Fourth Sunday of Advent: Jesus' Step-Dad

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel this week essentially repeats that of last week’s Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but the focus is upon St. Joseph rather than Mary. It also requires a bit of knowledge about the Jewish marriage process.

Under Jewish tradition (i.e. the Talmud), marriage occurs in two distinct stages: kiddushin (what we refer to as betrothal) and nisuin (full-fledged marriage). Kiddushin occurs when the woman agrees to marry her prospective husband, which she does by accepting an offering of money, accepting a marriage proposal or having sexual relations with him. According to those more knowledgeable in these things than I, the word "kiddushin" is derived from the root word Qof-Dalet-Shin, which means "sanctified” and thus reflects the sanctity of the marital relation. However, the root word also connotes something that is set aside for a specific (sacred) purpose, and the ritual of kiddushin sets aside the woman to be the wife of a particular man and no other.

Kiddushin is much more than an merely an engagement as we understand the term in modern English; once kiddushin is complete, the woman is legally the wife of the man. The relationship created by kiddushin can only be dissolved by death or divorce. However, the spouses do not live together at the time of the kiddushin, and the mutual obligations created by the marital relationship do not take effect until the second part of the marriage process, nisuin, is complete.


The nisuin (derived from a word meaning "elevation") completes the process of marriage. The husband brings the wife into his home and they begin their married life together. While today the ceremonies of kidduishin and nisuin are usually performed together, in the past they would occur as much as a year apart. During that time, the husband would prepare a home for the new family. Of course, during this period of time there was always a chance that the woman would discover that she wanted to marry another man, or the man would disappear, leaving the woman in the awkward state of being married but without a husband.

This was the context, then, that Joseph found himself in when he realized Mary was pregnant. Having completed kiddushin, Mary was considered his betrothed and was legally his wife even though they did not yet reside together. She was pregnant and they had not had sexual relations. She had committed adultery, the punishment being death in accordance with Deuteronomy 22:23-24:  

If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out to the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst.

This is what created the dilemma for Joseph. If he did nothing, then he was concealing Mary’s sin and acting against the law of the Lord. But if he said something, and he was wrong about what had happened, her innocent blood would be upon him. Joseph decided to take the middle road and would divorce her quietly, without giving a reason. He then went to sleep and was visited by an angel who explained that Mary was telling the truth and was in God’s grace. Upon waking, Joseph gave glory to God and told Mary he believed her.

Scripture does not identify the angel who visited Joseph that night. We know that the Archangel Gabriel visited Zacharias to announce the pregnancy of Elizabeth (Luke 1:19) and visited Mary during the Annunciation (Luke 1:26), but Matthew is silent as to the name, other than “the Angel of the Lord.” As noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia, it is not unreasonable to suppose with Christian tradition that it was Gabriel  who appeared to St. Joseph and to the shepherds. The non-canonical The History of Joseph the Carpenter has Jesus himself claiming it was the angel Gabriel.

Joseph is somewhat an enigmatic figure in the Gospels. Other than the infancy narrative, the only other time he is referenced is in the Finding of Jesus in the temple. The primary non-canonical work is the aforementioned History of Joseph the Carpenter.

The History of Joseph was purportedly written by James, the brother of Jesus, who recounts a presentation Jesus made on the Mount of Olives. Jesus explains that Joseph came from Bethlehem was a carpenter and a priest in the temple. He was single for 40 years, then he married and had four sons, Judas, Justus, James and Simon, and two daughters, Assia and Lydia. After 49 years of marriage, his wife died.

A year later, Joseph was chosen by lot to took Mary home since she could no longer reside in the temple as she had reached the age of 12. There, she encountered the young James who was heart-broken over the loss of his mother, so Mary comforted him and assumed the role of his mother. She was there two years before the Annunciation occurred, which would make her 14 years old and Joseph 92 years old when today’s reading occurred. Mary gave birth when she was 15, which made Joseph 93 years old when Jesus was born.

After the death of King Herod the Great, Joseph returned from Egypt and resumed his work as a carpenter and undertook the raising of Jesus and his own children. Joseph lived to be 111 years old and suffered no ill effects of old age. That would place Jesus at 18 years old and Mary 33 years old when Joseph died. According to Luke 3:23, Jesus was "about 30" when he began his ministry, which would make Mary around 45 years old.

Third Sunday in Advent: The Question of John the Baptist

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

Jesus said to them in reply,“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John,“What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

The question that John the Baptist had his disciples ask was not an insignificant one. But why did John the Baptist have his disciples ask it? Did it mean that John the Baptist had doubt that Jesus was who he said he was? Or did he somehow forget that Jesus was the same person he had baptized not long before?

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me? Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him. Matthew 3:13-15.

To answer the question of why John had his disciples act in such a manner, one first needs to understand the situation which was taking place at the time. John had already been imprisoned by Herod Antipas (Tetrarch--"ruler of a quarter"--of Galilee and son of the infamous King Herod the Great who ordered the slaughter of the Holy Innocents). Antipas had imprisoned John because John had denounced Antipas' marriage to Herodias, who had previously been married to Antipas' half-brother, Herod Philip. John's denouncing of Antipas' marriage to Herodias struck a chord with the Jewish population, not only because the marriage was seen as being contrary to Jewish law but also because there were signs of God's displeasure with the union.

Antipas' first wife, Phasaelis, was the daughter of King Aretas. Antipas and Phasaelis had been married for a number of years when Antipas when to Rome and stayed with his half-brother Philip. While Antipas was there, he fell in love with Philip's wife, Herodias. Herodias agreed to divorce Philip, leave Rome and marry Antipas only if he agreed to divorce Phasaelis.

Antipas returned home but unbeknownst to him, his wife Phasaelis had learned of his plan to divorce her. Upon his return, Phasaelis convinced Antipas to let her go to Machaerus, a fortified hilltop palace Antipas had built on the edge of the Dead Sea and on the border of territory of Antipas and her father Aretas. Once she had left, she instead went directly to her father and told him what Antipas was planning to do, which caused Aretas to raise his army and began a war with Antipas. Ultimately, Antipas' army was destroyed. Adding insult to injury, much of the reason for the loss was due to the assistance of individuals sympathetic to his half-brother Philip. This prompted Antipas to write and complaint to Tiberius, the Roman Emperor, who in turn wrote to his general in Syria to destroy Aretas' army and either capture him alive or send Tiberius Areta's head.

As noted by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in Chapter 5 of The Antiquities of the Jews:

Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to
righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body;
supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.

Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, [for they seemed ready to do any thing he should advise,] thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him.

It was during this time of his imprisonment at Machaerus, that John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask him the question. "When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”"

A footnote to the verse in the New American Bible explains that the question probably expresses a doubt of the Baptist that Jesus is the one who is to come because his mission has not been one of fiery judgment as John had expected. Even Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, in Life of Christ (p. 128) remarks that:

For months John was kept in the dark dungeon of Machaerus. Did this enforced inactivity cause him to doubt the Messiah and Lamb of God of Whom he had spoken? Did his faith waver a little in the darkness of the dungeon? Perhaps he was impatiently longing for God to punish those who had refused to receive His message.

I think that John had his disciples ask Jesus the question not for his own benefit, but for their own. This is evident in the second part of the question:  or should we look for another? As disciples, their very nature is to follow someone. They were following John, who himself was insistent that the one who is coming after him is mightier than he was. (See last Sunday's gospel). Even shortly before his death, John continued to carry out his mission by pointing to the coming of the Lord.

Holy Day: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX issued Ineffabilis Deus, which set forth the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

Hence, if anyone shall dare -- which God forbid! -- to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment; that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith; that he has separated from the unity of the Church; and that, furthermore, by his own action he incurs the penalties established by law if he should are to express in words or writing or by any other outward means the errors he think in his heart. Ineffabilis Deus.

An-in-depth treatment of the doctrine and its history may be found in the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on the Immaculate Conception.

There is little information in the Gospels about Mary prior to the Annunciation (when the angel Gabriel first speaks with Mary), which is undoubtedly why the passage from Luke had to be used today. Most information about Mary before the passage from Luke is found in or taken from the Protoevangelium of James.  Written in approximately 150AD, it appears to be the earliest work referencing the conception, birth and pre-Annunciation life of Mary. Given that it is a non-canonical work, it obviously could not be read during Mass.

However, that doesn’t mean that the work must be shunned or ignored. As noted by the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Gospels themselves are silent about long stretches of the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They often give but a tantalizing glimpse of some episode which many of us wish would be explained in more detail. Early Christians were no different, and the need for more detail was soon quenched by a deluge of “pretend Gospels full of romantic fables and fantastic and striking details, their fabrications were eagerly read and largely accepted as true by common folk who were devoid of any critical faculty and who were predisposed to believe what so luxuriously fed their pious curiosity.” Thus, the information set forth in the Protoevangelium of James should not be considered…gospel.

The story of Mary begins with her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne (derivative of Hannah.) Joachim was extremely wealthy and, being a extremely pious man, brought twice the required amount of offering to the temple. He was denied the opportunity to be the first to bring his offerings to God, however, as he had not sired any children. Troubled, he retreated alone to the desert for a forty-day fast and prayer. Meanwhile, his wife Anna herself was mourning the lack of a child and was praying earnestly herself to God. Their prayers were heard by God and angels were sent to inform them that Anna would conceive a child that would be spoken of in all the world. Anna replied that regardless of whether the child was a male or a female, it would be pledged to God. Nine months later, Mary was born.

Because of her pledge, Anna kept Mary close to her and ensured that she remained in conformity with the strict dietary rules of Judaism and received the blessings of the priests and scribes. When Mary was three years old, Joachim and Anna brought Mary to the temple of the Lord where she took up residence, living there with the priests and scribes until she reached the age of twelve. At that time, a council of the priests was held to figure out what to do with Mary since she could no longer dwell in the temple of the Lord. A decision was made to have the high priest, Zacharias, pray at the alter of the Lord for guidance as to what to do. Zacharias would later become the father of John the Baptist.

While praying, Zacharias was visited by an angel who told him to invite all the widowers of the people of God and have then convene in assembly so that a sign could be given. All of the widowed men from Judea arrived at the temple and each gave his wooden walking stick to Zacharias, who brought them into the temple. When Zacharias returned the walking sticks to their owners, a dove flew out and landed on Joseph’s head. Zacharias told Joseph that he had been chosen to take Mary into his keeping, but Joseph refused because he already had children, he was an old man and she was a young girl. After Zacharias reminded Joseph of what happened to those that refused to do the will of God, Joseph relented and brought Mary into his household to live while he departed to undertake some carpentry.

The time came for the making of a veil for the temple of the Lord and a call went out for all the undefiled virgins of the family of David. By this time, Zacharias had been rendered mute by his disbelief that his wife, Elizabeth, would conceive a child in her advanced age, and Samuel had taken over as the high priest. Seven virgins were found and then Samuel remembered that Mary was of the family of David as well, so she was summoned. Mary was chosen by lot to spin the true purple and scarlet parts of the temple veil.  She was sixteen at this time.

It was during this work that Mary was visited by the angel as set forth in Luke as set forth in today's reading.  After issuing her fiat, Mary completed her weaving of the purple and the scarlet and took them to the temple, where she received a blessing from the priest. She then went to visit her kinswoman, Elizabeth, where she remained for three months before returning home. Joseph was not there as he was elsewhere building as was his occupation.

Joseph returned when Mary was six months pregnant and was shocked and horrified at what he found. He blamed himself for not keeping a better watch over her and allowing her to be defiled. He questioned Mary as to how she, raised in the temple and pledged to God, could have forgotten her love of God and been defiled. In tears, Mary claimed her innocence and stated that she was still a virgin. Joseph, troubled, wrestled with what to do. If he did nothing, then he was concealing her sin and acting against the law of the Lord. But if he said something, and he was wrong, her innocent blood would be upon him. After deciding that he would send her away quietly, Joseph went to sleep and was visited by an angel who explained that Mary was telling the truth and was in God’s grace. Upon waking, Joseph gave glory to God and told Mary he believed her.

Later that day, Annas the scribe came to Joseph’s home and inquired as to why Joseph had not come to the assembly the day of his arrival as was the custom. Joseph tried to explain that he was tired from his journey and needed rest but Annas caught sight of the pregnant Mary and quickly ran off to tell the high priest that Joseph had committed a grievous crime by defiling Mary and marrying her in stealth. Officers were sent and Joseph and Mary were brought before the tribunal. The priest chastised a weeping Mary for her infidelity to God, particularly in light of her residing at the temple for so long. Once again, Mary insisted that she was still pure and was not defiled. The high priest turned to Joseph, challenging him to speak the truth and confess what he had done to Mary. Joseph refused, and the high priest gave both Joseph and Mary a test of the water of the ordeal of the Lord which they passed.

Shortly thereafter, the order was issued by the Emperor Augustus that all should return to their home villages to be counted. As Joseph and his two sons prepared for the trip, Joseph debated as to what to do with Mary, whether he should claim Mary as his wife or as his daughter? Joseph, the boys and Mary began their trip to Bethleham, arriving just as Mary was about to give birth.

Second Sunday in Advent: Be a Good Tree

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

According to The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, in Greek the term repent (metanoein) used here  connotates a "change of mind" while the Hebrew term ( s̆ûb) means "to (re)turn" (away from sin and toward God.) While I have read this passage a number of times over the years, what caught my eye (and ear) in particular were the lines I have placed in bold: Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance and Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. It is quite evident that St. John the Baptist does not believe that faith alone is sufficient for the Pharisees and Sadducees. Nor is repentence. Good fruit is needed. Good works that go beyond the good intentions of repentance are the follow-through. New Jerome, p.637, 1990 ed. This, of course, is a foreshadowing of the words of Jesus himself in Matthew 12:33:

Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.

and in Matthew 7:15-20:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.

What I found interesting is that the Gospel account of this incident in Matthew is slightly different than that found in the beginning of Luke 3:10-14. In particular, after John makes the pronouncement that "every tree which does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire," the crowds listening to him ask him what they should do:

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"

He said to them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise."

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."

Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should do?" He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

So, evidence of your return to God consist in sharing your extra clothing with those that have no clothing and sharing your food with those that have none. Not taking more than you are entitled to, not taking that which doesn't belong to you and not lying. Oh, and you should also be satisfied with what you have. Hmm... sounds somewhat suspiciously like the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31-46.

But here is the catch: doing these things in and of themselves is not sufficient. What is important is why you are doing them. John says, produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance, not produce good fruit to earn your repentance.  St. Augustine, in his Sermon 22 on the New Testament, had this to say on the matter:

The Lord Jesus has admonished us, that we be good trees, and that so we may be able to bear good fruits. For He says, Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by his fruit. When He says, Make the tree good, and his fruit good; this of course is not an admonition, but a wholesome precept, to which obedience is necessary. But when He says, Make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; this is not a precept that you should do it; but an admonition, that you should beware of it. For He spoke against those, who thought that although they were evil, they could speak good things or have good works. This the Lord Jesus says is impossible. For the man himself must first be changed, in order that his works may be changed. For if a man abide in his evil state, he cannot have good works; if he abide in his good state, he cannot have evil works.

St. Augustine tells us to root out desire and plant in charity: "For as desire is the root of all evil, so is charity the root of all good." Do not think that you can bear good fruit if you remain a corrupt tree. Change your heart, and your work will be changed. Be a good tree.

