And While You're Praying . . .

Could you spare a prayer for me, your humble blog host? I have been hampered for several weeks now (yes, weeks) by a stubborn and persistent infection that leaves me feeling distinctly yucky and sub-par most of the time. I have been through almost three rounds of antibiotics and feel reasonably decent while I'm taking them, but as soon as I finish a round, the symptoms return within a day or two. All sorts of horror stories about over-prescribed antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and "super bugs" are floating around my brain and making me nervous. Now my doctor wants to do tests to get a better idea of what's going on, which is a good thing, I suppose, but that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to it. Anyway, in your charity, dear friends, please remember me. Thank you.

Please Pray for Thomas Peters

Dear friends and blog readers, in your charity please pray for Thomas Peters, author of the former American Papist blog that's now part of the CatholicVote.org website. Thomas was critically injured in a swimming accident earlier this week. I don't know Thomas personally, but he is a good friend of my Facebook friend William "Billy Newton, author of Blog of the Courtier. By all accounts, Thomas is a fine and dedicated young Catholic who has done much good work writing and speaking on behalf of the Church. Such is the power of  the internet and social media that we can feel a personal connection to people we have never met. Thomas's friends and family have set up the Thomas Peters Recovery blog to keep friends, family, and well-wishers posted on Thomas's condition. There are signs that he is making progress, but no doubt his recovery will be long and difficult. What makes this situation especially tragic is that Thomas was married just a few short weeks ago. Please pray for his family and especially for his wife Natalie, that they receive all the graces they will surely need to cope with this unexpected trial.