Belated Reflections on St Martha

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Vermeer

"The Nun" by Dame Felicitas Corrigan, OSB
Nevertheless, there is a difference in the roles of parent and nun- they are complementary and need each other. If a young woman feels called to make a radical and exclusive renunciation of all subordinate goals, however lawful- and notably the joys of husband and home, she does so in the name and for the sake of the entire Church; at the same time, common sense points out that without fathers, mothers, and family life, there would be no potential priests, monks, or nuns. So the score is 50-50. One the one hand, Mary witnesses to the Absolute, to God's unchanging transcendence; on the other hand, Martha applies all her energies to building on earth the City of God.

Jamie on The Feast of St Martha
Sometimes in my kitchen I get these glimpses of what holy hospitality is like. Sometimes I realize that my ego is getting in the way again, making it about the food and not about loving service. Always, from Edinburgh to the Midwest to the East Coast and back again, St. Martha with her basket of bread has been nearby as a gentle reminder to keep on choosing the better part. [full post]

Fellow Church Ladies

Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog

Mennonite Girls Can Cook .. . is more than just recipes.

It is about HOSPITALITY versus entertaining.
It is about BLESSING versus. impressing.

It is about taking God's Bounty, and co-creating the goodness from God's creation into something that we can bless our family and friends with, to help sustain our health and energy. From a simple and rustic recipe, to everyday ingredients made into a thing of beauty.

No matter which way you look at it, wonderful things happen when given the opportunity to gather around the table.

A chance to nurture and build relationships, to fellowship and encourage one another.
To create a place of refuge for those who have had a stressful day.

The Church in culture

Save the Date card for the St Francis Seminary Rector's Dinner

Subway advertisement for Adoration

Feminine Genius

Awesome Holy Card of the Day

A Church Lady walks into a bar...

Perhaps the highlight of the airplane magazine was the mention of LUPEC- Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails.

Their mission is fantastic:

In a post-millenium world of beer and prepackaged Chex Mix™, LUPEC works tirelessly to breed, raise, and release cocktails that are endangered or even believed to be extinct.

The collecting of anachronistic recipes by women, and the resulting creation of endangered cocktails in an all woman setting is intended to achieve the following goals

o To create a[n] atmosphere in which Classy Broads of today can invoke and honor the spirits of their Forebroads

o To continue the 150 year American tradition of dangerous women calling themselves Ladies and getting together in groups, clubs, and societies to work undercover while they chipped away at the patriarchy.

o To protect the collective Joie de Vivre of LUPEC members by assuring them at least one good party a month

o To encourage the accumulation and use of vintage serving and barware.

Check out their advice to bartenders and cocktail rankings!

The Priest and the Pierogi

When a deal between bishops on two different sides of the Atlantic brought a young Polish-born priest to St Therese Catholic Church..., the parish got more than it expected... Fr Janusz Kowalski learned more than scripture as a young man. He learned to [love] pierogi. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to day the man loves pierogi- the dumplings made with two slices of rolled dough and filled with anything from finely ground, seasoned meat to sauerkraut or fresh cherries.

Kowalski came to the United States in July 2000 to help out with the priest shortage. All good, but he and the parish board agreed something was lacking, a sense of familiarity and connectedness among people who could all too easily pop in for Mass once a week and barely interact with other worshippers. Food is a great unifier, and serving breakfast between Masses would provide a set-up for more socializing and an increased sense of belonging. They also had a pressing cause to use the breakfasts as a fundraiser.

Father Kowalski suggested a twist- serve pierogi. Soon, serving pierogi a couple of times a month at church wasn't enough. They bought a freezer... and are now selling them by the dozen to all comers. [Kowalski] likes having them in the rectory, where they come in handy with his busy schedule. "Being a priest, you don't have time to cook. You always have funerals and everything and you need something good."

It would be too time-consuming for the parishioners to make enough pierogi to meet the demand. Instead, Kowalski enlisted the aid of fellow Polish-born priests in Chicago... Those priests sampled pierogi from as many outlets as they could find. Alexandra's pierogi are the best Father Kowalski has ever tasted, he says. Save for his mother's, of course.

[excerpted from City Pages]

In case there was any doubt...

Yes, God is Polish.

Marriage, Moxie and Modesty With a Vintage Twist

What a delightful morning I’m having! After laughing myself silly over Jen’s "bringing down the wrath of the poop-fates" and reading the promises of "odes to cute dresses, date night tips, and insights into modesty" I simply had to visit the blog of this wonderful friend.

The first post I saw was this one. It's not at the top any more, but read it and then skip over to the Popular Posts on her sidebar - you'll be hooked.

Frasier says...

Martin: (curious as to why Bulldog was not on the radio) I tuned into the Gonzo Sports Show today like I always do and they had Father Mike filling in. I hate that. All it was was "Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame."