Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessed feast! Today we remember that Christ is King as the Church year ends. It is a Western, relatively new (instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925), feast that we love. Even the older liturgical calendars emphasize His kingship on this day, so it is really a celebration of what was already remembered. In our world today, that is more important than ever.

This is what Pope Pius XI had to say about its importance:

“If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God.”

Pious tradition in the Catholic and Anglican worlds is to start preparations for your Christmas cake or pudding, too. Because the collect begins with "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord," and continues with "that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded," it serves both as a spiritual reminder and a fun one for Christmas preparations. We are plenteously rewarded when Christmas Day comes and our cake or pudding is ready. As I am away, and am the fruitcake maker, there will be no stirring up or Christmas cake baking this week.

Advent in the West begins later than it does for the East. It is more a Saint Andrew's fast than a Saint Philip's fast. Again, it is a grace from God that it is shorter. We have had so many challenges, so beginning the fasting season more easily, and with a shorter fast is a blessing. The Advent fast is a little lighter until the last week and a half of it. We are still permitted fish, wine and oil on most days, and we, as a family will be having dairy and may be having fish on the weekends to accomodate others and permit some shared hospitality with a culture that doesn't really observe any spiritual preparation or penitence before the Nativity.

As for me, because of my travels and because of the people hosting me, I will be suspending my fast, and simply doing the best I can do. Missing Advent observances with the family is one of the hard parts of my trip, actually. They have said they will facetime me when they do the evening readings and prayers with the Advent wreath and candles. I am so grateful for our electronic and internet connections that keep us in touch.

Because of our situation with church, we do not keep the fast as completely on Sundays, and so there will not only be fish on those days, but possibly meat. The parish is being so gracious in taking over meals while I am gone. Even tonight, I am doing fairly minimal cooking while they do the bulk of it. Since we had our family Thanksgiving yesterday, we are eating all the lovely leftovers this week. So, even my dinner tonight is made up of foods we have already prepared.

Again, please pray for our family as we get ready for a short separation. I'm so happy to have another year with all of our kids around our Thanksgiving table. One day that will not be the case, and we are prepared for it, but I am happy to have them here now.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Christ the King
  Breakfast: Pie and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Casserole, Salads and Sides brought by Parishioners, Leftover Pies
• Monday - Feast of Saint Clement, Pope
  Breakfast: Leftovers and Snack Tray, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini (Small Gluten-Free Pan for Jerome), Green Salad, Leftover Pie
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: After Thanksgiving Soup, Leftover Sweet Potato Rolls, Leftover Pie
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Grapefruit Halves, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pasta Trapanese (Gluten-Free for Jerome), Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Thanksgiving
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Salsa, Oranges, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Bissilla, Rice, Leftover Desserts
• Friday
  Breakfast: Potato Breakfast Burritos (Gluten-free Tortillas for Jerome), Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Dirty Eggs, Toast, Bacon or Sausage, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ham and Pinto Beans, Gluten-Free Cornbread, Last of the Leftover Desserts

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: Christ the King, Church Year, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Prayer Requests, Tales from the Kitchen