Eating & Drinking Liturgically: Why We Do It Pt. 2

Lifestyle

Apr 14

By Sarah White

Catholics are not required to uphold every single devotion or practice that the Church approves of. There are teachings, of course, that are required––abiding by the Ten Commandments, avoiding committing any mortal sin, and receiving the Sacraments properly––but not all devotions are. Some Catholics abstain from meat every Friday of the year, others do it only on Fridays during Lent. Both are approved. Not all Catholics are required to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, but some do. A daily rosary is not required, it’s just suggested as a good thing to dedicate yourself to. Not all Catholics pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m. every day, but there are many across the world that do. We are not required to celebrate all the little feast days of the year outside of the holy days of obligation, but many Catholics find joy in celebrating as many as they can.

Although not required, the one common denominator in each of these devotions (if you choose to practice them) is that they can lead you closer to Christ. The Church does not encourage or allow any practice that will harm your pursuit of holiness; on the contrary, taking them up has the potential to help you greatly in achieving sainthood!

So, in understanding why the Catholic Church has the Liturgical Calendar and all the feast days it contains, you may be asking, “Why should I start celebrating these days if it’s not required?” My answer is twofold: because we are encouraged to experience the joy of Christ, which these days help us to do, and because it will only lead you closer to Heaven.

“Every natural truth about food––food as a source of community, comfort, love, healing, and joy––ultimately points beyond itself to what happens every day in every Catholic church in the world.” - Emily Stimpson Chapman

Food is such a gift. I’ve said it before but I think it’s worth repeating: God didn’t need to give us honey. Or fresh berries. Or apple pie. He definitely didn’t owe us burgers, or focaccia, or cheese. Yet, He gave it to us. And the Church believes in celebrating the holy men and women who have gone before us through the gift of food that God has given us. Why not take the Church up on her offer?

The saints are so inspiring to me. Not only in the supernatural and wondrous lives some of them have lived, but also in the shockingly simple and relatable stories too. You can be a saint. You are not out of the running because your life looks nothing like Saint Therese of Lisieux or Saint Catherine of Siena or Saint Oscar Romero. Their lives also looked nothing like each other. But they all had an eye for recognizing the gifts that God has generously bestowed on us––something we can all do. Let’s start by recognizing the gift of food. The foundational nourishment our bodies need, given to us as tasty, holy, community-driven gifts.

Recipes

Taken from cookbooks Drinking with the Saints and Cooking with the Saints

Saint Mark, April 25

Yes, the Saint Mark, one of the four Gospel writers! He is believed to be a disciple of Saint Peter, and his Gospel is full of his memories of our Lord. His remains are currently in the grand basilica of San Marco in Venice, and his symbol, the lion, is the symbol for the city. Drinking With the Saints has a specific cocktail named after him:

Saint Mark

¾ oz gin

¾ oz dry vermouth

½ oz cherry liqueur

½ oz grenadine

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, shake until cold.
Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

Saint Louis de Montfort, April 28

Saint Louis was a French priest who is best known for his theological writings on the Blessed Virgin Mary and his widespread promotion of the consecration to Mary. Another fun fact about him: he had little to no patience for drunks. To honor his sainthood and legacy, it would be a perfect day to make a non-alcoholic drink. One simple recipe I came up with and adore is:

Ginger Cranberry Spritz

Ginger essential oil

3 oz cranberry juice

½ lime

Dash of soda water

Combine a few drops of ginger essential oil, the lime juice, cranberry juice, and a dash of soda water.
You can garnish with some fresh raspberries if you have them in your fridge, or leave it as is.

Saint Apollonius, April 18

Saint Apollonius was born in Rome in the early second century. Not much is known about his life other than his very well known Apologia (meaning defense of the faith), a highly respected document of early Christianity. He was condemned to death for not only refusing to publicly renounce faith in Jesus Christ, but for giving a lengthy speech on Christ’s life and the faith. To celebrate his life and his courageous witness for Jesus Christ and His Church, you can make:

Polenta con Salsiccia e Carciofi (Polenta with Sausage and Artichoke Hearts)

salt and pepper

1 white onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves

¼ cup olive oil

1 packet of precooked polenta

1 can of sliced artichoke hearts

3 medium sized italian sausage, sliced

1 ½ cups marinara sauce

2 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1 small bag of shredded mozzarella

Fry four round slices of precooked polenta in oil over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes per side or until the slices soften. Set them aside.

Add artichoke hearts, onion, red bell pepper and some crushed garlic to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, adding more oil as needed. Once things are all softened, remove them from the skillet. Add and cook the 3 sliced italian sausages until they are browned.

Put the artichokes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage into a large saucepan. Stir in the marinara sauce and the sun dried tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until everything is well incorporated.