Having just observed St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it fitting to discuss some science news from Ireland. Apparently, so did NBC since they chose Sunday to report on research published last October. A team led by Gerry Quinn isolated a new strain of Streptomyces bacteria that can inhibit the growth of 4 out of 6 high priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Resistance to existing antibiotics continues to spread, while the pipeline of new antibiotics has hit a lull. So there is great interest in any compounds that can be used to treat infections which elude most or all of our current therapeutic options.
[Read more…] about Science Corner: The Luck of the Streptomyces
St. Patrick
Permit us … Convince us …
Prayer
“Permit us not, O Lord, to hear your word in vain. Convince us of its truth, cause us to feel its power and bind us to yourself with cords of faith and hope and love that never shall be broken. We bind to ourselves today, you our God: your power to hold us, your hand to guide us, your eye to watch us, your ear to hear us, your wisdom to teach us, your word to give us speech, your presence to defend us, this day and every day; in the name of the blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to whom be the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and forever. Amen.” — St. Patrick*
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
Take a moment sometime today to consider The Real St. Patrick and invite others to do likewise. Looking for some resources? I’d encourage you to start with several Christianity Today articles. If you have additional suggestions, including books to recommend, please share below.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
— A Poem by St. Patrick, ca 377 AD