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Friday, March 7, 2014
Lenten Foods
During this season of Lent, I thought it would be a good idea to post different Lenten practices that can be introduced into the home. Today's post on Lenten foods is taken from pp. 74-75 of Religious Customs in the Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes by Fr. Francis X. Weiser, S.J.
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A traditional means of reminding the family that it is the holy season of Lent is the Lenten foods, which are served only at this time of the year. Thus, parents and children realize, even at their meals, that prayer and penance should be practiced during these days.
Apart from meats, anything might do as "Lenten food," so long as it is not usually prepared in the same way during the rest of the year. In some countries it was customary to bake the buns with an indentation in the form of a cross (cross buns). In other places, certain soups are served only in Lent (bread soup, lentil soup, spinach soup, etc.). In many families, the desserts are made without sugar frosting or whipped cream during Lent. [Or, dessert may be entirely omitted from meals.] There are many ways of indicating the holy season by the choice of certain Lenten foods. Any one of them is good, as long as it is reasonable in itself and serves the purpose of reminding the family of Lent.
Perhaps the easiest, and at the same time the most significant, Lenten food custom for our time might be to serve a small pretzel to every member of the family with his main meal in Lent. It sounds surprising, but the pretzel has a deep spiritual meaning for Lent. In fact, it was the ancient Christian Lenten bread as far back as the fifth century. In the old Roman Empire, the faithful kept a very strict fast all through Lent: no milk, no butter, no cheese, no eggs, no cream and of course, no meat. So they made small breads of water, flour, and salt. To remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer, they shaped these breads in the forms of arms crossed in prayer (in those days they crossed their arms over the breast while praying). Therefore they called the breads "little arms" (bracellae). From this Latin word the Germans later coined the term "pretzel".
Thus the pretzel is the most appropriate food symbol in Lent. It still shows the form of arms crossed in prayer, reminding us that Lent is a time of prayer. It consists only of water and flour, thus proclaiming Lent as a time of fasting. Besides, it is a custom come down to us from the early Christians, who had invented it a bearer of such a great spiritual message. (The earliest picture and description of a pretzel - from the fifth century - may be found in the manuscript-codex No. 3867, Vatican Library.)
That many people eat pretzels today all throughout the year, that they take them together with beer in taverns and restaurants, is only an accidental habit. The true purpose and meaning has been forgotten. However, the pretzel still is an image of arms crossed in prayer; it still is the symbol of prayerful penance in Lent. In many places of Europe pretzels are served only from Ash Wednesday to Easter, thus keeping the ancient symbolism alive.
There seems to be no reason why our Catholic families should not return to this beautiful custom of our ancient Roman fellow-Christians, especially since we still have these breads around everywhere. The children will be delighted and greatly impressed when they hear the true story of the pretzel. And such a pretzel at their dinner plate every day during Lent will certainly proclaim its spiritual message as clearly and deeply to them as it did to many a Christian in ancient Rome.
† † † † † † † † † †
Religious Customs in the Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes is a very interesting book, and it useful for cultivating the Faith in the family. You can buy it...
...from TAN Books ($10.95)
....from Amazon ($8.99)
Book description:
"Many beautiful; traditional religious customs that will give Catholic homes a truly Catholic spirit year round: E.g.; blessing of children; name days; feast days; Advent and Christmas customs; etc. Great reading for all. Essential to help every Catholic family overcome secularism. Shows the religious source of even such common things as pretzels; hot cross buns; the Easter ham; Thanksgiving Day; Spring Cleaning; etc. What parts of the Christmas Tree are Catholic; and which ones came from secular influence. Very interesting and useful!"
And, finally, I will end this post with an easy recipe I found for soft pretzels from Sally's Baking Addiction.
† † † † † † † † † †
A traditional means of reminding the family that it is the holy season of Lent is the Lenten foods, which are served only at this time of the year. Thus, parents and children realize, even at their meals, that prayer and penance should be practiced during these days.
Apart from meats, anything might do as "Lenten food," so long as it is not usually prepared in the same way during the rest of the year. In some countries it was customary to bake the buns with an indentation in the form of a cross (cross buns). In other places, certain soups are served only in Lent (bread soup, lentil soup, spinach soup, etc.). In many families, the desserts are made without sugar frosting or whipped cream during Lent. [Or, dessert may be entirely omitted from meals.] There are many ways of indicating the holy season by the choice of certain Lenten foods. Any one of them is good, as long as it is reasonable in itself and serves the purpose of reminding the family of Lent.
Perhaps the easiest, and at the same time the most significant, Lenten food custom for our time might be to serve a small pretzel to every member of the family with his main meal in Lent. It sounds surprising, but the pretzel has a deep spiritual meaning for Lent. In fact, it was the ancient Christian Lenten bread as far back as the fifth century. In the old Roman Empire, the faithful kept a very strict fast all through Lent: no milk, no butter, no cheese, no eggs, no cream and of course, no meat. So they made small breads of water, flour, and salt. To remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer, they shaped these breads in the forms of arms crossed in prayer (in those days they crossed their arms over the breast while praying). Therefore they called the breads "little arms" (bracellae). From this Latin word the Germans later coined the term "pretzel".
 |
| An illustration from the 12th century Hortus delicaiarum - an early depiction of a pretzel, shown at a banquet with Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus More here. |
That many people eat pretzels today all throughout the year, that they take them together with beer in taverns and restaurants, is only an accidental habit. The true purpose and meaning has been forgotten. However, the pretzel still is an image of arms crossed in prayer; it still is the symbol of prayerful penance in Lent. In many places of Europe pretzels are served only from Ash Wednesday to Easter, thus keeping the ancient symbolism alive.
There seems to be no reason why our Catholic families should not return to this beautiful custom of our ancient Roman fellow-Christians, especially since we still have these breads around everywhere. The children will be delighted and greatly impressed when they hear the true story of the pretzel. And such a pretzel at their dinner plate every day during Lent will certainly proclaim its spiritual message as clearly and deeply to them as it did to many a Christian in ancient Rome.
† † † † † † † † † †
Religious Customs in the Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes is a very interesting book, and it useful for cultivating the Faith in the family. You can buy it...
...from TAN Books ($10.95)
....from Amazon ($8.99)
Book description:
"Many beautiful; traditional religious customs that will give Catholic homes a truly Catholic spirit year round: E.g.; blessing of children; name days; feast days; Advent and Christmas customs; etc. Great reading for all. Essential to help every Catholic family overcome secularism. Shows the religious source of even such common things as pretzels; hot cross buns; the Easter ham; Thanksgiving Day; Spring Cleaning; etc. What parts of the Christmas Tree are Catholic; and which ones came from secular influence. Very interesting and useful!"
And, finally, I will end this post with an easy recipe I found for soft pretzels from Sally's Baking Addiction.
First, you’re going to stir a packet of yeast into a bowl of warm water – 1.5 cups of water to be exact. Do not be afraid of yeast! Trust me, I was too. But you are not waiting for any dough to rise in today’s recipe. It’s simply another ingredient, like adding salt or something. Not so bad, right?
Give the water and yeast a nice mix around in the bowl. There will be some yeast lumps floating around. That’s ok, I promise. Next, add a bit of sugar and salt. Mix, mix, mix by hand. Easy easy easy.
Next, stir in your flour. If you’ve been counting, that’s the fifth and final ingredient. Use 3 cups of flour at first. I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour* (read below for notes about the taste/texture of the whole wheat vs white flour pretzels).
See rest of recipe here.
What Languages Sound Like to Foreigners
I came across this video made by a 19-year-old Finnish girl. While she is speaking gibberish, she pretty much accurately shows how languages sound like to foreigners. This video will give you a much-needed laugh to brighten up your day. Watch it - it is definitely a treat!
