The Gift of Life

Donum Vitae gets it right, as Michelle Arnold points out in this poignant post on lessons of artificial insemination.

I suppose that Cheyenne is lucky that her mother supposed her father had been thoroughly "vetted". Otherwise she might have fallen under the scythe of that other great eugenic technology, which has already decimated generations.

My prayer is that Michelle Jorgenson benefits greatly from the unique gift of her daughter, and comes to prize this gift for the priceless treasure that it is. I am finally beginning to learn so much from my daughter, who has a developmental disability. In some way I can never explain, but only thank God for, she is perfect--for herself, and for me, as a daughter. I only hope that I can give her half of what she has already given to me.

There is something in this post that really struck me with just how sad our efforts to perfect and orchestrate our children really are, and how little we appreciate the mystery and awesomeness of the gift of life.

Tall, Barrel-chested and Handsome?

This Seattle times article explores one idea about what may have happened to our Neanderthal cousins--we may have assimilated them. According to author Faye Flam:

" Around half a million years ago the Neanderthal line spread through Europe and the Middle East, while our dominant ancestral line didn't move into Europe until much later — around 45,000 years ago. There, we overlapped until about 28,000 years ago...

...Biologist Alan Templeton of Washington University in St. Louis has found hints that some people of European ancestry carry genes that emerged in Europe more than 300,000 years ago — far before our main ancestors left Africa."


There is more to be explored, of course, DNA sampling and so forth, but I think they may be on to something.

Thanks to Don Jim at Dappled Things for his post on Interacting with Neanderthals. Oh, we be interacting, all right. We are the interactingest bunch of people I know.

I kind of like this idea, as I always found the Neanderthals to be a romantic, lost group. Maybe they aren't lost at all. Maybe they are us.

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July Prayer Intentions

THE HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for July is: "That all those who are in prison, and especially young people, may receive the necessary support from society to help them rediscover a sense to their own existence."

His mission intention is: "That, in the mission territories, different ethnic and religious groups may live in peace and together build a society inspired by human and spiritual values."

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Scottish Proverb

"Better keep the devil at the door than turn him out of the house."
--Scottish Proverb

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Via Sancta

Via Sancta
Just rejoined St Blog's Parish and looking about a bit, this is the first blog I looked at. Stuart, I hope you go back again in August! What a beautiful calling. Someday I hope to see the Holy Land--actually I long for it; so, I can understand this very well.

God speed!

God Bless the Lakota Souix!

Here
is a very heartening story, which reflects a culture of life!

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RE: Long Time No Meme at Hot Carmel Sundae

From Confessions of a Hot Carmel Sundae, Via Rambling GOP Soccer Mom.
The ABC Meme

Accent: Southern Indiana, which is upper south, with a twang, I guess.
Butter or Margarine: Butter.
Chore I Hate:Bookkeeping
Dog or Cat: Love both, but if must choose, then cat.
Essential Electronics: Computer, and I hate to say it---cell phone.
Favorite Cologne(s): None
Gold or Silver:Silver
Hometown: W Terre Haute, IN
Insomnia: Nope, I can sleep just fine.
Job Title: In between job titles, but always mom.
Kids: one
Living arrangements: too small house.
Most admirable trait: clueless--no, I mean I am, not that its admirable!
Nicknames: Shorty, the short woman, the little woman, mamacita.
Overnight hospital stays: Birth of baby, and a couple of surguries which shall remain nameless.
Phobias: Starting projects
Quote: "Life is a like a single night spent in a bad inn" --St. Teresa of Avila
Religion: Roman Catholic
Siblings: none
Time I wake up: around 5 am
Unusual talent or skill: rosary making
Vegetable I refuse to eat: love 'em all.
Worst habit: getting irritable with my daughter.
X-rays: I glow in the dark, now.
Yummy stuff I cook: Bean soup, cottage cheese dumplings, Veggie soup

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The Speculative Mind vs The Will

"The human mind has two faculties: one speculative, which is directed 
to knowledge; the other the will, which carries that knowledge into 
action, and which chooses and decides. An evil life does not spoil the 
speculative intellect. An atomic scientist who is immoral does not 
directly impair his atomic knowledge. But when it comes to judgment, to 
directing and guiding, then the evil life exercises its influence. Any person 
who consults a psychiatrist should first make an analysis of the kind 
of life he lives, because though his scientific equipment may be good, 
when it comes to giving counsel, the doctor may be incapable. Our 
Blessed Lord warned that behavior affects attitudes toward Him. 'You will not 
come to Me because your lives are evil.' " --Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

 How true I have found this to be!  In my own life, when I first returned
to the Lord,  the formation of my will to do evil had become quite strong.  I was
without any sort of resistance to temptation.  Still I pay the price for turning
away from God.  I pray always to be protected in my weakness, and my poor
guardian angel has a fight on his hands every day.
I have seen this very much in others, as well.  I have a very dear friend
whose intellect is quite amazing, but because he has in the past led a very
dissolute life, now his lens on the world is so very dark, and as well, he simply
is presently incapable of hearing the Good News.

Dearest Jesus, deliver us from our selfmade hells!
 

Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and
filling all things. Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life, come and dwell
in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, oh Good One.
-- Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Just three more days.

Oh Infinite Spirit of Love! Rend the heavens and come to your people who long to be filled with You!

Holy Spirit Novena: Better Late than Never

Here it is, only 4 days from Pentacost! The Easter season, so rich in joy and liturgical content, has really flown by for me this year.

Last week I started a novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentacost. The Novena to the Holy Spirit is the oldest novena in the Church, as it was that novena prayed by the disciples in the upper room, as they waited for the Spirit to come. In reality, there is no set form for this novena, although one will find several extant on the web and elsewhere. One simply prays to the Holy Spirit, in whatever way the Spirit moves one to pray.

Here is one such novena on the web, if you'd like to try one.