The Tridentine Mass: "Everything old is new again"

(I love that song!)

I was asked by Jane a while ago what I thought of the Tridentine Mass and whether I go to a Tridentine Mass.

Just before I write about that, for those who don't know the story..

At the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s, the style of the Mass was formalised; that is, the format, the words used, basically 'how-Mass-is-celebrated-in-the-Roman-Catholic-Church' was standardised officially.
And that style of Mass is called the Tridentine Mass.
The Tridentine Mass looks like this:

In the 1960s the Second Vatican Council, a new style of Mass was brought in. As I understand it, they wanted to make the Mass simpler; they got rid of the obligatory Latin and allowed Mass to be said in the local language ('the venacular'), the Priest faces the people, they changed the format of the readings and the entire liturgy, changed the obligatory position of the tabernacle, allowed Communion in the hand etc, amongst many other things.

This Mass we call the 'Novus Ordo" Mass, and that is the Mass which goes on in every Roman Catholic Church around the world (Eastern Rite Catholics have their own style of Mass).

This Mass can be said in any language; and some Churches have Latin Novus Ordo Mass (...but note that this is not the same as a Tridentine Mass).

(on a side-note: Eastern Rite Catholics are not the same as the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox broke away from the Catholic Church 1000yrs ago. The Eastern Rite Catholics are still part of the Catholic Church and are in communion with the Pope, but they celebrate the Sacraments in a different way. So all this discussion about Masses only pertains to the LATIN rite of the Catholic Church, and not the EASTERN rite who are in charge of their own liturgies).

As far as I understand it, in some circles there is a belief that the Tridentine Mass is..'better' (for want of a better word) that the Novus Ordo Mass. Some people see the Tridentine Mass as being more reverant and respectful, and the Novus Ordo Mass as being a 'lesser' Mass. Other people totally reject all Novus Ordo Masses and will only go to Tridentine Masses.

Currently, (as far as I understand the regulations), a Priest must get permission from his Bishop if he wants to celebrate a Tridentine Mass. There are a couple of places in England where Mass is celebrated in this way.

As for me, I have only been to a Tridentine Mass a small handful of times in my life, as I don't really have any local opportunity to go.
I do have the option of going to a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin, but I don't go to that one regularly.

I am not well-versed in any indepth arguments between the Tridentine & Novus Ordo Masses, as I don't have any close Catholic friends who are (so-called) "Traddies" , and so the opportunity to discuss this has not arisen.

I am reluctant to accept an argument that the Tridentine Mass is somehow intrinsically 'more holy' than a Novus Ordo Mass or that one gets more graces simply from going to a Tridentine Mass (which some people seem to imply).
Afterall, the Tridentine Mass came about through a Church Council, and so did the Novus Ordo Mass.

However, I can see the argument that the Tridentine Mass may foster a greater sense of awe and reverence during Mass, making it easier to truely enter into the mystery of the Mass.

I appreciate the silence (sometimes having all that music can prevent you from doing any thinking & praying), and the outstanding respect and reverence with which Mass is said certaintly does encourage a greater respect for the holiness of the Eucharist.

I myself have been to some pretty awful Novus Ordo Masses. Not so much in England, but one I went to in America filled me with horror; it was just so irreverant I almost cried; 15-20 Eucharistic Ministers with a mean age of 16 who had no idea what they were doing, parading all over the Church holding chalices filled with the blood of Christ and ciboria full of hosts, all dressed in mini-shorts...*shudders*. eugh.

and you read all sorts of things on the interent about bad things going on in Novus Ordo Masses in America; things like Priests forbidding Parishoners from kneeling, or forbidding them from recieving communion on the tongue, lay people reading the Gospel & giving the homily, people being encouraged to crowd round the altar during the most holy Consecration etc etc...

Things like that would *NEVER* happen in any Tridentine Mass...

But, I can't help thinking that this is because the Tridentine Mass is not the 'default' Mass, and so when people go to a Tridentine Mass they are aware that it is 'different', and so put more effort (the Priest & the people) into making it more reverant and respectful, than your average Sunday Mass in your average Parish.

That is, some may argue that there is nothing really intrinsic to the Tridentine Mass that stops such abuse and irreverance happening. It's just that the people who currently attend & the Priests who celebrate the Tridentine Mass now-a-days, are the sort of people who wouldn't do that anyway.

That is, your sample is biased!
If every Catholic Church in the world were to celebrate only the Tridentine Mass, your 'liturgical abuses per Tridentine Mass' ratio would probably rise.

I once heard a Priest, who was celebrating his 50th anniversary as a Priest, say that it is incorrect to assume that back in the old Pre-Vatican 2 days, every Tridentine Mass was holy and reverant, and every parishoner was God-fearing and obedient to the Church.
He said Masses said back then were just as likely to be sloppy and rushed, and have corners cut, as any Novus Ordo Mass is these days, and many people went to Mass because of social pressures, and not really driven by any love of God.

So I don't know whether if the Tridentine Mass became 'the norm' now-a-days, said in every Parish everywhere round the world, the standards currently seen in Tridentine Masses would persist.


Somehow, I think not. (But I could be wrong)

Some people say that the Novus Ordo Mass gives more scope for liturgical abuse, and irreverent activities, and I can definitly see their arguments and this may be true to a certain extent.

However, for me, a vitally important factor is what goes on in someone's heart, and the respect and love they have for Christ; having a loving relationship with Christ, at whose death we are present during Mass , and having a living faith in the Eucharist and the Church, is of central importance.

Some people would argue that the beauty of a Tridentine Mass would feed that more than a typical Novus Ordo Mass, but, as I said, I don't know how long that would hold up for if the Tridentine Mass were to become the norm.
I think that proper catechesis and instruction on the faith is sorely needed, and when that improves, and people's faith & love increases, so will their respect for the Mass.


I've only ever had one close friend who frequented the Tridentine Mass.

But you know the sadest part?
If he couldn't get to his Tridentine Mass...he would just skip Mass that Sunday.
He would break his Sunday obligation rather than going to a Novus Ordo Mass.

That makes me very sad, and I think is an example of how sometimes this argument about Tridentine Mass/Novus Ordo Mass can lose its perspective; it becomes all about 'the type of Mass', and actually forgetting about Jesus and His commandments to love God and our neighbour.


I have been to some very beautiful and respectful Novus Ordo Masses, so I don't think there are any intrinsic flaws in the Novus Ordo Mass...the abuses are more likely to be due to a lack of respect and faith of the people involved..and so perhaps they would happen anyway, even if the Tridentine Mass was the standard Mass.

But anyway, I do think that the Tridentine Mass is a very beautiful Mass (with the way it is celebrated now-a-days it unarguably is); would I go only to a Tridentine Mass if there was one every Sunday in my home town?
I don't know.

Would getting rid of the Novus Ordo Mass and having only the Tridentine Mass solve the World's faith crisis...I don't know.

I am a strong believer in the fact that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Catholic Church, and I'm sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if the Novus Ordo Mass was brought in, it was for a good reason.

On a related note, there are rumours in the Catholic world that Pope Benedict will, in the not too distant future, bring in permission to allow the Tridentine Mass to be said by any Priest if they want to.

~~~

Anyway, please, if I have said anything incorrect then please do correct me! I am certainly no expert in this area and these are just my simple thoughts!

I would be very interested to hear what anyone else thinks on this issue! I know a lot of people in blog world are very pro-Tridentine Mass, and almost anti-Novus Ordo Mass (especially if it's in the venacular!), but I haven't ever been clear why.

and to Jane who asked me the question...what do you think?

God Bless

-x-

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Dr. Billings is dying

I'm sure many of you Catholics have heard of "The Billings Method" -- the very first method of NFP, developed in the 1950s.

It was pioneered by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Billings, and involves tracking a woman's fertility by paying attention to the sensation at the vulva and the appearance of any vaginal discharge. This information can be used to achieve or avoid a pregnancy and can be used even during irregular cycles, breastfeeding, or peri-menopause.


Dr. Billings has has spoken at many Vatican conferences, and was was urged on in his work by personal contact by both Pope Paul VI, and John Paul II, both of whom learnt and understood the Billings Method of NFP, and supported its use.

Dr. Billings is currently very close to death, and asks for our prayers for a peaceful death.

Here is the Billings website for more info on the Billings method.


-

NFP in China

Report shows natural family planning reduces abortion and sterility inChinese women

Madrid, Mar 29, 2007 / 11:45 am (CNA).

- A study by the Billings Foundation has revealed that the use of natural family planning could be a better weapon in combating abortion and sterility among Chinese women.

An article in the Spanish magazine 'Alba' presented the amazing results ofthe study.

The use of natural family planning by four million Chinese womenreduced the average percentage of abortions from 4.6% to 0.6%, and of 40,000 women who considered themselves unable to bear children, 39,000 achieved conception.

Maria Teresa Gutierrez Prieto, an expert in human sexuality and a promoterof natural family planning, told Alba the 'intrinsic goodness' of these methods leads to greater self-esteem in women.

"A woman who knows her cycle loves herself more and is more committed. Self-control helps one appreciate the other person and love him or her, and be at the other's service, thus inspiring gestures of affection," she said.

Gutierrez said NFP represents a "different anthropology." It¹s not an"alternative" to artificial birth control, but rather is "based on respectfor the body, the biological rhythms, and above all, on the idea that we are cooperators with God."

from Catholic News

"True humility lies not in thinking less of yourself, but in thinking of yourself less"

(a sign on the girl's cabin when I worked at a Catholic summer Camp in American summer 05)

-

Hello world!

Hello all! Sorry, long time no see! I haven't had much free time this week (...let's make that 'haven't had any free time this week' !)
I've spent waay too many days in the hospital past 9pm, and I am so excited about leaving the gross hospital accommodation today for my 2 weeks Easter holiday. It is currently 7am and I am in the hospital library, I couldn't take it in my room any more (or "prison cell" as one of my medical student peers calls our rooms!)

Remember how some posts ago I was complaining that the ex-residents of my room smoked, because my room STUNK of cigarettes? Well, last night I was on the phone to Chris, complaining yet again that the room just stenches of smoke. I have had the window open perpertually for 3 weeks and have sprayed the room with as much air freshener as I can, but nothing seems to improve it. My clothes in the cupboard are even starting to stink of smoke as well. EUGH.
and my clever Chris said "You know, maybe it's the people living below you who are smoking..."

...3 minutes later I was knocking at the door of the flat below, and yes, sure enough, the girl who lives in the room directly below mine smokes.

a lot.

so I have spent 12hours a day for the last 3 weeks being a passive smoker.

YUK
YUK
YUK

I'm the sort of person who holds my breath when I walk past a smoker in the street, so you can imagine I'm not happy!

So now I am waiting till 8:30am when the accommodation office opens, and then I'm going to

a- complain
b- beg (on my knees if necessary!) for them to move me and put me in a different room.


Luckily tomorrow my 2 weeks Easter holidays start. THANK GOD!!! It's been 12 weeks since the Christmas holidays and am in desperate need of a break! Also, I just want to go home! (...to a house with clean air!)


Okay, it is Friday in Lent, I better not complain anymore! There are far far worse things than a room made of asbestos which smells of cigarettes!


This afternoon I am supposed to be having a Communication Skills teaching session on 'Taking a sexual history' from patients.

I have already heard from my friends that the actor-patients who come in are all a bit odd; there is one promiscuous gay guy who talks really animatedly and in details about his sexual activities using all sorts of gross slang terminology.
In our teaching booklet it says that we have to ask all sort of questions about the sexual behaviours and whether it was with males/females and whether they used "protection" and all sorts of other unplesant things like that.

I was going to go (being the nerd that I am, and never missing a teaching session on anything)...but upon reflection, I have decided not to.

I get easily scandalised by these sorts of things, and quite frankly, I don't want to be exposed to talk of morally deviant behaviour, presented as normal.
I turn off TV shows as soon as they start to mention anything to do with gross sexual behaviour (...not that I own a tv, or have watched tv for months anyway!). I mean, I haven't been able to cope watching shows like "Friends" for years on tv anymore! Sex before marriage, terrible sexual promiscuity, acceptance of homosexual behaviours....not good stuff. It certainly doesn't make Jesus happy.

I find that the more you allow yourself to be in contact with such things, the more they eventually start seeping into your mind, and you start seeing them as normal.

It's obvious; you do eventually become what you choose to surround yourself with.

(the word 'choose' is important)

Feed your mind who good holy thoughts and you will interpret the world in the different way than if you expose yourself constantly to morally deviant things.

The horror that you should feel with sin gets numbed...and eventually you become accommodated to them, and seeing them as being not 'that bad'.

(this definitly happened to me just before I started University. I was going through my I'm-a-cool-19-year-old phase, and spent my days watching 'Sex and the City' and all those other trash tv shows...and I eventually just become accustomed to their sins. Not even really feeling shocked at the extent of sin they portray.)

So I was thinking "What would St. Therese of Lisieux do?"
Well, she would probably say something holy and convert the whole class, but the point is, I don't think she would expose herself to something like that.

And plus, such a class would scandalise my guardian angel!

It would be different if there was going to be any opportunity to talk about the morality (or lack thereof) of these behaviours, but the class isn't about that at all. It's just a case of talking to actor patients (in front of other students) and learning how to ask about their sexual behaviours and how to advise them on being "sexually safe".

I think I could probably take a sexual history from a patient if I needed to for an exam, without having to suffer through the class...so I'm going to purposefully miss my first ever class!!


anyway, it is now 8:30am...am going to find that accommodation person!

It's cool to be Catholic!!

Just came across these on MoneyBags's website:



heeehee! I WANT ONE!!

you can buy them here

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In an English Country Garden...

Unlike the wind, rain and snow that has characterised every day of this last week, today was a glorious sunny day here in good ol' blightly!

Not having seen each other this last week (due to me being stranded in the hospital an hour from home changing babies' nappies and other such paediatric-y stuff), Chris & I decided to do go for a (oh-so-middle-aged) stroll around a local beauty-spot after a (very beautiful) Sunday Mass.

(Oh boy was Mass great today! Having been stuck at this hospital all week, I haven't had my daily dose of Jesus in Mass/Adoration, as I normally do back at home...so I hadn't been to Mass since last Sunday...waaaa! I missed Jesus so much!! I really felt it when I went to Church today; my heart was so full of love and I was all like "My sweet darling Jesus! I haven't seen you all week!! I LOVE YOU & I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!!" Communion was wonderful!)

anyway,

I sometimes think it would be so much fun to live abroad somewhere...I did spend the first 16 years of my life in Saudi Arabia, so I am used to life as an international ex-pat.
But to be honest; I love English scenery waaay too much to leave!

I love the quaint Jane Austen tea-and-crumpets, daffodils-and-meadows, old Abbeys and castles and little baby lambs, Englishness!

and Chris is just the same!

Here are some photos of our big day out!

An English phone box!
A kitty warming himself in sun!

I know our heads are slightly cut off, but I had to post this one! It is way too cute with the kitty-kat who just strolled into the photo!













(minus the kitty!)



800 year old ruins!

England is pretty!

-

My Saturdays...

...are nothing, but thrilling!



Me, nerding it up in the library.
(yes, I did bring my camera to the library and take loads of photos!)


Scenes from a medical library...




Thousands of old books. I wonder if anyone actually ever looks at the New England Journal of Medicine from 1973?



I still have one week left the the hospital an hour from home, doing paediatrics. Then I get 2 weeks Easter holidays (YEY!!) and then I am back at the hospital again for another 3 weeks.

Look what I saw on the main corridor leading towards my hospital room:




Great! So if the carcinogenic effect of the cigarette stench in my hospital room doesn't damage my lungs, the asbestos in the walls might!!


aaah dear!

back to the old revision...

----

My medical elective

You may remember that I've mentioned a couple of times that this summer I'll be going on my medical elective for about 6 weeks....I can go anywhere I want, anywhere round the world, to do anything medical-y that I want. So the world is my oyster (...only problem is that it's all self-funded, and I am waaay too scared to go anywhere totally alone where my risk of being abducted/catching an infectious disease is anything above zero) (...plus my darling mummy would freak out if I went anywhere other than the Western world!!)

anyway, today Chris bought our flight tickets so IT'S ALL SORTED!!

(...with the exception of some major visa/health-checks which I need to to work in a hospital abroad....but I'm hoping it will all get sorted out....)

In case you hadn't already guessed by the picture at the top of this post...I'll be going to the good ol' US of A, and to Canada!

(well, the America part is just a holiday, the Canada part is my actual elective)

So the plan is...

Chris & I are flying out together from London at the end of June, landing in Boston.

We'll be staying for a week with one of my lovely lovely friends who I met when I worked in Catholic summer camp in Georgia (USA) in summer 2005 (*waves* hi maggie!!!)

We'll be staying in Boston with Maggie for a week, and our plane tickets include car hire which is coool! (although Chris has never driven in the right hand side of the road before...so I'm a bit nervous...).

We might also do a day trip to New York!

At the end of that week, I will then fly to British Columbia in Canada (via Chicago), while Chris flies to HAWAII (for an all-expenses-paid-for conference he apparently *has* to go to!!) ( I so should've done a PhD!!!!)

It's great how Chris's conference dates all worked out nicely with my elective dates, so we can go on holiday together for a week first in Boston, and then can each go off to our do our own things.

I am not jealous about Chris going to (a luxurious 5-star hotel) in Hawaii, because I'll be going to see the wonderful DilexitPrior !!!! I'll be staying in the same hospital where her dad works and in their home town!

How awesome is that?!

I know she has given up on the internet for Lent, but I just wanted to say a huge thanks to her & her dad for helping me organise it all!!

So yeh....

Boston(/New York) and then British Columbia....

A Boston Terrier (I'm so funny!) & a Killer Whale swimming off the British Columbian coast

.....shame I have to suffer my week-long horrible pooey exams in June first!

-

Antonia; a portrait

drawn for me by a 5 year old in Clinic!

I like how he's put a little flower on my dress, and even captured my new stylish short hair!!

hehe!

-

Antonia's medical fact of the day...

...did you know that they can give unborn babies blood transfusions?!

I had no idea that it was possible to tranfuse blood to babies while they are still in their mother's womb, but apparently it is possible, and does happen!

I just thought that was fascinating!


I also saw a baby today who was born early at 24 weeks of gestation (full-term pregnancy is 37 weeks gestation), he is still small but doing well.

24 weeks is also the the upper limit allowed for abortions for any reason in England & Wales (but you can abort up till birth if you have a 'good' reason).

It's kinda scary to think how in one ward of a hospital they are using the latest technology to keep a 24 week old baby alive...and in another one they are killing them.

How can that make sense to people?

How people think that someone's right to live or die is just based on what other people want?
That doesn't make sense!

All humans have an intrinsic value, an instrinsic right to life, which is completely independent of what other's want.

You can't just kill someone because you don't want them around!

crazy blind world.


Anyway,
the other day a young mother (she must've been about 26 years old) gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome. They didn't actually know it had Down's Syndrome till it was born, and then the mid-wives thought it had a few of the typical DS features, and so they did a chromosome check, and it came back positive.

