Benefits and Drawbacks to Being a Science Major

One of the perks of being a biology/health sciences major is that one generally knows which health symptoms are minor and which symptoms are not. This can be fortunate as it can allow you to waive aside a cramp or strain etc. However, it can be unpleasant because you know the symptoms that can be indicative of much bigger problems.

Isn't this awesome? My lab partner and I took this picture
of nerve cells (neurons, if you want to know)! It's so
 amazing to think that we have billions of these guys in
our bodies! 

Therefore, you can imagine my peaceful delight this morning when I found that my hand kept going numb. Yay. It doesn't take a degree to know that this is something you can't ignore.

Numbness and tingling is often associated with nerve damage. Yay again.
Had I sustained an injury, this might have been expected. However, I hadn't been in a car accident or something like that, so the numbness was definitely concerning.

One of the disadvantages of having just studied the nervous system in Advanced Anatomy and Physiology is (cue: suspenseful music) being aware of the pathological issues involving nerves.

We all know that knowledge is power and with great power comes great....jumping to conclusions, right?

So therefore the only logical reaction to my problem was to think: "Ahhhhh! I'm going to lose mobility, my brain is going to stop working due to a brain tumor and now I'm going to die!" 

Or something like that.

I was able to conference with my mother (who used to be a nurse) and she was concerned as well. Great.  Now off to school to go learn more nerve pathology about neural innervation of the ears. 

...

Now, you ask, didn't you think about God or spiritual things at this point? 

Well, whether or not it actually crossed my mind that I may die younger than St. Therese of Lisieux (who died at 24) is up to your imagination. ;) 

Seriously though, what really struck me is how hard it was to just trust in God whatever was going on. I know my situation was quite different from someone who truly was suffering from a terminal disease, but if it were a sort of "dry run" for that I definitely failed. 

The thing about a situation like this, is you get stripped down of all pretension and imagined holiness and you realize how small you really are--how small your love is.

You begin to realize how much you need God's grace. 

You find that the amount of effort you are putting into loving God and neighbor is much less than what is possible for you to give.

On one hand this can be very discouraging, but on the other hand it is a much needed breath of fresh air. 

You see, it is very humbling to find that you are really not the king of the universe. 

When your soul is naked and you see that you cannot even control what happens to your own body, you find your rightful place in life: a creature placed at the feet of the Creator. 
Utterly helpless, but for his grace. 



Yet this knowledge is so freeing. For you are no longer bound by the "imagination of your heart", pride. 

God is good. I am learning how small I really am. How much I need God's grace. I pray that I may grow in love of God and truly align my priorities in life.

Happy feast day! 

Follow up to the numbness: Although I still am experiencing it, we believe that I probably pinched/tore a nerve in my shoulder Monday night (by pulling something heavy from across the car). Thanks be to God it is nothing worse.

Not Alone: A Post-Election Reflection

Though dark night closes around, we will not be afraid. For you, O Lord, are our strength and refuge. Whatever may come, good or ill may we praise and glorify your name!

Let us not forget, that it was on the bleakest of all nights, when all hope seemed in vain, that Love himself conquered and triumphed!

Therefore, we must not fear. The battle has already been won! If we but cooperate with Christ's grace, we will be able to convert the world! How blest we are to be able to suffer in union with our Divine Lord! Now more than ever we will find that mediocrity is not an option. We must be saints! But what a time to be saints!

 Ours is a culture which has rejected The Cornerstone--a culture which worships the creature rather than the Creator. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we face a culture which is not unlike that which the first Christians encountered. And our task is very much the same! We must go out to the four corners of the world and proclaim the goodness of God! 

Odds are, like the early Christians, we will be persecuted. But what a joy it is to give all to God our Savior! Whether or not that means shedding our blood--only God our Father knows. Yet he is that--Our Father!--and "all things work for good for those who love God..." (Rom 8:28) Though all may appear to be collapsing, we must have hope. I say again, remember Good Friday! 

When all hope seemed lost, when everyone was scattered and the King himself publicly mocked, humiliated and murdered, that is when Love triumphed.

