Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week has been an even shorter and less intensive posting week.

I posted a great recipe for Coffee Chicken--one definitely worth trying!

I also posted a request for prayers for a special intention--one that continues to need prayers.

Finally, I posted a beautiful rendition of Pange Lingua Gloriosi, along with the beautiful English translation for the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.

I pray everyone has a blessed week.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week has been an even shorter and less intensive posting week.

I posted a great recipe for Coffee Chicken--one definitely worth trying!

I also posted a request for prayers for a special intention--one that continues to need prayers.

Finally, I posted a beautiful rendition of Pange Lingua Gloriosi, along with the beautiful English translation for the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.

I pray everyone has a blessed week.

St. Thomas Aquinas--Pange Lingua Gloriosi

Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas.  I found out at Mass today that he wrote the beautiful Pange Lingua Gloriosi, sung on Holy Thursday.



Here are the lyrics in English.

Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.

Amen. Alleluia.

St. Thomas Aquinas--Pange Lingua Gloriosi

Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas.  I found out at Mass today that he wrote the beautiful Pange Lingua Gloriosi, sung on Holy Thursday.



Here are the lyrics in English.

Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.

Amen. Alleluia.

For a Special Intention

Please pray for a special, urgent intention for a young person who is struggling.

May Our Lady spread her mantle of protection over her.

For a Special Intention

Please pray for a special, urgent intention for a young person who is struggling.

May Our Lady spread her mantle of protection over her.

Coffee Chicken

A forum friend posted this recipe on Facebook and I knew, with dh's love of coffee, that I had to try it!

Coffee Chicken

2-3 pounds chicken
2 TBS instant coffee grains
1 TBS ginger
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 ¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp salt

Blend coffee, ginger, olive oil, allspice, and salt. Coat chicken with blend. Grill, broil, or cook in hot skillet until done inside.

Note: I didn't have allspice in the house, so I substituted, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper in estimated amounts.

I also used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cooked them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes served with rice and Italian green beans.

Very highly recommended!

Coffee Chicken

A forum friend posted this recipe on Facebook and I knew, with dh's love of coffee, that I had to try it!

Coffee Chicken

2-3 pounds chicken
2 TBS instant coffee grains
1 TBS ginger
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 ¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp salt

Blend coffee, ginger, olive oil, allspice, and salt. Coat chicken with blend. Grill, broil, or cook in hot skillet until done inside.

Note: I didn't have allspice in the house, so I substituted, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper in estimated amounts.

I also used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cooked them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes served with rice and Italian green beans.

Very highly recommended!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing. This has been a short blogging week with some more intensive posts.

Monday I blogged about Fr. Steven's article in Glory to God for All Things entitled, Christianity in a One-Storey Universe which talks about the human and the spiritual being one world and how God, angels and saints really exist on the same plane. My post is called God is Among Us.

In a similar vein, Tuesday, I blogged about a couple of chapters I'm reading in The Art of the Icon: A theology of beauty. In my article, called The Sacred and Time, I further explain the idea that the Sacred is with us always by explaining the three types of time: Cyclical time, historic time, and existential time.

Have a blessed week!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing. This has been a short blogging week with some more intensive posts.

Monday I blogged about Fr. Steven's article in Glory to God for All Things entitled, Christianity in a One-Storey Universe which talks about the human and the spiritual being one world and how God, angels and saints really exist on the same plane. My post is called God is Among Us.

In a similar vein, Tuesday, I blogged about a couple of chapters I'm reading in The Art of the Icon: A theology of beauty. In my article, called The Sacred and Time, I further explain the idea that the Sacred is with us always by explaining the three types of time: Cyclical time, historic time, and existential time.

Have a blessed week!

The Sacred and Time

I have been reading a book called "The Art of the Icon: a theology of beauty" by Paul Evdokimov.  Today, I came to the chapters on The Sacred that fit right in with yesterday's discussion of God is Among Us.

Something is made sacred not because of the thing itself but because of God's Presence. Angels are holy, only because they reflect the Light of God.  They are in the Presence of The Almighty at all times (more about time later) and reflect His light.  Their light does not come from themselves but from their Creator. The same is true of the Virgin Mary.  Her holiness is not from herself, but is a reflection of her Creator.  So it is with each of us.

Yesterday, we saw that God dwells in the world and lives among men.  Therefore, mankind has the innate characteristic of potential holiness. The eastern Christians call this deification and it is our true purpose in living.  St. Irenaeus of Lyons said that "God became temporal (within time) so that we, temporal man, could become eternal."

Our turning away from God in the Garden of Eden, and as individuals and nations, causes us to loose some of the luster, some of the reflected Light that is ours and also blinds us to the Presence of God among us.  We walk in a world without God because we do not recognize His Presence.

Within creation and within the Church, there is sacred time.  We human beings see time as being rather flat when in fact, the above book tells us, there are three types of time.

The first type, is cyclical time.  This is the time of the moon, stars and planets, and of clocks.  Cyclical time goes round and comes back again.  Seasons change.  Winter begets Spring, which begets Summer, which turns into Fall and back to Winter.  The sun rises and sets and rises again.

The hands of the clock, Evdokimov says, are always moving, but they go nowhere.  We are slaves in this modern world, to the clock.  Much frustration is caused by the feeling that we are hamsters running on wheels--always moving yet going nowhere.  We all, eventually, feel the urge to "get out of the rat race" and find something worthwhile.

This type of time is symbolized by a circle or a snake chasing its tail. In Genesis, God warns the serpent, "I will put emnity between you and the woman, between her seed and your seed.  He shall bruise your head. You will bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)   Traditionally, Mary is shown crushing the head of the devil.  By playing her part in God's design, she, the Theotokos (God bearer) ushers in this new era outside of time by crushing the head of the serpent who continually chases his tail in utter frustration.

The second type of time is historical time.  It is linear and is represented by a line.  We've all seen time lines in our history books.  Time starts, goes on, and ends.  This is biological time.  We are born.  We age.  We die. This type of time tends to panic humanity.  We rush about trying to distract ourselves from the inevitability of the end of our historic time on this earth.   We constantly rush backwards on the time line trying to avoid "the end" like someone walking up a down escalator.

The third type of time is existential time.  It is "the eternal present".  Just like God (and other heavenly beings) exist along side us in this temporal world, so does this third type of time.  This existential time is the true time. It is the time that has always existed, exists, and will always exist.

Christ said "I am the  Alpha and the Omega".  He IS the beginning and the end.  Evdokimov points out that He did not say, "I was the beginning and will be the end."  He IS always existant and therefore we are too.

What is not always existent is the temporal stuff of this world--the house, the job, the annoyances,  the sorrows and even the joys.  None of this lasts for it is all part of historic, biological time. That's why Jesus says "Anyone who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37)  He does not say this to be cruel.  He says this because all that will last is Him in eternal Time.  True union with God is our only goal and purpose in this life.

Christ comes "not to destroy the law (time) but to fulfill it." (Matthew 5:17)  Time as we perceive it, continues to exist for us.  But it is opened up through the eyes of faith, to reveal true time, which "is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow." (Hebrews 13:8)  Through Baptism, we are reborn into Christ's Time; Salvation Time; Eternal Time.  He heals us of our temporal reliance on a time that is merely a construct of our fallen humanity.

The Mass and Time

It is said that the Mass is Heaven brought to earth.  We are not merely remembering the death of Jesus, we are made present in that moment by a God who is outside of time.  We are "entering into a communion that does not fade away" as our author tells us.

Upon their death, saints, and all our dearly departed, discover first hand what we only know "through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12) that the we all are part of God's creation and that The Church Militant (those on the earth) the Church Suffering (those awaiting entrance into Heaven) and the Church Triumphant (those before the Throne of God) are not separate in reality or in time, but one before God.

The Sacred and Time

I have been reading a book called "The Art of the Icon: a theology of beauty" by Paul Evdokimov.  Today, I came to the chapters on The Sacred that fit right in with yesterday's discussion of God is Among Us.

Something is made sacred not because of the thing itself but because of God's Presence. Angels are holy, only because they reflect the Light of God.  They are in the Presence of The Almighty at all times (more about time later) and reflect His light.  Their light does not come from themselves but from their Creator. The same is true of the Virgin Mary.  Her holiness is not from herself, but is a reflection of her Creator.  So it is with each of us.

Yesterday, we saw that God dwells in the world and lives among men.  Therefore, mankind has the innate characteristic of potential holiness. The eastern Christians call this deification and it is our true purpose in living.  St. Irenaeus of Lyons said that "God became temporal (within time) so that we, temporal man, could become eternal."

Our turning away from God in the Garden of Eden, and as individuals and nations, causes us to loose some of the luster, some of the reflected Light that is ours and also blinds us to the Presence of God among us.  We walk in a world without God because we do not recognize His Presence.

Within creation and within the Church, there is sacred time.  We human beings see time as being rather flat when in fact, the above book tells us, there are three types of time.

The first type, is cyclical time.  This is the time of the moon, stars and planets, and of clocks.  Cyclical time goes round and comes back again.  Seasons change.  Winter begets Spring, which begets Summer, which turns into Fall and back to Winter.  The sun rises and sets and rises again.

The hands of the clock, Evdokimov says, are always moving, but they go nowhere.  We are slaves in this modern world, to the clock.  Much frustration is caused by the feeling that we are hamsters running on wheels--always moving yet going nowhere.  We all, eventually, feel the urge to "get out of the rat race" and find something worthwhile.

This type of time is symbolized by a circle or a snake chasing its tail. In Genesis, God warns the serpent, "I will put emnity between you and the woman, between her seed and your seed.  He shall bruise your head. You will bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)   Traditionally, Mary is shown crushing the head of the devil.  By playing her part in God's design, she, the Theotokos (God bearer) ushers in this new era outside of time by crushing the head of the serpent who continually chases his tail in utter frustration.

The second type of time is historical time.  It is linear and is represented by a line.  We've all seen time lines in our history books.  Time starts, goes on, and ends.  This is biological time.  We are born.  We age.  We die. This type of time tends to panic humanity.  We rush about trying to distract ourselves from the inevitability of the end of our historic time on this earth.   We constantly rush backwards on the time line trying to avoid "the end" like someone walking up a down escalator.

The third type of time is existential time.  It is "the eternal present".  Just like God (and other heavenly beings) exist along side us in this temporal world, so does this third type of time.  This existential time is the true time. It is the time that has always existed, exists, and will always exist.

Christ said "I am the  Alpha and the Omega".  He IS the beginning and the end.  Evdokimov points out that He did not say, "I was the beginning and will be the end."  He IS always existant and therefore we are too.

What is not always existent is the temporal stuff of this world--the house, the job, the annoyances,  the sorrows and even the joys.  None of this lasts for it is all part of historic, biological time. That's why Jesus says "Anyone who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37)  He does not say this to be cruel.  He says this because all that will last is Him in eternal Time.  True union with God is our only goal and purpose in this life.

Christ comes "not to destroy the law (time) but to fulfill it." (Matthew 5:17)  Time as we perceive it, continues to exist for us.  But it is opened up through the eyes of faith, to reveal true time, which "is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow." (Hebrews 13:8)  Through Baptism, we are reborn into Christ's Time; Salvation Time; Eternal Time.  He heals us of our temporal reliance on a time that is merely a construct of our fallen humanity.

The Mass and Time

It is said that the Mass is Heaven brought to earth.  We are not merely remembering the death of Jesus, we are made present in that moment by a God who is outside of time.  We are "entering into a communion that does not fade away" as our author tells us.

Upon their death, saints, and all our dearly departed, discover first hand what we only know "through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12) that the we all are part of God's creation and that The Church Militant (those on the earth) the Church Suffering (those awaiting entrance into Heaven) and the Church Triumphant (those before the Throne of God) are not separate in reality or in time, but one before God.

God is Among Us

I just finished reading the most fascinating series of articles by Fr. Steven at Glory to God for All Things entitled Christianity in a One-Storey Universe. Father postulates that the world--creation, what we can see-- and God-- the saints, angels and what we can't see--do NOT exist like an office building built on two separate stories. Instead, we are intertwined and exist together in a "one storey Universe."

It is not God "up there" and us "down here." To put God only "in heaven" he says, is to be a kind of Christian Atheist (or a Deist like many of the American founding fathers who believed that God created the world and then essentially left us alone.) If God is seen as not being where we are, we become alone and it is a small step to say that God ceases to exist altogether.

Father Steven says that the Church in modern times has been relegated by an increasingly secular society (and by many Christians) to the non-existent "second storey" where it can remain nebulous, abstract and out of the way. In this way, it becomes easy to ignore and discard.

This two storey theology affects everything we do.  When we pray, do we "call God"..."e-mail" Him our requests?  Do we feel alone in prayer and every day life?  Do we feel that the tenets of our faith are useless rules?  If we operate on the world view that God is absent from our daily existence, we feel spiritually mistreated and betrayed and our religious practices become meaningless.

I think this world view also has an affect on our tendency to sin. If we believe God is "up there" and therefore not "down here" in any significant way, we tend to ignore our sins and think that sacramental confession is unnecessary and and ineffective when in reality it is a way of bringing us the before our Creator...of taking down the veil, if you will, that often prevents us from realizing that we truly are before the Throne of God.

The sacraments in general, I think, are types of portals, showing us what already exists--God (and saints and angels) permeating...sharing...our world. (Or rather, we are sharing their world!)

Humanity was brought into existence by the Triune God whose very Being is Love itself. The three-in-one aspect of God points to the fact that Love can not exist alone. To love is to love another. True love, however, is also unity and God is One.

A God whose very existence is about unity, then, would not abandon His creation. That would go against the essence of who He is.

God is truly present in all things and thus, we can say with St. Paul, "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

The last month of Scripture readings at Mass have been pointing us to the Truth that has already existed.  The incarnation (birth) of Christ, His revelation to the Shepherds, to the wise men, to the crowd gathered at His baptism in the Jordan, and last week, to the guests at the wedding at Cana, reveals to us what is true--that God is indeed among us--here--now--always.

God is Among Us

I just finished reading the most fascinating series of articles by Fr. Steven at Glory to God for All Things entitled Christianity in a One-Storey Universe. Father postulates that the world--creation, what we can see-- and God-- the saints, angels and what we can't see--do NOT exist like an office building built on two separate stories. Instead, we are intertwined and exist together in a "one storey Universe."

It is not God "up there" and us "down here." To put God only "in heaven" he says, is to be a kind of Christian Atheist (or a Deist like many of the American founding fathers who believed that God created the world and then essentially left us alone.) If God is seen as not being where we are, we become alone and it is a small step to say that God ceases to exist altogether.

Father Steven says that the Church in modern times has been relegated by an increasingly secular society (and by many Christians) to the non-existent "second storey" where it can remain nebulous, abstract and out of the way. In this way, it becomes easy to ignore and discard.

This two storey theology affects everything we do.  When we pray, do we "call God"..."e-mail" Him our requests?  Do we feel alone in prayer and every day life?  Do we feel that the tenets of our faith are useless rules?  If we operate on the world view that God is absent from our daily existence, we feel spiritually mistreated and betrayed and our religious practices become meaningless.

I think this world view also has an affect on our tendency to sin. If we believe God is "up there" and therefore not "down here" in any significant way, we tend to ignore our sins and think that sacramental confession is unnecessary and and ineffective when in reality it is a way of bringing us the before our Creator...of taking down the veil, if you will, that often prevents us from realizing that we truly are before the Throne of God.

The sacraments in general, I think, are types of portals, showing us what already exists--God (and saints and angels) permeating...sharing...our world. (Or rather, we are sharing their world!)

Humanity was brought into existence by the Triune God whose very Being is Love itself. The three-in-one aspect of God points to the fact that Love can not exist alone. To love is to love another. True love, however, is also unity and God is One.

A God whose very existence is about unity, then, would not abandon His creation. That would go against the essence of who He is.

God is truly present in all things and thus, we can say with St. Paul, "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

The last month of Scripture readings at Mass have been pointing us to the Truth that has already existed.  The incarnation (birth) of Christ, His revelation to the Shepherds, to the wise men, to the crowd gathered at His baptism in the Jordan, and last week, to the guests at the wedding at Cana, reveals to us what is true--that God is indeed among us--here--now--always.

Our New Favorite Tea

Everyone in my family who has tried this tea likes it.  Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice is a caffeine free herbal tea which has a satisfying array of spices including ginger, cardamom and black pepper.

It has no black tea, but it does have roasted chicory and roasted carob and can be enjoyed any time you want a relaxing hot drink.  Perfect for staving off the evening munchies without keeping you up all night.



 

Our New Favorite Tea

Everyone in my family who has tried this tea likes it.  Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice is a caffeine free herbal tea which has a satisfying array of spices including ginger, cardamom and black pepper.

It has no black tea, but it does have roasted chicory and roasted carob and can be enjoyed any time you want a relaxing hot drink.  Perfect for staving off the evening munchies without keeping you up all night.



 

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

Thursday, I talked about a fascinating New York Times article about "The Americanization of Mental Illness" which talked about the exporting not only of medical knowledge from the West, but of specific mental illnesses themselves as well as some theories about the effect of current Western thought and culture on mental health and recovery, ending with a theory the article proposes about the loss of a spiritual focus on mental health.

For 7 Quick Takes Friday I talked a bit about relief for Haiti and where to donate towards that worthy cause, and about Divine Mercy and some of the beautiful prayers written by St. Fausina.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

Thursday, I talked about a fascinating New York Times article about "The Americanization of Mental Illness" which talked about the exporting not only of medical knowledge from the West, but of specific mental illnesses themselves as well as some theories about the effect of current Western thought and culture on mental health and recovery, ending with a theory the article proposes about the loss of a spiritual focus on mental health.

For 7 Quick Takes Friday I talked a bit about relief for Haiti and where to donate towards that worthy cause, and about Divine Mercy and some of the beautiful prayers written by St. Fausina.

The Americanization of Mental Illness

Last week's New York Times had a fascinating article called "The Americanization of Mental Illness" which postulates that unlike physical disease, mental illness has not been historically the same across cultures and time.  What we see as anorexia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with a particular set of symptoms for example, may not have always existed in a way that would be recognizable to psychiatrists of today.  In fact, the article says, mental illness is culturally specific.

Various countries, cultures and times have given rise to very different types of mental illnesses.  In some cultures in South East Asia, men sometimes suffer from amok, which is described as "murderous rage followed by amnesia."  In the 1890's some European men became labeled as "Mad Travelers" because they would travel on foot for hundreds of miles in a trance-like state, not knowing who they were.  Women in the same time period became afflicted with "hysterical" paralysis of the legs.

Now however, the instantaneous speed of world wide communication along with technological advances in medicine have exported the medical model of mental illness across the globe.  Mental illness is now seen as a result of a biochemical imbalance in the brain.  This perspective has overtaken the once prevalent psychosocial/environmental model of mental illness.  Along with this change, it was assumed that a medical model of mental illness as a brain disorder would increase compassion in the way those who suffer are treated by the outside world.

What is shocking is that recent studies have shown this not to be the case.  In fact, the medical model of mental illness may indeed be doing just the opposite.  A study in Turkey, for example, showed that people who believed schizophrenia was a "disorder of the spiritual or inner self" (ruhsal hastagi) were more likely to view those suffering from schizophrenia as less aggressive and more willing to agree that they should live in the community than those who labeled the disorder as "an illness of the brain or reasoning abilities" (akil hastaligi).

Another surprising finding is that patients in the United States and Europe are found to relapse more often than those in other countries.  The article suggests that in third world countries, mental illness is seen as something outside the patient and therefore not as integral to their identities as people.  Westerners see the brain as "the self".  A brain disease means the person is somehow no longer...a person.  The article  says that we in the "first world" are "hyperintrospective" and tend to "psychologize (our) daily existence".  Non western countries do not over medicalize every aspect of the human experience as we do in the west.  "Normal" is becoming a smaller and smaller box that our society wants to force each of its members to fit into.

The article ends by saying that "we are investing our great wealth in researching and treating mental illness...because we have rather suddenly lost older belief systems that once gave meaning and context to mental suffering."  The effect of this loss of a spiritual outlook has been to increase the mental illness label (and the fear that accompanies it in the greater social group) while decreasing compassion and acceptance of those who are labeled as "different."

Societies as old as civilization have had spiritual explanations and remedies for many things, including mental illness.  Throwing away this spirituality as superstitious is counter productive and ineffective.

The Americanization of Mental Illness

Last week's New York Times had a fascinating article called "The Americanization of Mental Illness" which postulates that unlike physical disease, mental illness has not been historically the same across cultures and time.  What we see as anorexia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with a particular set of symptoms for example, may not have always existed in a way that would be recognizable to psychiatrists of today.  In fact, the article says, mental illness is culturally specific.

Various countries, cultures and times have given rise to very different types of mental illnesses.  In some cultures in South East Asia, men sometimes suffer from amok, which is described as "murderous rage followed by amnesia."  In the 1890's some European men became labeled as "Mad Travelers" because they would travel on foot for hundreds of miles in a trance-like state, not knowing who they were.  Women in the same time period became afflicted with "hysterical" paralysis of the legs.

Now however, the instantaneous speed of world wide communication along with technological advances in medicine have exported the medical model of mental illness across the globe.  Mental illness is now seen as a result of a biochemical imbalance in the brain.  This perspective has overtaken the once prevalent psychosocial/environmental model of mental illness.  Along with this change, it was assumed that a medical model of mental illness as a brain disorder would increase compassion in the way those who suffer are treated by the outside world.

What is shocking is that recent studies have shown this not to be the case.  In fact, the medical model of mental illness may indeed be doing just the opposite.  A study in Turkey, for example, showed that people who believed schizophrenia was a "disorder of the spiritual or inner self" (ruhsal hastagi) were more likely to view those suffering from schizophrenia as less aggressive and more willing to agree that they should live in the community than those who labeled the disorder as "an illness of the brain or reasoning abilities" (akil hastaligi).

Another surprising finding is that patients in the United States and Europe are found to relapse more often than those in other countries.  The article suggests that in third world countries, mental illness is seen as something outside the patient and therefore not as integral to their identities as people.  Westerners see the brain as "the self".  A brain disease means the person is somehow no longer...a person.  The article  says that we in the "first world" are "hyperintrospective" and tend to "psychologize (our) daily existence".  Non western countries do not over medicalize every aspect of the human experience as we do in the west.  "Normal" is becoming a smaller and smaller box that our society wants to force each of its members to fit into.

The article ends by saying that "we are investing our great wealth in researching and treating mental illness...because we have rather suddenly lost older belief systems that once gave meaning and context to mental suffering."  The effect of this loss of a spiritual outlook has been to increase the mental illness label (and the fear that accompanies it in the greater social group) while decreasing compassion and acceptance of those who are labeled as "different."

Societies as old as civilization have had spiritual explanations and remedies for many things, including mental illness.  Throwing away this spirituality as superstitious is counter productive and ineffective.

7 Quick Takes Friday

1) Please join me in praying for Haiti which has recently been devastated by a horrific earth quake. Their already poor country has been destroyed by an earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale, killing 100,000 people.
2) There are various organizations that are in Haiti helping the people there. If you feel so moved, you can donate to Catholic Relief Services, Doctors Without Boarders, Filter Pure (provides clean water), Friends of Haiti, and Cross International, (different from the Red Cross.)

3)I've been thinking about sin lately.  It is so discouraging to sin again and again and to be able to say with Saint Paul, "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this mortal body!" Romans 7:15, 24

4) I've also been thinking of Divine Mercy.  I was in adoration the other day, and I read their booklet, The Divine Mercy, Message and Devotion.  Even though I have read it before, as is often the case with spiritual writing, certain passages stood out that had not before, especially the prayers written by St. Faustina.  Some examples are below.

5) I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good.  Although my misery is great and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy. 

Jesus, friend of a lonely heart, You are my haven.  You are my peace.  You are my salvation.  You are my serenity in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts. You are the bright ray that lights up the path of my life.  You understand the soul even though it remains silent.  You know our weaknesses and, like a good physician, You comfort and heal.  

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy. 

6)  For the Grace to be Merciful to Others


     Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.


     Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.


     Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.


     Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.


     Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness.  My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.


     Help me, O Lord that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor.  I will refuse my heart to no one.  I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness.  And I will lock myself up in the  most merciful heart of Jesus.

7)  The above prayer reminds me of the prayer/poem written by St. Teresa of Avila, my patron for 2010.



Christ has no body but yours, 
No hands, no feet on earth but yours, 
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world, 
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, 
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. 
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, 
Yours are the eyes, you are his body. 

Christ has no body but yours, 

No hands, no feet on earth but yours, 

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world, 

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

7 Quick Takes Friday

1) Please join me in praying for Haiti which has recently been devastated by a horrific earth quake. Their already poor country has been destroyed by an earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale, killing 100,000 people.
2) There are various organizations that are in Haiti helping the people there. If you feel so moved, you can donate to Catholic Relief Services, Doctors Without Boarders, Filter Pure (provides clean water), Friends of Haiti, and Cross International, (different from the Red Cross.)

3)I've been thinking about sin lately.  It is so discouraging to sin again and again and to be able to say with Saint Paul, "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this mortal body!" Romans 7:15, 24

4) I've also been thinking of Divine Mercy.  I was in adoration the other day, and I read their booklet, The Divine Mercy, Message and Devotion.  Even though I have read it before, as is often the case with spiritual writing, certain passages stood out that had not before, especially the prayers written by St. Faustina.  Some examples are below.

5) I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good.  Although my misery is great and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy. 

Jesus, friend of a lonely heart, You are my haven.  You are my peace.  You are my salvation.  You are my serenity in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts. You are the bright ray that lights up the path of my life.  You understand the soul even though it remains silent.  You know our weaknesses and, like a good physician, You comfort and heal.  

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy. 

6)  For the Grace to be Merciful to Others


     Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.


     Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.


     Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.


     Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.


     Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness.  My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.


     Help me, O Lord that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor.  I will refuse my heart to no one.  I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness.  And I will lock myself up in the  most merciful heart of Jesus.

7)  The above prayer reminds me of the prayer/poem written by St. Teresa of Avila, my patron for 2010.



Christ has no body but yours, 
No hands, no feet on earth but yours, 
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world, 
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, 
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. 
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, 
Yours are the eyes, you are his body. 

Christ has no body but yours, 

No hands, no feet on earth but yours, 

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world, 

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Too Much Rain

This goes out to a dear friend. 



It's not right.  In one life.  Too much rain.

Too Much Rain

This goes out to a dear friend. 



It's not right.  In one life.  Too much rain.

Have some cat.

May need a bit of salt and pepper.  

Have some cat.

May need a bit of salt and pepper.  

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
Its been quite a while since I've done a Sunday Snippets so this will be long.

Way back before Christmas, I talked about Jesus being Peace.  On the shortest day of the year, I tried to draw attention to a U.S. Army General threatening pregnant soldiers and the fathers of their unborn children with court martial.  In the same post, I talked about the call in some circles, to enact a one child policy in the U.S.  Along those same unfortunate political lines, the president signed an executive order giving an international criminal police organization immunity from prosecution in the United States.

On a more spiritual note, I talked about the surprising line for the Sacrament of Confession at my parish.

Moving into January, I talked about Marian consecration and January's virtue, perfection.  I also spoke of Epiphany and all it represents as well as the symbolism and meaning of Christ's Baptism in the Jordan as seen through icons.

I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.
Its been quite a while since I've done a Sunday Snippets so this will be long.

Way back before Christmas, I talked about Jesus being Peace.  On the shortest day of the year, I tried to draw attention to a U.S. Army General threatening pregnant soldiers and the fathers of their unborn children with court martial.  In the same post, I talked about the call in some circles, to enact a one child policy in the U.S.  Along those same unfortunate political lines, the president signed an executive order giving an international criminal police organization immunity from prosecution in the United States.

On a more spiritual note, I talked about the surprising line for the Sacrament of Confession at my parish.

Moving into January, I talked about Marian consecration and January's virtue, perfection.  I also spoke of Epiphany and all it represents as well as the symbolism and meaning of Christ's Baptism in the Jordan as seen through icons.

I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Of Volkswagens and Love

For thirty years, I have been helping my husband bleed the brakes on various Volkswagens he has owned.  This involves me sitting in the driver's seat, pumping the brakes 3 times (holding on the last time) while he does whatever mysterious mechanical magic he does to make sure the brakes are in full and safe working order.

It has become a joke between us that we have a standing date to bleed the brakes whenever it becomes necessary.  Last night, we made a date for me to help him bleed the brakes on his yellow '72 today.

It all began when I was 19. Now I am 48 (ok, will be 49 in the spring if the math doesn't add up) and I'm still helping him bleed VW brakes!

Of Volkswagens and Love

For thirty years, I have been helping my husband bleed the brakes on various Volkswagens he has owned.  This involves me sitting in the driver's seat, pumping the brakes 3 times (holding on the last time) while he does whatever mysterious mechanical magic he does to make sure the brakes are in full and safe working order.

It has become a joke between us that we have a standing date to bleed the brakes whenever it becomes necessary.  Last night, we made a date for me to help him bleed the brakes on his yellow '72 today.

It all began when I was 19. Now I am 48 (ok, will be 49 in the spring if the math doesn't add up) and I'm still helping him bleed VW brakes!

The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan

Fr. Stephen at Glory to God for All Things, has a wonderfully clear explanation of the symbolism of tomorrow's feast of the Baptism of Christ.  He says that in icons depicting Christ's baptism in the Jordan, the water is often shown as being dark, similar to the darkness of the cave in which Christ is born, (the darkness, Father says, of the world)  and the darkness of Hell in which Christ descends on Holy Saturday before the Resurrection. Jesus brings Light to the darkness in his birth, baptism and in his Resurrection.  This so clearly brings out the meaning of Jesus' baptism and of His coming to earth!

In each case, he descends--God made man--"goes down" and humbles Himself for the sake of His creation.

The little figure at the bottom of the icon of Christ's baptism is probably symbolic of the "dragon" spoken about in Psalm 74:12-13--Yet you, God, are my king from of old, winning victories throughout the earth.You stirred up the sea in your might; you smashed the heads of the dragons on the waters.

In the story of Jonah and the whale, we see another instance of water being connected to death and new life. This passage is used in the Orthodox Vespers for Theophany (The Baptism of the Lord).

For You had cast me into the deep into the heart of the seas and the current engulfed me.  All Your breakers and billows passed over me.  So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight.  Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.'  Water encompassed me to the point of death.  The great deep engulfed me.  Weeds were wrapped around my head.  I descended to the roots of the mountains.  The earth with its bars was around me forever.  But You have brought my life from the pit, Oh Lord my God.  While I was fainting away I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You into Your holy temple. ~Jonah 2:3-7

Also, I heard on the radio yesterday that in Christ's case, Baptism doesn't sanctify Him. By descending into the Jordan, He santictifies the waters and makes them efficacious for our own cleansing, not only in Baptism but in its sacramental use as holy water.

Christ descending into the darkness of the water points, symbolically, to His releasing the souls from the abode of the dead at His resurrection, and releasing our souls from the sin we commit when we "do the very thing (we) hate".  It also points to the need for each of us to die to self, and rise from the now sanctified waters, a new person, which can only occur with God's help.

Jesus, Mercy!

The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan

Fr. Stephen at Glory to God for All Things, has a wonderfully clear explanation of the symbolism of tomorrow's feast of the Baptism of Christ.  He says that in icons depicting Christ's baptism in the Jordan, the water is often shown as being dark, similar to the darkness of the cave in which Christ is born, (the darkness, Father says, of the world)  and the darkness of Hell in which Christ descends on Holy Saturday before the Resurrection. Jesus brings Light to the darkness in his birth, baptism and in his Resurrection.  This so clearly brings out the meaning of Jesus' baptism and of His coming to earth!

In each case, he descends--God made man--"goes down" and humbles Himself for the sake of His creation.

The little figure at the bottom of the icon of Christ's baptism is probably symbolic of the "dragon" spoken about in Psalm 74:12-13--Yet you, God, are my king from of old, winning victories throughout the earth.You stirred up the sea in your might; you smashed the heads of the dragons on the waters.

In the story of Jonah and the whale, we see another instance of water being connected to death and new life. This passage is used in the Orthodox Vespers for Theophany (The Baptism of the Lord).

For You had cast me into the deep into the heart of the seas and the current engulfed me.  All Your breakers and billows passed over me.  So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight.  Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.'  Water encompassed me to the point of death.  The great deep engulfed me.  Weeds were wrapped around my head.  I descended to the roots of the mountains.  The earth with its bars was around me forever.  But You have brought my life from the pit, Oh Lord my God.  While I was fainting away I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You into Your holy temple. ~Jonah 2:3-7

Also, I heard on the radio yesterday that in Christ's case, Baptism doesn't sanctify Him. By descending into the Jordan, He santictifies the waters and makes them efficacious for our own cleansing, not only in Baptism but in its sacramental use as holy water.

Christ descending into the darkness of the water points, symbolically, to His releasing the souls from the abode of the dead at His resurrection, and releasing our souls from the sin we commit when we "do the very thing (we) hate".  It also points to the need for each of us to die to self, and rise from the now sanctified waters, a new person, which can only occur with God's help.

Jesus, Mercy!

7 Quick Takes Friday

I haven't done one of these in a long time. Holidays and all.

1) It snowed here again last night. This is actually nice, I think. This is the most snow we've had in quite a while. A nice respite from the existent (or not) global warming everyone's talking about. Anyway, its nice to see seasonally appropriate weather for a change.

2) I downloaded 2 new gadgets to my Windows Gadget sidebar thingy last night. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Windows Vista has a sidebar that you can use to put up a clock, calendar, slide show, etc. There are a few that come with the computer, and others you can download. One I like is a little sticky note pad. I chose the cursive font and now I can write myself notes that stay on my desk top.

I downloaded a clock/calendar/weather thingy that is cool and saves me having to download three separate gadgets. I also downloaded 2 "radios"--one is BBC and the other is CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) The BBC radio has 6 stations and the CBC has more, although they are not always available. Its cool to be able to have music, news and talk available on my desktop! :D

Another gadget I have allows me to search using Google, from my desktop. I really hate Yahoo search and I like having Google right there when I need it.

Amazing stuff!

3) You'd think after 2 or 3 weeks off, I'd have more to say...


4) I'm enjoying my tea pot. Been drinking a pot of tea on most days. Its a great way to get the required fluids, as long as it is not caffeinated.

5) I covered a plastic storage box that had not yet made its way into the basement, with an old (probably "antique" by this point) table cloth cross stitched by my aunt, I think, as many as 50 years ago and put a piece of glass on top. Now it is a handy "put place" as my dh calls it, for the aforementioned tea pot.

6)  Today would have been my father in law's 93rd birthday.  He died when he was 87 and its hard to believe that much time has gone by.  May God rest his soul.

7)  I've been discovering some long lost pictures in my basement.  I thought I'd lost them and lo and behold, they were safely tucked away downstairs.  As a dear friend reminded me, I am being watched over from above.  I've been spending time buying new picture frames and hanging up lots of pics.  My dh is being very patient about the massive amount of black and white, old family pictures I've been crowding our living room walls with.

7 Quick Takes Friday

I haven't done one of these in a long time. Holidays and all.

1) It snowed here again last night. This is actually nice, I think. This is the most snow we've had in quite a while. A nice respite from the existent (or not) global warming everyone's talking about. Anyway, its nice to see seasonally appropriate weather for a change.

2) I downloaded 2 new gadgets to my Windows Gadget sidebar thingy last night. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Windows Vista has a sidebar that you can use to put up a clock, calendar, slide show, etc. There are a few that come with the computer, and others you can download. One I like is a little sticky note pad. I chose the cursive font and now I can write myself notes that stay on my desk top.

I downloaded a clock/calendar/weather thingy that is cool and saves me having to download three separate gadgets. I also downloaded 2 "radios"--one is BBC and the other is CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) The BBC radio has 6 stations and the CBC has more, although they are not always available. Its cool to be able to have music, news and talk available on my desktop! :D

Another gadget I have allows me to search using Google, from my desktop. I really hate Yahoo search and I like having Google right there when I need it.

Amazing stuff!

3) You'd think after 2 or 3 weeks off, I'd have more to say...


4) I'm enjoying my tea pot. Been drinking a pot of tea on most days. Its a great way to get the required fluids, as long as it is not caffeinated.

5) I covered a plastic storage box that had not yet made its way into the basement, with an old (probably "antique" by this point) table cloth cross stitched by my aunt, I think, as many as 50 years ago and put a piece of glass on top. Now it is a handy "put place" as my dh calls it, for the aforementioned tea pot.

6)  Today would have been my father in law's 93rd birthday.  He died when he was 87 and its hard to believe that much time has gone by.  May God rest his soul.

7)  I've been discovering some long lost pictures in my basement.  I thought I'd lost them and lo and behold, they were safely tucked away downstairs.  As a dear friend reminded me, I am being watched over from above.  I've been spending time buying new picture frames and hanging up lots of pics.  My dh is being very patient about the massive amount of black and white, old family pictures I've been crowding our living room walls with.