Today is the last feast of the Infancy Narrative of the Incarnation. It is the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple. It is the close of the Christmas season. From now on, all of our feasts and fasts will have to do with His adult life or glorified life in the heavens. 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.

This year, we have a bit of time between the end of Christmas and the beginning of the countdown to Lent. There are two weeks before Septuagesima! This gives us a bit of time to have normal time before the fast begins. I must admit that I am looking forward to that time of fasting, though. It is always a time of growth, though sometimes not in the direction I thought it would be.

Again, I thank you for your prayers and ask for yours. We have had a lot of friends lose their fathers in the past two weeks. It is that time of our life. Having lost Rich's father over 12 years ago, we know the sorrow they are enduring, and we do not look forward to losing the rest of our parents. It's been a sobering time because of that. Please pray for us, but also pray for our extended family.

• Sunday - Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple
  Breakfast: Ricotta Fritters with Maple Syrup (gluten-free for Jerome), Bacon, Sliced Apples, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Potato Soup, Sides/Salads/Bread/Desserts brought by Parishioners
• Monday - Feast of Saints Blaise and Genviève of Paris
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Turkey Sandwiches with Gravy Dip, Potato Wedges, Pickles, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Cornelius
  Breakfast: Sausage Breakfast Scramble, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini, Green Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Agatha, Martyr
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Peanut Butter Drizzle, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Honduran Red Beans and Rice, Sliced Oranges
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Titus
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: King Ranch Turkey, Salsa Rice, Frozen Fruit Salad
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos with Avocado and Salsa, Sliced Apples, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Black Bean, Corn, Pepper and Avocado Salad, Corn Chips, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Pancakes with Butter Sauce, Bacon, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Onions, Baked Potatoes with Butter and Sour Cream, Lemon Ricotta Cake

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: Blessed Virgin, Christmas, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Menu Plans, Nativity, Presentation, Purification, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos