SAINT EDBURGA OF WINCHESTER - JUNE 15, 2022

 

Saint Edburga / Eadburh of Winchester

b. about 920, d. June 15, 960

My 31st great grandaunt

Today's saint is a great aunt of mine, the daughter of my 32nd great grandfather, Kind Edward I of England and his third wife, Eadgifu of Kent.

(I am descended from Edward and his first wife, Aelfflaed of Bernicia, whose daughter, Eadgifu of Wessex, was my 31st great grandmother. SHE was married to King Charless II "The Simple" of France, my 31st great grandfather.)

Edburga became a nun very early in life and is what is known as a popular "local saint," with several churches in her neighborhood dedicated to her. She was only 3 years old when she was given to the convent - something that would probably be considered a sort of child abuse in these days. They raised her and educated her, and she remained a nun for the entirety of her life.

There IS a fanciful story about King Edward placing the little tot on his lap and asking her to choose between some religious items and some frivolous jewelry - and she chose the religious items, which showed her aptitude and justified sending this BABY away to a convent.

She was credited with being a marvelous singer. Osbert's history, commissioned by the nuns of her convent, recounts that she was the "precentrix" there, which means that she was a type of female cantor and choir leader when the Office was chanted or sung. She would often remain long after the Divine Office was finished so that she could continue to pray quietly in private.

She loved to sing hymns and wore herself out in spiritual disciplines.

Well, thank you, dear aunt, for making us all feel completely inadequate!

Today I wore myself to the nubbins just getting myself and a neighbor to the local Walgreens to get our second Covid booster shots. It had been 10 months since I got my first one, and I did not want to run the risk of contracting Covid during this time when I am feeling particularly worn out.

I had to fold then lift my neighbor's walker into the back seat of my car, then help manage the lock on the passenger seat belt.

The asphalt of the store was vibrating with heat. When we got inside, I said to follow at a slow pace while I went to the pharmacy and announced our arrival. I had previously called and learned that we could just walk in and sign up for our vaccinations. 

I threw my cane into a cart and used it as MY walker,  as I made my way to the pharmacy, as my neighbor followed slowly after me. Eventually, they gave us each a clipboard. I finished mine and then did my neighbors as well, asking the questions on the form, one of which was "are you pregnant?" We had a laugh about that one.

They called  my neighbor in first, and in no time, it was done. Then I went in and chatted amiably with Alex, the really nice pharmacy employee. The two booster shots I have gotten at that pharmacy were much faster and less painful than the ones I receive from the people at the health department. I have to say I appreciate their technique!

Just getting my neighbor out of the car when we got home was almost impossible. It came close to my having to call 911 to get my neighbor out of the car and into the nearby apartment.

This is the last time I will be taking my neighbor with me on any errand because their  disabilities have reached a level where a personal assistant is needed, and I am just another disabled person. 

But I felt good that, despite the pain and exhaustion I was feeling, I had been able to do this last thing. After all, when you're suffering from Parkinson's, the last thing you need would be to get Covid, and I was happy that I was able to play a part in helping get this protection in place! However, doing this took a huge chunk out of my own day and my limited endurance, and I had already spent more than a dozen hours trying to get this person a medic alert bracelet which they now say they don't want. It is both an energy drain and highly frustrating.

When I finally shuffled back to my apartment, I fell asleep in my recliner for a couple hours. When I woke, I felt really awful. I couldn't even get out of the chair for some time and, in thinking of the events of today and the last few months, I felt disappointed that my life circumstances look so very different from the monastic life I had envisioned when I first became disabled. My life has devolved into a long struggle to survive and get ahead of the pain. It is one thing to "offer up" the pain and suffering, but one still has to overcome it to the extent necessary to perform the daily functions of life.

I realized I have to simply my life here at home and I have to start loving my neighbor in a less physical and more spiritual manner. God will show me the way.

May we all be blessed!

Silver Rose
Sannyasini Kaliprana

Silver Cottage Hermitage

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SAINT PETER OF MOUNT ATHOS, TRINITY SUNDAY - JUNE 12TH

 

Saint Peter of Athos is today's saint. Unlike most of the ones I write about, he is not related to me, but he was a hermit and is said to be the first monastic on the island of Mount Athos that is now famously covered with monasteries.  For more than 1,000 years, the Monks of Mount Athos have been chanting the prayers of the Orthodox faith without ceasing.

I am always curious about hermits because, so far, all of them are intentional hermits and not accidental ones like me. I look to them for encouragement, example, and inspiration.

Once I found myself unable to work and somewhat isolated, about 20 years ago, I did choose to dedicate my life to God, but being a hermit was nothing I had ever aspired to do prior to finding myself in the position of being unable to work due to physical pain and disability. Over time, I have realized that my solitary condition is the only real ascetic practice that I have, other than offering up the chronic, constant pain I have suffered for the last 20 years. It's interesting how these things work out. God has a way of organizing it into an organic flow of its own. I have accepted God's will, as it has been revealed by circumstance.

Today was also Trinity Sunday. I won't even try to begin to explain the Trinity, the central concept of the Catholic faith. It is not a simple aspect of our theology, and I am too tired to even look for a good quote. 

I rarely experience a day when I do not feel ill. The pain is marginally addressed with medication but causes other issues, including chronic insomnia. I can't seem to sleep more than 4 hours at a time, for one thing, and I have days when I am dragging myself through my activities. Today was one of those days. I had overdone things yesterday when I had tried to clean my house and do some laundry. The kitchen is a particular problem, since standing in one spot, to do dishes for instance, causes quite a bit of pain. So, the kitchen is almost always in a bad state. It is a constant struggle.

As I have mentioned before, I was approved for caregiver services 2 years ago but have been unable to actually avail myself of those services. There are no caregivers available and the agencies usually ask me to provide someone MYSELF in order to run them through the agency. Only the people who have relatives willing to do this job end up having their needs met. The rest of us go without. (I have previously told you about a handful of people I was offered who caused more problems than they solved - middle-aged drug addicts who had never had a job in their lives before showing up at my door because they had to show a paycheck to the judge to get their kids back who tried to bully me into letting them do their own shopping on my time, people who wanted to lay on my couch and eat my food, and a couple disabled individuals who thought they could sit around and get paid for keeping me company. That sort of thing.) 

I have not just sat around and waited for someone to show up. I got creative and advertised for a caregiver many times through various websites, and I did find quite a few people who said they wanted to do the job, but when they learned that I wanted them to register with an agency to get paid, they each said the same thing, i.e., that Medicaid does not pay enough and that they wanted me to pay them cash, under the table, or they would not take the job. So, there ARE people available to do the work but they won't do it at the pay that the government allows.

I have called every single approved agency on the Medicaid list MORE than once and their situation is such that they don't even have a waiting list. They just tell me they can't help me - except for the one agency that promised me a caregiver, then when I got switched over to them, they claimed that the three days it took to get it done was "too long" and that they had given the caregiver to someone else. They offered to give me someone who refuses to get a Covid shot, which seems ludicrous. I declined to risk my life just to get my dishes done. They offered me a woman who, when she showed up,  told me she intended to spend the day watching movies on Netflix on her phone or sitting and reading because she has gout and can not stand on her feet. (She refused to stay and even TRY to do the job and kept telling me that her last client did not "make" her work and that she only kept her company and brought her a sandwich when she asked for food. THAT poor woman ended up going into a nursing home because she wasn't getting the care she needed.)

I have called Medicaid have a dozen times and they just ended up telling me they can't do anything about it and to call the Department of Aging and Long Term Services who, in turn, told me to call Medicaid. Finally I called the Governor's office four times and emailed them once but never received a phone call back from them, despite assurances that I would. I sent an email to the President of the United States asking him if there wasn't something HE could so, since he was coming to our state - but I got crickets, of course. He has bigger fish to fry, obviously, but I wanted to do everything I could to advocate for myself before I gave up entirely.

Occasionally a friend will come by to do my dishes, and I am grateful I have this help. But meals happen every day and it isn't long before the dishes pile up after I have a few bad days.

Today was Sunday, a day when I typically ease up on my diet, as it is a "feast" day, and I was really hungry, so I decided to get a rare pizza from Pizza Hut.  As usual, it was a disappointing experience.

It is much too expensive to have them deliver the pizza, which always arrives cold ANYWAY, so I arranged for a "contact free" pick up. I was to notify them when I got there, and they were to bring the food out to my car, just a few steps outside their front door.

Arriving at the restaurant 5 minutes after the pizza was supposed to be ready, I called the Pizza Hut number and a woman said she would "tell them" and that someone would come out with the pizza. No one came out, of course. I did see one employee outside, loitering with a homeless looking girl and polishing the hood of a car that was parked out there.

A van pulled up and a driver went in and back out again and drove away. Another van with a Texas license plate drove up and parked behind me so I could not leave if I wanted to. They went in and came out with a pizza and some Pepsi. Ten minutes went by. I saw an employee go in and out several times.

When I'd been there 20 minutes, I call again and the woman said, "well, you should have called when you arrived."

"I DID call," I told her, annoyed about the whole thing. The rude woman on the phone said she notified them that I was waiting but I may just have to go into the store. It was supposed to be "contactless pickup" and they were supposed to bring it out to my car. 

So, I hobbled into the store, with my purse and my cane. The diffident and unapologetic girl behind the counter said that she had gotten no notice at all! My pizza was ready - sitting there, in the warming oven. I hobbled back out with it, juggling pizza, chicken wings, cane and purse. No tip was paid to these people and I told them I would not be back. I had given them many many chances over the years, but their food and their service is uniformly bad, and it would be crazy for me to give them any more chances.

By the time I got home, the pizza was cold, so I put it in the toaster oven. Half of it was just plain old bread. It was the worst pizza I have ever had.

I think it is time to revert to eating raw fruits and vegetables and maybe some canned beans and rice or baked yams, with nuts and seeds to supplement.  It will be healthy and perhaps I will lose some weight. That way, I can avoid too many dishes. If I can get a chair into the kitchen, I won't be faced with having to stand to clean and chop veggies.

I bet Peter of Mount Athos did not eat much. I found myself being curious about the diet of the original hermits. I am betting it was also mostly raw food. In any case, it was frugal, I'm sure.

Today I made a couple pair of earrings from aluminum wire and some other findings I had on hand. I hope to sell them at a local store. I added them to the dozen or so I had made previously. Even hermits have to do some kind of manual labor to support themselves.

My favorite Carmelite nuns, with a monastery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are part of an ascetic order of nuns that live mostly in silent adoration of the Divine, practicing meditation, chanting the holy office and immersed in mental prayer. But they have to bring in money to support themselves also, so they have a website where they sell special hand-made rosaries, religious medals, books, and all sorts of things. (By the way, you can find them at: SISTERS OF CARMEL) I highly recommend them.

I remember reading about the monks of Mount Athos when I was a nun in the Hindu convent. Mount Athos is extremely important to the mystical heart of the Orthodox Christian world. Like most monasteries, there are no females allowed on Mount Athos EXCEPT for cats which keep the mice and rats under control!

Photo from an article on a blog devoted to Greece

"The Only Female Allowed on Mount Athos"

GREECE HIGH DEFINITION BLOG

I was surprised and delighted at the number of cats that swarm about the monasteries.

If you would like to read and see more of it, The Guardian also did a wonderful picture essay about it, which you can see HERE - "The Holy Mountain: Monks of Mount Athos

In addition to the monks of the monasteries that live there, the hills are dotted with tiny little hermit "cells" where the hermits live with the bones of the hermits that lived there before them. The bones are kept in a silver box. I'm not sure what the point is of that but it probably assists the monk in keeping his mind on the reality of human life and death. The little hermit cells look fairly dirty and unkempt. I am not sure what the older hermits eat, because some of them can no longer even get out of their cells because it would mean climbing the rocky hills and ledges where their cells are perched. One of them has lived in his cell for 64 years but can no longer come out because he can't handle the rocky climb. I am assuming that the monks of the monastery must leave him some kind of food to eat or they lift it up to him with an arrangement of pullies and baskets. When comparing my situation with his, I live like a queen, so I try to keep this all in perspective.

CBS NEWS did a report about the health of the monks of Mount Athos. The monks there live very long lives with "shockingly low" rates of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses that plague modern man. Alzheimer's is almost "unheard of." This really IS surprising.

READ THE CBS REPORT HERE

Their remarkable health is attributed to their diet of simple meals eaten at regular intervals in what is known as "the Mediterranean Diet" which is the diet that every one of my doctors has recommended I use! How wonderful that the diet for my good health is the same as the simple diet of ascetic monastics that I am trying to emulate!

I am pretty sure they don't have a Pizza Hut on Mount Athos. They also do not have any women or children (obviously.) They pray and meditate, do a lot of physical work, and eat a wholesome Mediterranean diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

In addition to the nuts and seeds, there are some supplements that the doctors recommend.  All of these things are on my wish list on Amazon. They have my address and can mail to me directly.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY WISH LIST

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful week. I will be working to try to make a little extra money with my art projects but I will not forget to pray for all of you, as I hope that you also pray for me.

God bless us all!

Silver Rose

MY GRANDFATHER, SAINT EDGAR "THE PEACEFUL" KING OF ENGLAND, AND A HOST OF OTHERS

 

SAINT EDGAR "THE PEACEFUL"

KING OF ENGLAND

My 33rd Great Grandfather

Born 7 August 943 - Died 8 July 975

Patron Saint of Kings and Widowers

MY 33RD GREAT GRANDFATHER

When I have a rough day, and my pain is ratcheted up and I feel like complaining, I often glance at the saint of the day to find that the Catholic world is celebrating at least ONE illustrious ancestor of mine.  Often, MORE than one is involved, which can be overwhelming to meditate upon, or even to write about, but I feel oddly supported by the numbers. (More about that later.)

Typically, as in today's saint, that ancestor has some weighty responsibilities and, comparing mine to his or hers, can help put things in perspective.

As it happens, today's calendar has quite a few of my relatives, as well as some favorites like Macrina "The Elder," known as one of the Desert Mothers and an example to me. But I can't write about them all just now because it is 11 p.m. and I am going to try to do this post quickly so I can at least make an effort to get into bed.

PEACEFUL UNIFICATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TRADITIONS

One thing I particularly appreciate about this grandfather is that he was so successful in unifying the English realm that it never devolved back into the handful of minor kingdoms such as East Anglia, Mercia, Northumberland, Wessex, York, etc., etc. When crowned, he became king of a cohesive kingdom.

In these days of much talked-about divisiveness between the two major parties in the American political scene, I feel that we could certainly use the gifts of someone like Edgar the Peaceful.

Also, the ritual of coronation, as well as the oath taken during it, began with Edgar's coronation and continues to this day.

His division of the kingdom into "shires" also persists to present time. He had a steady hand when it came to government.

SAINTS SOMETIMES "RUN" IN A FAMILY

Edgar's mother was Saint Aelfgifu (aka "Elgiva") wife of King Edmund I "Atheling" of England, but her saintliness must have been more a matter of DNA than any nurturing she could have given him because she died the year after he was born. I can't tell you how many times I have wished that some of this wonderful DNA had been passed down to me!

(See my blog of May 18, her feast day, for more information,)

Upon the death of his mother he was sent to be raised by Athelstan, the Ealdorman of Mercia, and his wife, Aelfwynn.

Edgar's great grandfather was Alfred the Great, and it is through him that ONE of my lines of descent traces to that sainted king. I am actually descended from two of Alfred's children with his wife, Saint Ealhswith.

All these sainted ancestors could be confusing if they were not recorded in history and in my family tree. I will often write their names and relationships in my calendar on their feast day and meditate on various aspects of their lives, asking for special intercession from my "royal rellies!"

With regard to these royal families, they are often recognized as saints through their support of monastic institutions. Other families, such as Therese of Lisieux, are extremely devout, with a mystical bent, and THIS is what gets passed down through the ages.

MONASTIC REFORMS AND GROWTH

Beginning when he is about 14, he is declared the king of the Mercians and begins a period of monastic reforms, which I find remarkable for someone so young, but we have to remember that most young monarchs had people around them "advising" them to one degree or another. In Edgar's case, he had Saint Dunstan, previously exiled by the prior King. Edgar brought him out of exile and kept him close thereafter. We can see Dunstan's hand in Edgar's rehabilitation of The Church and its monastic institutions during his reign.

Saint Dunstan was very popular for quite some time. Apparently, there is some story about how he bested Satan, and I need to try and read up on that little tiff! It is bound to be educational and/or inspiring. I know little to nothing of Dunstant at the moment, but clearly I need to repair that deficit!

Under Edgar's rule, the monasteries had to be rebuilt because a great number of them had been sacked by the Vikings. As usual, some of the aristocratic classes become resentful of resources going toward this work, as well as the land that was given over for that purpose.

Even the saints get pushback when one is trying to do something holy and good! Something to remember when we try to establish some holy work or intention and even the church hierarchy objects or just stands in the way! Humans are the same, no matter WHAT institution they occupy. Some are holy. Some are not.

PROGRESS FOR FEMALE MONARCHS AND A SOAP OPERA

Another thing I really like about his is his appreciation for women in positions of power. Up until this point, women were not usually given any at all....always just an appendage of some husband or other.

He officially crowned his wife Aelfthryth "Queen of England," a real first.

The problem, though, with Edgar's - ahem - appreciation of the fairer sex is that supposedly he could not "keep it in his pants."  He was accused of having an affair with a nun named Wulfthryth (aka Saint Wulfthryth of Wilton.)  OTHER SOURCES say that she was his lawful wife but was "put aside" and banished to the nunnery. She bore him one son.

Then, at some point, Edgar had sent Ethelwold to "check out" Aelfthryth (my ancestor queen), but the messenger fell in love and married her himself. He conducted a subterfuge wherein he told King Edgar that she was terribly ugly. Later, he was murdered. We are guessing it was arranged by Edgar.

It is all very tawdry and complicated, as these royal marriages could often be in those days.

As usual, I have to leave this most interesting saint for another day when I have time to read up on him.

THE INNER LIFE

In my case, most of my work has to do with the inner life of a solitary monastic. I don't know that there is much to recommend him as far as Edgar is concerned, when it comes to inspiration, anyway. I can certainly appreciate his steadiness in government and devotion to the monastic orders, albeit probably Saint Dunstan's influence that pushed that forward. He was certainly a staunch advocate for women in power, to the degree allowed in those days.

With an ancestor like Edgar, I will often ask for intercession to be endowed with qualities of strength, courage, devotion to duty, and that sort of thing.

THE MYSTICS AMONG US

At the suggestion of a holy friend, I joined a Facebook group for "Catholic Mystics" recently. There were only a few available, and except for one they were small and most had not had a post in several YEARS. I was left with ONE, essentially, and, sure enough, today when I checked out what was going on, some woman had posted a blatantly political meme about gender identity, objecting to it and saying that God does not make mistakes. This was a reference to some things that are happening in the political realm these days.

We live in an era where politics has infected and taken over Christianity. It is terribly sad. I joined that group because I had been looking for some spiritual companionship with others of like mind, but apparently there is none to be had. I got pushback when I objected to the political nature of that post, but several people were on their high horse about this topic. The "holier-than-thou" attitude is hard to take. It is a huge turnoff, and I will most likely leave that group.

Don't get me wrong. I am far from ignorant about politics. I make it a point to read up and get acquainted with what is going on so that I can be a responsible voter. I just don't want to see this in my prayer time, when I listen to a homily, or when I am spending time in a group that is supposedly about the mystics.

I am also not in favor of stomping around the world trying to get non-religious people to conform to my ideas of religion. THIS is exactly why the separation of church and state is hugely important. Jesus said to evangelize. He didn't say that our salvation depended upon political measures.

Mother Tessa Bielecki warned me about this when I was corresponding with her from my Hindu convent 30 years ago, where I had read about the mystics and had resolved to leave and become Catholic. She told me that I would not find the mystical life in the parishes and, for the most part, she was right.

I remember the last time someone brought the Eucharist to my apartment, 2 or 3 years ago. Instead of discussing the readings of the day, she was enthused about Donald Trump, and was thanking God for HIM. It was very upsetting.

I have to pray to my ancestor, Edgar the Peaceful, for him to intercede for me to be endowed with the strength necessary to continue this solitary path without yearning for any company on it. I pray to be flexible, though, and welcome whatever God wills and allows.

The only company I need is that of The Lord and no other, so I must be satisfied with Him and just know that He is always with me and that all my lovely ancestors and other relatives, cousins, and inspiring friends, are watching after me from Heaven. I embrace them in spirit.

Of course I realize there are others like me in the world today. I know of a few "city hermits" in Arizona and in other states. Most hermits do not adopt this monastic journey permanently. In less than a year, I will have been living this way for 20 years. Can you imagine? Two decades like this. It has not ended up as I imagined it might, but it is not awful. I am aware of the company of the Divine. I just need to be better established in it.

Even hermits have to do some work to survive. I have monthly social security from more than 33 years of working, but I hope to start painting again one day soon and make some money to get caught up with bills. I have made some crocheted scarves and ponchos to sell at a local store, if possible, as well as some earrings. Of course, the novel is progressing, though slowly. I have always been more interested and inspired by ART than by writing, and that has not changed, but I just hope to become a little FASTER with it than I am at present. We will see how it goes. I sometimes wonder if other people are going to be interested in what interests me. We shall see!

In the meantime, I ask you to please donate to my wish list on Amazon in order to get nourishing food, vitamins and supplements into the house. I have some expenses coming up and could use the help.

Also, have had some deterioration of the bones in my feet, which is quite painful and which was made worse by the Birkenstocks I was wearing, so I had to get rid of those and buy another style by a different manufacturer. Whenever I have to buy shoes, it comes out of my food money, leaving me short for the month.

PRESS THIS LINK FOR WISH LIST

Thanks so much for your company along my journey. I know there is a handful of you who read my blog and I hope that SOMETHING in all of this keeps you inspired to continue down the holy road.

God bless us all

Silver Rose

SAINT ADELA OF NORMANDY - MY SHARED ANCESTOR WITH QUEEN ELIZABETH II

 

Saint Adela of Normandy

(abt. 1066 - 8 March 1137

My 25th Great Grandmother

Patron saint of poets and writers!

I am really enjoying the few snippets of video I have seen about the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's remarkable Platinum Jubilee that began in earnest this week. Incredibly, she has been queen 2 years longer than I have been alive and has steadfastly served her country since she vowed to do so in her early 20's.

Her ascension to the throne, as most people know, was a fluke she could not have anticipated, because, were it not for the fact that her uncle David was such a lounge-lizard and Roue', Elizabeth's father would never have become King and she would not have thereafter become Queen at his untimely death. 

Edward VIII ("David") and Wallis Simpson

On vacation in 1937

Uncle David (Edward VIII) could not bear to carry out his kingly duties and abdicated the same year he took the throne. As long as he remained king, he was not allowed to marry the twice divorced Wallis Simpson, who shared his love of the finer, more leisurely benefits of royal life. 

David (Edward VIII) enjoyed parties, gorgeous clothing, food and cocktails, and everything rich and sumptuous. He would have none of that disagreeable "duty" and "service" that come with a royal title, though he wanted to retain all the honorifics for himself and Wallis, which the royal family and Parliament would not allow. In fact, it was specifically announced that Wallis would NOT be granted the "HRH" that the wife of a monarch, even a former one, would typically get.

Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII

I mention all of that business with Elizabeth's uncle to highlight just how remarkable has been Elizabeth's steadfast devotion to the British people and to her duties. You know, some people do not bother to think about everything she had to give up in order to become queen. They see the family jewels and pomp and circumstance and imagine that she is just sucking it all up and enjoying herself, but I defy anyone to tell me that they would enjoy giving up their freedom in order to do a ceaseless round of formal events, rain or shine, ill health or well. The woman is much older than I am and I can barely get a daily shower, while she is handling a really full schedule!

Of course, the Queen has people to clean, make the meals, and keep the household running. I won't dismiss those facts, but in order to do the work that she does I would also have to have at least as many servants as she has, so I don't begrudge it to her one bit.

Elizabeth and I are very distant cousins, thanks to those folks from the British Isles who were descended from the nobility but were the "second sons" who did not inherit the titles and land. The prospect of owning land was not something that many people in the British Isles could have any hope of doing, so when it became possible for some to come here and actually grab some land, with its attendant resources, those who had the means and nerve to do so, came here to try their luck.

My ancestry hails back to some of those folk who settled in Jamestown in the very early years of this country's history, and that is how I came to be Elizabeth II's 20th cousin, once removed! MANY people in the U.S. can say the same, as a lot of years and generations have passed since my aristocratic ancestors came here - plenty of time for lots of progeny!

(It is worth noting, for the genealogy buffs among us, that the European "noble" cousins intermarried frequently so that my shared ancestry with Queen Elizabeth II is from more than one line, all of which have been documented in various history books, marriage and birth records. I have this in common with many of my friends, here in the U.S., due to the "second sons" mentioned earlier.)

So - Saint Adela of Normandy is also on my mind just now because, as is my habit, I try to bring in thoughts and meditations on my saintly ancestors, when possible, in order to get through my day. I wonder if cousin Elizabeth also gives thought to her saintly ancestors in order to get through HER day, the implications and responsibilities of which are far greater than mine!

Adela was a daughter of William the Conqueror and, although a married female, she was involved in politics throughout her life. I suspect this is partially due to her father's great renown. Likely, some of the glow from his reputation and power would reflect a bit on her.

The young saint married when she was but 15 years old, and her husband was more than twice her age, but by all accounts, it was a good marriage. When he was fighting in the Crusades, she acted as regent on his behalf, taking care of his duties in his absence.

Count Stephen II of Blois

Her husband abandoned the Crusade the first time around, and she continued to berate him for it, even during lovemaking, which is rather funny. Eventually, she convinced him to return to that war and he died in it.

They had at least 7 children. I am descended from their son William (Guillaume) and her majesty, Elizabeth II, is descended from a different one. The line of descent is circuitous. Or she may be descended from another child of William the Conqueror. The fact is that we have SEVERAL mutual ancestors, as mentioned before.

Her Royal Highness

Elizabeth II

Queen of England

My 21st cousin, once removed

Official platinum jubilee photo

Despite her advanced age, HRH Queen Elizabeth manages to convey a spritely mien in the photos and videos I have seen of her appearances during her jubilee celebrations.

I would not mind imitating my cousin and having some sort of assistance here at home. Today I nearly lost my mind trying to locate the medic alert bracelet that I ordered for my next door neighbor. I had already spent hours on the telephone trying to find out where it was. After many attempts to locate it, I had just given up on PHILLIPS LIFELINE. Everyone I spoke with at that company had a completely different story. The last agent told me that the original order had been entered into the computer wrong but that SHE had fixed it and, unfortunately, it had never been sent. That was just a few days ago.

This morning, however, I received a phone message from them telling me that the device had been delivered by FedEx EIGHT DAYS AGO.

I won't bore you to death telling you what I had to do, but suffice it to say that I had to speak to MANY people, at both PHILLIPS LIFELINE and FEDEX and MY APARTMENT MANAGEMENT OFFICE. It took forever.

"The best penance is to have patience with

the sorrows God permits. A very good penance

is to dedicate oneself to fulfill the duties of

everyday with exactitude and to study and

work with all our strength."

St. Peter Damian

It turns out that PHILLIPS LIFELINE had not put her apartment number on the label and that when the FedEx guy got here, he was confronted with at least 70 apartments so God only knows WHICH apartment he dropped it at. FEDEX told me it was the apartment where my neighbor USED to live, so I can just guess that instead of calling the shipper (PHILLIPS LIFELINE) they looked her up via the post office, and the post office has not corrected her address on the public record.

WHOEVER received the package must have eventually given it to the people at the office, but THEY never contact me. It wasn't until I called THEM that the box "turned up" and the apartment manager came and dropped it off to me this afternoon. I was exhausted from all the phone calls!

The most unpleasant part of my day was a clerk at PHILLIPS LIFELINE who has subjected me to his sadistic and passive aggressive hostility several times before. Each time, I ask to speak to his supervisor, and each time he says they will call me back and each time, you guessed it, I do not hear from anyone. He says his name is "Kim." Ah! How I wish I was Queen TODAY. I would have locked him up in the Tower. Absent the power to do THAT, I threw some language at him and hung up.

Tomorrow I pray to do better in all things.

My neighbor subsequently told me I needed to take her to pick up her medication today and I had to explain to her again that I am not able to take MYSELF to my own places of business and, once again, that I am in a lot of pain. I explained to her again that "I am not going to be able to do anything for you other than the phone calls I have been doing."  

I AM working on getting a social worker attached to her case because I am disabled and this woman needs to be able to depend upon someone reliable. The phone calls ALONE are too much for me.  I am not getting any of my business done because it takes so many phone calls and so much time to get just one small thing done for HER. As a matter of fact, she HAS some relatives in this town but they are not available to her. Often, she tells me they have failed to show up. Poor thing sits there all day, waiting for the help that will not come.

But It's not her fault. We simply do not have enough care for all of us old ones in this country.  For some reason, everyone seems to believe that all of the disabled elderly people have family to care for them and the government supposedly picks up all the slack and it is simply not true. NOT. AT. ALL.

I have tried to get this issue addressed by the governor, but I have called her office four times in the last 8 weeks and no one calls me back. If I was my cousin, the queen, I bet they would pay attention to me THEN, wouldn't they? Or would they?  I don't know.

I ask you to pray for me and for my neighbor and also, if you could please take a look at my Amazon wish list, there are some food and supplement items on there I could really use but cannot afford. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:

CLICK HERE FOR THE AMAZON WISH LIST

Amazon has my address and will mail to me direct. Fortunately, they already know where I live and my Amazon shipments do not usually get lost. I really need some of  the food items, mostly the nuts and seeds...as well as the supplements. All of those things are very dear and beyond reach for my budget, but they are recommended on the diet that four or five medical personnel have advised me to eat.

Also - in addition to prayers for my neighbor, if you could pray for Nicholas and his family, they are couch surfing at a friends house. They have two children, and one is only 3! The other is 7. The car has broken down. So they are without housing and transportation. Nicholas is a nurse and has recently gotten a new job, but he and his little family are going to need a LOT of help to get back on their feet.

READ ABOUT THE LONG-LOST TURTLE

IN "THE DAILY RECORD"

(U.K. NEWSPAPER)

HERE

As a final note: I was surprised to read an article about a tortoise that was inadvertently put in someone's attic IN A BOX and lived for 30 years in that box without food or water. They just discovered him the other day! Someone went into the attic to clean it out and happened to open the box, and there he was...alive and kicking. Amazing!

Evidently, termite larvae may have kept him going. It is a reminder to me that if I intend to live to 120 and "outlive ALL the bastards," I need to sloooooow down a bit and stop trying to get "everything" done. "Everything" will NEVER be done - especially by a lone gray-haired old hermit lady.  All I will do is wear myself down to the nubbins. Also, I could eat less and live longer. Is it time to simplify EVERYTHING?

I think about my neighbor and how she is not prepared to get her needs met in her final years. Who could anticipate her set of circumstances? She has an ailing body and no family members that are positioned to help her. It gives me pause, as my situation is very similar. My only child died when he was but 40.

One thing I have that my neighbor does not is faith and the assistance of my fellow believers. I have noticed that when folks need help, it is almost always the Catholics that step in and assist. The "cosmic poo-poo" people, with their horoscopes and reiki and crystals are nowhere to be found. My neighbor belonged to one of these type of organizations and went to their activities faithfully on Sundays and other days, but I have yet to see even one of those folks come to her aid. Because of her continuing belief in this philosophy, she is also far too hard on herself, blaming herself for her disintegrating health. I suspect it is because they believe in the "power of positive thinking" and that sort of thing.

But sickness, old age and death happens to most of us. (Death happens to ALL of us, of course!)  We need to be ready for it. Many religious traditions have this 'hard wired" into their spiritual practices, such as meditating on death.

Obviously, I am not going to be obnoxious and force Catholicism on anyone, but I hope to be like Brother Tortoise and endure as an example of Christian charity, if possible. It is a difficult task for me, considering my own poor health and reduced circumstances, but I do my best to stay established in the type of humility necessary.

I thank Brother Tortoise for popping up in my news feed and reminding me of some elementary truths.

God bless you all!

Silver Rose

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All rights reserved.
No copying for any purpose allowed.

SAINT MECHTILDIS OF EDELSTETTEN - MAY 31, 2022

 

 Saint Mechtildis

Died May 31, 1160

I have previously mentioned that I have no "close family" but this is not strictly true, because if I may include my relatives in heaven, I have a huge family that is the closest POSSIBLE.

Now, Saint Mechtildis, a wonderful mystic and miracle worker, is almost a "shirt tail relation, we are so distantly related in worldly terms, but her availability to me, by virtue of her presence in Heaven, is very near me, indeed.

In life, she was the grandaunt of the wife of my 2nd cousin, 24 times removed! That's a mouthful, isn't it? I can't even picture it, except I know that 24 times removed" means 24 generations separated. That's about right, because Saint Mechtildis died in 1150, which was 872 years ago.

The saints, in Catholic terms, are people who were so holy that The Church has confirmed that they are, without a doubt, in Heaven already and, because of this, Saint Mechtildis is right here in the room with me when I am speaking to her, thinking about her, and asking her to intercede for me.

She herself was closely mystically aligned with the saints in Heaven and was pious from an early age. In fact, she was only 5 years old when her parents set her up in a monastery on their property in Diessen, Bavaria. So, she was raised by nuns, which was no unheard of in those days, especially among the nobility, such as her parents, the Count and Countess of Andechs.

In time, she became a full fledged Benedictine nun, and when the Mother Superior of the convent died, the Bishop of Augsberg appointed her to the position, despite the fact that she was very young for that job, at 28 years old. She got some pushback to her efforts to reform the place, something that the bishop had instructed her to do, but it wasn't until the Bishop managed to eject a couple of the troublemakers who were prone to gossip, that she was able to do as she was told and bring the convent closer to the Benedictine standard.

Mechtildis was not a flat 2-dimensional character. In addition to her practical and managerial skills, she was often found in a mystical trance that lasted hours, during which she had ecstatic visions. She was widely reputed to have healed a number of people suffering from defects of sight or hearing.  This is a reminder to me and to all of us that we are not limited by our station in life or the number of mundane duties we are required to perform. We can still become saints, and we are encouraged to try. I find that meditation on her life is reassuring.

Then, there are days like I have had today, when my disabilities and defects have prevented me from doing much of anything at all, with the exception of replacing the computer virus software of my laptop and taking a parcel to the small local post office near my house that has limited hours. Half the time the postage meter is not working or something is "down" and we all have to jerry rig a solution. The parcel got mailed, though with slightly less postage than would have been required if the machine had been up and running. The clerk had to put something like 6 stamps on the dang thing!

When I got home, I was unable to do anything but have a little something to eat and collapse on the reclining chair! At least I was able to write this.

Anyone interested in contemplative life would do well to have a look at the life of Mechtildis and turn your mind to her during meditation and ask for her intercession. Tell her I sent you.

Silver Rose

SAINTS JOAN OF ARC AND FERDINAND III OF CASTILLE - MAY 30, 2022

 

Joan of Arc

1412 - 1431

I was conflicted about WHICH  saint to meditate on today: Joan of Arc, one of my favorite female saints, or King Ferdinand III of Castille, my 25th great grandfather. Complicating it is my relationship to King Charles VII of France, my 11th cousin, 15 times removed, for whom Joan of Arc went to war and whose monarchy she was instructed to save by saints and angels who appeared to her and spoke to her when she was a young teen.

Knowing my relationships to the saints has helped me tremendously in my spiritual life. It is always a good thing when history can be made to "come to life" for us.

Charles VII of France

Aided by Saint Joan of Arc

My 11th cousin, 15 times removed

Common ancestor: William the Conqueror

Anyway, I am devoting some time to each of these saints.

The thing that strikes me as being relevant to our time is that Joan of Arc was executed primarily because she wore men's clothing to save herself from being raped by her jailers. Previously, she had been tried for this and for heresy and witchcraft but had avoided execution with a life sentence instead. Then, after the first trial, she had to wear men's clothing again, to protect her modesty, but they decided to kill her for it.  That's the given reason, but we all know that women who wield power terrify men and they'll do anything they can to disrupt it. Who knows which reason was primary? People really DID believe in witchcraft in those days.

Joan, a French citizen, was put into the hands of the English by the government of Burgundy, who captured and sold her. That girl just could not catch a break.

Welcome to the era when the Church ruled the land and women were burnt alive by supposedly holy men because they wore pants. This is how crazy it can get when church and state coalesce.

Saint Joan is only one of thousands of women who were executed in horrific ways by The Catholic Church for ridiculous reasons, such as wearing pants, witchcraft, and the like. They were burned alive - usually after being tortured. 

Elevating supposedly moral flaws to the level of an offense worthy of execution is what happened when government control was was wielded by The Church in England, which is why the founders of our country were keen to keep religion out of politics. But here we are again - fighting off a hostile takeover of the government by a religion.

Don't get me wrong. I am Catholic and I love the faith. I am a believer, but I am not enthusiastic about repeating the errors of the past because I have "met" a lot of people on the internet who appear to be proponents of force and punishment whose language is so extreme that I could easily picture them putting people to death for voting for a Democrat.

Saint Joan of Arc

Listening to the voices of the angels

There is SO much written about Saint Joan of Arc, I am not going to reinvent the wheel. I just wanted to make that comment about how that very holy, very pure and very young girl was put to death by religious = authorities when she was only 19. She had been 13 when she started hearing the voices and seeing visions. She was about 17 when she went to war to help establish my cousin, Charles VII, on the French throne.

I also want to add that, in addition to all of that, she had to endure the humiliation of being poked and prodded in her nether regions by nuns tasked with determining if she was a virgin or not!

From the vantage point of a woman born and raised in the U.S., without ever having to answer to any government official about the condition of my hymen or whether or not I wear PANTS, I feel renewed gratitude for all my freedoms, but I DO remember what a big deal it was to be allowed to wear pants to school when I was in my teens....a vestige of the controls that government authorities have typically exerted over women throughout the ages.

 

Saint Ferdinand III

King of Castille, Leon, Galicia & Toledo

(various time frames)

5 August 1201 - 30 May 1252

My 25th great grandfather

Saint Ferdinand, my 25th great-grandfather, has a lot less dramatic a story than poor Joan of Arc. He was King of Castile and died a couple hundred years before she was burnt at the stake.

He was a devout monarch, and, in addition to grabbing some territory from the Muslims, he is credited with the establishment of  churches and religious institutions. He was a very successful leader who brought together disparate territories. He a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and was buried in its habit. I sense that he was a kind man. It is said that he was careful not to burden his subjects with too much tax or odious laws as he feared the curse of one poor woman more than an army of Saracens!

I am proud to include him in my family tree.

Today is Memorial Day, a day on which we honor men and women who died during their service in the U.S. Armed Forces, particularly those who died in battle or from wounds received in battle. It is said they made the "ultimate sacrifice" for their country, somewhat as Saint Joan of Arc did for hers. Not a great comparison, I admit...but it's the best I could come up with.  

Reading about the battles of Joan of Arc and Ferdinand III of Castile brings to mind the horrors of war and just how violent human beings can be. Even religious folk are violent - killing women for being witches or wearing men's pants, even after they have accomplished great things in battle, at the behest of God Himself.

Personally, I am a pacifist and abhor violence. I veer away from capital punishment and never even slapped my child in jest, much less spank him for some infraction. I just don't believe in hurting people, but I am out of step with human beings, as a whole. I hope those that believe in hurting other humans can catch up to the pacifists one day.

God bless you all!

Silver "Rose"

            

BLESSED MARGARET POLE - MAY 28 - MARTYRED AT THE CONFLUENCE OF CHURCH AND STATE

 

Blessed Margaret Plantagenet Pole,

Countess of Salisbury

Martyr

14 August 1473 - 28 May 1541

MY COUSIN, BLESSED MARGARET POLE

Blessed Margaret Plantagenet Pole is my 6th cousin, 17 times removed. We share a common ancestor, who is Edward I "Longshanks," King of England, my 24th great grandfather. She was put to death in the Tower of London on the order of Henry VIII because she was Catholic, essentially and because Henry VIII was a brutal, maniacal ruler who did not want to follow the rule of the Pope with regard to his multiple marriages and his moral failings.

Henry had made himself the ruler of The Church in England, breaking off from the Catholic hierarchy and creating a new organization. Anyone who did not express absolute loyalty to him and his new church was in danger of losing their heads. Even the accidents of birth and relationship were enough to convict someone,  absent any other proof whatsoever.  

SHE WAS DEVOTED TO THE WRONG RELIGION

Margaret was given no trial and did not even know that she was going to be executed until an hour beforehand.  It was done so quickly, with so little advance notice, that many people doubted it had happened at all. The executioner was a young man with very little experience and, instead of a clean and swift chop, Margaret was hacked to death with multiple blows of the axe to her head and shoulders.

She was 68 years old - the same age I will be in a few months.

ENGLISH FLEE TO THE NEW CONTINENT

About 100 years later, the English nobility have sent their "second sons" to the new continent to grab land and create wealth from the natural resources. Those who chafed under the tyranny of official state religion escaped here for religious freedom. When the yoke of the British had been thrown off in another few hundred years, the separation of church and state was a primary principle. No more would the citizens suffer under the religious declarations issued from the seat of government.

2022 - A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL BLACKMAILED BY A BISHOP

I did not become Catholic so I could spend time arguing about POLITICS. I was attracted to the faith because of the experience of the mystics, most of whom were monastics of one stripe or another. I was warned by a mother superior of a modern convent that I would not find that mystical life in the parishes, and she was right. 

This obsession with trying to make abortion illegal again has gotten on my ninth nerve. There is a huge movement in the Catholic Church at the moment and they call themselves "Pro-Life" but most of them that I encounter on social media only seem to be interested in one political method that supposedly addresses ONE issue (abortion) but that method never worked in the past. So it is neither logical nor inclusive of the myriad ways in which life needs to be supported from conception until natural death. I have friends who have a more global perspective so I am obviously not talking about everyone in that movement. It is the PUBLIC face of the movement that is the problem.

Anyway, I did not leave the Hindu convent to get furiously involved in political life, but today we are deluged with news items about Nancy Pelosi and how her Bishop has publicly shamed her by denying her communion in light of a position she has taken in her government job, and I find it hypocritical and upsetting on many levels.

I myself am Catholic and I LOVE the faith, but I am not in favor of forcing it on anyone else. It would be a LOT more comfortable if everyone around me was Catholic. That would be super! But you can't make someone behave as if they belong to your faith and believe as you do. It just doesn't work and it isn't what Jesus had in mind when he sent out the evangelists, I am sure of it. Nowhere did he say that Christians should dominate the government and force non-Catholics to adhere to its views. 

Criminalizing abortion did not stop them before, and Pelosi knows this. I remember 1973 when the result of Roe v. Wade was announced. It made NO impression on me or any of my contemporaries because abortions were already widely available. There were people who were relieved that abortions would thereafter be SAFER, since they could be done in a medical setting, but that was the only change that we talked about when we learned that abortion was legal.

In fact, I was pregnant at the time. I was only 18, newly married, and I was glad that I was too far into my pregnancy for my new husband to pressure me to get an abortion because we REALLY could not afford to have a child. We were Scientologists, living in the Sea Organization, and the Scientology hierarchy ended up refusing to pay the hospital bill (after promising that all medical bills would be paid if we joined.)  In fact, I only saw a doctor ONCE while I was in the Sea Org, and they never did pay that bill, as far as I know.

Prior to Roe v. Wade, I could have gotten an abortion but I personally did not want one, and the fact that it was illegal was another tool in my arsenal of defending myself against pressure to abort. I could say they were dangerous, which was true, and illegal, etc. But anyone who wanted an abortion could GET one. They are always available to anyone determined to have one. I just wasn't one of those people.

If the hard right has its way and abortion is criminalized again, I am assuming it will go back into the alley it came from and a lot of women will die, along with their babies, in botched back-alley abortions. So I am wondering what the "pro life" crowd is accomplishing by making it illegal instead of addressing the CAUSES behind the high numbers of abortions in our country.

THE HYPOCRISY OF UNEVEN APPLICATION

I don't see anyone getting publicly shamed and refused communion for supporting capital punishment executions. 

Nor is anyone being denied communion for advocating for the free sale of military style rifles in the wake of all these mass murders that are endemic to the U.S. and unknown elsewhere. 

Some types of contraceptives are considered abortifacient by The Church, but no one is being banned from communion for speaking out in favor of them.

In the Catechism, vasectomies are considered equally as evil as abortion, but there is no one trying to criminalize them and I do not see any bishop publicly naming every man who has ever had one and telling them they are banned from receiving communion until their vasectomy is surgically reversed!

THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS

First of all, Pelosi is not having abortions or encouraging people to have them. She has a job in a secular government that is founded on a first principle of separation of church and state.

She is also aware of the fact that abortions continue at a fair clip regardless of whether or not they are legal. Fewer women die in abortions when they are legal. That seems to be the only difference I can ascertain.

Criminalizing abortion will do little to stem the tide of abortions because abortions are not CAUSED by a law approving them. Most women cite financial reasons for having them. Some people will not be able to afford them, so we will have more poor women with fatherless children on our hands. Is THAT "pro life?"

On the other hand, if the causes of abortion were addressed, you could have an abortuary on every corner and every operating room would be silent and empty.

I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT

I am too old to have an abortion myself and I would do my best to discourage anyone I know from having one. But many years ago I realized that there is a very easy way to avoid having to deal with this issue at all, and that is to not have sex with anyone to whom I am not married. 

Now, I have very strong monastic leanings, so I am going to assume that avoiding sex outside of marriage may be harder for some other women to do, given the strength and power of hormones, etc. But STILL.... you have to admit that the choice to have sex IS, at least, the FIRST choice in matters having to do with this topic. So, if you are going to talk about "choice," I think it is disingenuous to ignore the opportunities for choice prior to finding oneself pregnant. There were a few choices made BEFORE the pregnancy that would have derailed getting pregnant to begin with. (Obviously I am not talking about rape, which is a violation of all a woman's choices.)

Even so - I would not legislate sex outside of marriage as a criminal act any more than i would criminalize contraceptives, etc.

The Tower of London

where Lady Margaret Pole lived

the last two years of her life

THE CARROT VERSUS THE STICK

There is a strong faction speaking loudly into the public space that is advocating for shame, force and punishment. This is a negative approach that does not work because it causes a lot of "unintended" consequences. Personally, I think that attracting someone to something POSITIVE is a lot more helpful to society than public shaming, forcing behavior to mimic moral belief systems and punishing people who don't get in line with them.

If we really want to be a society that is pro-life and pro-family, these positive measures would do more to limit abortions than the "shame, force and punishment" method:

1. Government provided maternity and paternity leave for the first year after a child is born.

2. Government provided childcare options through age 12 or 13.

3. A decent "living wage" that allows for the support of children. CEOs are actually taking vacations IN OUTER SPACE because they have more money than they know what to do with, while their employees can't afford proper food, housing and medical care. It is a sacrilege!

4. Universal health insurance for all Americans.

5.  Make the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. The degree to which one benefits by conducting business in the United States is the degree to which one should pay for the privilege.

6. Abolish capital punishment.

7. Outlaw military style assault weapons and enact other laws around ensuring the safety of all citizens against being murdered by guns.

8. Provide education through 4 years of college. An educated population is a healthier, more productive population - which is good for everyone.

I am sure there are more I would agree with, but you will notice that I am in favor of the carrot, rather than the stick. In my experience, force and punishment do NOTHING to convert anyone to a point of view.  

Besides which, I believe we need to stop acting like we hate one another and that we are all in competition with one another for limited resources so that only a small handful can arrive at the top of the survival pyramid. It is toxic and UNTRUE. We are the most wealthy nation in the world and we do not suffer from limited resources. OTHER countries with far less money manage to support their citizens with the benefits I have outlined, above, and there is no reason we cannot do it as well.

OTHER BISHOPS DISAGREE WITH CORDILEONE

Calling out a parishioner publicly and publicly announcing their sin and that you are banning them from receiving communion is hardly a positive pastoral approach! If my bishop doesn't talk to me but instead issues a public shaming, I would not take it well.

Here is a letter from the bishop of Dubuque, Iowa with his thoughts about this topic. You may have to fiddle with your zoom function to read it. Let me know if you have a problem and I will try to get you a copy.

SATAN IS THE FATHER OF ALL LIES, NO MATTER WHAT SIDE YOU ARE ON

It makes me sad to see each side lying about the other. "Pro-choice" people claim that the opposing side "just wants to control women," when the fact is that Catholics and other Christians believe that people must be open to the grace of God and be receptive to life which begins at conception and ends at natural death. 

On the other side, "Pro-life" people claim that "pro-choice" people are "pro-abortion." NO ONE is happy to have an abortion. Pro-choice people believe that a woman must be free to choose what happens to her body and what children she will have. They are not seeing MY point - that the choice was made when they chose to have sex - but I am regularly laughed out of conversations when I posit this solution. It isn't something that even Catholics are willing to take seriously.

Each side lies to make their side sound better and few people are trying to see the point that the other side is actually making. How can any progress be made under these circumstances?

You can fool yourself into thinking you have made progress by forcing people to do what you want with laws and punishments, but it isn't going to work because you have not evangelized.

Or you could fool yourself into thinking that all you have to do is keep abortion legal and then the "problem" is solved.

"The problem" is not that abortions are legal. "The problem" is that people want them or think they need them. A law that criminalizes abortions is not going to fix that. It did not work before. It won't work now.

Instead of continuing this fight into the next few decades, we need to change our approach.

But, like I said, I do not have a dog in this fight. I am going to go back to prayer and meditation, writing and painting, and hope that the movers and shakers in charge of the world will somehow get it right.....and I hope to God I don't have to talk about this topic any more because I am just sick of it.

God bless us all.

Silver "Rose"