So, What Did Happen?

With all the stuff about Nativity plays being re-written to include Barbie & Ken and other weird and wonderful characters, I found this rather amusing...

Twitch of the mantilla to Patrick at Creative Minority Report...

Dignitas Personae

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has produced an Instruction, Dignitas Personae, on Certain Bioethical Questions.

You can download a copy of the document HERE, courtesy of the USCCB.  Anna Arco has given a good summary over at her website (twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Ray for spotting that) and John Smeaton has published Fr. John Fleming's review of the document HERE.

This is an excellent, and much-needed, summary and explanation of the Church's position on IVF and cloning.  To be honest, it is stating the blindingly obvious, but, while most people have an instinctive distrust of cloning, many people do not actually realise that IVF is banned by the Church, and many of those who do know the teaching are unclear as to why the Church would be against a procedure that helps couples to have babies.

A Distinct Lack Of Christmas Cheer...

I am not a happy bunny.

I had heard that, in a break with tradition, Royal Mail had decided to produce both religiously-themed and secular stamps for Christmas this year, rather than just producing one lot and alternating each year between religious and secular themes. They made quite a big thing of how good they were being in listening to customers...

So, when I bought my Christmas stamps, I particularly requested the religious ones. Unfortunately, they were "sold out." I commented on the popularity of the religious stamps, and asked for ordinary, non-Christmas stamps, as I really didn't want to plaster the Genie of the Lamp all over my cards.

They were also "sold out."

Since when does a Post Office run out of stamps??

I decided to opt instead for second class Christmas stamps, after checking that I had plenty of time before the last posting date. They only had the pantomime ones. Getting ever so slightly frustrated, I asked for books of the ordinary second class stamps.

They were, you guessed it... sold out.

It was finally acknowledged that they did have sheets of ordinary second class stamps, but they weren't the self-adhesive type.

Just as well that I quite like the taste of stamp glue. Better get licking.

Grrrrrrrrr.

Rosary Meme...

Puella Paschalis has tagged me for this unusual (and blissfully short) meme. 

Post a picture of 3 of your most special and beautiful rosaries and tell us why they are special to you. Then pass it through to three of your fellow bloggers who will pick their three rosaries and so on. And maybe it will be a nice gesture to pray a special intention for the three persons you "gave" the rosary to the next time you pray a rosary...

My initial reaction was that, as a result of giving "spare" rosaries away, I didn't have three rosaries to photograph. However, when I stopped to have a look, I discovered that I didn't have three different rosaries.

I have this one in my pocket most of the time. I like the colour, and the fact that each bead is moulded into the shape of a rose. But, most of all, I like the fact that it has a small vial of water from Lourdes. I like to carry my rosary loose, as I don't want the bother of having to take it out of a pouch... as a result, I find that my rosaries often break.  I'll try to fix the "current" one a few times, and then I buy another one (I figure that I'm supporting the rosary market by doing this!) But, as I like the connection with Lourdes, I tend to buy the same style of rosary over and over...

This is the rosary I keep on the shelf in my car. I don't want to drape it from the rear-view mirror because it would be a distraction when I'm driving. It's one of the ACN rosaries, blessed by the Holy Father. The way I drive, I figure I need all the help I can get. It also proves to be a good conversation piece when I get my car cleaned.

I couldn't find another different rosary.  I have one by my bed, and another in my handbag, but they're both the same as the one in my pocket... but, to prove that I have got more than two rosaries...

So, now I'm going to tag three people.

1.  Karen (because she has nobbled me several times before, often in sneaky, underhand ways!)

2.  The Mother of This Lot (I'm sure she'll have a few stashed away somewhere.)

3.  Phil (to prove that there are no hard feelings after he gave in to pressure from Karen!!)

Petition...

A week ago (or thereabouts) Phil at Pellegrinaggio asked me to advertise a petition to persuade Virgin Media to carry EWTN on its cable service. Unfortunately, I was distracted by events (mainly my renewal of vows!)

However, better late than never... You can sign the petition by clicking HERE.

Sometimes I Feel Like This...

...generally, I feel like this as the awful realisation dawns upon me that I've volunteered to do something, and it's a really bad idea...

Confused...

I thought Halloween was on the 31st October.  Apparently not, as this little bunch of trick-or-treaters have just crawled out of the woodwork... in full costume, too!

I wonder who the token male is... he really ought not to be allowed out in public, being of unsound mind (probably caused by too many illegal substances... I mean, get a load of the collar on his yellow shirt... not to mention the Dalek fixation... that is just soooooooo sad!)

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Z.

Feast Of The Immaculate Conception

One of my favourite feasts, particularly as it sorts the men out from the boys, so to speak... in other words, it is a stumbling block for unbelievers, but, for us who believe...

;-)

Favourites Meme

I have been tagged for this by Phil.  I'd be flattered, only I learned that he only picked me because Karen said he had to... so now I'm sulking...

I doubt that any of my choices will surprise anyone who has read more than two of my blog posts. So, in no particular order...

1.  The Extraordinary Form of Mass.  I love Mass anyway, but Mass according to the Usus antiquior is like Mass with knobs on. Especially if there's lots of incense. 

2.  Pope Benedict XVI.  I agree with the Curt Jester: if JPII deserves to be called John Paul the Great, then Benedict XVI ought to be known as Benedict the Pretty Awesome Also! And Summorum Pontificum just rocks.

3.  Chocolate. No explanation needed.

4.  Cats.  The four-legged, bewhiskered variety rather than the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

5.  Baileys.  It's not really alcoholic. It's cream. And cream is made from milk. Milk is good for you: all that calcium!

6.  Coffee. This isn't just one of my favourite things, this is practically a necessity.  

Ok, so now, who to tag...?

1. Leutgeb, because Karen said I had to.

2. Fr. Ray Blake, because he hates memes.

3. The Curt Jester, because he's cool!

4. The Catholic Caveman, because I haven't tagged him in a while.

5. Ttony, because he's there.

6. Paulinus, because his take on life is amusingly different (you have to have a certain warped mentality to come up with those bus adverts!)

There are so many others I want to tag, but I've used up my six... so, if you want to have a go, consider yourself tagged and drop me a note in the com-box.