"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."

- Saint Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians, paragraph 20, written c. A.D. 80-110

“Take note of those who hold heterodox [heretical] opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes”

- Saint Ignatius' Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2-7:1, written c. A.D. 110

St. Ignatius became the third bishop of Antioch, succeeding St. Evodius, who was the immediate successor of St. Peter. He was a first hand witness of Christ as a child, heard St. John preach when he was a boy, and later became a disciple to him, he was a close friend of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who also was a direct student of Saint John the Evangelist. Seven of his letters written to various Christian communities have been preserved. Eventually, he received the martyr's crown as he was thrown to wild beasts in the arena. He was both a first hand witness of Christ, as well as a direct successor of the Apostles and Apostolic Fathers. His testimony about the Church and the faith are powerful. It is because of the many who took exception to his teachings, who wanted to disprove his existence, or invalidate his writings, that we actually have so much of his work. The more they dug, the more they authenticated his work.

Corpus Christi is another Western, fairly modern, feast, and we unapologetically adore it. It is the celebration of the Real Presence of the Body of Christ in the world. It is a feast of His glorious body, both literal in the Eucharist, and figurative in the Church. Again, we will not be able to be in the procession today, but that is one of my favorite things we do on this day. You have the people, who are symbolically the Body of Christ on earth, displaying, proclaiming and celebrating the Eucharist, which is actually the Body of Christ on earth. We pray and sing hymns and proclaim in word and action that Christ is alive and here with us. He offers Himself in the Eucharist as a gift to us, a medicine for sin and for our salvation. Glory to God!

We have a few reruns this week, just because we had to move some of the meals around. All of us were so full from the meal at a graduation party, that we just ate roasted asparagus, popcorn and cake for dinner, while we watched a cartoon movie. It was a pretty relaxing night. I got some knitting done, and we all were able to just sit and rest a bit.

Meals this week are going to be either light and easy, or quick to make, or something that can be prepped in the crock pot or in the morning and eaten cold at night. We are heading into the summer weather we are familiar with, and the oven is going to be out of commission for afternoons, as much as possible (unless it's super quick). The weather shamans are still saying that most of the temperatures will be in the 80s, rather than in the 80s or higher, and at our house, it will be close to the mid to upper 70s. The cooler temperatures here are a blessing in the summer. We are also doing a lot of garbage management, so we use up what we have without letting anything go to waste.

We've had a wonderful week! Dominic arrived safely on Friday, my Bible study resumed again, and the weather has been lovely. We have the air show coming up, most of the kids and, of course, Rich will be working hard this week. Thank God there is breakfast (and I think lunch) for them there, because they have early mornings and lots to do. It won't exactly be restful at home, but those of us who are still here will have a little more relaxed time.

• Sunday - Corpus Christi (and the Feast of Saint Barnabus)
  Breakfast: Omelets, Toast, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Pork Chops in Sour Cream Gravy with Caramelized Onions, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus
• Monday - Observed Feast of Saint Barnabus
  Breakfast: Fried Halloum, Sliced Radishes, Toast, Strawberries, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cheese Zombies, Green Salad, Orange Butter Cookies with Grand Marnier Glaze
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Orange Chicken with Asparagus, Jasmine Rice, Vegetables/Kale Salad/Asian Slaw/Fruit/Dessert brought by Bible Study Members
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Spiced Steel Cut Oats with Raisins and Apples, Tea with Honeyy
  Dinner: Balkan Ratatouille, Rice, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Toast, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken and Chorizo Paella with Asparagus, Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Friday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Asparagus, Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Egyptian Mahshi, Turmeric Rice, Sliced Mangos
• Saturday
  Breakfast: At Airshow (for most the family), Peanut Butter Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup and Bacon (for the family at home), Orange Juice, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Paschal Reruns - Herb Roasted Green Lamb, Waraq 'Ounab, Tamis, Sambousak, Baba Ghanooj, Hummus, Duqqus (from freezers)

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, Corpus Christi, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen