Sanctus Simplicitus

This week's Keeping It Cathlic Monday is about keeping the season change Catholic. We are about to leave the days of summer and officially enter that season of fall, which brings us even close to the end of one Liturgical Year and the begining of another! I know many of us are counting down the days until we get to celebrate the feast days that come with the begining of the new Liturgical cycle. The Catholic Church many years ago turned a pagan celebration of the change of seasons into the Catholic Ember Days. If you are looking for some fast and abstinance recipes please visit our Feria Friday blog posts for great ideas!! Please enjoy the following article from Catholic Life (Impr. 1908) on Ember Days:

"He who is accustomed to renounce lawful gratifications easily abstains from forbidden pleasures." 
-  St. Gregory
 
Ember days, or Quarter Tense, are three fast days - Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday - in each of the four seasons. In winter they occur in the
third week of Advent; in spring, in the first week of Lent; in summer, during
Whit week ; and in autumn, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast
of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14).
 
These fasts were instituted to sanctify each season of the year,
and thus obtain the favours of God, especially His mercy. They were also
established to obtain the blessing of 
the Almighty on the fruits of the land. In spring we pray for fertility;
in summer, for preservation of the crops; in autumn, for a good harvest; and in
winter we offer up our grateful thanksgiving for the blessings
received.

 The Church, too, wishes us to pray for those who are to be ordained
priests on these days, that they may obtain the graces necessary to fulfill all
their obligations, and the virtues that adorn their sacred calling. "And when
they had ordained for them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting,
they commended them to the Lord, in Whom they believed" (Acts xiv. 22).

 As alms generally accompany fasting and prayer, a donation towards
the education of priests for the foreign mission would be keeping with the
spirit of the Church on these occasions. We ought also to pray for vocations,
especially  for the foreign
missions. "The harvest is great, but the labourers few. Pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest, that He send labourers into the vineyard" (Matt. ix. 37,
38).

 These days should also remind us of asking ourselves how we stand
with regard to God. If there be anything troubling our conscience, we ought to
set it right, and then make good resolutions for the coming quarter. Thus,
keeping ourselves always ready for the final summons, death will be disarmed of
its terrors, and the close of life will be marked with a beautiful
serenity.

 
"And grant us, while by fasts we strive,
 This mortal body to control,
 To fast from all the food of sin,
 And so to purify the soul.'



Example - The Machabees

 Seven brothers, commonly known as the Machabees, were apprehended
and ordered to eat swine's flesh, which was forbidden by the law of Moses. On
refusing they were ordered to be tortured. Antiochus himself presided at the
martyrdom, and being enraged to see such constancy in age so tender, he tried
every means to terrify and torture them into a compliance with his impious
demands. He condemned them to undergo the same torments one after another, that the sufferings of the foregoing might intimidate the next, The eldest was first
called out, in the presence of his mother and brothers.  He declared that he was ready to die rather than to transgress the laws of God, received from his forefathers. The executioners cut out his tongue, chopped off the extremities of his hands and feet, drew the skin from off his head, and then cast the body into a cauldron, where the remains of agonizing life were consumed by slow fire.
 
The first being thus barbarously slain, the rest were successively
tormented and slain in the same manner. Each advanced 
in his turn, each with the same manly fortitude bore the tyrant's
tortures, and each with the same steady perseverance triumphed over his savage
inhumanity. They adored the decrees of God, Who was pleased to make this trial
of their faith. They readily submitted to the torments in punishment for their
sins.

  They cheerfully
resigned a life which they hoped to receive again by a glorious resurrection.
And as if the sight of sufferings had inspired them with fresh courage, they
told the tyrant that he was not to fancy them abandoned by their God; that it
was impious folly in him thus to fight against the Almighty; that he was but a
passing scourge in the Almighty's hand, and would himself soon feel the
vengeance prepared for his chastisement. Antiochus would willingly have pardoned
their reproaches if he could have got the better of their fortitude. Six of the
brothers had gloriously conquered by their death; the seventh only remained, the
youngest of them all, and him the tyrant hoped to gain by caresses and fair
promises. He promised him his friendship, wealth, and happiness, if he would
only abjure the laws of his forefathers. When he perceived that his words made
no impression, he called upon the mother, and desired her, if she had any
fondness left for an only surviving son, to disabuse him of his error, and by
her advice to preserve his life. The incomparable woman, who to a mother's
tenderness joined a manly fortitude of mind, despised the tyrant's
solicitations, and in derision promised that she would advise her son, since he
desired it. 
 
Wherefore, bending towards the young man, she exhorted him in her
native tongue that he would have pity on her who had borne him in her womb and
reared him; that he would not fear the tormentor, but look up to God, the
Creator of all things; and that he would courageously follow the glorious
example of his brothers, that so, by the Divine mercy, she might be worthy to
receive them all again in life eternal. Animated with fresh resolution, the
young man said to the executioners: "Behold me fixed in the resolution of
obeying the law; nor will I disobey God to obey the King." The tyrant foamed
with rage to see himself thus defeated. With fiercer barbarity than he had shown
against the other six brothers, he discharged his fury upon the seventh, and
tortured him to death. The illustrious mother, having nothing more to fear for
her sons, followed them with redoubled vigour in their victorious career, and
with them laid down her own life, on the same day in the same glorious
cause.
 
Antiochus shortly afterwards ended a miserable life by a most
miserable death.


 

Welcome to week three of our Feria Friday Series, where we are sharing 5 Fabulous Friday Meatless Recipes! Please feel free to share you recipes below in our link up! We use Feria in reference to meaning "without feast" as we honor Our Lord Jesus Christ's crucifixtion on Fridays.

1.) Assumptia Salad- Celebrate during the Octave of the Assumption with this salad, some crusty bread and maybe some pasta with pesto sauce.

2.) Spinach Potato Frittata from Catholic Cusine (there are a few other recipes within this link as well), serve with a salad and makes for a great meal!

3.) Tempura and Uncooked Foods- Great historical information on Portugeese and Enbglish fast day tradtions from Catholic Cusine.

4.) Pesto Primivera and other Basil Recipes from Susan V. at Fat Free Vegan

5.) Squash Dressing with Mushroom Gravy, this one makes me think of Thanksgiving! (Which historically isn't too far away if you refer to the September First Mass Thanksgiving celebrated in Florida!)

Don't forget to add the link to your recipe here!