Meditation for Friday after Ash Wednesday
THE FORTY DAYS OF LENT
The Lenten journey of forty days...will lead us to the Easter Triduum, the memorial of the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord, heart of the mystery of our salvation. It is a favorable time when the Church invites Christians to have a keener awareness of the redeeming work of Christ and to live their baptism in greater depth.
Indeed, in this liturgical season, the people of God from the earliest times have drawn abundant nourishment from the word of God to strengthen their faith, reviewing the entire history of creation and redemption. With its forty-day duration, Lent has an indisputably evocative power. Indeed, it intends to recall some of the events that marked the life and history of ancient Israel, presenting its paradigmatic value anew also to us. We think, for example, of the forty days of the great flood that led to God's covenant with Noah, and, hence, with humanity, and of the forty days that Moses spent on Mount Sinai, after which he was given the tablets of the law.
The Lenten period is meant to serve as an invitation to relive with Jesus the forty days he spent in the desert, praying and fasting, in preparation for his public mission. Today, we too, together with all the world's Christians, are spiritually setting out toward Calvary on a journey of reflection and prayer, meditating on the central mysteries of the faith. We will thus prepare ourselves to experience, after the mystery of the cross, the joy of Easter.
- General Audience, Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2006
From Lent with Pope Benedict XVI: Meditations for Every Day
The Lenten journey of forty days...will lead us to the Easter Triduum, the memorial of the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord, heart of the mystery of our salvation. It is a favorable time when the Church invites Christians to have a keener awareness of the redeeming work of Christ and to live their baptism in greater depth.
Indeed, in this liturgical season, the people of God from the earliest times have drawn abundant nourishment from the word of God to strengthen their faith, reviewing the entire history of creation and redemption. With its forty-day duration, Lent has an indisputably evocative power. Indeed, it intends to recall some of the events that marked the life and history of ancient Israel, presenting its paradigmatic value anew also to us. We think, for example, of the forty days of the great flood that led to God's covenant with Noah, and, hence, with humanity, and of the forty days that Moses spent on Mount Sinai, after which he was given the tablets of the law.
The Lenten period is meant to serve as an invitation to relive with Jesus the forty days he spent in the desert, praying and fasting, in preparation for his public mission. Today, we too, together with all the world's Christians, are spiritually setting out toward Calvary on a journey of reflection and prayer, meditating on the central mysteries of the faith. We will thus prepare ourselves to experience, after the mystery of the cross, the joy of Easter.
- General Audience, Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2006
From Lent with Pope Benedict XVI: Meditations for Every Day
Thursday, March 6, 2014
3 Kids' Activities Ideas for Lent
As I come from a homeschooling family, I thought it would be a good idea to start posting some activities for children on this blog. :) And what better time to start than the present? As I don't have a lot of time today, I'm just going to post a couple of ideas for Lent that I found from the Internet.
I could only find a picture for this one, no instructions, but it looks pretty simple. You can help your child trace his or her hands on a piece of paper. Print out a small picture of clasped praying hands to glue the two together from here. Your child can write "People I'm Praying For" on the praying hands picture, and the names of those people (or places, or items) on the fingers.
You will need black paper, paper scraps in various colours, glue, and scissors for this craft. You or your child can cut out the cross and paper squares/rectangles depending on your child's age. Source.
I think this "giving" idea is great for kids. This activity will involve the whole family and help you grow in your spiritual life together. Find out how to do it here.
~People I'm Praying for Craft~
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| While your child may not be ready for giving up something for Lent, you can start instilling those good practices by having him or her praying for certain things or people this Lent. |
I could only find a picture for this one, no instructions, but it looks pretty simple. You can help your child trace his or her hands on a piece of paper. Print out a small picture of clasped praying hands to glue the two together from here. Your child can write "People I'm Praying For" on the praying hands picture, and the names of those people (or places, or items) on the fingers.
