For a little break from our super-seriousness about nearly everything, here's a photo of the first two of the puppies that are in process of being given birth by my brother's female English Setter who around the first of April had an encounter or two with my Black Lab. A third has since been born, and there probably are others on the way.It's wonderful how nature provides. This was Belle's first litter, but she knew enough to lick them clean, to cut the umbilical cord, to eat the afterbirth, and to lie down in such a way that her teats were available to the newborn puppies who knew enough to crawl their way toward them and to start nursing.As of 8:00 this evening, Belle has given us seven puppies, six jet black and one golden. We think she's finished--Let us pray to the Lord: Do I hear an Amen?[caption id="attachment_8671" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Brother and sister"]Brother and sister[/caption]

Rev. Joseph A. Komonchak, professor emeritus of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of New York.

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