 It may be that we live to see a new culture of life, but it also may be that we all called home to our Father God during these dark days ahead. May his name be praised! Whatever he may want, at any moment, Fiat! let it be done! Though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side... (Ps 23:4)

He is here and will walk us through the night. We are not alone. 


Let us ask the intercession of the first Christians as we face this difficult time. May we imitate them by living our lives totally united to Christ even if that means giving our life for love of him.

Lightning!

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to be able to travel to the beach with my family. We stayed on a marine base in a house built on the sand. It was as incredible as it seems....

...a beautiful bungalow

...the ocean within spitting distance... 

...fabulous finds...

...and last but not least, a visit from my brother! 

The last night we were there we got a spectacular thunderstorm! I'd never photographed lightning before, but per my brother's directions I got my first shot!! 

(A trip to a marine base would not be complete without some pretty intense road signs ;) )

Freedom to Love

Painting by Norman Rockwell taken from Arts Experts Inc

I would like to begin by telling you the story of a young girl. I first met her when I was still very young but did not actually get to know her very well until fairly recently. For the sake of anonymity I will refer to her as Marion. 

Marion was born into a loving and holy family in the Midwest. God showered her with many blessings from the very beginning. He gave her a quirky sense of humor, a rich enthusiasm and an aptitude for learning. Most importantly, God provided that Marion would be formed in the faith from an early age. Marion was far from perfect though: not only did she have a nasty temper as she grew up, but she also suffered from pride and a lack of self-discipline. In high school, God blessed her once more by allowing that she develop friends not based on popularity but on true friendship. In these friends she began to see something that she was lacking, but she was not able to identify it until many years later. You see, Marion ought to have been the most carefree girl around being blessed in so many ways. Slowly -through God’s grace-Marion began to discover what plagued her: her love was tainted. That is, her relationships were not “pure” because she only was good to those she felt like being good to. Beginning to understand the problem was one thing, but for Marion doing something about it was something else. She seemed fixated on increasing her self discipline in order to discipline herself in her relationships, but to no avail. But then one day, something changed.

And that something is what I am about to relate to you. It all began when Marion heard a quote from the Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena. (Christ is the speaker).

"I would have you know that every virtue of yours and every vice is put into action by means of your neighbor. Love of me and love of neighbor are one and the same thing. The more the soul loves me, the more the soul loves the neighbor. I've distributed my goods to everyone in such a way that no one has them all. Thus, I've given you reason to practice mutual charity. I could well have supplied each one of you with everything that you need, but I've wanted to make you dependent on one another so that each of you would be my minister, dispensing to one another what you need by means of charity... I ask you to love me with the same love with which I love you, but you can't do it because I loved you without being loved first. You don't love me freely but out of duty. I love you freely. This is why I've put you among your neighbors, so that you can do for them what you cannot do for me: loving them without being loved first, without being loved in return, without any concern or profit to yourself."

It became clear that if she was to love God purely, Marion must purify her charity. This was much easier said than done and her minute progress was very discouraging.

Mary of Sorrows
The most holy rosary.com

Some weeks later, Marion attended Mass honoring Our Lady of Sorrows. In his homily, the priest spoke of how it was through Our Lady of Sorrows that he quit smoking and encouraged everyone to put their struggles in her hands. That day, Marion put her whole life and her discouragement in Our Lady’s hands and asked her to “take care of this mess, please.”

 It is hard to imagine the change in Marion’s--or rather--my life. You see, Marion never really existed. It is my life that has been blessed and which Our Blessed Lady has taken under her mantle.  

Now I can see that I must give myself to others in imitation of Christ's gift of his life on the cross. Sometimes it is much easier than others, but I have found that there is a profound joy and peace that accompanies that gift--whether it be a job volunteered for or simply a smile and a kind word. Ironically, the self-discipline that I've been working on for years is so much easier now that I have begun to learn charity. 

