Tomorrow 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 week is Septuagesima and next week is Sexegesima, so we don't really have a lot of time between the Christmas season and Lent this year. The preparation time before Lent actually overlaps with the Christmas season.

Our schedule right now is brutal - especially in the morning. I am trying to automate our breakfasts more, even if that means they are a little more boring and repetitive. On the menu this week is cassoulet, and we are using the meat from our own ducks. I'm pretty pleased with that. Last week, I made a kind of Arabic hamburger helper. Instead of the more American flavorings, I used seven spice, yogurt, and Aleppo pepper. It was super good, and we will likely make it again.

Things are still very challenging here, and more people are sick. Please pray for our family. Depending on how we are feeling, we may not be making it to church. Pray for them, too.

• Sunday - Feast of Saint Ignatius of Antioch
  Breakfast: Buttermilk Pancakes with Apple Maple Syrup, Bacon, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Ropa Viejo? Pizza? Italian Beef Sandwiches? Parish bringing Side Dishes/Salads/Fruit/Desserts
• Monday - Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple
  Breakfast: Scrambled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Samaak bi Taratoor, Sayadiyeh, Cumin Roasted Carrots, Arugula and Cucumber Salad* with Pomegranate Pips
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Blaise
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Chopped Apple, Coconut, and Pecans, Coffee, Tea and Milk
  Dinner: Quickie Doner Kebabs, Sumac Onions, Lettuce, Olives, Taratoor, Toum, Sah'awiq, Moroccan Beet Salad
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Cornelius
  Breakfast: Potato and Veggie Hash, Salsa, Strawberries, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Roasted Scallops with Garlic Balsamic Glaze, Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Dill, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Agatha
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Toast, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Broiled Harissa Marinated Lamb Chops, Battatas Harra, Green Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Cous Cous, Fruit Plate
• Friday - Feast of Saint Titus
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Honey, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Stir Fried Vegetables and Cashews, Jasmine Rice, Fruit
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Çilbir, Persian Barbari Bread, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Cassoulet, Country Bread, Green Salad, Fruit Plate

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, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Nativity, Prayer Requests, Presentation, Purification, Septuagesima, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos