Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when from from His
heavenlythrone into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar.

– St. Francis of Assisi

6 months ago today...

Happy 6 month anniversary to us!

Chris has gone out to a dinner with some important people sponsoring his PhD, and I am staying at the hospital an hour away from home...!
Oh well!
But we are together in spirit..!

-

The grandmother of my dear friend DilexitPrior over at Letters from a young Catholic has sadly passed away.

DilexitPrior had the privilege of being by her grandmother's bedside as she died, and I am sure her prayers will have brought many graces to her grandmother's soul.

My condolances to her and her whole family at this difficult time.

Eternal Rest grant unto her, Oh Lord, may your perpetual light shine upon her, may she rest in peace. Amen

--

HPV & sexual promiscuity?

I am on a mailing list for Catholic doctors and recently they've been having a discussion on the new HPV vaccination that has come out. I know that this has been mentioned on some blogs, so I thought I'd post about it.

Basically, there is a new vaccine avaliable against a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

This virus is responsible for causing a lot of cancers; 70% of all cervical cancer are because of this virus, as well as cancer in the vulva, vagina, penis and some cancers of the oropharynx (upper mouth/throat area).

So the idea is to vaccinate people to stop people getting these cancers.

However, there has been some anger amongst some groups because of one key thing....the HPV virus is almost totally transmitted through sexual contact.

Some people therefore are worried that if we vaccinate teenagers against it, it will actually cause an increase in sexual promiscuiy, or that by vaccinating our daughters we are saying "we are expecting you to have sex before marriage, and so we want to make sure you are 'safe' "

These are valid reactions and fears; no good Catholic wants to be in support of something that seems to suggest they're in favour of pre-marital sex or anything.

So I have been thinking about this over recent weeks, and the discussion on the Catholic doctor's mailing list has helped solidify my opinion.

I think it can be best summed up by a statement recently released by the Catholic Medical Association in America:

The Catholic Medical Association encourages the use of this safe, effective, and ethically acceptable vaccine...Healing and preventing diseases, no matter what their source, are acts of mercy and a moral good

and I, along with all the Paediatricians and Gynaecologists that have written in on the mailing list, agree.

In my mind, preventing the absolute horrible nightmare of having cancer is a merciful and good thing, no matter what behaviour has led people to having that cancer.

If every woman in American society were vaccinated with this, there would be 70% less cases of cervical cancer, which I can only see as being a good thing.

Clearly, it is better if sexual behaviour was changed so that there was no sexual promiscuity (then the rates of cervical cancer would go down too!), but I think it'd be unethical in today's society to deny people access to this vaccination just because it may be seen as stamping one's "seal of approval" on pre-martial sex.

Also, a few additional points...

1. There is no evidence to suggest that this vaccine would increase sexual promiscuity; promiscuity is currently rampant in society anyway, and this vaccination doesn't take away the 'fear' of pregnancy, or of getting any other of the dozen sexually transmitted diseases avaliable out there. Also, it only prevents cancers caused by SOME types of HPV; not all HPV strains.


2. I don't believe that this vaccination is a more powerful influencing factor that the moral norms established in the home by parents. If I had been vaccinated aged 14, it wouldn't have had any effect on my resolve to remain chaste till marriage, because other things (God, my family environment) were much more powerful motivating factors.


3. Not all virgins marry virgins.
Sixty % of the sexually active American population is infected with the HPV. All it takes is one infected person, to marry a non-infected virgin.....and the virgin who saved sex for marriage, will now be infected herself, and at a high risk of developing cervical cancer.


4. One can never ever say 'only' and 'always' in medicine.

The HPV virus is predominantly spread by sexual contact....but not only spread by it.

One study found that people infected with HPV have it under their finger-nails, and so potentially spread it to other people through hand-shaking.
In this study, of the 14 women who were tested for HPV on their fingertips and under their nails, 3 of them had it on their fingers, and of the 14 men, 8 of them had it on their fingers.

Now think of shaking hands with people, public transport, touching public doors, touching things in shops...
how many people wash their hands BEFORE they go the bathroom? Basically noone; so if you have it on your hands, and then wipe in the bathroom, it is theoretically possible to transmit it, via your hands, from someone else to yourself.

This is the study for interest: Sexually Transmitted Infections 1999 Oct;75(5):317-9:
Detection of human papillomavirus DNA on the fingers of patients with genital warts.
Sonnex C, Strauss S, Gray JJ,

There is no actual way of quantifying this kind of a risk, because it's still there.

I don't even want to think about public swimming pools, public showers...etc etc.


So anyway, in summary, I would say that if we want to change the rates of these cancer, the majority of effort and energy should be spent trying to change society's horrendously wild sexual behaviour, BUT at the same time, there is now a vaccine avaliable which will reduce a HUGE proportion of these cancers occuring, and, from a medical point of view, I support its use.

The vaccination won't have a more powerful effect than peer pressure, or than the example set by parents, and as this virus causes cancer, and could also be spread by non-sexual routes, I think it is wise not to dismiss it without giving some serious thought.

I consider myself very low risk for getting the HPV; I never had sex before marriage, and neither did my husband, and we don't have any intention of have any adulterous relationships with anyone else now in marriage!

BUT, because, like all cancers, cervical cancer is a horrible horrible diesease which kills, and the vaccination avaliable is safe and effective, if offered I would probably be vaccinated.


-

Maddy

Head on over to Matt & Wendy at Lacrimarum Valle and check out the adorable cuteness of their first baby; little Madeleine Jane!

My warmest, most joyous & heart-felt congratulations to them both!!

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Written 500 years ago..

...it applies perfectly well today:

Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family.

– St. Angela Merici


It's funny how often that happens; holy people from the past make some comment on the society in their own time, and it applies perfectly well, hundreds of years later, to our society too.
To me it shows how the sins of mankind are just repeated over and over; every age thinks they are more 'enlightened' than in the past....when really people fall prey to the same old sins, just re-packaged.

For example, our society think it is 'advanced' because it allows abortions for unwanted babies...the Romans used to leave handicapped or unwanted newborn babies on rubbish heaps outside Rome some 2,500years ago.
There is nothing 'advanced' about a society that wants to kill those who are inconvenient to them.

Our society thinks it is 'advanced' because it is pro-homosexuality....so was the city of Sodom many thousands of years ago.

same old sins, re-packaged for the 21st century.

If one wants to be truely 'advanced' with a new fresh mentality, then adopt the philosophy of Christianity; self-sacrificial love; loving others more than yourself; and desiring good above and beyond all things.

now THAT is revolutionary!!

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In the operating theatre....

(I'm on the right) (wearing my glasses)

we were just watching some cardiac surgery!

-

moving house...

how's it gone?

...well, let's just say I can see why psychologists call it a major "stressful life event" !!

It has been difficult on so many levels...the new house we moved in to is....not what we expected (in a bad way)...but oh well, I don't want to be a complainer....at least we have a house!
Which means we are more blessed than most people on this planet!


On a more positive note though, I DEFINITLY married the greatest guy ever, and his wonderfulness has really shone through more than usual in this last week.

-x-

ps- I am still away from home at the hospital (although I went back yesterday evening).

The more heart & lung medicine I do, the more I come to realise that smoking is the root of all evil (in a health way).

If you smoke....STOP!!! Don't do that to your body!!

I think the Dr's workload here would decrease by about 85-90% if everyone stopped smoking.


God Bless y'all!

pps- one joyful and fantastic piece of news...Matt Doyle's wife is in labour RIGHT NOW!! Go check out his blog at Lacrimarum Valle!

Congrats to them!!! xxxx


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packing packing & more packing

I got home at about 6pm tonight after a (very long) week of cardiology & went straight to Rosary prayer group...got home, C & I cooked dinner...and then the remainder of the packing began.

Chris has been a HUGE MASSIVE MEGA angel and has done 90% of the packing this last week while I've been away, but there are still a few bits and pieces here and there that need packing...

Here is me in the living room just shoving some more stuff in a box ...

we already packed our digital cameras away so this was taken on Chris's phone:

anyway, tomorrow (Saturday) we move out of this house.....and will probably spend the rest of the weekend unpacking, and then on Monday morning I am away again for the rest of the week.

As we don't have a phon-line set up in our new house I don't think I will be able to blog till NEXT Friday ( 26th Jan) when I get back home again.

I do have internet access during the week from the student room at the hospital, but it's meant to be for checking email and work-related stuff. Plus it's not really the most quiet/private of places.

anyway, thanks so much for your kind comments while I've been away!

Hope you all have a great week!

*yawns*...me need bed....

-

ta ta for now!

I am away again for the rest of this week doing heart & lung surgery (hence the picture above!), and won't be back home till Friday (19th Jan).

Also, some of you may remember I mentioned a few days ago that I am moving house next Saturday and I was saying how we still have no mode of transport to move all our stuff from here to there (we don't own a car).....well, thanks again to St. Joseph's wonderful kindness inteceeding on our behalf, we now have some wheels (as they say!)!

One of Chris's very busy rowing coaches (who himself is rowing in a few races next Saturday morning) has said that he will come in the afternoon with his TRANSIT VAN and help us move!! wohooo!!
Chris was a bit worried about asking him, as it's always a bit awkward phoning up people to ask for random labour-intensive favours (I think it's an English thing!)....but the guy actually said "yehh, no problem at all!" and was apparently very happy to come and help!
yey!
Blessed be God!

now all we have left is to do most of the packing....!

hope y'all have a good week!


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God's boundless love

Today's Gospel passage made me reflect once again on how God lavishes us with such an incomprehensible amount of love.


The more I understand the depth of God's love for us, the more speechless I am about it, and the more I start to see my own lack of love for Him and others.





Today's Gospel was from John 2:1-11, and it's the passage where Jesus, his disciples and Mary are at the wedding feast at Cana.


Mary notices that the wine is running out, which would've been a total disaster for the wedding party, and so, with rock-solid trust and faith in Jesus, she asks Him to help out.


And Jesus does.


His first public miracle is done at Mary's request.
(just think how many more miracles she can ask of Him on our behalf now that she is in Heaven with Him!!)





Jesus turns 6 stone jars of water, each holding 20-30 gallons of water, into wine.


That's the equivalent of about 1,100 bottles of wine in today's measure!


and not just *any* wine, it's the BEST wine!

So good in fact that the steward at the wedding feast is shocked at what high quality it is!





To me the fact that Jesus produced 1,100 bottles of finest wine for something as 'trivial' as ensuring the success of a couple's wedding feast, is an echo of the extent of His love for us, and the extent to which He goes to ensure our salvation.





I mean, 1,100 bottles seems like an excess! And God's love for us is such a huge excess that the more you understand it....the more it's un-understandable!





We've just had Christmas, and have reflected on that huge love God has for us, that GOD HIMSELF, the One who existed before time, became a creature; a creature made from the dust and dirt, just because He loves us!


I mean...wow!!





Would any of us leave our comfortable lives, clean beds, showers, clean clothes etc to go and live in the gutters of the dirtiest slum in the world, with the poorest people in the world? Answer...almost certainly not.


Now magnify that by an infinite magnitude, and you are still no-where near the level of humility of God becoming man.





and He did it out of a love so huge for each and every single one of us!


I mean...wow!








And then He allowed Himself to be abused, spat on, slapped, insulted, mocked, and crucified...again JUST for love of us! So that we can spend eternity with Him!!





BUT not content with giving His entire self for us at Calvary Jesus wanted to ensure that all people, not matter when in history they live, could recieve Him in the most intimate and personal way in to their very bodies...





and so at the last supper He instituted the most Holy Eucharist.





As Jesus said "This is my body.....This is my blood."








Jesus, God Himself, takes the apperance of bread and wine, so that we can live in Him, and He live in us (which is what He said in John 6:57 "He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him").
That is such love! It is not possible to be more intimate and personal with anyone than with Jesus after having recieved Him in Communion!





St. Cyril of Alexandria (Hom. in Joan., IV, xvii) beautifully represents this mystical union as the fusion of our being into that of the God-man, Jesus, as "when melted wax is fused with other wax".

Now that is such love, it takes your breath away!

GOD Himself, becomes a lowly man just for us, and then takes on the appearance of bread and wine just for us!

God certainly does lavish us with love!

-

Blue eyed girl!

my baby cousin!

in January...?!

I have never seen anything like this before in my life!

Look carefully at this photo I took below:

click to enlarge

a tree without a single leaf on, totally covered in apples!!

...in early JANUARY in England..?!!

I thought it was such a great sight that I had to take a bunch of pictures!

Has anyone seen anything like this before at this time of year?!

(If you click each picture you'll enlarge it and get a better view)

~~~

on an unrelated note....

Happy (beleated) 21st birthday to my brother!!

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what a week!

Seems like I have been away for aaages and not just 5 days!

I've had such a wonderful and busy week!

It's always sad to be away from home; living out of a suitcase in one small room for a month or more ain't fun (I miss Chris, I miss Mass, the food ain't great, and it's shocking how dependent I am on the internet!!)...but on the plus side, being away means you really get to do A LOT of medicine! Because there are no distractions in my room, and really nothing other than medicine to do, I end up spending ages in the hospital seeing patients and doing stuff, and then get loooads and looooads of revision and studying done in the evening.

And as nerdy as it sounds, there is something really exhilerating and satisfying about learning!! And it's great when you've been revising something, and then you see it in a patient and suddenly everything falls into place and you understand it and remember it!

That's the thing about medicine; it's really not *that* difficult. The concepts are pretty easy. It's just the sheer volume of stuff to know that can be a problem fitting it into your brain!

I am definitly having one of my oooh-I-love-medicine moments!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm spending the next month doing heart & lung surgery. I've now come home for the weekend, but will be back there on Monday.

I got to see open heart surgery this week too! I saw a coronary artery bypass graft, and a valve replacement.
I never realised that they actually totally stop the heart and lungs from working during these operation and put the person on a bypass machine, which basically does the job of the heart and lungs.
It's amazing how well it works too!

So yeh, now I can say that I've seen a beating human heart!

(also, another exciting part of my week was that I got to hear mitral stenosis! I'm sure medics can appreciate how exciting this is! It's a rare heart murmur which as medical students we have to learn all about, and it makes a very unusual grumbling, rumbling noise, quite unlike other heart murmurs. But because it's quite rare you don't often get to hear it. So it was very helpful that I got to hear one with week!)


anyway! Enough about medicine!


In other news....we have a new house!! woohooo!

Some of you may remember a few months ago I said that our land-lady had decided to sell this house and not extend our contract, so we had to move out in January.

So yeh, in a week we have to move!

And we only found out about 4 days ago that we *do* have another house! Yey! Thank you St. Joseph!
The new house is basically the only one on the market at the moment that was the price/location/etc that we needed.

It was all a bit tricky because originally the new house was only going to be avaliable a week after we were due to leave this house...but now everything has been worked out and the dates match up well!
So thank you to the wonderful St. J!

So I have a fun weekend ahead of me of packing up the entire house....and then when I get back next weekend, I'll have a weekend of moving!
(we haven't yet sorted how exactly we are going to move all our stuff to the new house...I'm still counting on St. J to provide us with some sort of transport!!)


anyway, I think I have chattered away enough for the moment.

I have been seriously deprived of fruit & veg during this last week, so now it's dinner time and I am going to overload myself in the veg department!


Just one final thing...

this is such a beautiful quote I found:

Our Lady's love is like a stream that has its source in the Eternal Fountains, quenches the thirst of all, can never be drained, and ever flows back to its Source.

– St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Oh sweet Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us as we have recourse to Thee!

Blessed be the great mother of God, Mary most holy!

-

Our actions have a tongue of their own; they have an eloquence of their own, even when the tongue is silent. For deeds prove the lover more than words.

– St. Cyril of Jerusalem


That's why what we do matters; we speak with our bodies through our actions.

-

We should make no mistake. God is no shadowy or distant being who created us then abandoned us; nor is he a master who goes away and does not return.

Though we do not perceive him with our senses, his existence is far more true than any of the realities which we touch and see. God is here with us, really present, living. He sees and hears us, He guides us, and knows our smallest deeds, our most hidden intentions.

We believe this – but we live as if God did not exist. For we do not have a thought or a word for him; for we do not obey him, nor try to control our passions; for we do not show that we love him, and we do not atone...Are we going to continue living with a dead faith?

– St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, #658

Back to work

Well, my holiday is over (*sobs*) and tomorrow at 7:15am, work starts again.

For the next month I will be away from home (*more sobs*) studying cardiac & respiratory medicine at a heart + lungs specialist centre some distance from here.

I intend to work like a little worker bee, and try to offer Jesus the gold, frankincense and myrrh of my studies (i.e. the best I can do, and trying not to be lazy!)

On the subject of which....hope you all have a blessed Epiphany today!

Only the baptism of Our Lord tomorrow (Monday) and the Christmas season is over again for another year!

God Bless,

-x-

----

Catholic Devotions Meme

Catholic Wife & Mother tagged me to do this Catholic devotions meme...


1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus.
Personal prayer after recieving communion


2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer.
Rosary; I love the Hail Mary and Haily Holy Queen


3. Do you wear a scapular or medal?
Brown scapular & miraculous medal


4. Do you have holy water in your home?
Not at the moment


5. Do you "offer up" your sufferings?
I try


6. Do you observe First Fridays and First Saturdays?
Mostly, yes. But much more so before I started my full-time hospital work as I was able to attend Mass on a Friday.


7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration? How Frequently?
Yes, about 3-4 times a week.


8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or a Sunday morning Mass person? Sunday morning


9. Do you say prayers at mealtime?
Yes, always


10. Favorite saints:
St. Joseph, St. Anthony, St. Leopold, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina, St. Padre Pio, St. Theresa of Avila...I love all the Saints!


11. Can you recite the Apostles' Creed by heart?
Yes


12. Do you usually say short prayers (aspirations) during the course of the day? Yes


13. Bonus Question: When you pass by an automobile accident or other serious mishap, do you say a quick prayer for the folks involved?
Yes.
(and like Catholic Wife & Mother, I also do when I see a herse passing with a coffin in)


Added bonus question: Have you named your Guardian Angel?
No. I've tried thinking of a name, or asking my angel to tell me his name, but so far I don't have a suitable one!


I tag St. Peter's Helpers & AutumnRose


------------

Says it all...

Someone just emailed me this & I think it was so funny (unfortunatly however it is true):

Carl Djerassi, emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford University, was awarded both the National Medal of Science for the first synthesis of a steroid oral contraceptive--"the Pill", and was also awarded the National Medal of Technology for promoting new approaches to insect control.

...so the guy who invented the pill, is also an expert in insect population control...?!

Hmm.....wonder if he was applying some of his ideas about controlling insect populations when he was thinking about the "benefits" of the pill in controlling human populations...?!

it would not in any way surprise me if he was.

-

Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.

– St. Louis de Montfort

-

Michelangelo's brain....

In one of our teaching sessions at the end of last term instead of doing any proper work, we had a 'Christmas Quiz' with a load of fun medical questions related to arts, music, sport etc.


and here is one fascinating thing I learnt...





I'm sure at some point we've all seen a picture of Michelangelo's "Creation of Man" panel from the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in Rome.
(i've seen it in real life and it is gorgeous!)

Well, look carefully at the figure of God above, and then follow the pictures below....

a human brain...

the human brain superimposes perfectly onto the figure of God...

some more explanatory drawings...

So scientists think that the surrounding image of God was actually purposefully painted by Michelangelo to resemble a human brain!

Ain't that fascinating?!!

-

For copyright purposes, here are the 2 websites that I got the pictures from: website a & website b

Persona Christi

Here is a beautiful poem my brother wrote for all consecrated priests; it's called 'Persona Christi' and he was inspired to write it after hearing all the insults & criticisms that Catholics hurl at Priests, and especially the Pope.



Remembers...all our Catholic Priests are Christ to us.






Not the gift of service,
Not that of his life,
His chastity and abandonment (thrice).
Not his smiles, not his sighs,
Not the tears in his eyes,
Can transform his judges
Away from their lives.

By actions far demeaned
He represents that altar's scene-
He strives, denies himself and suffers dismay,
He loves and loves more each day,
Humbled by obdurate vice
He offers sacrifice in this way
with upturned eyes-His Father who sits on high

CRIES out to his son
Abused and ignored,
Once a sage, not restored
For the works he has done
In a world torn to its core.

All implore judges
Transform their lives,
And realise God's joyous decree,
That there resides behind priestly disguise
The mighty Son, Persona Christi.






His commentary to me in an email:



My point in the end sentence and throughout is that this priest IS Christ, he IS persona Christi; how many people forget this.



And yet if they did remove his disguise how blinded they would be to realise the one who they have been calling boring, uninspiring and who they have been criticising is in fact Christ.



It is our job to 'remove his disguise' so to speak and remind people he is persona Christi.



So I wanted to write it in such a way that a person thinks I am referring to Jesus but would discover at the end that there is much more to it: our priests are Jesus to us.







-





On a related note; another piece of inspiring work from my brother from last December 2005:






-

Random photos from my day out..

Pretty pumpkins! ( in January..?!)

Chris choosing running shoes

Good ol' English Merry-go-Round!

Lights on trees!

this is a house we passed while driving; seeing as I mentioned these house decorations in a post a while ago I thought I'd blog about it!

-

Tell him slowly: Good Jesus, if I am to be an apostle, and an
apostle of apostles, you have to make me very humble.
May I know myself.
May I know myself and know you.
Then I will never lose sight of my nothingness.

– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #871

My husband...

...as a little boy!

As I mentioned in my last post; yesterday we looked through a bunch of Chris's family photos from his childhood, and here are some particularly cute ones I found of Chris:


As a wee baby being held by his great grandmother

In primary school, aged 4-5 years.
I think he looks SO adorable in this one! What a little rascal smile!

About 6-7years old, with one of his baby sisters.

A few years later, aged 11 (he was a prefect at his primary school! You can just see his badge on the front of his school jumper).

and here he is a few years later aged 12.

and now skip forward some 13 years to October 2006...and here is the dashing young man now:

hehe!

I LOVE HIM!

-

Mother of God

Today, January 1st, is the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

Jesus is 100% God (& 100% man) , Mary is Jesus's mother, and so Mary is the Mother of God.

The Priest at Mass today gave a really nice reflection on how we should focus during this upcoming year on developing our contemplative side and so deepen and strengthen our realtionship with God.

He said we should do this by imitating Mary who is described in Luke's Gospel as "treasuring all these things and pondering them in her heart" (regarding the angels' message to the Shepherds).

A good way to start is to take the Bible, and read one small section of the Gospels, and ponder it over. Think about what Jesus is saying to YOU through these words. Imagine He is speaking to you, and then speak back to Him. Use the words of the Gospel to gaze lovingly on Christ in your heart.

If you are Catholic, a lovely thing to do is to take the Gospel of the day (whether or not you can go to Mass that day) and then use that as the Gospel reading for the day. At the moment we are reading from the Gospel of Luke.

Click here for a webiste that gives you the Gospel reading of the day.

-

In other news.....Happy 2007!!

I can't believe it is already 2007! Goodness, I remember welcoming in the year 2000, and 7 years have already passed since then! wow! That's quite a long time!

I hope you had a nice evening! Chris & I stayed here at his parent's house (we aren't really the partying going-out-and-going-crazy types! I MUCH prefer being home and being quiet!)

We looked through some of his old family photos! It was so much fun!! haha!

We also prayed the Te Deum, which is a plenary indulgence if prayed on the last day of the year (as long as the other condition for a plenary indulgence are fulfilled...that is, sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Pope. Also there must be no attachment to sin, even venial sin).

Happy 2007!!

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