~"Stained-Glass" Cross Craft~
 |
| Jesus died on the Cross for us on Good Friday. Your child can make his/her own pretty cross. |
~Give Back Bucket List~
I think this "giving" idea is great for kids. This activity will involve the whole family and help you grow in your spiritual life together. Find out how to do it here.
A Prayer for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Lord,
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.
I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.
I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
Amen.
A Meditation for the Second Day of Lent
THE PATH OF TRUE HAPPINESS
Conversion is first and foremost a grace, a gift that opens the heart to God's infinite goodness. He himself anticipates with his grace our desire for conversion and accompanies our efforts for full adherence to his saving will. Therefore, to convert is to let oneself be won over by Jesus (cf. Philippians 3:12) and "to return" with him to the Father.
Conversion thus entails placing oneself humbly at the school of Jesus and walking meekly in his footsteps. In this regard, the words with which he himself points out the conditions for being his true disciples are enlightening. After affirming "Whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it," he adds, "For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:35-36). To what extent does a life that is totally spent in achieving success, longing for prestige, and seeking commodities, to the point of excluding God from one's horizon, truly lead to happiness? Can true happiness exist when God is left out of consideration?
Experience shows that we are not happy because our material expectations and needs are satisfied. In fact, the only joy that fills the human heart is that which comes from God; indeed, we stand in need of infinite joy. Neither daily concerns nor life's difficulties succeed in extinguishing the joy that is born from friendship with God. Jesus' invitation to take up one's cross and follow him may at first sight seem harsh and contrary to what we hope for, mortifying our desire for personal fulfillment. At a closer look, however, we discover that it is not like this: The witness of the saints shows that in the cross of Christ, in the love that is given, in renouncing the possession of oneself, one finds that deep serenity which is the source of generous dedication to our brethren, especially to the poor and needy, and this also gives us joy.
The Lenten journey of conversion on which we are setting out today, together with the entire Church, thus becomes a favorable opportunity, "the acceptable time" (2 Corinthians 6:2) for renewing our filial abandonment in the hands of God and for putting into practice what Jesus continues to repeat to us: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). This is how one ventures forth on the path of love and true happiness.
- General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI, Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
From Lent with Pope Benedict XVI: Meditations for Every Day
Conversion is first and foremost a grace, a gift that opens the heart to God's infinite goodness. He himself anticipates with his grace our desire for conversion and accompanies our efforts for full adherence to his saving will. Therefore, to convert is to let oneself be won over by Jesus (cf. Philippians 3:12) and "to return" with him to the Father.
Conversion thus entails placing oneself humbly at the school of Jesus and walking meekly in his footsteps. In this regard, the words with which he himself points out the conditions for being his true disciples are enlightening. After affirming "Whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it," he adds, "For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:35-36). To what extent does a life that is totally spent in achieving success, longing for prestige, and seeking commodities, to the point of excluding God from one's horizon, truly lead to happiness? Can true happiness exist when God is left out of consideration?
Experience shows that we are not happy because our material expectations and needs are satisfied. In fact, the only joy that fills the human heart is that which comes from God; indeed, we stand in need of infinite joy. Neither daily concerns nor life's difficulties succeed in extinguishing the joy that is born from friendship with God. Jesus' invitation to take up one's cross and follow him may at first sight seem harsh and contrary to what we hope for, mortifying our desire for personal fulfillment. At a closer look, however, we discover that it is not like this: The witness of the saints shows that in the cross of Christ, in the love that is given, in renouncing the possession of oneself, one finds that deep serenity which is the source of generous dedication to our brethren, especially to the poor and needy, and this also gives us joy.
The Lenten journey of conversion on which we are setting out today, together with the entire Church, thus becomes a favorable opportunity, "the acceptable time" (2 Corinthians 6:2) for renewing our filial abandonment in the hands of God and for putting into practice what Jesus continues to repeat to us: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). This is how one ventures forth on the path of love and true happiness.
- General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI, Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
From Lent with Pope Benedict XVI: Meditations for Every Day
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