Beware of the Animals!!

..... It's no surprise that swine flu has become a regular hot topic at Stagg and possibly everywhere in the U.S. After all, it's not every day that one experiences an epidemic that has so much media hype that the Black Plague would blush. The butt of a lot of jokes indeed has become "swine-related," making Porky funny again... Or doesn't it mean that Porky is sick!! Noo!!

..... The animals are indeed after us. First it was cows and the Mad Cow Disease!! Then it was birds and the avian flu. Finally, bacon takes it's turn at revenge with the swine flu. PETA should be happy, right? Animals are finally standing up for themselves... Well maybe not standing since these illnesses seem to generally thin the herd (or flock) of the animals they affect.

..... But let's get serious. Swine flu really has affected everyday life. My mom, who's planning to arrive here in Stockton for my brother's graduation, decided to leave my little brother Tyler back in Illinois because of the swine flu. Then there was the rumors of swine flu at McNair. A part of me thinks that our collective fear is making a mountain out of a mole hill, making the swine flu like the plague, but then again, sickness is a pretty frightening topic.

..... So frightening in fact that U.S. bishops are advising their dioceses to help control the spread of the sickness. At St. Luke's for example, Fr. Joe instructed parishioners before the distribution of communion that he and the Eucharistic ministers would not be giving out the Blood of Christ, only His Body. For the religiously-challenged, that means that there would only be the bread (a.k.a. the Body) passed out not the wine (a.k.a. the Blood). Seeing as the faithful share the same chalice, this plan reduces possible infections. Fr. Joe also said that holding hands during the Lord's Prayer and giving the Sign of Peace should be limited to meaningful glances or nods of the head. I laughed at this one with my friend Dani.  I gave her the best meaningful glance I could muster :]

..... Of course these measures are temporary, but I'm looking forward to the day when swine flue is last week's news and there's another illness running about. Maybe from Canada. Moose flu anyone?

- Jeremy Dela Cruz, watching out for Moose flu!