First Sunday in Advent: Are Your Bags Packed?

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Today is the beginning of Advent, the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year. The word Advent comes from the Latin ad-venio, to come to, and as Catholics we are to use this time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord, be it a celebration of his nativity or as described in today's Gospel, his return.

This is a good day to remember that before we know it, we shall be dead. We know not the hour, or the day, of our death, but we know that like the proverbial thief mentioned by Jesus, he will come when we are least prepared.

A friend of mine, Milo, was fond of asking people if their bags were packed. Are your bags packed? Are you ready to die? I like the analogy Milo used because we can all relate to it. All of us have a piece of luggage or two in our basement or in a closet, and we've all had the experience of running around the night before our departure on a vacation hastily throwing items into our suitcase. We've also all had that experience of living out of a suitcase for a while. At first everything is nice and neatly packed, then as the days progress our clothing and personal items leave the suitcase and wind up in the closet, the dresser, the bathroom counter, the floor....


When I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I often feel like I've just gotten everything packed up in my suitcase. I'm ready to go. More than once I've walked out of the Church and half-wished that I would be struck dead right then and there, right after I've been brought back in union with God and before I falter once more and sin. As the day and week go on, I try to keep my bags packed, but a venial sin here and a venial sin there... and before I realize it my luggage is empty, bedroom a mess and I'm in need of reconcilation once more.

The Lord will come when we least expect it. Your death will happen when you least expect it. You may or may not have the opportunity to make amends, ask forgiveness or tell those whom you love how they mean to you. Take some time this Advent and do some packing.

Healing Mysteries of the Rosary

On meditating upon the mysteries of the Rosary the other day, I noted that none of them deal with Jesus’ healing–despite the importance of healing in the Gospels. After some reflection, meditation and study, I’ve come up with a set that I thought might fill this void. Here are the  applicable scriptural references, a memorable passage and proposed fruit of each mystery:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First Healing Mystery: The Paralytic
(Luke 5:17-26; Mark 2:1-12)

Fruit of the Mystery: Forgiveness of Sins

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set (him) in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.

When he saw their faith, he said, "As for you, your sins are forgiven." Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins''--he said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."

But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy): I say to thee: Arise. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Second Healing Mystery: The Centurion’s Servant
(Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
Fruit of the Mystery: Submission to God’s will

When [Jesus] had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum.  A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."

And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof;
but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Third Healing Mystery: The Woman with a Hemorrhage
(Luke 8:42b-48; Mark 5:24-34)
Fruit of the Mystery: Certainty

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.

She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."

Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

As he looked around to see who had done it the woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go thy way in peace

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fourth Healing Mystery: The Blind Beggar
(Luke 18: 35-43)
Fruit of the Mystery: Tenacity

Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?

He replied, "Lord, please let me see."

Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."

He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Son of David, have mercy on me!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fifth Healing Mystery: The Raising of Lazarus
(John 11:1-45)
Fruit of the Mystery: Promise of Eternal Life

Jesus said to the disciples, "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with him."

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise."

Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day."

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you."

As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled,and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?"

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone."

Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days."

Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?"

So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him

Did not I say to thee that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?

**************************************

The Beatitudes

One of the best known Gospel reading is Matthew 5:1-12a.  The passage from Matthew marks the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, the first of Jesus' sermons in Matthew. This part of the Sermon on the Mount is known as the Beatitudes.  A beatitude is an exclamation of congratulations that recognizes an existing state of happiness. See The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p.620.

The importance of the Beatitudes cannot be overlooked. Bishop Fulton Sheen, in Life of Christ, takes the position that no one can truly understand the Mount of Calvery without understanding the Mount of the Beatitudes:

He who climbed the first to preach the Beatitudes must necessarily climb the second to practice what He preached. The unthinking often say the Sermon on the Mount constitutes the "essence of Christianity." But let any man put these Beatitudes into practice in his own life, and he too will draw down upon himself the wrath of the world. The Sermon on the Mount cannot be separated from His Crucifixion, any more than day can be separated from night. The day Our Lord taught the Beatitudes, He signed His own death warrant. The sound of nails and hammers digging through human flesh were the echoes thrown back from the mountainsides where He told men how to be happy or blessed. Everybody wants to be happy; but His ways were the very opposite of the ways of the world. (p.114)

The Catholic Encyclopedia entry on the Beatitudes echoes this that:

the eight conditions [the Beatitudes] required constitute the fundamental law of the kingdom, the very pith and marrow of Christian perfection. For its depth and breadth of thought, and its practical bearing on Christian life, the passage may be put on a level with the Decalogue in the Old, and the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament, and it surpassed both in its poetical beauty of structure.

There are two versions of the Beatitudes in the New Testament. The reading from Matthew is:

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,  for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Beatitudes are also shown in Luke (6:22-26), although there is a reduction number of "blessings" and the contrast of what are known as the "four woes":

And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

Many people have difficulty in understanding the first beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. What exactly does that mean, to be poor in spirit?

As noted in the readings set forth above, the words in spirit are found in Matthew's version but not Luke's. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary make the following observation on this addition:

Matthew's editorial additions may be seen in several places. First he adds "justice" in vv 6 and 10, both as a formal divider and as one of the great themes of his Gospel. To "blessed are the poor" he adds "in spirit." The poor are the needy ones of Israel, ... who prefer the divine service to financial advantage. Their poverty is real and economic, but with a spiritual dimension. In Matt the addition of "in spirit" changes the emphasis from social-economic to personal-moral: humility, detachment from wealth, voluntary poverty. In the Bible economic destitution is an evil to be corrected (Deut 15:11), and wealth is not an evil in itself; indeed, it is a necessity for the well-being of the kingdom, but it risks neglect of God and of the poor. God's first priority is the care of the poor.

The other beatitude which often causes confusion is the second one,  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.  Confusion here arises because few people take the time to look up the meaning of the word "meek" and operate under the presumption that it means being a shy or reserved person. Instead, "meek" means to endure injury with patience and without resentment.

The Jesus Question

Prophets and holy men claim to speak for God. Jesus, on the other hand, claimed to be God. Was Jesus telling the truth or was he simply a madman?

There are numerous references in the Gospels to Jesus referring to himself as God. Here are a couple of obvious ones: 

• "I and the Father are one." John 10:30
•  
• Jesus said of them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own account, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word." John 8:42-43

I personally think that C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, summed it up best:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." Mere Christianity, pages 40-41.

There should be no real debate as to whether or not Jesus claimed to be God.

The other part of the question, dealing with the role of Jesus as the Son of God, involves the doctrine of the Trinity. Christianity maintains that in the unity of the Godhead there are three separate and distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself states as much:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:18-20.

There are numerous times in the Gospels where Jesus' words and actions demonstrate the distinct nature of the three persons. For example, when Jesus prays to God in the Garden of Gethsemane, ("My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39) and when Jesus asks God to forgive during the crucifixion ("Father, forgive them; for they know no what they do." Luke 23:34). God the Father is clearly someone separate and distinct from Jesus the Son.

The same is true with regard to the Holy Spirit. For example, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit on three occasions during the Last Supper discourse, indicating it is someone separate and distinct from himself and God the Father: 

• "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." John 14:16-17. 
•  
• "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." John 14:26.
•   
• "But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." John 16:5-15.

The question is not whether Jesus considered himself to be God. The question is whether or not you believe him.

Widows 1, Scribes nil

In the story of the widow's mite, Mk 12:38-44, Jesus provides us with an illustration of the type of people we should and should not imitate:

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

 Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,

"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood." Mk 12:38-44

According to the The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p.622, the scribes were the interpreters of the Old Testament law, in other words the ancient Jewish version of lawyers.

Scribes typically served as trustees of widows' estates. Their fee for such a service was a share of the funds in the estate.  So as to improve their chances of getting appointed to such a position (and thus devour the houses of widows), the scribes strove to improve their reputation of piety.  They would do this by wearing long robes designed to enhance their prestige and honor, seek out places of honor and publicly demonstrate their holiness . Jesus is warning against such behavior:

Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers.

It should be noted that the scribes will receive a just reward for their actions.

*      *     *

The second part of the reading contrasts the conduct of the scribes with that of the widow. The two copper coins (lepta) were the smallest coins in circulation.  Jesus' observes that "this poor woman put in more than all the others contribution." He then goes on to explain that the widow made a real sacrifice to support the Temple, whereas the rich simply gave out of their surplus: For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood. [bold added].

The 19th Century Catholic mystic, Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich, in her private revelation The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, gives further details as to what occurred in the Temple:

In the center of the hall, or rather, nearer to the entrance,  stood the money box, an angular pillar, about half the height of a man, in which were three funnel-shaped openings to receive the money offerings, and at its foot was a little door. The box was covered with a red cloth over which hung a white transparent one. To the left was the seat for the priest who maintained order, and a table upon which could be laid doves and other objects brought as offerings. To the right and left of the entrance stood the seats for the women and the men, respectively. The rear of the hall was cut off by a grating, behind which the alter had been put up when Mary presented the Child Jesus in the Temple.

Jesus today took the seat by the money box. It was an offering day for all that desired to purify themselves for the Paschal feast. The Pharisees, on coming later, were greatly put out at finding Jesus there, but they declined His offer to yield to them His place. The Apostles stood near Him, two and two. The men came first to the money box, then the women, and after making their offering, they went out by another door to the left. The crowd stood without awaiting their turn, only five being allowed to enter at a time. Jesus sat there three hours.

Toward midday, as a general thing, the offerings ended, but Jesus remained much longer, to the discontent of the Pharisees. This was the hall in which He had acquitted the woman taken in adultery. The Temple was like three churches, one behind the other, each standing under an immense arch. In the first was the circular lecture hall. The place of offering in which Jesus was, lay to the right of this hall, a little toward the Sanctuary. A long corridor led to it. The last offering was made by a poor, timid widow. No one could see how much the offering was, but Jesus knew what she had given and He told His disciples that she had given more than all the rest, for she had put into the money box all that she had left to buy herself food for that day. He sent her word to wait for Him near the house of John Mark. The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Vol. 4, pp. 28-30.

The importance of the widow's offering cannot be underestimated.  In the Eastern rite of the Roman Catholic Church, for instance, it is mentioned in the Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, the ancient, traditional main Liturgy of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The widow's offering is on par with other great sacrifices made to God:

As You accepted the sacrifice of our father Abraham, the incense of Zacharias, the alms of Cornelius, and the widow's two mites, accept also the thank-offerings of these, and give them for the things of time the things of eternity, and for the things of earth the things of heaven.

St. John Chrysostom, one of the four Doctors of the Church coming from the  Eastern (Greek speaking) Roman empire,  reminded us why we ourselves need to imitate the widow in her sacrifice:

For what is required is that we give, not much or little, but not less than is in our power. Think we on him with the five talents, and on him with the two.  Think we on her who cast in those two mites. Think we on the widow in Elijah's days. She who threw in those two mites said not, What harm if I keep the one mite for myself, and give the other? But gave her whole living. But you, in the midst of so great plenty, art morepenurious than she. Let us then not be careless of our own salvation, but apply ourselves to almsgiving. Homily 1 on Colossians

Something to do whilst waiting for a red light

Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great, that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said:

Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Who was St. Gertrude the Great?

Born in 1256, St. Gertrude died at age 46 on November 17, 1302. At the age of five she began to study at the convent, most likely because she had become an orphan. As she reached her early twenties, she began to be burned out on religious life and then she had a conversion.  Soon thereafter,  she began to have visions which lasted through the remaining years of her life.

St. Gertrude was never formally canonized, but a liturgical office of prayer, readings, and hymns in her honor was approved by Rome in 1606. Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title "the Great" to distinguish her from another famous Catholic Gertrude (Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn who was little Gertrude's teacher) and to recognize the depth of her spiritual and theological insight.

The Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude can be found on the internet. While they do not contain the specific prayer set forth above, it appears to be a paraphrase of various passages and a common theme running through her writing:

Nevertheless, as I gathered up all my strength to make a last effort to gain Thee by my loving caresses, I perceived that all this was of no avail, until I commenced praying for sinners, for the souls in Purgatory, or for those who were in any affliction, when I knew that I was heard; but still more one evening, when I formed the resolution of commencing the prayers which I say for the deceased offering them for those most beloved by Thee, with the Collect, Omnipotens, sempiterne Deus, cui nunquam sine spe, instead of commencing, as I had been accustomed to do, by praying for those related to me, with the Collect, Deus, qui nos patrem et matrem, and it seemed to me that this change was very pleasing to Thee. Book Two, Chapter 15.

At the hour at which the Saint was to communicate was now near, she prayed God to show mercy to as many sinners as would be saved (for she dared not to pray for the reprobate) as He had that day delivered souls from Purgatory by the merit of the prayers which had been offered. But Our Lord reproved her timidity, saying: Is not the offering of My spotless Body and My precious Blood sufficient merit to recall even those who walk in the ways of perdition to a better life? Then Gertrude, reflecting on the infinite goodness testified by these words, exclaimed: "Since Thine ineffable charity will condescend to my unworthy prayers, I beseech Thee to deliver as many persons who live in sin and are in peril thereby as Thou hast delivered souls in Purgatory, without preferring those who are my friends with we by consanguinity or proximity". Our Lord accepted this petition graciously and certified its acceptance to her. "I would know further, I Lord," she continued, "what I shall add to these prayers to make them yet more efficacious?" Then, as she received no answer, she continued: "Lord. I fear that my unfaithfulness does not merit a reply to this question because Thou, who seest the hearts of all, knowest that I will not comply with Thy command." Then Our Lord, turning towards her with a countenance full of sweetness, replied: Confidence alone can easily obtain all things, but if your devotion urges you to add anything further, say the Psalm Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes three hundred and sixty-five times, in order to supply for those praises which men fail in offering Me. Book 3, Chapter 8.

The Psalm Laudate Dominum is Psalm 117:

Praise the Lord, all nations;

Praise Him, all people.

For He has bestowed

His mercy upon us,

And the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and forever,

and for generations of generations.

Amen.

So, if your devotion urges you to do so, consider saying the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great and repeat the above Psalm 365 times.

Feeling Cold, pt. 2 - effect of insulin on body temp

As you may recall, I recently started doing some data recording of my basal body temperature at waking and before bed. Through that data, it was pretty obvious that my core body temperature (CBT) is more than a bit lower than the normal 98.6 degrees (F). I have consistently run 96.5. Having established my initial baseline for my A-B-A data set test for my upcoming experiments on increasing my own CBT, I was doing some Google-research when I stumbled upon a preview of an article to be published this coming October in the medical journal, Diabetes.

The article is entitled "Insulin Causes Hyperthermia by Direct Inhibition of Warm-Sensitive Neurons." The objective of the research was to examine the role of the metabolic signal insulin in the control of core body temperature. The findings demonstrated that insulin can directly modulate hypothalamic neurons that regulate thermogenesis and CBT which indicated that insulin plays an important role in coupling metabolism and thermoregulation at the level of anterior hypothalamus. Since I myself don't have a subscription to the Diabetes medical journal nor feel like spending $45 to read something I probably can't understand in the first place, I'll just assume they are correct until one of you readers points me to contrary medical research.

