Saint Augustine

August 28 is the feast of Saint Augustine--a great convert, and one of the most powerful minds in the history of the Church. Over the centuries, his thought and writings have had tremendous influence on the Christian tradition. And he is immensely readable - if you have never read his Confessions, you have a treat in store for you.

Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste, a town in North Africa, which was then a province of the Roman Empire; that region is now part of Algeria.

Here are just a few details about his life, you can read all about him here .

Augustine's mother, Monica (her feast was celebrated yesterday), was a Christian. However, Augustine was not baptized as a child: the postponing of baptism until adulthood was a common practice at the time (Augustine wrote and preached against the practice later). As a young man, Augustine was deeply interested in philosophy, but was not attracted to Christianity. He was a student of Rhetoric--a common intellectual pursuit and profession at the time--and he was a seeker after philosophical truth. He was also a lover of women; he had a mistress for many years, by whom he had a son.

But while teaching Rhetoric in Milan, Augustine got to know Saint Ambrose, who was then bishop of that city. Ambrose was kind and gracious to the young Augustine--and helped him see Christianity as both reasonable and attractive. After a dramatic religious experience, Augustine converted to Christianity and completely changed his life. He was baptized, became a priest, and was soon bishop of Hippo.

He wrote a tremendous amount, on many topics: aside from his engagingly autobiographical Confessions, he wrote against several important heresies; on theology; on history (in The City of God); and other topics. Many of his sermons also survive. All his works still find many readers today.

Augustine died in 430 at the age of 75, as the Vandals--one of the many barbarian groups that attacked the declining Roman Empire--were storming the gates of Hippo.

Here is a prayer by Augustine that I have long loved:

O thou who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
the strength of the wills that serve thee,
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee
whose service is perfect freedom.

What shall we eat--and serve to our families--in Saint Augustine's honor? There are of course various possibilities. But I propose that we return to the kind of food that Augustine himself might have eaten in Hippo, and that we ate in honor of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas . This is to commemorate and honor the great Christian tradition in North Africa. This Christian world was mostly swept away by the Muslim conquest of North Africa, then of Spain, in the 7th century.

PS I mentioned earlier that Saint Monica's feast day is August 27, the day before that of her great son. During his years as a pagan, Augustine's mother never stopped praying for him--and trying to help him see the truth of Christianity; this is why she herself is honored as a saint. A great quote from her: she died far from her home; before she died she said to Augustine, who was with her: "Lay this body anywhere; this only I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be."

Remembering Mother Teresa of Calcutta on her 100th birthday

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Thursday, August 26, is the 100th anniversary the birth of the great Mother Teresa. This tiny but altogether remarkable nun was one of the most memorable and important figures--and forces for good--of the 20th century. She is now well on the path to canonization, and is honored by the title "Blessed." You can read about her life in detail here: http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/ Tell your children about her: her life and her wonderful work with the poor, the suffering, and the dying of Calcutta--and all around the world.

Today let's remember her birthday--light candles on a cake, and sing to her in heaven! But, you know, if you can't quite get to baking that cake, and you're out of birthday candles, never mind! The important thing is to recall her and honor her memory--and try to imitate her, as much as we can. Here are two of her famous thoughts and sayings:

"God has created us for greater things – to love and to be loved."

And emphasizing the importance of family life and love, she said:

"Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family, we never know how much good just a simple smile can do."

And one more great quote:

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."

Ahhh, now I can't stop!--she said so many great things! Here is one last one:

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

(There are lots more great quotes from Blessed Teresa at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mother_teresa.html )

The Feast of Saint Lawrence

A Continual Feast describes the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, a Roman deacon during the third century Christian persecution. Ordered by the Roman prefect to surrender the treasures of the church, he assembled the poor and took them to the prefect, saying, “Here is the church’s treasure.” According to legend he was put to death by being roasted on a grill. He is said to have remarked to his torturers: “One side is done now; you can turn me over.” Traditionally, in some places nothing hot is served at all, in compassion for his martyrdom; it is a day for cold soups and salads. (ACF p. 262.) We decided that serving barbecued chicken is a great way to signify his triumph over the fire...after all, St. Lawrence is now one of the patron saints of cooks!

Basic Barbecue Sauce

1 cup ketchup

¼ cup yellow mustard (for tang)

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup A1 Steak Sauce

* You can modify the amount of any ingredient to fit your taste preference. If you like it bolder, add some more A1. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. We have even substituted 2 Tablespoons of honey for the brown sugar.

* This sauce tastes great on pork, chicken, and beef. Marinate the raw meat prior to grilling and then baste with the sauce throughout the cooking process. These instant marinaters are great.

Our Daily Bread: Wheat and Barley Loaves

Painting by LANFRANCO, Giovanni

The gospel reading from this past Monday (Matthew 14:13-21) invited us to witness the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The hunger for the word of God led over five thousand eager souls to follow Our Lord to a deserted place. Their spiritual hunger caused them to forget their physical hunger, as no one packed a meal. There were only two loaves and five fish to feed the crowd so the apostles suggested that Jesus dismiss the people to go to the villages for food.

Jesus, who is always so generous with us, took compassion on the people. He blessed the food, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples- who then gave it to the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker baskets full.

It is so easy to get discouraged at times when it seems like our human means are lacking. Perhaps as we reach the end of the month we find ourselves pinching pennies- or no matter how much time we spend trying to solve a problem, the answer remains hidden. We must be optimistic! Many saints teach us how to live spiritual optimism well. St. Teresa of Avila was known to say “Teresa can do nothing alone. Teresa and a maravedi (a penny, say), less than nothing. But Teresa, a maravedi and God can do anything.” (A. Ruiz, Teresian Anecdotes, Burgos, 1982) With God, nothing is impossible! We set before Him our meager two loaves and five fish, and just look at what He can do with them!

There is a wonderful recipe for Wheat and Barley Loaves on page 182 of A Continual Feast. We are eager to feast on this loaf tonight, and we marked it with a cross on top (as suggested in the cook book) to remind us of the wonderful miracle.

(all it needs now is butter!)

On Name Days and Nachos....

On the 31st we celebrated the feast of a great saint, Ignatius Loyola. A former soldier from the Basque Country, he ended up dedicating himself to Christ and founding the Jesuits. I once lived with a family in Madrid where the father was named Ignacio and one of the daughters, Ignacia. The 31st held a great celebration in their honor, complete with authentically delicious Spanish food.
What many Americans may not know is that the standard nickname for Ignacio is Spain is Nacho (Nacha for girls). While I do not know how that came to be, nor how nachos came to be the name for tortilla chips covered in some sort of delicious, Mexican-inspired topping, I think we need to have some nachos in the honor of this great saint. And those named after him! Given his stature, my mother has suggested an octave in his honor.
I, personally, would also suggest some sangria to wash it down, though beer works, too (or at least for those allowed to drink such things….)
My family and I have come to love black bean nachos. They’re a bit lighter and healthier than the more traditional meat variety, but still very tasty! (Warning: children may skip dinner if they eat enough of these!)

Black Bean and Corn Nachos

Ingredients
• 4 cups tortilla chips (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn (frozen, thawed, or cut off the cob)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar, queso quesadilla, Chihuahua, and/or asadero cheese (8 ounces)

If you want them spicy:
• 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh or canned sliced jalapeno peppers, drained

For garnish/ extra dipping:

• Salsa
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sour cream


Directions
Arrange tortilla chips in one layer, overlapping slightly, on an 11- or 12-inch ovenproof platter.
In a medium saucepan combine black beans, corn, and the 1/2 cup salsa; cook and stir over medium heat just until heated through. Remove from heat; spoon bean mixture over chips.
Sprinkle cheese and jalapeno peppers (if desired) over bean mixture on chips. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately with additional salsa, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

Our Daily Bread: Celebrating Patron Feast Days

My husband and I love the process of naming our children. We enjoy the 20-week sonogram discovery of a little boy or a little girl and then embark upon the quest of discovering their name. We read the lives of many different saints until we find the one to whom we entrust our little child. Our oldest son is Simon for Simon of Cyrene, as we are all called to carry the cross with Christ. Isaac was named for the Jesuit martyr, St. Isaac Jogues, who showed remarkable perseverance returning to his mission after being captured, tortured and escaping. And our newest little one is named Martha.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha- a saint for whom we have a lot of affection.
Her home was frequented by Our Lord and His apostles on their journeys and I love to think about the holy bustle that most certainly took place there. We catch a glimpse of her passionate service in the Gospel(Luke 10: 38-42). Note that Jesus does not tell her to stop serving. Rather, it seems that she is called to continue her life of active service in the home while contemplating Our Lord in her heart. It is no wonder that she is the patron saint of single lay women and housewives. Her life of service for Our Lord exemplifies the call of the laity!

We celebrate patron feast days with a feast day cake. It has become family tradition to make a pound cake (my husband’s favorite) sprinkled with powdered sugar. And even if our little Martha Evelyn is only 2 months old, at least the rest of us can enjoy her feast day cake!

(Sweet Martha being baptized by her Uncle)

Our Daily Bread: The Big Pancake

Saint Joseph must have been so wonderfully tender! His strong hands led the donkey carrying Blessed Mother to Bethlehem. Those same loving hands held the baby Jesus in the humble stable and placed him in the manger. Those patient hands held onto Jesus as he learned to take his first steps. Those wise hands taught Our Lord the noble craft of carpentry. And those holy hands most likely held Our Lord’s as he passed from this life to the eternal while in the beautiful gaze of Our Lady. No wonder he is the patron saint of happy deaths!

My first night in the hospital after our sweet daughter was born was magical. The second night, however, was long. No matter what I tried I could not get our little darling to stay sleeping. As soon as I placed her in her bassinet she would be awake again. And so I would hold her, nurse her, and hope she would fall back asleep. The nurses wouldn’t take her, it was too busy of a night. And I kept falling asleep while I was holding her- I was terrified I would drop her!

And then the Holy Spirit put the sweetest prayer in my heart. He whispered to me “Ann, go to Joseph.” And as I laid my baby down into her bassinet I begged St. Joseph to hold her in his loving hands…and she slept. Soundly. Finally. And I thought of all the times St. Joseph must have taken the “night shift” with the infant Jesus so that Our Lady could rest.

My husband has been heroic with the night shifts. He is the first to jump from bed when our daughter wakes at night. He consoles her, changes her and then brings her to me to feed. Even in the morning- he gets up to make the coffee…and at times even makes the breakfast! Like this morning…he made a Vitz family favorite: the big pancake.

How lucky am I to have St. Joseph and a husband like Pete!


The Big Pancake
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
splash of vanilla to taste
4 tablespoons butter
juice of ½ a lemon
confectioners sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg, and vanilla in a bowl until just combined (it should still be a little lumpy).
2. Melt butter into a 12 inch cast iron skillet. When the butter is very hot (but not brown) add the batter.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice and confectioners sugar.