This is the last week of Christmas, and we end with the last feast of the Infancy of Christ. It is the feasts of both the Purification and the Presentation on Thursday. It is the day that the Blessed Mother would have come back to be ritually cleansed from childbirth and brought back into the life of corporate worship, and the day that Jesus would be presented and "bought back" as the first born son who opened the womb. This practice is preserved in the Church today, through the service of the Churching of Women (which is still found in all Anglican traditions, as well). In the East, both Orthodox and Catholic, it is the teaching for women to rest at home with their babies for the first 40 days, to heal, to care for their babies, and to be served. On the 40th day, they are brought back into the church for prayers and blessings, and it is common to perform the baptism for the baby that day.

It is the day of the prophecies of both Saints Anna and Simeon, and so is also called the Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple. It is a fitting conclusion to the Nativity season. We do not have the words of Saint Anna, only that she spoke of Him to all were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Clearly, she knew who Jesus was. I love how they both recognized the Lord immediately on seeing Him.

The Church teaches us that Saint Simeon was a scribe, and that in his work as a scribe he attempted to "correct" the Isaiah passage which prophecies of the virgin birth, since no person could be born that way. In the moment that he tried to scrape out the word virgin and change it to wife, he noticed that his hand was being held back by an angel. That angel whispered to him that he, himself, would see its fulfillment before he died. Saint Simeon spent the rest of his life waiting to see this fulfillment. Because of this, we have not only Saint Simeon's words of prophecy, but we pray his prayer every night at evening prayer:

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word! For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.

The end of the Christmas season means the beginning of looking forward to Lent. We only have two days between the last days of Christmas and the days of preparation for Lent. We slowly start to pare things down in our lives, and get ready for the work of fasting, praying, and almsgiving. I encourage you to prayerfully join the Church in this. We walk with all the Church in the life of Christ every year, with our days and weeks and months shaped to His time.

Most of the time, East and West share the same dates and general times for our feasts and fasts, but this week we have the Western feast for Saint Ignatius of Antioch, separate from the East. Since he was such a pivotal and important figure in the Church, we commemorate him both times. Please join us in our prayers for unity in the Church.

Last week, I told you about how the problem with Misfits Markets was resolved, or rather, not resolved. I am happy to say that they did contact me on Tuesday with a refund of the purchase of the shrimp, and an offer to help correct some of the other issues. Again, the shipping problem was not their fault, but I was dismayed that it took three full business days, and five days total, to contact me at all. We are giving them another chance this week, and will see how it goes. I did not order any seafood this week, though. Ordering through them is permitting me to avoid some of my grocery shopping, and use mostly what we have in our freezers and pantries, which also is saving us spending both on groceries and gas.

We are still enjoying some treats, and making sure that certain meals are made before Lent and Holy Week, as we know it will be a long time before we see them again. We have some fake ground meat in our freezer (still made of food, though with a much longer ingredient list than just meat) that we got as a freebie from Safeway a couple months ago, and we are saving it for around the fourth or fifth week or Lent, when it feels like a slog, and we need a little perk. We were talking this past week of using it in some sort of sauce, like the meat sauce I make, to give us a little relief in the struggle against our own flesh and wills. The Fathers teach us that the first sin was one of breaking a fast. Adam and Eve were told not to eat of something, and broke that. Likewise, the Serpent is a big digestive tract and Satan and sin are all about indulging our appetites. He who conquers his appetite for food is strengthened to conquer his other appetites. God gives us these tools for our growth and strength. Fasting reminds us how much we need and hunger for Him, that He alone can satisfy our deepest hunger. I am so grateful for a Church that uses all of our senses to allow us to live in Christ's story.

I hope that our menu plans help you in this striving and endeavor. Mostly, our rule is to keep our eyes on our own plate. However, I share about the fasts, and the Church teachings, to encourage you and give you assistance. I always appreciate when people share how they fast as a family, the kinds of foods they make, and what they do when the struggle becomes a burden.

So, celebrate this week, and prepare your hearts, and homes, and minds for the great work that is to begin for your good. We have three and a half weeks until the beginning of Lent in the West, and four weeks in the East.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Mustard Savory Cheese Rolls, Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Bacon, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Potato Dressing, Gravy, Roasted Squash and Onions, Salad, Triple Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
• Monday
  Breakfast: Strawberry Yogurt, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Saucy Sour Cream Meatballs with Green Beans and Egg Noodles, Fruit
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Farmer Breakfast Casserole, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tuna Casserole, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Ignatius of Antioch
  Breakfast: Sweet Potato Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes and Pasta, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple
  Breakfast: 'Ijja, Bread, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese, Grilled Bratwurst, Salad, Orange Rum Cake
• Friday - Feast of Saint Blaise
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Sliced Apples, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Zucchini Fritters in Tomato Sauce with Pasta, Fruit Plate
• Saturday - Feast of Saint Cornelius
  Breakfast: Cheese and Vegetable Strata for Potluck after Liturgy
  Dinner: Salad and Faux Pots de Crème for a Shared Meal with Friends

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen