Feasting with the Saints in January

I love loving on my domestic church (mi familia). There are so many wonderful saints (God's friends in heaven) to celebrate.  There were three this month that we have focused on so far.

St. Felix of Nola (260 A.D.)  His feast day is January 14.  I pulled out this book we have in our winter book bin.   His story can be found here.

The feast of St. Sebastian (288 A.D.) Molon Labe! This quote is taken from the famous battle of Thermopylae 480 B.C.  It was the 300 Spartans taking a stand against hundreds of thousands (some say nearly a million)  Persian attackers marching to the Greek states to strip away the inhabitants' freedom and independence. (Great movie made in 1962!)

St. Sebastian was a Christian who had converted many soldiers during the reign of terror of Emperor Diocletian.  He was martyred for his faith.  I thought it would be a great time to watch a heroic movie highlighting the importance of never giving up your faith - for anyone.  JMJ. 

*We also watched, We Were Soldiers (Mel Gibson).  Not for the faint of heart but shows how the media even back then destroyed human life with lies and manipulation.  The poor Vietnam soldiers! My heart aches for them whenever I think about how poorly our society treated them.

St. Agnes (304 B.C.) Her feast day is today, January 21.  This sweet girl has an incredible story of purity and chastity.  You can read about her here.

I found these easy-to-make St. Agnes cookie recipe.  Miss Clementine helped me bake and assemble them.  They are buttery, light, and delicious! 

May all of the saints in heaven pray for us!

Patty

Agnesenplatzchen (St. Agnes Cookies)

 This is an old German recipe that was adapted from Cooking with the Saints.  I found this recipe on Catholic Cuisine and it sure is a perfect snack for a sweet feast day celebration.  I'm not sure how this recipe fits the narrative of this precious saint.  I couldn't find the connection.  If you happen to find the back story, please let me know. :)

In the meantime, go ahead and make these easy, yummy morsels.  They go down even better with a cup of tea of coffee!

I did not have a 2" round cookie cutter so we improvised.  She used her playdough cutter (after we washed it of course - ha ha ha). 

Enjoy!

Patty

Chicken Taco Soup

 We tried another new, chicken recipe this week.  Chicken taco soup.  I am so glad I found this recipe.  It was delicious, hearty, and perfect for a chilly day.  This would fall under comfort food.  So good! We added tortilla strips, avocado, and sour cream on top.

Enjoy!

Patty

Individual Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

 I love to have nice Sunday dinners for my family.  They have come to expect it and look forward to the delicious dinners we make special on Sundays.  After dinner, we usually pray our family rosary.  Then it is onto dessert!  I add a yummy dessert to the menu, and this past week, I tried a new recipe.  These individual pineapple upside-down cakes were so sweet and refreshing!

Enjoy!

Patty

Oven Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

 Always looking for a healthier alternative to beef, chicken recipes tend to be more favored in our house. I recently found and tried this oven baked honey mustard chicken recipe.  The kids really liked it.  My husband and I were not so sure.  Since it can be hard to find something that appeals to all the kids, I thought I'd go ahead and put this one on the blog. 

I wanted to use up some of the food items that are hanging around in the freezer instead of buying more food.  I chose a bag of mixed vegetables and sweet potato french fries (drizzled with honey).  My husband thought rice may go with the chicken then next time I prepare it.  He may be right...

Enjoy!

Patty

House Blessing 2021

 We recently celebrated the Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord (I grew up calling it 3 Kings Day). What is The Epiphany?  

Epiphany means manifestation. What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him. ~ Catholic Culture

One way to celebrate this important feast day is to bless your house, specifically write out the blessing at the top of your door on your house (we did both front and back).  

The Church extends itself on Epiphany to the homes of the faithful. The custom of blessing the home on this day probably originated from these words in the Gospel, "And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary, His Mother, and falling down they adored Him." The priest blesses the house if he can be present, but if not, the father of the family may do so.

Our parish priest had blessed pieces of chalk for all of the faithful to take home after Mass along with a house blessing.  

You write out the millennial  (20) + C (for Caspar) + M (for Melchior) + B (for Balthasar) + 21 (new year). Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar were the names of the three wise men. 

This weekend, we celebrated the Feast of The Baptism of the Lord.  At this Mass, the congregation renewed their Baptismal vows.  It's such a beautiful Mass! 

As we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, know that Jesus did not have to be baptized because he had original sin.  No.  "Jesus does not enter the water to be sanctified.  No, the Holy One enters the water to sanctify.  He makes this humble, ordinary element extraordinary, empowering it to become a channel of the Holy Spirit bringing inner cleansing, rebirth, and transformation to those who be be bathed in it.  Here, Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Christmas Baptism, something essentially different and greater than the baptism of John, which foreshadowed it."  ~ Dr. D' Ambrosio Ph D, Catholic Exchange

May the loving God bless your household. May you be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and abiding in His will.

Patty