billion Catholics throughout the world. It is quite clear to me that the main focus of the program is to seek to connect Benedict XVI with cover-up of child abuse in the Catholic Church. This is malicious and untrue and based on a false presentation of Church documents."
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, who is also president of the episcopal conference of England and Wales, said that he "cannot understand why no one from your corporation made any attempt to contact the Catholic Church in this country for assistance in seeking accurate information about this matter."
"I must ask if within the BBC there is a persistent bias against the Catholic Church. There will be many, not only Catholics, who will wonder if the BBC is any longer willing to be truly objective in some of its presentations," he said.
Unwarranted attack
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham, and chairman of the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults, also issued a statement today in which he states that "as a public service broadcaster, the BBC should be ashamed of the standard of the journalism used to create this unwarranted attack on Benedict XVI."
"Viewers will recognize only too well the sensational tactics and misleading editing of the program, which uses old footage and undated interviews. They will know that aspects of the program amount to a deeply prejudiced attack on a revered world religious leader. It will further undermine public confidence in 'Panorama,'" he added.
According to Archbishop Nichols, the program's attacks against Benedict XVI are "false and entirely misleading."'
"It is false because it misrepresents two Vatican documents and uses them quite misleadingly in order to connect the horrors of child abuse to the person of the Pope," he said.
The archbishop continued: "The first document, issued in 1962, is not directly concerned with child abuse at all, but with the misuse of the confessional. This has always been a most serious crime in Church law. The program confuses the misuse of the confessional and the immoral attempts by a priest to silence his victim.
"The second document, issued in 2001, clarified the law of the Church, ensuring that the Vatican is informed of every case of child abuse and that each case is dealt with properly.
"This document does not hinder the investigation by civil authorities of allegations of child abuse, nor is it a method of cover-up, as the program persistently claims. In fact it is a measure of the seriousness with which the Vatican views these offences."
"Since 2001," added the prelate, "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, took many steps to apply the law of the Church to allegations and offences of child abuse with absolute thoroughness and scruple."
A BBC spokesman announced today that the corporation's management will respond to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's letter.
ZE06100208
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Church will never fail
Here is a really very inspiring section from an article Chris sent me.
It was written a few years ago in America after the whole bad-Priests scandal thing. Yesterday on the BBC there was a Panorama program about that. The BBC, as always, trying their hardest to insult the Church in every way possible, so I found this article a very refreshing encouragment:
Let us pray that we always respond with generous hearts overflowing with love for Christ, and are never held back by fear.
The rest of the article is here: A CRISIS OF SAINTS
My favourite quote from this article, which I will try to bring up in conversations where relevant:
Isn't that so great and so true?!! 2000 years and still going strong!
-
It was written a few years ago in America after the whole bad-Priests scandal thing. Yesterday on the BBC there was a Panorama program about that. The BBC, as always, trying their hardest to insult the Church in every way possible, so I found this article a very refreshing encouragment:
For almost three years of my life in the early 1990s, while in my car I listened to nothing but tapes by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the greatest Catholic preachers in American history. On a couple of his tapes for priests' retreats, Bishop Sheen said that he preferred to live in times when the Church has suffered rather than thrived, when the Church had to struggle, when the Church had to go against the culture. It was a time for real men and real women to stand up and be counted. "Even dead bodies can float downstream," he said, pointing that many people can coast when the Church is respected, "but it takes a real man, a real woman, to swim against the current."
How true that is. It takes a real man or a real woman to stand up against the current that is flowing against the Church. It takes a real man or a real woman to recognize that when you are resisting the flood of criticism, you are safest when you stay attached to the Rock on whom Christ built his Church. This is one of those times. It's a great time to be a Christian.
Some people are predicting that the Church is in for a rough time, and maybe it is. But the Church will survive because the Lord will make sure it survives. One of the greatest comeback lines in history was uttered two hundred years ago. As his armies were swallowing up the countries of Europe, French emperor Napoleon is reported to have said to Church officials, "Je détruirai votre église" ("I will destroy your Church")." When informed of the emperor's words, Ercole Cardinal Consalvi, one of the great statesmen of the papal court, replied, "He will never succeed. We have not managed to do it ourselves!" If bad popes, immoral priests, and countless sinners in the Church hadn't succeeded in destroying the Church from within, Cardinal Consalvi was saying, how did Napoleon think he was going to do it from without?
The Cardinal was pointing to a crucial truth: Christ will never allow his Church to fail. He promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church (Matt. 16:18); that the barque of Peter, the Church sailing through time to its eternal port in heaven, will never capsize-not because those in the boat won't do everything sinfully possible to overturn it but because Christ, who is captain of the boat, will never allow it to happen.
