Penance service

Tonight we are having a penance service and we will be in church the whole evening so I did not make a snack. Tomorrow is half way through lent and I was thinking about two of the things I gave up. I gave facebook up for lent and at first I really missed it, but I am missing it less each week. During the time that I would have checked facebook I am reading the book of Sirach. It is one of my favorite books and it is so full of wisdom that I need to hear. I also turned my radio off in the car and since I am usually alone when I am going somewhere it gets pretty lonesome. But I find myself paying more attention to the surroundings, and it brings to mind peoples needs, which causes me to pray for those needs. Have a good week!

Part 2 of The Prince of Egypt and The Annunciation

The second part of the prince of Egypt focuses on the Exodus. On this important night, the Israelites gathered as God had told them to. Each family sprinkled the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the doorposts of their house. Then the families prepared and ate roasted lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They ate with their sandals on their feet and their staffs in their hands, ready for flight.

Friday, March 25 is the feast day of The Annunciation of our Lord. In Luke's Gospel, we read that the angel Gabriel came to Mary and asked her to be the Mother of Jesus. When Mary said yes to God, Jesus was formed in her womb, and she became a mother-one who nourishes, protects, cares for, and most of all loves her children. A herb associated with Mary is the one that bears her name-rosemary.

So for my treat I made unleavened bread with rosemary.

St. Patrick

St. Patrick had two solid qualities about him, was a humble and he was courageous. At sixteen he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave to a chief in Ireland. After six years a voice from heaven told him to go back to his own country. But first he went to Rome, where he became a priest. He was then sent to England, but after some time he begged the Pope to send him to Ireland. The Pope made him a bishop and then sent him as a missionary to Ireland.

One of the pagan kings of Ireland arrested Patrick. When he saw the miracles worked by Patrick, he said, "Tell us about your God. He has given you great power."

"There is but one God," answered Patrick, "in three Persons; the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit." Picking up a green shamrock he said "Even as there are three leaves on this one stem, so there are three persons in one God." After that he was allowed to preach the new Faith everywhere in Ireland.

My treat tonight is cake with green sprinkles and some green juice.

Shrove Tuesday

Lent is a time of self-discipline and denial. Throughout the 40 days of Lent, people are called to fasting, almsgiving and prayer. But the week preceding Lent has become a time of merrymaking, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.

The name Shrove Tuesday comes from the custom of ringing the "shriving bell" to summon the people to church to be "shriven," that is to confess their sins at the beginning of Lent. At that time, certain foods were given up for the duration of Lent. Those foods included eggs, milk, meat, and rich buttery dishes. On Shrove Tuesday, families ate up all the rich foods left in their pantries. One way they used up the eggs, milk and fats in the house was to add flour to make special pancakes. In England, the popularity of the pancakes caused Shrove Tuesday to be called Pancake Day, and festivities surrounded the eating of pancakes, including pancake races.

So my treat tonight is pancakes.