September 2003 Archives

Would you kindly say a prayer for me as I will be entering a Benedictine monastery in a few months to become a religious brother? Your prayers are most appreciated. Many blessings to you!
In Our Lady,
Ryan
Email Address: rguthrie@e-benedictine.com

1. How did the name of the blog come to be?
I'm a midwife. It is not just an occupation, it is a profession (as in "I profess") and a vocation. My first vocation was and is marriage and motherhood, but midwifery is an extension of that. Fructus ventris (fruit of the womb) is from the latin for the Hail Mary.

2. Why Magnificat on your blog?

(I pulled this out of the comments box below)
Okay! Here goes:

1)It is obvious that Carmelite spirituality is very important to your life. How and when was it first introduced to you?

I first realized what true mysticism was in 1991, after a post-partum depression and subsequent disillusionment with the "if you can't obey the Word and feel joyful, then you must have a rebellious heart" attitude of my evangelical protestant church.

I was scanning the religion shelves of the public library one day and came upon the title Ecstatic Confessions, ed. by Martin Buber. Being nosy, I checked it out!

To that point, I'd always associated "mysticism" with new age types or the guru in Nepal--I didn't have any idea that it was RELEVANT to any Christian's actual prayer life. Mysticism, as it turned out, was simply love talk between God and His people: between the Lover and His beloved!

Go read The Curt Jester: A contrast of two stories and weep.

Still Building Zion has Crystal's answers up. Thanks, kiddo, for such thoughtful and honest comments.

Summa Mamas
"Three RC moms-- One organic, One fun, One old!"
Link via the Curt Jester

I am finding this interview meme to be much more fruitful than the random quiz one, albeit a bit more difficult.
If anyone wants to interview me, please feel free to post the questions on your blog and send me an email letting me know. I will answer as time provides and to the limits of what I am comfortable sharing. You have all been wonderful with your answers and it is humbling to know just what differing and beautiful charisms are found in our virtual parish.

From the Sunday Boston Globe. Here is a case where the family wants care continuted, and the hospital is suing to have the ventilator disconnected.

The Lowly Pilgrim has posted his answers to the interview.

This is the final set of questions for now - thanks to all of you for your lively interest. I am hoping tomorrow to have a set of reflections on some other stuff. Kathy the Carmelite is the most recent person requesting an interview. Here we go!
1) It is obvious that Carmelite spirituality is very important to your life. How and when was it first introduced to you?
2) Like so many bloggers, you seem to juggle family committments, work in and out of the house, a life of prayer and reflection, and blogging. How does blogging help with the other parts of your life?
3) Have you had the chance to meet other bloggers 'in real life' after becoming virtually acquainted? Is this something you would recommend to others or would like to do?
4) What are some things that would make you say,"This is an ideal parish for me and my family."?
5) Any thoughts on who might next fill the shoes of the fisherman? Are there any Carmelites who might be papabile?

1) From your blog title, I would guess that part of your calling is to help build the Kingdom. Do you have any ideas on how this came about?
2) For those who are clueless, could you share a little bit about One Rock magazine?
3) Your faith journey seems to have taken some interesting detours. Could you share something that pulled you away from the Catholic church, and something that pulled you back?
4) My generation (boomers) seems to have betrayed your generation in many ways. Is there a particular issue for which I could ask your forgiveness? How can we make reparation?
5) Do you have any thoughts about who should be the next Pope, or what qualities you think the Holy Spirit will look for?

Tom was the next person who sent me an email requesting interview questions. Here they are. As below, I will put up a link to his answers when he posts them at his blog.
Do remember that part of the conversation is to offer to interview others as well, if you can. I am finding that it is an interesting challenge to write good and personalized questions.
1) Your blog's name is "The Lowly Pilgrim - a walk in the desert". What (besides the Holy Spirit) inspired you to choose this image and identity?
2) Your blog motto is "Dominus Illuminatio Mea". How did you find this phrase, and in what ways is your blog a fulfillment of this motto?
3) It would seem that you see your life and faith as a journey. Could you share a significant step along that path?
4) Do you see blogging as a vocation, an avocation, or something else? What prompted you to start blogging?
5) Who would you like to see as the next pope?

can be found here.
More questions coming up soon - I have pending interview requests from at least 4 corners of the blogosphere.

Blackberry Nectarine Crisp
(Adapted from Rebecca Charles)
Time: 1 hour
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups nectarines, pitted, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 large nectarines)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup whole blackberries
Vanilla ice cream for serving.

1. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or six 8-ounce ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt once or twice to mix. Cut remaining butter into small chunks, add to flour mixture and pulse a few more times, until mixture just
comes together into small crumbly clumps. Reserve.

2. In a large bowl, combine nectarines, granulated sugar and vanilla. Pour nectarines into baking dish or ramekins, scatter blackberries on top and sprinkle with the processed mixture. Bake 45 minutes, until bubbling. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6 servings.

Erik was the first to put in an interview request.
1) Your blog refers to food, art, music, bullfighting, and politics. How do these connect to Catholic Theology?

2) I understand that you are a graduate of the University of California's Santa Cruz campus. This campus is not exactly known as a bastion of conservative thought. How did your values system and the university work together during your years there?

3) You seem to be a talented cook as well as musician. Do you see a connection between the culinary and musical arts?

4) What prompted you to become a virtuoso in the kitchen?

5) Who would you personally like to see as the next Pope?

wow, I am overwhelmed. I have had 3 readers so far request a Fructus Ventris interview. I will try to get this as soon as I can, given my weird work schedule. I will send interviewees an email to let them know when the questions are up on my blog. Thanks for the interest!

BTW - if anyone would like to be interviewed by me, send me a private email and put interview me somewhere in the letter.

I volunteered first, but Jeff Miller (Curt Jester) beat me to it. Oh well, it comes of two things:
1) I have a job that takes me out of circulation for long stretches (if I have a patient in labor, that is) and
2) When I got home from work Wednesday AM, it was to learn that Comcast had a major outage - for us that meant no telephone, no cable TV, and worst of all no ISP. I was very annoyed, especially since I had really wanted to hear the homily of the day on EWTN (my husband quoted me a line from it as I was driving home). Instead, I went to sleep! Anyhow, here are my answers.

Interview Questions

Alicia the Midwife at Fructus Ventris is the first courageous person to ask for an interview from the DeoOmnisGloria.com staff. So, here’s her interview questions

The Lowly Pilgrim has some interesting posts and comments about the possible Vatican document on liturgy - the one that MIGHT restrict altar servers to boys and men, and could also restrict applause.
Myself, I have always been a little concerned about applause especially after Mass. That is because, as a member of music ministry, I am hypersensitive to the idea that the applause is for a performance, which Mass is not.
On the other hand, my Pentecostal friends have what they call a 'clap offering' - a round of applause directed at God in gratitude, thanksgiving, and awe.
Anyhow - check out Lowly Pilgrim. I don't think you will be disappointed

Kathy the Carmelite of the
Gospel M*I*N*E*F*I*E*L*D? I know that she is busy, but I am hoping that Isabel didn[t affect her too badly.

The Curt Jester does it again. Jonah blogs. Tolle lege.

From today's gospel:
And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all”. And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me”. (Mark 9:36-37)
We went to the 8AM Mass today (my husband was singing) and I saw a child who reminded me of a post at M'Lynn's fine blog Scattershot Direct.

A dear friend of mine sent me a link to Faith 2 Action. She heard Janet Folger speak and was very impressed.

I don't remember quite where I read it, but I have been thinking about a comment that connected the change in discipline (modifying the Friday penance) with the near catastrophic change in practice among the rank and file pew-warmers of ignoring the Church's teaching on family planning. From nearly 2 generations later, we can see how prophetic H.V. really was.

I have wanted to make a tea liquer for a while now. When I visited with Erik in July, I read through his book of recipes for cordials and liquers, just to get the principles down. I then bought two bottles of EverClear when I was in Oregon, in anticipation.
Last night I happened upon a recipe for Mate (accent over that 'e') cordial in the St. Blog's Cookbook. (it's from July 14,2003 - the blogspot archives are doing their usual). I followed that recipe using black tea leaves ( a blend of pekoe and darjeeling) at double the amount called for. I also boiled the water and poured it over the leaves first (in a corel teapot I have) and then poured on the EverClear after the leaves were cooled.
Tonight I finished the recipe and bottled it. Now for the hard part - waiting a month to try it! I may also try making a spiced chai kind of cordial.

Captain Anne Cash
Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!
find your pirate name

Nicholas Wilton - Sacred Choral Music sung by Magnificat - Catholic Music.co.uk
is a site for which I was sent a link. Have any of you had any experience with this?
On another note, my husband is a great fan of Fulton Sheen. There is available an MP3 with 50 of his talks on it.
My (stupid?) question is - how does one listen to MP3 stuff?

Pregnant teen dies after being given RU-486 (mifeprostone).
May God have mercy on her soul, and may her family find comfort. And may those who murdered her and her unborn child either find repentance or rot in Hell!

A Historical Comparison
is an extremely interesting and scholarly paper. Among other things, it compares the spirituality of couples using calendar rhythmn in the 1960s with those using 'modern NFP' (in this case the Billings Ovulation Method).
Other papers of interest can be found at University Faculty for Life.

There is a rumor that my parish may be considering changing its 'liturgical resources' with the advent of our new pastor. We have been using the OCP, with lots of supplements of sheet music.
I would like to present our music director (a well-meaning volunteer who had held the job for years if not decades) with some choices other than GIA or JS Paluch (the others in use in this area). I have suggested that Magnificat would work well as a 'worship aid' in general, and I have heard that Adoramus has a decent hymnal.
I am interested in suggestions and also what kinds of cost structures have been encountered. Prayer, also, would be appreciated.
Change, if it happens, is at least a liturgical year away, as we have already been committed to the OCP program for the upcoming year.