The magnitude of the current scandal might be such that some will find it difficult to trust priests in the same way as in the past. That is regrettable, though it might not be a completely bad thing. Yet you must never lose trust in Christ! It is his Church. After Judas's death the eleven apostles convened; the Holy Spirit chose Matthias to take Judas's place, and he proclaimed the gospel faithfully until he was martyred for it. In the same way today, even if some of those the Lord chose have betrayed him, he will call others who will be faithful, who will serve you with the love with which you deserve to be served.
This is a time in which all of us need to focus ever more on holiness. We are called to be saints, and how much our society needs to see this beautiful, radiant face of the Church! You are part of the solution-a crucial part. And as you go forward in Mass to receive from the priest's anointed hands the sacred body of your Lord, ask Christ to fill you with a real desire for sanctity, a real desire to show his true face.
One of the reasons I am a priest today is because when I younger I was under-impressed with some of the priests I knew. I watched them celebrate Mass and with little reverence drop the body of the Lord onto the paten, as if they were handling something of small value rather than the Creator and Savior of all, rather than my Creator and Savior. I remember praying, "Lord, please let me become a priest, so I can treat you like you deserve!" It kindled in me a great fire to serve the Lord.
Maybe this scandal can kindle in you the same thing. If you choose, this scandal can lead you down to the path of spiritual suicide. But it should inspire you to say finally to God, "I want to become a saint so that I and the Church can give your name the glory it deserves, so that others might find in you the love and the salvation that I have found."
Jesus is with us, as he promised, until the end of time. He is still in the boat. Just as out of Judas's betrayal he achieved the greatest victory in the universe-our salvation through his passion, death and resurrection-so out of this new scandal he may bring, wants to bring, a new rebirth of holiness, a new Acts of the Apostles for the twenty-first century, with each of us-and that includes you-playing a starring role. Now is the time for real men and women of the Church to stand up. Now is the time for saints. How will you respond?
Let us pray that we always respond with generous hearts overflowing with love for Christ, and are never held back by fear.
The rest of the article is here: A CRISIS OF SAINTS
My favourite quote from this article, which I will try to bring up in conversations where relevant:
As his armies were swallowing up the countries of Europe, French emperor Napoleon is reported to have said to Church officials, "Je détruirai votre église" ("I will destroy your Church")." When informed of the emperor's words, Ercole Cardinal Consalvi, one of the great statesmen of the papal court, replied, "He will never succeed. We have not managed to do it ourselves!" If bad popes, immoral priests, and countless sinners in the Church hadn't succeeded in destroying the Church from within, Cardinal Consalvi was saying, how did Napoleon think he was going to do it from without?
Isn't that so great and so true?!! 2000 years and still going strong!
-
Sunday, October 01, 2006
PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY
Promises of Mary to Christians who Recite the Rosary:
Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.
Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune.
God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)
****
+PATRICK J. HAYES. D.D. Archbishop of New York
WHY the daily rosary?
Our Lady has 117 titles. She selected this title at Fatima: "I am the Lady of the Rosary."
St. Francis de Sales said the greatest method of praying IS - Pray the Rosary.
St. Thomas Aquinas preached 40 straight days in Rome, Italy on just the Hail Mary.
St. John Vianney, patron of priests, was seldom seen without a rosary in his hand.
"The rosary is the scourge of the devil" - Pope Adrian VI.
"The rosary is a treasure of graces" - Pope Paul V.
St. Padre Pio the stigmatic priest said: "The rosary is THE WEAPON"
Pope Leo XIII wrote 9 encyclicals on the rosary.
Pope John XXIII spoke 38 times about our Lady and the Rosary. He prayed 15 decades daily.
St. Louis de Montfort wrote:
"The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves His Mother."
****
If you wish to obtain a favor: -
Pray THE "54-day ROSARY NOVENA"...
Pray 3 nine-day rosary novenas - 27 days of petition;
Pray 3 nine-day rosary novenas - 27 days of thanksgiving.
Will you give 1% of 1440 minutes each day to God?
If so, pray the daily rosary in 15 minutes - 1% of 24 hours.
****
Tips for Praying the Rosary More Devoutly:
1) Choose both the time and the place that has the least distractions for you. If you can't be in church, perhaps a small shrine in your home with a crucifix or a statue of Our Lady.
2) You can stand, kneel, or sit - or if you are sick, you will lie down.
Perhaps you may want to alternate your position for each decade.
3) A group - even two or three - can join together to pray the rosary. The family rosary is especially recommended. One person can lead and the others answer; the leader can be alternated for each decade.
4) Offer every rosary - or every decade - for your special intentions: for my mother, for my child, for a good job, for peace, in thanksgiving, as reparation, for my deceased friend, etc. If you are praying in a small group, you may wish to share prayerfully some of these intentions as you begin the rosary or each decade.
5) Say the rosary at a convenient rate of speed - neither too quickly nor too slowly. Often you can pray the rosary aloud, even when you are alone.
6) Before beginning, ask Mary to help you pray devoutly. If you are distracted during the rosary, just continue - don't stop or backtrack or repeat.
After the rosary, offer it to Mary with your distractions - as a child offering
a bouquet to her mother. Even if it is not perfect, it is offered with love.
7) If you have time and are so inclined, you can pause between decades for a private prayer, hymn, or appropriate reading from the Bible or a spiritual book.
8) The rosary is a meditation. Picture the scene in your imagination and try to enter in as one of the people there. See, hear, and feel what is said and done. Thank, admire, congratulate, suffer with, cry with Jesus and Mary.
Ask them questions. Think of the virtues and good examples they show. Compare the event with your own life.
9) If you are really busy, or if it is helpful, divide the rosary - one decade before breakfast, another at coffee break, and so on.
10) Use a blessed rosary. It is a sacramental of the Church, and the prayer carries an indulgence. Keep it clean and in a decent but convenient place. It is not ordinarily a necklace or a toy or a tool.
11) Appreciate the rosary. Its prayers and mysteries are almost all directly from the Bible - so it is God's Word. It summarizes the important teachings of Christ and His Church.
12) Teach the rosary, especially to your children, but also to others - even non-Catholics - who are interested.
13) Don't try to pray the rosary during an activity that requires full attention, like driving in traffic or cooking or using machinery.
14) Charity comes first. Do not force or embarrass guests or others into saying the rosary with you when they are unwilling.
15) Do not pray the rosary during Mass, not even during the sermon. It is much better to listen to the readings and prayers, watch the ceremonies, join in the singing, and become a part of the Mass. In former years when the rosary was encouraged during Mass, the ceremony was in Latin and active participation was not always possible.
****
Suggested intentions for a rosary novena:
Joyful
+ Joy of Return to Faith
+ Joy of Hope for Future
+ Joy of Love
+ Family Joy
Luminous
+ Light of Conversion
+ Spread of the Gospel
+ Vocations
+ Happy Marriage
Sorrowful
+ For World Peace
+ Respect for Life
+ For Financial Help
+ Recovery of Health
Glorious
+ In Thanksgiving
+ For Church and Pope
+ For the Missions
+ For Love of Mary
Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.
Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune.
God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)
****
+PATRICK J. HAYES. D.D. Archbishop of New York
WHY the daily rosary?
Our Lady has 117 titles. She selected this title at Fatima: "I am the Lady of the Rosary."
St. Francis de Sales said the greatest method of praying IS - Pray the Rosary.
St. Thomas Aquinas preached 40 straight days in Rome, Italy on just the Hail Mary.
St. John Vianney, patron of priests, was seldom seen without a rosary in his hand.
"The rosary is the scourge of the devil" - Pope Adrian VI.
"The rosary is a treasure of graces" - Pope Paul V.
St. Padre Pio the stigmatic priest said: "The rosary is THE WEAPON"
Pope Leo XIII wrote 9 encyclicals on the rosary.
Pope John XXIII spoke 38 times about our Lady and the Rosary. He prayed 15 decades daily.
St. Louis de Montfort wrote:
"The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves His Mother."
****
If you wish to obtain a favor: -
Pray THE "54-day ROSARY NOVENA"...
Pray 3 nine-day rosary novenas - 27 days of petition;
Pray 3 nine-day rosary novenas - 27 days of thanksgiving.
Will you give 1% of 1440 minutes each day to God?
If so, pray the daily rosary in 15 minutes - 1% of 24 hours.
****
Tips for Praying the Rosary More Devoutly:
1) Choose both the time and the place that has the least distractions for you. If you can't be in church, perhaps a small shrine in your home with a crucifix or a statue of Our Lady.
2) You can stand, kneel, or sit - or if you are sick, you will lie down.
Perhaps you may want to alternate your position for each decade.
3) A group - even two or three - can join together to pray the rosary. The family rosary is especially recommended. One person can lead and the others answer; the leader can be alternated for each decade.
4) Offer every rosary - or every decade - for your special intentions: for my mother, for my child, for a good job, for peace, in thanksgiving, as reparation, for my deceased friend, etc. If you are praying in a small group, you may wish to share prayerfully some of these intentions as you begin the rosary or each decade.
5) Say the rosary at a convenient rate of speed - neither too quickly nor too slowly. Often you can pray the rosary aloud, even when you are alone.
6) Before beginning, ask Mary to help you pray devoutly. If you are distracted during the rosary, just continue - don't stop or backtrack or repeat.
After the rosary, offer it to Mary with your distractions - as a child offering
a bouquet to her mother. Even if it is not perfect, it is offered with love.
7) If you have time and are so inclined, you can pause between decades for a private prayer, hymn, or appropriate reading from the Bible or a spiritual book.
