Hello. I was just doing some reading about the lives of various saints and I came across two in particular that sort of disturbed me (a common phenomenon when reading about the saints). The two are Angela of Foligno and Catherine of Siena who supposedly both suffered from a condition (perhaps not the right word for it?) called "anorexia mirabilis" which, simply put, is excessive fasting, usually in the name of God sometimes "characterized" by a miraculous lack of appetite. They were both reported to have only sustained themselves on the pus of the sores of the sick, and it's possible that Angela might have eaten scabs and lice from the sick. I don't think they ate very much else. I suppose we can't know absolutely, without any doubt, that this is true but for a moment let's pretend that they both did this.

I know VERY little about both of these saints. I make no assumptions about their lives or why they became canonized, but I'm going a hazard a guess that the miracle of their prolonged lives having been sustained on nothing (or pus) might have had something to do with it. If so, do we continue to honor individual saints like these because of what they represent (devotion, love of God, self sacrifice, etc.) or do we consciously recognize that MAYBE this "devotion" might have been mental illness? If they were mentally ill can we actually call them saints? Wouldn't that be nothing more than honoring, well, an illness? I know we can't ever really know, but what are your thoughts just for the heck of it?

In either case, should we support such extreme forms of devotion? Flagellation, sleeping on beds of thorns and other various forms of self-torture have been practiced in the name of God, as a form of punishment or sacrifice but how does the church view this today? Is it encouraged or at least supported? My instincts tell me that the Church probably wouldn't want people torturing themselves and causing themselves harm in the name of God, but it's been honored in the lives of some saints and so I wonder if it's just considered a rare but devoted practice. If so, how do we tell the difference between devotion and mental illness (or perhaps even fetish)?

I hope this isn't too graphic, if I need to put this under a cut, let me know. Thanks for your opinions. I value them.

A little something from 1962.


( I was warned.... )

How do you all feel about people bringing babies to adoration? We're talking a small 24/7 chapel, where there is almost always going to be someone else adoring. Hubby thinks this is rude, because you can't stop a baby from being a baby, even if they're just babbling happily, and this may disturb someone else's prayers. This was also my initial thought, but then I recall this passage:

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:13-15

I think just recieving the rays of the Son of God is a blessing and I want to bring my 6 month old with me when I adore. So would this be rude?

This last semester, I studied abroad in the UK (and a few surrounding countries, like France, Ireland, and Italy) and bought a brand new pair of Chucks to take with me on my adventures.  Here's a summary of where they've been... be warned, this will be image heavy. =) ( My chucks take me everywhere... literally. )

I am shocked--shocked, I say--that our resident watchdog cinchntouch has not broken the news on this important story, and I wonder if he has been paid off by...

wait for it...

the Black Pope!

*crashing glass, Wilhelm scream*

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

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A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

Greetings! I was hoping I could have some people pray for myself and my future. I've been unemployed for the past six months or so, however I've been actively applying for jobs since I lost my last one. I recently applied to a job nearby my current location. The recruiting firm I talked to said that my resume and background would be perfect for this job. Unfortunately, I've heard this many times before (and I've been interviewed many times before having the interviewer say the same thing). Please pray that I may be granted an interview and do well at the interview! My name is Michael. Thank you in advance. Merry Christmas!
BTW, did anyone listen to The Catholic Channel today on XM? Archbishop Dolan and a Rabbi from New York were talking about Catholic-Jewish relations during the holiday season. It was a pretty interesting show.

Would you all say a prayer for my friend Connie? This morning her house burned down, she lost everything. Her twin sister died from smoke inhalation and her mom is in the ICU in critical condition. She's devastated. A couple of years ago she lost her young son and now this. I worry for her and wonder how she'll go on after this.

Please, if you have some time, say a little prayer that everything works out for my son's baptism.

Some background...

Sometimes I have so much frustration at the bureaucracy of the church, and right now I'm just agitated.

My whole family is Catholic, and I grew up in a Catholic home. There's only one parish in my hometown, so everyone knows everyone, and I always knew the priests and deacons (some of them were even related to me). I attended Catholic grade school and a Catholic college. So did my brother.