According to a summary medical article on Medical News Today "New Link Discovered Between Core Body Temperature and Insulin," while much research has been conducted on insulin since its discovery in the 1920s, this is the first time the hormone has been connected to the fundamental process of temperature regulation:

The scientists found that when insulin was injected directly into a specific area of the brain in rodents, core body temperature rose, metabolism increased, and brown adipose (fat) tissue was activated to release heat. The research team also found that these effects were dose-dependent - up to a point, the more insulin, the more these metabolic measures rose.

"Scientists have known for many years that insulin is involved in glucose regulation in tissues outside the brain," said Scripps Research neurobiologist Manuel Sanchez-Alavez, who was first author of the new paper with Bartfai lab colleagues Iustin V. Tabarean and Olivia Osborn (now at the University of California, San Diego). "The connection to temperature regulation in the brain is new."

...

In work coordinated by Osborn to characterize these neurons and their transcriptome (all of the messenger RNA molecules in a cell, which reflect the genes being expressed), the team noticed something unexpected - a messenger RNA for an insulin receptor.

"We were surprised to find the insulin receptor," said Tabarean. "The insulin receptor is very well documented in the pancreas and in other peripheral tissues. But in the brain, it was not clear and we definitely did not know about its existence in warm-sensitive neurons."

The article goes on to explain the methodology, then draws some conclusions:

The authors note that while their new paper illuminates a key piece of the puzzle of the body's metabolic processes, it also raises many intriguing questions: How does insulin get to the brain's preoptic area - does it cross the blood-brain barrier or is it produced locally? Are diabetics, who are insensitive to insulin in peripheral tissues, still sensitive to insulin in the brain; if so, could this dichotomy be used in the development of a new therapy? Could scientists find a way to use these new insights to increase energy expenditure for the purpose of weight loss?

Unlike the rodents in the medical tests, I'm not really in much of a position to stick a syringe into my brain and inject a bit of humalog to see what happens. So, I thought I'd ask for volunteers. Just kidding!

It does, however, give me an idea for an experiment to try: determining the effect deprivation of all insulin from my system would have on my CBT. Given the above, would my CBT actually be lower if I had, say, 24 hours of no insulin whatsoever? It would be a pretty simple test to complete, perhaps at my next scheduled site change. Don't worry, I'd couple it with a complete fast as well so my blood sugar levels shouldn't rise too high... that in and of itself would be pretty interesting to know as well: what is the rising rate of one's blood sugar if nothing is ingested?

As always, please don't try this at home. I don't mind screwing up my own body processes in the name of science, but I don't want to worry that I'm messing with your own. But, if you do decide to give it a try, don't hesitate to share the data!

Beware the Forgotten Bolus...

On my iPod Diabetes Pilot app, my glucose readings are color-coded so I can immediately tell how I am doing. Black readings are in the desired range, blue are lows and reds are for those infernal highs. I was in the black all of yesterday (even with Mexican for lunch!) then ended the evening and early morning in the red. Why?

I was a victim of the forgotten bolus.

What is the forgotten bolus, you ask? Actually, if you ask that you probably aren't a diabetic. All real diabetics have experienced the forgotten bolus, when they get so caught up in the moment that they actually forget that they have diabetes and neglect to bolus.* Believe it or not, it actually sometimes happens. In my case it occurred at my daughter's birthday party at her favorite restaurant, Famous Dave's BBQ.

Here's how I was attacked by the forgotten bolus. We sat down at the restaurant and I decided what to eat. I decided upon the BBQ pork sandwich, a diet Coke and some baked beans. I knew the baked beans were going to throw a complication into the mix, but I was ready for the challenge. I dutifully input all my info into my trusty little iPod app and it calculated the total to be 94 carbs. I input that into my pump and pushed the magic ACT button and it told me that I needed 13.4 units of insulin.

Because of prior experience, I knew that sometimes the food took a bit longer than expected to arrive, so I refrained from giving myself the bolus at that time. Then she opened her birthday gifts and suddenly the food arrived, we hurried to clear the table and set about enjoying a nice meal, complete with a birthday sundae for the girl.

Things went so well I didn't even notice that I had forgotten to bolus. A few hours later, about 8:30pm, I tested at a whopping 311! I figured that I had woefully underestimated the amount of BBQ sauce I had used--that or perhaps that diet Coke wasn't really a diet Coke--and gave myself the recommended 9.5 units of insulin. Two hours later: 345. 345? how could my blood sugar have gone up in two hours? Unless....

That was when I checked and realized that I had become a victim of the forgotten bolus. The insulin units I gave myself at 10:30pm wasn't enough, which prompted another round at 2:40am (238, 5.9 units) until the morning arrived at a cool blue 70. A bit lower than I would have liked, but I wasn't going to complain and could certainly use the difference to offset twelve hours or so of being too high.

Gee, if I'm already forgetting stuff at this age, what will I be like when I am really old? Like at, say, 50?!

:-)


* Not to be confused with the neglected bolus, which occurs when you know you really should bolus for something and you decline to do so out of laziness.

Letter to a New Diabetic: Leg Cramps

Dear Concerned:

I, too, have had the (un)pleasant experience of waking in the middle of the night mid-scream and in tears from the knotting pain of a cramp in the calf. Unfortunately, until you manage to get your blood glucose levels down to an acceptable level you will continue to be plagued by these nocturnal visitors.


Assuming for discussion purposes that you haven't been intensely exercising, the most probably cause of your leg cramps are due to dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance. If you haven't noticed, one of the ways that your body rids itself of excess blood sugar is to try and pee it out. If you aren't careful to take more water in, you can easily find yourself dehydrated. This is known to accentuate muscle fatigue, which some people think can result in abnormal neural activity whereby certain muscles get the signal to contract but not relax.

Another frequent cause of leg cramps is an imbalance in your electrolytes. Whether this is due to all the urination or caused by a lack of sufficient intake from the outset, the result is painful just the same. If you aren't regularly taking a multivitamin AND mineral supplement each day, you need to be. You should also have your physician order a complete blood work-up on you. That will tell you if you are deficient in calcium, potassium, magnesium,Vitamin D or other vital nutrients. (Note: unless you are farming and eating your own organic produce, have eggs from the chickens running around your backyard and raise and slaughter your own livestock, it's a safe bet that you aren't getting all the requisite nutrients you need from the food items you are purchasing from the grocery store.)

However, none of this is of much solace at three in the morning when you are hopping around on one foot, trying not to wake everyone else up as you sob from the pain. Things to try include eating a banana (potassium) or chewing a couple of Tums (calcium). More general suggestions can be found in this article over at roadbikerider.com on cramps.

Hope this helps,

Niko

Static Electricity + Pump = Trouble

I stumbled upon a nice blog (The Life of a Diabetic) which had an interesting post about attending to your diabetes when you are attending a conference. Well worth a read if you ever find yourself having to go on the road for a while. I added a few suggestions of my own, and while doing so recalled an event earlier this year which I thought I'd repost here.

In short, I was at a conference about three hours away from home and inclement weather caused me to have to stay in a hotel rather than return home as originally planned. Due to the low temperature and bone dry air, the static electricity in the room was incredible. Sparks literally lit up the dark room every time I moved the sheets, myself, anything. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that my pump was dead. A brick. After much button mashing and trying to get it restarted I gave up and tried Minimed. I learned then that the static had fried the pump and despite some various techniques to restart it (e.g. remove the battery for a few hours), they sent me a replacement. Thank goodness for warranties.

I hadn't given much thought to the effect of static electricity on insulin pumps, but it makes complete sense. I can remember when walking across a carpet in winter would be create enough static to erase the contents of a floppy disk. Sometimes when I get out of our minivan and close the door I get a small shock of static. From some of the google results I found, this appears to be a pretty common problem.

In addition to weather, I've noticed a lot of static on the plastic slides at the playground where my kids play. The event has evidently been studied, but I couldn't figure out how to access the article to read it. Something you probably should be aware of if you are the parent of a kid with a pump.

To freak yourself out more about static electricity, what it is and how to get rid of it (buy a humidifier!), check out this article on Static Electricity and People. I found it positively shocking!!

(hehe, I couldn't resist such an electrifying opportunity! )

Diabetic Datamining

Being a diabetic athlete means a dedication to trial and error. Every diabetic athlete I have ever met or read about is a meticulous record-keeper and is in his or her own way a scientist, continuously experimenting on his or her body to find the best combination of insulin, food, stress, exercise. The crazy thing is that the combination keeps changing and it is highly personalized, so there has to be a willingness to continuously revamp, re-evaluate, re-organize. Having diabetes and being committed to performance requires a degree of mental flexibility that deserves recognition and celebration. It is symbolic of what all of us as humans have to do to perform at high levels.

Mari Ruddy, from An Invitation to Ride

I'd like to talk a bit about Diabetic Datamining. Diabetic Datamining is the art and science of

Feeling cold?

The other day I stumbled upon an interesting article entitled "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Low Body Temperature" by Dr. David Jernigan of Hansa Center for Optimum Health. He is of the opinion that a low body temperature creates a "happy home for viruses and chronic infections, and is a sign of degeneration and gradual cellular death." As the body’s core temperature decreases all cellular energy also decreases thereby leading to profound and chronic fatigue that is not relieved by sleep. In his article he also summarizes the effect a cold body core temperature has on the circulation system, including peripheral circulation problems and cravings for high sugar based foods to increase the body's heat production. As you probably know, these are two issues every diabetic has to deal with on a daily basis.

According to Dr. Jernigan, it is essential to monitor and graph your core body temperature upon awakening but before getting out of bed and sometime between 8 and 10 pm. Evidently the healthy body has daily temperature fluctuations (diurnal) with the coolest temperature upon awakening in the morning hours of 6-8 a.m. and the warmest being in the evening between 8-10 p.m. There should be a difference between the morning and evening temperature, in a healthy person, of at least 0.9° F (0.5° C).

The core body temperature is the temperature taken under the tongue. After doing some research (okay, okay, after Googleing a bit) it appears that it is best to use a digital basal thermometer as they record much smaller temperature changes than an ordinary thermometer. As for the temperature you want to see, Dr. Jernigan maintains the optimal core body temperature is 98.6-99.6°F, with 98.6° F being the minimum.

So, today as part of my continued life-logging project, I am off to purchase a basal thermometer. I've already gone online and purchased an iPod app for tracking blood temperature. I settled on BT Monitor.

- - -
6/13 Just a followup comment - my core morning temp turned out to be 96.5! That is more than 2 degrees colder than it is supposed to be. Hmm...