8) The rosary is a meditation. Picture the scene in your imagination and try to enter in as one of the people there. See, hear, and feel what is said and done. Thank, admire, congratulate, suffer with, cry with Jesus and Mary.
Ask them questions. Think of the virtues and good examples they show. Compare the event with your own life.
9) If you are really busy, or if it is helpful, divide the rosary - one decade before breakfast, another at coffee break, and so on.
10) Use a blessed rosary. It is a sacramental of the Church, and the prayer carries an indulgence. Keep it clean and in a decent but convenient place. It is not ordinarily a necklace or a toy or a tool.
11) Appreciate the rosary. Its prayers and mysteries are almost all directly from the Bible - so it is God's Word. It summarizes the important teachings of Christ and His Church.
12) Teach the rosary, especially to your children, but also to others - even non-Catholics - who are interested.
13) Don't try to pray the rosary during an activity that requires full attention, like driving in traffic or cooking or using machinery.
14) Charity comes first. Do not force or embarrass guests or others into saying the rosary with you when they are unwilling.
15) Do not pray the rosary during Mass, not even during the sermon. It is much better to listen to the readings and prayers, watch the ceremonies, join in the singing, and become a part of the Mass. In former years when the rosary was encouraged during Mass, the ceremony was in Latin and active participation was not always possible.
****
Suggested intentions for a rosary novena:
Joyful
+ Joy of Return to Faith
+ Joy of Hope for Future
+ Joy of Love
+ Family Joy
Luminous
+ Light of Conversion
+ Spread of the Gospel
+ Vocations
+ Happy Marriage
Sorrowful
+ For World Peace
+ Respect for Life
+ For Financial Help
+ Recovery of Health
Glorious
+ In Thanksgiving
+ For Church and Pope
+ For the Missions
+ For Love of Mary
Did I Marry the Right Person?
Yesterday Chris & I went on a mini-retreat for married couples. It was run by a LC priest and was a day of adoration, talks, opportunity for discussion between the spouses, and then Mass which included a renewal of the marriage vows ( "I Antonia do take you Chris to be my lawful wedding husband...etc).
One of the talks that was given was entitled "Did I Marry the Right Person?" which aroused much giggling from the audience!
Along with this talk we got a sheet which the speaker used to build the talk on, and I'd like to share it with you as food for thought & prayer. It's helpful for married people, but also to help realise before marriage that choosing the 'right' person is only half the deal for a happy future together. This is because you can't find lasting love...you have to MAKE it.
So pre-marriage is a wonderful time to learn to love God, and to uproot some of our deep sinful inclinations, so that if we get married, we will be more ready to be better spouse.
Choosing someone who is willing to self-sacrifice and cooperate together with us is pretty important. and (in my humble opinion) especially someone who is also Catholic -- spouses are supposed to help each other get to Heaven, and it's pretty difficult for your spouse to do that if they don't believe in Heaven, or don't believe in the ways God has given us to get to Heaven (the Sacraments especially).
anyway,
One of the talks that was given was entitled "Did I Marry the Right Person?" which aroused much giggling from the audience!
Along with this talk we got a sheet which the speaker used to build the talk on, and I'd like to share it with you as food for thought & prayer. It's helpful for married people, but also to help realise before marriage that choosing the 'right' person is only half the deal for a happy future together. This is because you can't find lasting love...you have to MAKE it.
So pre-marriage is a wonderful time to learn to love God, and to uproot some of our deep sinful inclinations, so that if we get married, we will be more ready to be better spouse.
Choosing someone who is willing to self-sacrifice and cooperate together with us is pretty important. and (in my humble opinion) especially someone who is also Catholic -- spouses are supposed to help each other get to Heaven, and it's pretty difficult for your spouse to do that if they don't believe in Heaven, or don't believe in the ways God has given us to get to Heaven (the Sacraments especially).
anyway,
"Did I marry the right person?
During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said "How do I know if I married the right person?"
I noticed there was a large man sitting next to her so I said "It depends. Is that your husband?"
In all seriousness she answered "How do you know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.
Here's the answer:
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning you feel in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch and liked their idiosyncrasies.
Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why they call it "falling" in love...because it's happening to you.
Falling in love is easy; it's a passive and spontaneous experience.
But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of every relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.
At this point you and/or your spouse might start to ask "Did I marry the right person?". And as you and your spouse relflect on the euphoria of love that you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someine else. This is when marriage breaks down. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.
Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious, but sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, friendship, excessive tv or abusive substances.
But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside the marriage. It lies within it.
I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.
and TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later on. This is because (listen carefully to this):
THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT IN FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.
SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labour of love".
Because it takes time, effort and energy. and most importantly it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.
Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.
Just as there as physical laws of the universe, there are also laws for relationships. Just as diet and exercise programs make you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you can "make" love last.
Love in mariage is indeed a decision....not just a feeling.
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