We recently moved and joined a parish where I live now (in Georgia). We want to have my son baptized (he's five months old), and they have a lot of hoops to jump through. This is mostly fine. My husband and I, and the baby's Godmother (who will really be just a witness, since she is not Catholic) will attend a baptism class here. We've been through it once before, at a different parish, when my daughter was baptized.

My brother, who grew up as I did, is going to be the baby's Godfather. But he lives in Minnesota, and recently graduated college. He's moved around a lot, and hasn't settled on any one parish yet. He attends church, just hasn't registered.

My church requires not only that my brother provide his certificate of baptism and confirmation, which he has, but that he have a letter from his parish stating he is an active member, and that he take a baptism class as well. He doesn't have any real way of doing this. He has spoken to the priest in our hometown, who will probably be willing to provide him a letter, but just needs more information.

So I have to speak to the deacon who does baptisms here, and see if he can waive some of the requirements. Otherwise, I'm not sure if we will be able to have the baby baptized. I know that it is our intent to raise the baby Catholic, and that my brother (who will be getting married and settling down in the next year) will be a wonderful Godfather and spiritual guide for our child.

Please pray that everything works out. I'm really at my wits end. I know that some of this is simply because the parish we attend now doesn't know me, personally, and that they want to make sure that we, and my brother, will take our committments seriously. But it's so hard not to be discouraged and frustrated.

Thank you.

stepstomarrow
When granddaughter, Jada, was born with leukemia, a donor-match was located and Jada made a miraculous recovery. In honor of her grandaughter's health, Jeanna has decided to walk across the country (in the dead of winter) to raise awareness and build support for the bone marrow registry (all that's required is a cheek swab). Follow Jeanna's remarkable journey as she travels the United States by foot.

This guy is SO GOOD.

http://fourthfindingsociety.blogspot.com/

Hi, I was hoping I could get some prayer requests for two people.

My good friend Emily, her 8 month old Anja was recently re-admitted to the PICU.


Anja has Hurlers Syndrome. Feel free to look it up, and say some more prayers. She'll need lots of them.

My friend Annie, her mother Barb had a brain aneurysm last night. She's doing alright in the hospital right now, but its still a scary situation. 2 week hospital stay.

Thanks. =)

Buried deep in the back pages of Google news was this story from OnTop Magazine. Granted, it isn't the most rivoting statement (its simply a quote from the Cathecism), but considering the human rights nightmare that Uganda is currently sitting on it is still significant. It is especially significant since a number of Ugandan Catholic priests have apparently come out in support of the legislation.

What kind of shocks me about this article is that I can only find one source for it and given the fact that Human Rights Day was on the 10th of December I am surprised that it took this long for anyone to run with the story. It is really upsetting if you consider that stories about what some editorialist at a certain Vatican paperthinks about the latest teen vampire flick gets more media attention than the Vatican addressing oppressive legislation in a country of over 40 Million people. Not since John Paul II spoke out against the United States invasion of Iraq has a statement from Rome been so widely ignored. My hope is that this thing goes viral, the Catholic population in Uganda needs to see this statement.

ADDED: Here is the actual Statement:

Mr. Moderator,

Thank you for convening this panel discussion and for providing the opportunity to hear some very serious concerns raised this afternoon. My comments are more in the form of a statement rather than a question.

As stated during the debate of the General Assembly last year, the Holy See continues to oppose all grave violations of human rights against homosexual persons, such as the use of the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The Holy See also opposes all forms of violence and unjust discrimination against homosexual persons, including discriminatory penal legislation which undermines the inherent dignity of the human person.

As raised by some of the panelists today, the murder and abuse of homosexual persons are to be confronted on all levels, especially when such violence is perpetrated by the State. While the Holy See's position on the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity remains well known, we continue to call on all States and individuals to respect the rights of all persons and to work to promote their inherent dignity and worth.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator.

Rev. Philip J. Bené, J.C.D.
Legal Attaché
Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations

Statement gakked from: http://gayuganda.blogspot.com/2009/12/catholic-church-in-uganda.html

Hello everyone!

I posted a few weeks ago to ask for prayer as I had a grad school entrance interview that day. I just learned that I was accepted. Thank you very much for your prayers.

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.