Photina

Photina
n., An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain. v.intr., To rise to the surface, ready to flow; to rise or surge from an inner source. v.tr., To pour forth. adj., In a satisfactory condition; right or proper. interj., Used to introduce a remark, resume a narrative, or fill a pause during conversation; used to express surprise.dictionary.com

Thursday, December 26, 2002

I'm off for upstate New York tomorrow for a wedding tomorrow morning early, so you won't hear much from me on the feast day of St. John the Evangelist, the feast of the Holy Innocents, or the feast of the Holy Family. See you next week!

posted by Heidi | 26.12.02

We actually got a white Christmas this year--wonderful gift! After the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve, I joined friends of mine in eating cookies, drinking wine, and talking, but eventually my bed called and I headed home. Flakes were beginning to wisp down at that point, but it was not until I was on the freeway for my crosstown trip and already a third of the way home that I paid much attention. It blanketed the saltless pavement and continued to fall until we cars chose to straddle the two lanes on our side of the road for maximum spin space. Silent night, holy night, white night, and prayers for myself and all who were out in this white Christmas weather.

Beautiful morning, still trickling down, and I brushed off my car and cautiously navigated to my parents' house. Danish Puff for breakfast-dessert--"good for your mental health" is how we describe these foods. We opened presents, throwing the wrapping paper for Berry, our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, to rip to shreds (but not eat)--her favorite part of the year.

posted by Heidi | 26.12.02

Today is St. Stephen's Day, honoring St. Stephen, first martyr of the Christian Church. Thus red is the color of the day...

The carol "Good King Wenceslas" takes place on the feast of St. Stephen.

posted by Heidi | 26.12.02

Wednesday, December 25, 2002

Merry Christmas!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

White and Gold are the colors of this season of rejoicing, hence the change in this site's appearance.

May you have a blessed Christmas filled with the knowledge of the wonder of Jesus' incarnation and God's amazing love for us!

posted by Heidi | 25.12.02

Monday, December 23, 2002

Angry. Upset. Frustrated and near tears.

"Stem Cells Become Working Human Kidneys in Mice"
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Human stem cells transplanted into mice eventually developed into working, mouse-sized human kidneys, researchers report in a new study.
The results offer hope that investigators may one day be able to grow human-sized kidneys in humans, potentially saving the lives of the more than 50,000 people in the US alone who need a new kidney but must await a donor.
The human stem cells were between 7 and 8 weeks of gestational age, meaning they had been extracted from aborted fetuses. These cells are similar to embryonic stem cells, which are extracted from embryos created at in vitro fertilization clinics that are not going to be used.
Fetal cells are easier to obtain than embryonic stem cells, however: the latter are currently mired in controversy, for embryos are inevitably destroyed when stem cells are extracted. . .

As if the fetuses weren't destroyed... Take a look at fetuses at seven and eight weeks.

At the Center for Disease Control's website you can download Instruction Manual Part 3b: Classification and Coding Instructions for Fetal Death Records, a 55-page PDF file that compiles everything from "Education - Mother - Father" to information about the prenatal visits and whether the fetus is male or female.

The "Underlying Cause of Death" is not entered until page 34 (p.36 on the PDF reader), where one runs into the note: "Refer to Appendix H for underlying cause of death terms that indicate event to be induced termination of pregnancy. Such events should be voided from the fetal death file."

Go to Appendix H (p. 53) and you find a two-page list of terms indicating abortion--71 terms in all, which I will not list here.

Regarding the definition of "fetal death," the CDC says:
The World Health Organization’s definition, also adopted by the United Nations and the National Center for Health Statistics, [is that] a fetal death is death before the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy; the death is indicated by the fact that after such separation, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

But it only counts as a death if no one intended the fetus to die...

posted by Heidi | 23.12.02

Today is the feast day of St. John of Kanty, professor, priest, and patron saint of Lithuania and Poland.

He had two mottoes inscribed on the walls of his living quarters:

Conturbare cave: non est placare suave.
Infamare cave; nam revocare grave.

Translated,
Avoid offending: to ask forgiveness is not pleasant.
Avoid slander, for it is difficult to retract.

Another of his better-known quotes is: Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.

posted by Heidi | 23.12.02

O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel,
Our King and lawgiver,
expected one of the nations,
and their Savior:
Come to save us, O Lord our God.

Seventh and last of the O Antiphons, said at Vespers.

posted by Heidi | 23.12.02

Sunday, December 22, 2002

O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

O King of Nations,
and their desired one,
cornerstone,
who makes the peoples one:
come and save man,
whom You formed out of dust.

Sixth of the O Antiphons, said at Vespers.

posted by Heidi | 22.12.02