Times Against Humanity
contains links to articles from several sources about the fight to save Terri Schiavo from being legally murdered by her adulterous husband. This article includes a link to a specific prayer for Terri - I suggest that you print out several copies. Post one on your computer, one on the refrigerator, and give out others to whomever the Spirit sends you.

Although I did not home school my children, I did make sure they all learned to read at home, at a very early age. All six of them were reading by the age of four, and all six of them are still readers. As a matter of fact, fully half the weight of our cross-country move was books - and that was after we sold around 100 books and donated several packing boxes (a mini-van full) to the Eugene Public Library.
Mark Shea, Chris, Lane Core are among many bloggers who have linked to and commented on this item about how the brain processes written English. Go ahead, click over and read it - it should only take you a moment. Anyhow, it got me to thinking about the differences in how we expect our children to acquire read/written language as opposed to heard/oral language.

Still Building Zion and I am very glad!

Blog+Colors
Being+Midwife
Cat+peed+in+laptop
judging+amy+gillian+childbirth
catholic+humor
governer+ of +Rhode Island
corporate+buzzwords
compliments+usage
most of these make a kind of perverse sense, but I have no clue how a search for the Governor of Rhode Island ended up at Fructus Ventris!

I was mulling this over earlier today, as I was thinking about aperitifs and drink recipes. I was also thinking about various heresies, beginning with Gnosticism and continuing to this day. You know the ones I mean - the ones that see the material world, including the human body, as inherently evil and debased. As Catholics, we take literally the words in Genesis that God say what He created and that "It was good". To these heresies, the Incarnation was truly a scandal - that God should be born of a woman, born in blood and sweat and water, born helpless and dependant - and still be God.

but fun quiz
Link from Kathy who got it from Zorak.
my results:
The Net
The Net reaches out to the world and pulls in experiences of all forms and kinds.

In the bag
(link via Erik)

Time again for "In the Bag," the game that challenges you to put aside pride and admit what art you really like. The rules: you can put any five works of art into your bag before departing for a desert island, but you have to choose right now.

Flos Carmeli has a brief comment from dylan! Please, please, keep praying for him.

Today, our priest said something in the homily that I have been pondering. He told a tale of a buddhist monk who recently visited the USA after a 25 year absence. The comment made was that, 25 years ago, there were crosses in most rooms of most houses he visited. Now, in all the spots where he would expect to see a cross, there is a clock.
Are there more clocks or more crosses in your home?

Erik has been posting recipes for Tomato Grappatini, and my curiosity was piqued. Between the garden and the CSA, I have an abundance of tomatoes, and these are more for eating than canning. I plan to can the Roma tomatoes, but the beefsteaks and similar just don't can well.
So I decided to try to make a similar aperitif.

Catholic mom blog is Scattershot Direct. Found via Davey's mommy.
Click here for a good description of the way I've been feeling at work lately.

Dei Gratia   has been added to the blogroll.

From Open Book
Worth the time to read and ponder.

Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.
CCC, section 2288

Myths and facts on domestic violence and divorce from El Camino Real.
My perception from my feminist days is that most divorces stem from unreal expectations and an unwillingness to grow and adapt.

Images from inside the womb show babies apparently smiling and crying
Link courtesy of RC at Catholic Light.

Comments from dylan's mom over at his blog. Please, please keep praying.

From the NY Times.Johnny Cash, Country Music's Bare-Bones Realist, Dies at 71
Even when I was a child and thought that country music was 'lame', I admired Johnny Cash. Back in February, I posted the lyrics to a Johnny Cash song that I could not get out of my head. I pray that Mr. Cash is now where he can:
Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers, one hundred million angels singing.
Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum.
Voices calling, voices crying, some are born and some are dying.
It's Alpha and Omega's Kingdom come.

Mr. Cash, the man in black. He was a whirlwind in a thorn tree.

I had plans to post a bit about 9-11-01 and what I was doing then. I had thoughts about continuing some previous topics. But today was not a good day at work, at all, and tonight we have been helping our (almost)20 y/o daughter pack up her stuff as she moves out (yet again). Blogging will have to wait.

Sex and growing up Catholic over at Don Jim's place, Sex: Sport, Science or Something Else over at Cross and Crown, seem to be starting something. Should be interesting to see if anyone else gets involved in the conversation.

Heroic Moments
is new from Mrs. Bill White (summa minutiae). Do drop by.

Disordered Affections updated!

Sparki posts about Catholic school for her children and includes a recipe for Irish Beef Stew. Yum!

Go over to Apologia for some heart rending, soul-searching writing on the crime and execution of Paul Hill.

I am not a professional ethicist, but in my line of work I encounter various ethical questions. As part of my MS in Nursing studies, I took an elective class on medical ethics, and I have presented talks on "midwifery, ethics, and the law" in a few settings. I have tried to educate myself in the field, because many of the questions I encounter are not well-covered in the standard books.
My initial training in medical ethics was strongly influenced by situation ethics, and it has been only gradually that I have come to realize just how pervasive this misapplication of ethical thinking really is.