For nearly my entire life, I have been caught up with anxiety about what God wants me to do with my life. And only recently have I begun to understand in a tangible way the quote from the Second Vatican Council: "man...cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself." -Gaudium et Spes

I don't have to worry about my future. By giving of myself to others out of love for God, I can discover that unique purpose and vocation for which God has made me.

A priest once asked, "Have you ever wondered whether God wants to comfort/help/etc. someone through you? After all, the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ--maybe he wants to act through you?" (paraphrase)

What a beautiful gift it is to be able to serve God through giving of ourselves to others! While it may not be easy at all times, how incredible it is that God can use us to reach everyone around us. 

I have certainly not mastered charity, but with the help of Our Lady and God's grace, I hope that Christ's words may be applied to me as well:  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35) 

Next Food Project?

Popular Music and Prayer

Music can be a very beautiful thing. (How's that for a platitude?) As such, it can be a way of bringing glory to our Creator in its very essence. That is not to say that all "music" falls into this category nor that only hymns can be used for prayer. 

Basically, what I am trying to say is this: music, even that not expressly written to praise God, can be used as a conduit to prayer. As such there is a time and a place for both popular music and hymns. Obviously, pop music does not belong in the liturgy, nor should hymns be restricted to liturgical use.

Nevertheless, popular music, as long as it is not inherently evil, can be a very useful jumpstart to prayer. Even the saints have used it to praise God. In particular, "St Josemaria used to love singing love-songs, to which he gave a new meaning about loving God. “Never be afraid,” he said, “to use clean human love songs to sing about divine love. Because we love with one same heart. God loves us like that, madly, each of us, as if we were the only person on earth” (quoted by Ana Sastre, Tiempo de Caminar). " From http://www.josemariaescriva.info

 A song that I've come to appreciate more in light of God's goodness is "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. 

I cannot listen to it without meditating on Christ's presence in the Eucharist. I like to see it as a dialogue between the soul and Christ. For example, the song begins with a soul afraid to submit to God's will. In the refrain, we find Christ's response:

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Who else has loved and waited for us for thousands of years in the tabernacle? Who's death is made present in the Sacrament of the Altar every day in all corners of the world?  

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this

The purpose of our life here on earth is to follow Christ's will for us: in every moment, at any time, fiat! Let it be done!  "Every hour" of our life comes down to this. Strengthened by God's grace, we must "be brave" and rid ourselves of attachments which distance our relationship with not what, but Who is standing before us in the Eucharist. 


"Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration."
--Mother Teresa

"When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries."
--St. Josemaria Escriva

Let us make an effort to visit our Divine Love in the tabernacle today in gratitude for his great goodness to us poor creatures. 

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real: Fireworks Edition!

This Independence Day, Miss Sarah and Miss Me hosted the gang over at their house for food, fireworks, and fun (not to mention fantastic friends of course). There was a fireworks show within walking distance, so an hour or so before it began we trekked our way through masses of people to find a good spot. 

Let me just say:

The show was absolutely fantastic. 

Apparently, the town hired  Zambelli Fireworks (renowned throughout the world for their displays) to put together the event. You could tell. 

~Pretty~

These photos really don't do justice to the show, but I'm thankful to have been able to catch them!

This one reminds me of a sea urchin!

There were several like this--exploding from the ground as well as mid-air.
There is another example further down the page. 

There was a light fixture that obstructed our view, but it didn't
diminish the beauty of the show, thankfully!

See the reflection of the show in the car window (lower left): so neat!

~Happy~

Did I mention fantastic friends? 

Red, White and Blue!

~Funny~

There were several times when the fireworks were so beautiful that we wondered if the grande finale had begun already. Thankfully not.  But, as a result, I was able to get some of the main show on film (as you will see below). 

Strangely enough, the fireworks at the end of this clip reminded several of us of bacterial growth/rock formations/coral. Ironically enough I'd have to say they were some of the prettiest that we saw.

~Real~

A) I didn't take out my camera until the show, so I didn't get any pictures of Miss Sarah and Miss Me's delightful party.

B) Although I'm very thankful to have captured the previous pictures, I really cannot take any credit for them because my camera has a nice "fireworks" setting and so therefore does all the work adjusting aperture and exposure (and foreign things like that ;).

Basically, I ended up taking around 200 photos, most of which turned out like this:

All in all, it was a delightful Independence Day, praise God! :)

Head over to Like Mother, Like Daughter for some more Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real! (click the picture)

Happy 4th of July!

Otherwise known as Independence Day because it was the day that the Declaration of Independence was officially promulgated. (As others have mentioned, it was actually passed on July 2nd with a 12-0 vote which included all the colonies except New York, who abstained.  Who knew?)

As the Fortnight for Freedom concludes, let us continue to pray for our country that we may not lose the freedom (to choose the good) so cherished by our founding fathers. At Mass this morning, Father reminded us to seek the intercession and protection of the guardian angel of the United States. Let us do so at all times, but especially on this Independence Day as our rights are being threatened once more.

God bless America, the Land of the free! 

Happy Independence Day! 

Brave

If you could change your fate, would you?

Anyone who's seen the trailer for  Disney-Pixar's Brave should be familiar with that question. It would seem from the two and a half minute preview that the movie is all about a young lass who rises up against her parents while seeking (and succeeding) to prove how strong and independent women can be and how oppressive and backward her parents are. But don't let the trailer deceive you.

Let me just say, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Brave this past weekend. I do not want to give any of the plot away, but it ended up far from what was projected by the trailer. As my sister pointed out, it seems as if the footage for the preview was taken solely from introduction of the movie.

That said, the plot is more similar to one of Grimms' Fairy Tales than your typical saccharine Disney, so it might not be suitable for young children. (That's not to say that it's not heartwarming and funny, but that the overall feel is much darker than, say, Tangled.)

In fact, my first reaction when leaving the theatre was more like "What an odd movie!" than "What a good film!" As time has passed though (and many discussions later), I find myself liking it more and more. So, next time you're wanting to watch something other than the typically sappy Disney, check out Brave and you may be pleasantly surprised! 

So, you may be wondering....

Why the delay? What's with the infinitely (thankfully not) long lacunas between posts?

Well, I could give an excuse, but I will have to excuse myself from doing so by giving you a quote by Blessed John Paul II:

"An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded."

:) So, no excuses. Sorry. (Actually I'm not that sorry because it saves me from trying to come up with a "good" excuse anyways. ;) Don't you love that quote though? It definitely provides some food for thought!)

However, over the next few weeks, I will update you on some of the happenings between mid-April and today in addition to posting some current items!

Happy Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist! 

(Image courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery)

Why, Hello There!

Yes, it's me!
Don't you recognize me?
Oh dear. It has been rather a long time since I posted.

But, no fear! I am back... I hope

Actually, that may be reason to fear: you will be once again subjected to tirades of unrelated trains of thought mashed together in ill-written paragraphs. :)

Oh well, you may as well resign yourself to the fact that you're in for it if you stick around!

Personal Failures

There have been a few incidences in the past months which have made me ponder human weakness. I thought I'd share my thoughts with you over the next couple posts. Here goes!

(From Despair.com)

 Personal failures. How easy it is for us to create a magnificent mental image of ourselves when reflecting on our achievements or even just our lack of "serious sin."  We begin to put ourselves on a pedestal and then we fall--not surprisingly. We repent and with God's grace get up again, yet even as our "mea culpa" is resounds, we fall again. And the cycle repeats itself.

We must get up each time, but how easy it is to become discouraged! It is so easy to think that as soon as we make a conscious decision to strive for sanctity, *poof* our weaknesses disappear. Everyone knows this is not true, but the thought can pervade our emotions and the temptation to discouragement seems ever greater. When we think like this though, our focus is in the wrong spot. (Geek warning!) It is as if we're looking through a diverging lens instead of a converging lens--instead of focusing beyond ourselves on God, our focus is inward on ourselves.

St. Josemaria Escriva wrote: 

"If you fall, get up with greater hope. Self-love alone is incapable of understanding that an error, when put right, helps us to know and to humble ourselves." 

Wow. You get a lot of bang for your buck there! Take a minute to reflect on that: "Self-love alone is incapable of understanding that an error, when put right, helps us to know and humble ourselves." Goodness. How easy it is to forget that we are not the Redeemer but rather the redeemed. Christ, the All-Perfect One is the reason we can strive to "...be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt 5:48)

Without His grace, all of our efforts would be in vain. Of course, we should never rejoice in our faults, but rather, once confessing them, rely on Christ's help to move forward. "With God all things are possible,"but the inverse could also be said: without God all things are impossible. If it were not for God's wonderful grace, we would be incapable of loving Him at all. Let us never forget to thank him for all the times he has helped us to love. (How good that he has pity on us even when we do not seek him out!)

Taken from The Curt Jester Blog

Someone once told me, "You know, no one--aside from Mary and Jesus--ever has been or ever will be completely perfect until heaven." It's easy to relativize that and say that "Oh yeah, every saint has sinned," but I believe there is a more profound truth to be found in that statement. That is, every saint had to deal with at least some sort of imperfection until the moment they died. As a local DRE once said, "The difference between saints and everyone else lies not in the fact that saints never sinned, but rather that they always got up and started over." This goes hand in hand with something Pope Benedict said in 2007:

"It is not correct to think we must live like this, so that we are never in need of pardon. We must accept our frailty but keep on going, not giving up but moving forward and becoming converted ever anew through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a new start, and thus grow and mature in the Lord by our communion with him."

We all fail, but we can "gain" by our faults by turning to God in true contrition and acknowledging our weaknesses rather than focusing on our self love. In this way, God can bring great good even out of our greatest weaknesses. Obviously, we strive for perfection, but when failures come we seek He who is the Fountain of Mercy through placing our faults before the "doctors of the soul."

We're Going to Rome!

This is from Good Friday last year. The photo rights belong to the "Photographic Service of Vatican City"

Well, not exactly. 

Very few of us can actually be in Rome with the Holy Father this Easter (I can keep dreaming, can't I?), but at least we can accompany him virtually!

In case you haven't had a chance to check it out, the Vatican web site has a special page devoted to the events of the Triduum.

The site has practically everything you'll need for your trip! First of all, may I suggest that you "pick up" your virtual booklet? This will be especially helpful during the Triduum if you are not fluent in Latin. It contains the liturgy, not only in Latin but also in English and Italian. This way, when you accompany Papa Benedict at the Easter Vigil by viewing the Mass in video form, you can truly participate--well, virtually. (As an added bonus the booklets also contain the sacred music, so you can take part vocally as well).

If you want a handy copy of any of Pope Benedict's homilies to study with a friend, text files will be uploaded as each event in the Triduum takes place. Finally, if you would like to take a memento "home" with you after this virtual journey, photographs of each event will also be uploaded. :)



While few of us are privileged enough to truly go to Rome to celebrate the Easter Triduum, at least we can travel to "Rome from home"via the Vatican website. In this way, we can accompany the Holy Father in a unique way throughout this sacred time.

Come to think of it though, there's an even better way to accompany our dear Papa Bene this weekend: be truly present at the sacred liturgy. Truly pray the liturgy with Holy Mother Church. Are we not celebrating and participating in the re-Present-ing of the same passion, death and resurrection of Our Divine Lord? Are we not united with the Universal Church as she celebrates the saving love of the Divine Bridegroom? The Eternal Sacrifice of Christ is not one that is tied to the confines of space and time. Therefore, each time we attend Mass to celebrate the unbloody sacrifice of Jesus, we are in a special way united to all the Masses of the world--past, present, and future-- especially those Masses offered by the Vicar of Christ on Earth.

While it is worthwhile to take a trip to Rome--virtually or literally (and as I've heard nothing quite compares to the "real deal"), it is good to remember that all the glories of Rome cannot compare to the true Glorious One, who makes himself present on the Altar. After all, isn't that rather the point?

That said, let's remember to keep our Holy Father in our prayers this weekend as he leads the Church in her most sacred celebrations.

UPDATE: Here's the link to the webpage: http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/holy-week/2012/index_en.htm oops! :) 

Feet, Feet, Feet

Since it is Holy Week I've decided to re-run this post from January...

I just love babies, don't you?! One of my relatives is expecting, and we are all so excited!! I can't wait to see the little one! 

The other day, while I was making a visit I got to thinking about feet. (Bear with me here.) I was thinking about how cute and lovable baby Jesus' feet would have been. Think about it: it can be hard to resist kissing the tiny toes of any newborn, but imagine being able to kiss the adorable feet of God Incarnate! I bet Mary and Joseph spent long hours playing with and caressing His little hands and feet... though I'm not sure that they sang "This Little Piggy Went to Market." :) 

Needless to say, feet are mighty important things. They not only provide balance but also help us get around.  Without them, it would be hard--nigh impossible--to walk. 

When hearing the word "foot" one might think of a general appendage that is used for walking. But the truth is, feet can vary greatly: they can be hairy (like hobbits)/hairless, large (dufflepuds)/small, dirty/clean, overgrown/pedicured, fungus infested/... the list could go on and on. Basically, even among humans they can be quite diverse. 

Beyond a wide range of variation among types of feet, there are also many expressions in which we reference feet. Below I've included several that are well known, but there are many more.

put one's foot in it (or put one's foot in one's mouth ) informal say or do something tactless or embarrassing; commit a blunder or indiscretion. 

 have (or keep ) one's (or both ) feet on the ground be (or remain) practical and sensible: it's a very exciting time for the business but it's important that we keep our feet on the ground.  

have (or get ) a foot in the door gain or have a first introduction to a profession or organization.

have one foot in the grave informal often humorous be near death through old age or illness. 

my foot! informal said to express strong contradiction: Efficient, my foot!

feet of clay a fundamental flaw or weakness in a person otherwise revered.[with biblical allusion (Dan. 2:33) to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, in which a magnificent idol has feet “part of iron and part of clay”; Daniel interprets this to signify a future kingdom that will be “partly strong, and partly broken,” and will eventually fall.]

at someone's feet as someone's disciple or subject: you would like to sit at my feet and thus acquire my wisdom. 

get one's feet wet begin to participate in an activity. 

But why am I talking about such things? Feet are so integral to normal life and even influence on culture (making it into our everyday cliches), that it might be of value to meditate on Christ's feet. 

We can picture Jesus' feet throughout his life:  his adorable baby feet in Bethlehem, his dusty sandaled feet that carried him in the ordinary years at Nazareth and throughout his public ministry, and his bleeding and swollen feet on the road to Calvary.

Like I mentioned earlier, I don't believe anyone would have trouble kissing Jesus' precious baby feet. 

We move on to the dusty, calloused, and hot feet of his public ministry. Here most people would refuse, rather grossed out. Yet these are the same feet that the immoral woman washed with her tears (Luke 7). And again, these are the same feet that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, sat by and (later) anointed with precious oil. 

Let us then try to imagine Jesus' feet at the time of his passion: bruised, bloody, swollen, torn up by the ascent to Calvary, dirt and grime caked onto Our Lord's open flesh.

 Placed at His feet at this point, I think many of us would recoil in horror at the thought of kissing them... Far away are those beautiful baby feet, yet here Jesus fulfills his salvific mission: Jesus--Yeshua " Y[ahweh] is Salvation."  

  

While we are not living at the time when Jesus walked the earth (and so cannot physically honor his precious feet), we can honor them through our ordinary tasks done well. 

As everyone knows, some tasks can be hard to do and can even repulse us in their repugnant (or just annoying) nature. Let us turn to these tasks with more love than before... as if every motion in their completion is a way of kissing Jesus' Divine feet on the Cross. 

In this way, our tasks can become a work of love--united to the work of True Love on the cross...

After all, we are called follow in his footsteps.