The parents were a bit shocked ( I think it was the last thing they expected), and when I was telling Chris on the phone the first thing he said to me was something like "We should really thank Jesus."

That really struck me...but he is right! I should thank Jesus even more for this girl's life.

Obviously, I don't know what this mother & her boyfriend would've done if they'd known that their baby had Down's Syndrome before birth, but if they did what 90% of all other parents do when they find out...the baby wouldn't be alive today.

(yes, shocking isn't it? 90% of those people who find out their baby has Down's Syndrome have the baby aborted. How awful)

So thank you Jesus for this precious little girl's life! May she lead her parent's and family to you!

There is a little boy on the children's ward at the moment with Down's Syndrome, and despite the fact that he is ill and burning up with fever, he *always* without fail, waves good-bye to you, when you leave!! He is so adorable and affectionate!

anyway, I better get on with some work!

God Bless
xxxx

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Charities

The other day, I was speaking with my brother about charities, and which charities Catholics can give money to in good conscience.

Last week in England was the annual Red Nose Day; it is basically a big nation-wide event where they try to collect money for charities. I'm sure that the people running it want to do their best to 'help out those in need' and I have no doubt that some of the money is spent providing shelters for the homeless, building wells in poor African villages and other good stuff like that....but some of their other ideas of 'helping' may not necessarily be my idea of helping....funding campaigns for contraceptives in Africa, abortion provision in Asia...
In fact, in one of my moments of boredom last week I was watching a video on the BBC News website about the Red Nose Day campaign, and as well as a scenes of small starving African children, they also had footage of an African man teaching his village how to use a condom.
Hmm...

Not sure I want to give money to fund morally abhorrent behaviour.

But the problem is that lots of charities put their money in things that I consider morally wrong; like Cancer Research UK fund embryo research, and even Oxfam supports abortion clinics world-wide.

Here is a good document from the Pro-Life organisation 'Society For the Protection of the Unborn Child' (SPUC) which lists hundreds of charities and their official position on abortion, euthanasia and embryo-research etc.
Well worth looking at.

Anyway, there are lots of decent charities you can donate money to...pro-life organisations, monestaries, convents, hospices, missionary orders, Catholic-specific charities...or PETER'S PENCE!

It is the Pope's official charity!! All the money given to Peter's Pence gets given out to charitable causes chosen personally by Pope Benedict! How cool is that?! I'd trust the Pope to use my money for the good of man-kind!


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St. J

Helloooo!

Happy St. Joseph's day!!

As I am back stranded at the hospital an hour from home, I have been unable to go to Mass today to celebrate my most special Saint's feast day.
:-(
I am genuinely upset at that!

I will have to choose a special prayer from my St. Joseph prayer book later to say to him; maybe the praises of St. Joseph which are very beautiful...(as below)





O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be thy soul, which was adorned with all the virtues and gifts of the Holy Ghost. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be thine intellect, which was full of the most sublime knowledge of God and was enlightened by Divine Revelations. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be thy will, which was all inflamed with love for Jesus and Mary, and always perfectly conformed to the Divine will. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be thine eyes, to which it was granted to look continually upon Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be thine ears, which merited to hear the sweet words of Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O dear St. Joseph, ever blessed be thy tongue, which continually praised God, and with profound humility and reverence conversed with Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O chaste St. Joseph, ever blessed be thy most pure and loving heart, with which thou didst ardently love Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Joseph, ever blessed be thy thoughts, words, and actions, each and all of which ever tended to the loving service of Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O holy Patriarch Joseph, ever blessed be all the moments of thy life, which thou didst spend in the faithful service of Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O my Protector St. Joseph, ever blessed be that moment of thy life in which thou didst most sweetly die in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Glory be to the Father...



O glorious St. Joseph, ever blessed be that moment in which thou didst enter into the eternal joys of Heaven. Glory be to the Father...





O happy St. Joseph, ever blessed be every moment in eternity in which thou hast enjoyed the incomprehensible bliss of union with God in Heaven, together with Jesus and Mary, and all the Saints. Glory be to the Father...

-

O dearest protector! Mayest thou be ever blessed, by thy faithful clients, and by all creatures, for all eternity, with all the blessings which the Most Holy Trinity hast bestowed upon thee, and with all the benedictions given thee by Jesus and Mary and by the whole Church. Glory be to the Father...



O thrice holy Joseph, blessed in soul and body, blessed in life and death, blessed on earth and in Heaven, obtain for us poor sinners, but nevertheless thy true and faithful clients, a share in thy blessings, the grace to imitate thee devoutly, to ardently love and faithfully serve Jesus and Mary, and especially the happiness to die in thy holy arms. Amen

dose of cuteness!

-

Happy birthday Chrissy!

It was Chris's 25th birthday the other day!! (I remember a few years ago when we celebrated his 21st birthday (I was 19), and I thought he was reeeeeally old!! Now he is properly old!! A quarter of a century!)

As I was away all week we decided we'd do something special on Saturday evening for him; I told him that I'd sort it all out and he just assumed we'd be going for a meal together, just the two of us.

....but I actually emailed about 30 of his PhD friends, rowing friends, his siblings, friends who've graduated and are working, and invited them all to a surprise party at our house!!

Chris has NO IDEA!! hehe!

Luckily I knew Chris would be out for the afternoon/early evening, so I tidied the entire house, rearranged all the furniture, sorted out the food; I also made sure all his friends arrived here about 15mins before he was due to get home.

When he then came in I went to meet him at the front door and he said something like "Shall I go and get ready to go out?" (he was expecting to go out for a meal) and I said "I have something to show you in the living room" and then led him in....and all his friends were there, and they jumped up and shouted "SURPRISE!!"

hehe! He was very surprised!!

It was a nice evening! He was happy!

We had lasagne, chicken legs, potatoe wedges, pizza, sausage rolls, salad, coleslaw, dips and of course cake & ice-cream!

Unfortunatly as I was the only one doing all the food and things I didn't really get a chance to take any photos other than of the decorations!

One funny thing...I though the balloons were blank when they were bought, but actually they said "HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY" on them!!
I only noticed about an hour before Chris was due to get home as I opened the packet to blow them up!! Oops!

I managed to find a thick permanent marker pen however and write in a big '5' next to the 2, to make it 25!!
That's quite lucky actually, any other number and it wouldn't have worked!
and noone really noticed anyway!!

~~~

I am now totally exhausted. My eyes have been achey all day. We didn't get to bed till about 1:30am, and then up relatively early today for Mass.

A friend who I haven't seen since my wedding was also in town today so I felt I had to go out to see her for a few hours after Mass.

Then I went to see my mum, and it is Mother's day today in England.
My brother had sent her, via 'FlowerMail' (or something), a beautiful vase a lilac and purple tulips, and I coincidently bought her some pink tulips too!

Then I got home, Chris went to do some shopping for me for the rest of the week, we did some laundy and now I am about to start doing some revision.

I don't really want to leave home again tomorrow. The weeks are so long and awful when you're stuck in a hospital room, plus I cant really talk much to Chris because mobile phone calls are so expensive....oh well.

God Bless

-x-

---

hehe!

-

paeds week 1

Hello,

apologies for lack of posts all week. I've been staying at a hospital about an hour from my home. I thought I'd get internet access in my room (because some of the rooms get it at this hospital), but I actually got a room in the old horrible part of the hospital accommodation...so no internet access for me (except in the library)! (along with no internet access comes no shower...just a plain bath-tub! How is anyone supposed to wash themselves in just a bath-tub? I have nothing against baths, but the thought of having a bath in a public bath-tub used by people I don't know is not appealing!! Needless to say, I am going to buy a shower attachment for the bath-tub taps so I can shower properly. I feel it's a good investment for my 6 weeks at this hospital!) Also, my room STUNK of cigarette smoke. It was sooo yucky. Old stale cigarette smoke. eugh. I had the window open for 3 days (day & night) to try and get some air in to get rid of the smell. By the time I left today my room only faintly smelt of smoke!

aaaah, the joys of living in hospital acommodation!

These are the sorts of things I can only really cope with because I'm a student! Living out of a suitcase in a hospital room is not something I ever want to do again once I've graduated!

But otherwise paediatrics is going well.
It's quite cute and refreshing to be seeing so many little children! The average age of the patients in hospital is about 3 years, so there are lots of little babies to play with!

There was one sad case we reviewed today; a 5 week old little girl who now weighs 500 grams LESS than she did at birth!!!
She has lost so much weight in fact that the skin on her legs is, literally, hanging off her.
The doctors think there may be some question of whether she is being fed properly (mother is 17), but lots of tests need to be done first to make sure there is nothing else wrong with the baby. (this is actually the 2nd time the baby has been in hospital since she was born due to weight loss. The first time she came in they managed to increase her weight by about 300grams and so sent her home...but now she has lost it all again).

I've always wanted to do paediatrics, so I'm excited to see how I find the next 6 weeks and how much I enjoy it. One doctor said to me "Paediatrics would be great if it wasn't for the parents!". hehehe!! Apparently lots of time is spent treating the parents' worries and anxieties, as opposed to anything serious in the child. Although on the other hand, better that the parents are a bit too over-involved, rather than being neglectful.

Next week I am doing community paediatrics, which I think will be going out to schools and stuff, to see children 'in the community' as opposed to in the hospital, which I am really looking forward too. I think it'll be lots of schools with special needs children, which is an area I have always had a special fondness for, and something I would seriously consider doing as a future job, so I'm keen to see what it's actually like.

So anyway, I came home this evening at about 5:10pm, went straight to stations of the cross at 5:30pm, went straight from there to do some shopping, came home, cooked dinner, ate dinner, did some revision, wrote this, and so now at 23:49pm...I am going to get ready for bed, say the rosary, say all the rest of my prayers...and go to sleep!
Ready for rowing tomorrow morning & then an exceptionally busy afternoon/evening (will explain more on Sunday!!!!! tis very exciting!!!)


anyway, hope you are all well!

God Bless
xxxxx

Priest speaking out against contraception!

This is hot off the press & a good watch!

There is some guy in America called "Sean Hannity" who hosts a talk show. Apparently he is openly Catholic and talks about it on his radio show, but frequently professes anti-Catholic teaching.

and, well, why don't I let Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, the President of Human Life International explain what happened last week...(read below or click link)

...Last Friday Sean Hannity took a few moments out of his afternoon radio show to make an apology. At first he sounded very sincere in saying we have to take responsibility for our mistakes. Fine so far. Then he went on to tell his hearers that he had taken two bites of a chicken sandwich that day because he had been traveling and literally forgot it was a Friday of Lent. He stopped eating it when he
realized it was a Friday, but he used the opportunity on the show to make a fairly big deal about the "eat meat on Friday and you can go to hell" issue.

Well, even though he claims to be a "good Catholic," Hannity is hardly a credible commentator on Catholic matters. The chicken sandwich scandal was fairly trivial in the overall scheme of his show, but it said much more about the depth of his faith than anything else. I suspect that a great number of Catholics live their faith in the same way—rule-bound and juvenile—but we need something better from a public "Catholic" like Hannity. We need a vibrant witness of someone who knows and embraces his Faith as deeply as he articulates his political passions.

Just for the record, he did not commit a sin when he ate the chicken sandwich—he had no intention to violate the Church precept, and he corrected himself immediately when he realized what he did. That's not a sin, and issuing a dramatic "apology" for doing that is, well, entertainment, not witness. This, unfortunately, is what passes for a deep discussion of the Catholic Faith in the public forum nowadays.

If apologies are the order of the day, then the repentance I would like to hear out of Sean Hannity's mouth is for his shameless—even scandalous—promotion of birth control. Yes, I have heard him personally say, "I have no problem with birth control. It's a good thing." (Another bit of profound theological reasoning.) Given the size of his audience and the importance of his status in pop culture, Hannity's anti-witness to a fundamental tenet of Catholic moral doctrine is just devastating for the faith of others who may be weak or vacillating in this area. His impact is greater, and so his judgment will be stricter. "To those who have been given more, more will be required…"

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So this Hannity dude & one of his co-presenters invited Fr. Thomas onto their show....

and here is a clip of their encounter! (you can watch the whole thing on the fox site for as long as it stays there)



Why does Hannity need to bring the 'sex abuse scandal' into the discussion?!!
That has nothing to do with anything!

Only a loser drags up irrelevant issues into an argument to try and deflect from the fact that they actually have no defence.

It's pathetic.

Also, I really dislike it when people use the whole "You don't know me" argument!
No, only God knows the motives in people's hearts; but if one claims to be Catholic and PUBLICALLY says 'Birth-control is a good thing, people should use it'...what else is there to know?!
It is totally justified to take issue with that!!


Anyway, Hannity's reasoning about contraception shows his lack of understanding of the Church's teaching.

His only real comment about his pro-contraception stance is:

"Because not everyone is Catholic, not everyone will agree with the Church about contraception, and so we should encourage them to use it to prevent huge numbers of abortions."

hmmm...

a) a good chunk of people who have abortions have them because contraception fails (60% of women having abortions in America say that 'contraception faliure' is the reason).
In no country in the world have abortion rates fallen as contraception rates have risen (in fact, quite the contrary).

b) other than condoms, all other forms of contraception work by preventing any embryos present from implanting, so they are abortifacient anyway. They are still killing a human being, just in a different stage of development.

c) Contraception is not wrong 'because the Catholic Church says so', but rather it is wrong because of what it does to the sexual act in itself. All Christian Churches agreed with this untill the early 1930s when the Protestants decided it wasn't the case (...for no good reason. You should read their documents, basically it was public pressure that persuaded them to change their stance, it wans't any theological reasoning).
Contraception damages sex and the relationship of the spouses who use it. It is therefore against 'Natural Law' and applies to every human being who has sex, and not just Catholics.

It's like murder; murder isn't wrong just for Christians because 'the Bible says so'. Murder is wrong because it ends the life of another human, and so applies to all humans, no matter what their religion.
It's part of Natural Law.

As a Catholic, should be ashamed to encourage other people to sin.


Plus he couldn't see any moral difference between NFP & contraception; another indicator that he has never thought about it or read any Church document about it.

anyway, I don't want to insult Hannity. It's just all very sad when you see Catholics in the public eye who openly contradict the Church's teaching and so lead others astray.


But good on the Priest for being brave and speaking up!

I've always like Human Life International!
I have signed up to Fr. Thomas's mailing list!

cot-death: SUDS & SIDS

As I have mentioned, I am now starting my 6 week placement in paediatrics and we had some very ineteresting lectures about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) which used to be called 'cot-death' in the olden days.

Our lectures were given by a Paediatric Pathologist; in a nut-shell she is a Consultant doctor whose job it is to look at pieces of tissue from the human body under the microscope to determine what's going wrong.

Obviously, in cot-deaths she gets dead babies to examine, to see if she can determine the cause of death.


She was telling us in the lecture that in most cases of SIDS an explanation can be found; usually baby prematurity or a (previously undetected) metabolic disease or something horrible like child abuse.

However, in some cases an 'obvious' medical cause is not found; these cases are called Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (SUDS).

However, she said that basically every single one of the unexplained cases that she has investigated in her time had one key similar feature in the story -- the babies were all co-sleeping in the parent's bed.

She said that unexplained cot-deaths "basically don't happen if the baby is sleeping in its own crib" (her words not mine).

She then went on to say how the baby probably dies due to asphyxiation from the blanket going over its head, which the parent's don't realise because they are alseep.

Other probable risk factors for SUDS are babies sleeping on their stomach or side (mental note to self for future: DON'T EVER PUT A BABY IN THIS POSITION!) and also if the parents smoke (because this effects both the baby before it's born, and then the air in the house), and also an over-heated house.

anyway, I just thought the co-sleeping thing was kinda interesting. Obviously, it doesn't mean that this will happen to all babies who co-sleep in their parent's bed! Of course not!! She's just saying that babies who co-sleep have a higher risk than babies who don't.

I just found it interesting that someone in the job for 20 years could say, so unequivocally, that in her experience all the cases of cot-deaths for which no medical abnormality etc could be found, they were all sleeping in their parent's bed.

I'm not saying I support her views or anything, frankly I have no clue as I haven't studied the scientific literature! But I just thought I'd blog it for interest because it interested me.

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what to do in the face of life's tragedies?

In the face of certain misfortunes ... it is no good to blame the victims. What is truly wise, rather, consists in allowing oneself to be questioned by the precariousness of existence and to adopt an attitude of responsibility: to do penance and improve our lives.

"precariousness of existance"

Oh how true! The more medicine I do, the most I realise that life is truely a gift; like a beautiful flower, oh so precious and delicate, and not guaranteed to see tomorrow. If we do see tomorrow, it is because have been given the gift of seeing tomorrow, so let us not waste it!

"improve our lives"

Let us not allow sin to chain us down and reduce us from the what we are meant to be!

Christ invites us to respond to evil first of all through a serious examination of conscience and with the commitment to purify our lives.





In fact, people and societies that live without questioning themselves have ruin as their only final end.





Conversion, on the contrary, despite the fact it does not preserve us from problems and adversities, enables us to address them in a different 'way.'




"bad things happen to good people" -- but 'good people' response to them in a different way...in a way which has been illuminated by Christ, and by knowing that He loves us, and by knowing that there is a life prepared for us beyond this one.


Above all it helps to prevent evil, and to neutralize some of its threats. And, in any case, it enables us to overcome evil with good, though not always at the level of events -- which at times are independent of our will -- certainly always at the spiritual level.





In short, conversion overcomes evil at its root, which is sin, though it cannot always avoid its consequences.





To do penance and correct our conduct is not simply moralism, but rather the most effective way to improve both ourselves as well as society.





it is better to light a match than to curse the darkness.



Oh wow! That last sentence is so deep!
For me it reminds me how I should focus less on complaining about the disastarous immoral state of society ('the darkness'), and instead focus more on being what Christ wants me to be, so that, through me, He can be the light in the darkness!




Seriously, how can one not love Pope Benedict?!
(this document was taken from his Sunday address from today)

Of course, all this is easier said than done.

Accepting one's own death is 'easy'...untill you know it is near. and then it is a lot more scary.

St. Thomas Acquinas said that accepting one's own death is the perfection of the virtue of courage.

Sorry to be depressing and talk about death, but it is the one certainly in life, and it's a bit foolish to live life conveniently forgetting that one day we will die and will have to account for what we've done now. Let's try our hardest to live our lives as best we can right now, constantly aiming to do God's will in all things.

God Bless

-x-

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still alive!

Hello! Despite my 4 day silence I am still alive & well!

This last week has been pretty busy; I had more of those 'great' 11-hour days in the hospital and most evenings were spent revising till midnight.

I have still managed to get to the rosary prayer group & adoration pretty much every evening this week, as well as evening Mass and stations of the Cross, but that means that by the time Chris & I get back home it's about 7:45pm, we then cook & eat dinner, which takes till at least 9pm or later, I then check my emails and sort random stuff out, and then start with revision again till midnight.

so yeh, it's been busy. We're trying to organise a retreat for ourselves for the weekend before Easter just to have an opportunity for silent peaceful reflection before Holy Week begins.


In other news...I got my hair cut!
Just so you can compare what it is now like to how it used to look, here is a picture of me from Friday at a medic's dinner I went to (after stations of the Cross)

I decided to get it cut extra-short, and I think it looks kinda nice!

Yesterday I spent my day doing Year 2 catechism instruction with twenty 7-8 year olds. I have started helping out with first communion preparation this year and I'm really enjoying it!
In our parish children who don't go to Catholic schools take a 3 year catchecism instruction course to prepare them for their first communion, and so I'm helping with the 2nd year of that.

Yesterday we did "The Mass" -- how can you possibly convey 'The Mass' to two-dozen squirming children in a couple of hours?!

I tried to make sure I planted a couple of seeds though, like making sure they children know exactly *what* happens on the altar, and making sure they know that the bread really becomes JESUS's body, and the wine really becomes JESUS's blood, and making sure they know what the tabernacle is for, and who is inside, and that they must always kneel down when passing the tabernacle, and say hello to Jesus and tell Him they love Him.

There is quite a lot of variation in the amount of knowledge the children have; some are totally clueless, and have no idea, whereas others know a bit more (e.g. some had zero idea that Jesus died on Good Friday, whereas others knew that the Last Supper was on the Thursday). It's also quite sad that some 8 year olds didn't even know the Our Father!


These classes are good in that they can plant seeds and try to convey some information to the children, but really the most over-whelmingly powerful influencing factors are the parents. We can only do so much in a couple of hours every few weeks, the parents can form their children daily in their example and instruction.
But none-the-less, I hope that the children take something away from these classes, consciously or not.

I have really enjoyed reading all your blogs today! It's been pretty difficult not surfing blogs all week! A couple of times I've gone to 'My Favourite Blogs' list and hand to restrain myself from clicking and surfing. But I guess that is what Lent is all about! It has certainly helped strengthen my will and self-denial.

I also apologise because I know I owe some people emails, and I haven't done it yet. I'm sorry. I will reply, I promise!

Finally,

Carmel & Jonathan got married yesterday!!
YEY! Congratulations to them!! I hope they had a beautiful wedding, and I wish them the very very best in their married life together!

~

Here is a pretty quote I found.
For me the bit which says 'even when we run' doesn't make me think of running as in a race, but rather rushing and bustling through the daily activities of life:

Without Prayer nothing good is done. God's works are done with our hands joined, and on our knees. Even when we run, we must remain spiritually kneeling before Him.

– Bl. Luigi Orione


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Another reason not to smoke...

Am just learning about cervical cancer.....did you know that some of the chemicals in cigarette smoke can be detected in cervical mucus?!

How awful!

These carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons damage the DNA within cervical cells, and increase the risk of cervical cancer.


Antonia's medical fact of the day!


Other risk factors for cervical cancer include: multiple sex partners, early age of first intercourse, high-risk male sex partner (i.e. a man who has had sex with lots of women, or who has ever had sex with a women with cervical cancer), HPV virus
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Marriage is not a test drive

" A professor of sociology is quoted as saying " A lot of young people report cohabitation is almost serving as a trial marriage. They think it might help them find out how compatible they are."

Think about the irony here.
How can you have a "trial" of something that, by its very nature, is permanent and total? You can't test a permanent commitment by not making a commitment!

'...marriage is an intimate partnership in which husbands and wives learn to give and recieve love unselfishly. You can't learn to 'give and recieve love unselfishly' outside of a permanent commitment because by its very nature of the relationship you're already holding back."

I'd never thought about it like that before, but it's so true!

How can you possibly testing out a permanent situation, by living in a non-permanent situation?!
The latter can't ever accuratly reflect what the former will truely be like!

Also note how they say that in marriage you 'learn to love'. You aren't expected to have it perfected at the start!

"The idea is to grow together, and only within a sacramental marriage do you have the graces of that sacrament to help you.'


This is taken from the Editorial of 'Family Foundations' which is the Couple-to-Couple League's official magazine. It is based on the document "Married Love and the Gift of Life" written by the US Bishops. It is a seriously good document. All about marriage, sex, contraception and natural family planning. It is written is a very very easy to digest manner. I really recommend reading it helps clarify lots of misunderstandings that many people have, espcially about what the Church teaches regarding contraception & NFP (i.e. that contraception is wrong, but NFP is not), and this document explains is very simply.


READ IT HERE-

75% a doctor

I realised the other day that I am now just over 3/4 of the way through medical school...just 1 year 4 months to go till I'm a proper doctor! (...as long as I pass my final exams in summer 2008, eeeek!)

Last week I even joined the prestigious website doctors.net.uk, which you can only join if you have a special code from your hospital/medical school. So now I get to have Antonia.Surname@doctors.net.uk as my email address! Seriously how cool is that?!!!

Speaking of exams...I've had a few over the last few days; 2 on Friday and 3 today. One of the ones I had on Friday was so cool; it was a practical skills exam, and I passed it, which means I am now competent to tie stitches in people's skin (amongst other things!)!! woohoo! hehe! I am pretty excited because I seem to be able to do it quite well, and I'm excited to try it out for real!

One of my exams today was a mock exam for the (HUGE BIG TERRIFYING) set of exams I have coming up in June.
Seriously, these exams are scary. I (& many of my friends) started revising for them in October simply because there is such an enormous volume of material to know (the syllabus is 70 dense pages long of size 10 text!


(aawww! Chris just came in and said "Antoniaaa...how many exams did you have today..." (I know he knows!)
Me: "Threeeeeee...."
Chris: "Well, here's a present for your first exam....(takes out snickers bar from behind his back)....here's a present for your second exam...(takes out crunchie bar from behind his back)...and here's a present for your third exam...(takes out packet of m&ms)" !!!

awwww snickers, crunchie and M&Ms; my favourite chocolates!! But it's Lent so I'll have to try and ration them out and make them last for the next 10 days!!!)


anyway, what was I going on about...oh yeh, my exams. The mock exam for the big scary exam went well, but I can't get complacent because apparently last year, the girl who came top in the mock exam then got so complacent that in the actual final exams in June she came on the pass/fail border because she basically stopped revising! eeeek!

Anyway, in other news...both Chris & I are ill. Poor Chrissy is coughing like Coughy McCough (seriously, old ladies have stopped him at Mass and given him advice on wrapping up warm etc! Plus I think our Priest got pretty annoyed with him last Friday due to Chris's (almost) constant coughing during Stations of the Cross! aww! poor boy!), and I've had a headache for the last week, and yesterday developed a sore-throat.

In other exciting news (wow, this post has been thrilling so far!)...I'm having my hair cut tomorrow!! Back in my old long-hair-pony-tail days I could get my mum to cut it for me because it was always put up in a pony-tail anyway, but now that I have decided to go for the short-and-sophisticated look, it needs to be cut a bit more often. But it's so expensive that I haven't had it cut since the middle of October.
I thought I could push it without getting it cut till Easter, but alas, my hair is getting too long...so I've decided to financially cripple myself and go to the hairdressers.

This is what I looked like on the day it was cut (Oct 06): It was longer at the front that at the sides, and lots of people told me it looked pretty nice:

This was me in December...it was already starting to look loong and flicky-outy....so now imagine 2 months worth of hair-growth added on...and you get some idea of what it looks like now..!

Also, I have a special medics dinner this week, so I probably should look presentable for that.

Also, next week I start my paediatrics attachment!! Unfortunatly it's in a hospital 1.5hours from my house, which means I'll be away from home for 6 weeks again...but on the plus side..I GET TO PLAY WITH BABIES AND SMALL CHILDREN ALL DAY LONG!!

Whenver any of my peers have been studying paediatrics this last year, boys and girls alike, everyone comes back loving it!! "It's so cute!!" "It's so much fun!!" We get to wash new-born babies, and play with toddlers! Aaaah! That's the type of medicine we like!

So yeh, I also want to look presentable for the parents; otherwise noone'll let me play with their babies if I look like a shaggy-dog with my flicky-outy hair!

anyhoo, I think tis time to end this randomness of a post.

Oooh, I finally know where I am going for my medical elective this summer (June/July). It is very exciting, and I spent last week trying to get funding to help with the costs. Chris & I are also in the process of booking flights like, RIGHT NOW, so I better go!

I will write another post on my elective in the not too distant future!

Hope you are all well!

God Bless

xxxxxx

Dominican Sisters of Mary

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI have grown 1800% over the last 10yrs.

Thay had only 4 sisters 10 year ago, and now they have 71!!!

The average age of the sisters is 24!!


Here is a beautiful video that was on the news about them;





We must always encourage people to consider whether God might be calling them to the religious life.
I know even with myself in my late-teens/early-20s, it is so so easy to just think that the only option is marriage...and not to actually consider any other vocation in any serious way.

Talking about why there is a decrease in Priestly vocations,I once heard a Priest say "God hasn't stopped calling.....people have just stopped listening."

So let's always be sure to ask God what His will is for us, and let us desire to do His will with all our heart, because it is through that that we will earn our eternal salvation and do great things for God!

But God bless those sweet sisters in the video!!

How joyous their convent must be!!

I think that there is nothing more wonderful and happy and joy-filled in the world than people who love God above and beyond everything!!

All we need now is a revolution like that here in England, which is so spiritually and morally-dry that that society is decaying and rotting away.

ps- here is the website for the Dominican sisters of Mary in the video


pps- while surfing youtube (yes, not such a clever thing to do when I have 2 exams today and 2 more on Monday...), but I came across this other video from Dominican sisters, and it gives a great insight into the Dominican sisters life:




It is talks about the quote I have above from St. Catherine of Sienna "If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire."

i.e. --> be faithful to God's Will for you, and you can (& will) change the world.




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too cute!

From the BBC , these little guys were abandoned at birth and were caged together in an Indonesian zoo...so they became friends!!

"But the friendship is not destined to last as tigers start eating meat when they are three months old and will need to be separated from their new playmates."


aw!
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