Before getting into our Dinner Discussion for this week, we at Grace Before Meals want to extend our heartfelt joy for our new Holy Father, Pope Francis I!

Pope Francis I, on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica during his first address as our Holy Father.

Pope Francis I, We promise to remember you every time we gather around the Lord’s Table, and to keep your intentions in our prayers.

God our Father, Shepherd and Guide, look with love on Pope Francis I Your servant, the pastor of Your Church.
May his word and example inspire and guide the Church, and may he, and all those entrusted to his care, come to the joy of everlasting life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen. 

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Now, for this week’s Dinner Discussion I would like to share some of my Lenten experiences.  It’s been a pretty good Lent for me so far.  I’ve been keeping up with most of my Lenten observance, but at the same time, keeping quite busy giving missions and spiritual retreats.

Realistic Crucifix from St. Daniel’s Church in Phoenix, AZ, commissioned by the pastor there and good friend of mine, Fr. Thaddeus McGuire. Notice the sign on the cross doesn’t say “INRI,” but “Jesus Christ King of the Jews” written out in different languages.

This season has been a fantastic opportunity to share our Grace Before Meals message of faith, food, and family, in different parts of the country through the itinerant preaching of “Parish Missions.”  I’m grateful that we are “packing the house,” so to speak, with record crowds from all parts, seeking the message of faith.

Missions are a necessary way to communicate the good news to all parts of the world.  While the traditional understanding has been to go to different countries and evangelize people of different religions, many priests are finding it necessary to proactively spread the Christian message to people in our own countries – even in our own parishes or local communities.

One of the many young folks that came to the mission at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa.

While most people in America have heard of Jesus Christ many people do not know him well, evidenced by many surveys that speak about a great misunderstanding of the Church’s role.  Church, for many people, is not always a good experience.  People are bored, upset about various news stories of their priests or community, or confused about some Church doctrine.  They may not feel at home in a certain community or may be at a point of even questioning God.

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

That’s why parish missions are so important. They provide unique perspectives, different voices, and deeper experiences of prayer, teaching, and community.  We are proud to say this happens when people from our parish go out on missions!  We give parishes an opportunity to celebrate, pray, laugh, learn, and in some cases even eat some gourmet goodness together!

I wasn’t serving food, but feeding souls at the Women’s Conference in Columbus, Ohio.

Giving missions is hard work.  Committees have to plan in advance, and preparations must be made in order to make sure that people in parishes are not only aware of the mission, but that they are going to come.  At my missions, I tell people to bring family, friends, and even non-Catholics.  I don’t want the mission to be me preaching to the “choir” but to people from all walks of life. After all, a “missionary” is someone who is “sent” to all parts to give an invitation to the banquet of the King (Matthew 22:2).

We still have a few weeks of Lent.  If you have never been to a parish mission, or if you are in a parish that needs some revival, renewal, and an experience to deepen your faith, I encourage you to speak with your pastor about bringing in a mission preacher.  While many people ask for missions during the Lenten or Advent Season, I also encourage it during the Easter and Christmas seasons, or during “ordinary time.”  During less festive seasons, mission work gives parishes something to do that is often times lacking:  CELEBRATE!

Minor Seminarians from Lincoln Nebraska that came to an event in McCool Junction.

Sure, we need to pray together, endure the Lenten pilgrimage together, but I certainly believe that the best way to respond to all of the “bad news” is to celebrate our faith, enjoy each other’s company, and feast as a family.  That may be one of the more unique approaches to my parish missions.  I encourage people to laugh, express their joy, and use this to combat all of the negativity in the world.  I’m certainly no stand-up comedian, but we do have some rip roaring laughs.  The cliché is worth repeating, “there’s nothing more funny than the truth!”

The Smile of Baby Grace Hansbrough, my project manager’s beautiful daughter at an event in DC.

As God looks at our Lenten experience, the unique time of our church’s history with the conclave, and hears the cries of the poor; I pray that we will be able to experience God’s Good News sent to all parts of the world – most importantly, sent to your heart and soul.

To learn more about the Grace Before Meals missions, the combined cooking demonstration and inspirational theological message, and to join the fun of our movement, simply contact us.

Let us Pray:

Father in Heaven, in this holy season, we ask for the grace to hear Your word as it really is – GOOD NEWS!  May all of our family, friends and fellow parishioners know that You walk with our Church in Her pilgrim way, but also – and most importantly – You walk with us each day, providing us the nourishment through the Eucharist and in Your Holy Word to guide us safely to the banquet of Heaven.  We pray for missionaries and the “mission” of Grace Before Meals and all of those served by this apostolate.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. O’Keefe, Pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Zionsville, Indianapolis, with Kimberly, the parish’s Director of Faith Formation.

Recently, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) teamed up with Grace Before Meals to create a little video in preparation for Lent, which officially begins TODAY with Ash Wednesday! This collaboration features me cooking with Joan Rosenhaur, the Executive Vice President for the United States. Together we made a Bean Cake from Burkina Faso, which is located in the western part of Africa.

CRS Rice Bowl: Having Fun Making Simple Meals (For the Recipe, click HERE)

The video highlights the important work done by CRS through the CRS Rice Bowls. I’m sure you’ve seen these little boxes before, a Lenten tradition, in which people put in money as part of the Lenten practices.  Instead of purchasing something that we really don’t need, like a cup of coffee, dessert, candy, or what have you, you simply put that money into the box.  You’ll be amazed at how much we spend on things we don’t need.  The money from the boxes builds up and collectively, it can make a difference in the lives of so many people around the world – people who are hungry, in need, or learning how to be self-sustaining!

Children around the world need our help! This brother and sister are from the Philippines. During a family visit there we made it a point to do some charitable donations.

Besides the charitable affects of the CRS Rice Bowls, I really enjoy and encourage the “experiential” aspect of the program.  Each bowl has recipes and stories from people from all different parts of the world.  The recipes give users the chance to have a small “taste” of the different culture.  It also gives participants an opportunity experiment the recipes and to hear the stories of the people who eat these meals.  It’s also a real Grace Before Meals opportunity for the family, providing the opportunity for conversation about our global human family, developing compassion, or simply learninging more about our faith through food.

A former graduate student at The Mount who cooked CRS Rice Bowl Recipes for the Wednesday evening college student gatherings in 2009.

And, may I add, these recipes are low cost, interesting to make, and delicious to eat!

One of my favorite things to do is to explore the markets of different countries.  Here, I’m in South America cooking with some exotic fruits.

As you begin the 40 days of Lent, make it special by “interacting” with the CRS Rice Bowl Program.  You’ll find your spiritual life, compassion, and knowledge about our human family grow with each recipe and story.

Culinary Students from the City College in San Francisco with prepared foods I purchased for them to give to the homeless.  It’s always so rewarding to give to those in need.

Remember, in preparation for St. Valentine’s Day we will also be announcing the drawing of the winner for a Grace Before Meals gift bag. So stay tuned for next week’s email blast and enjoy a blessed Saint Valentine Day with the special love in your life – God and your spouse!

My parents, who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on September 22, the day that I released the book Spicing Up Married Life.

• What is your favorite Lenten Recipe?  
• Have you ever used the CRS Rice Bowls and if so, do you remember how much you actually collected?  
• Have you ever used one of the recipes?  If so, which is your favorite?

Gracious Lord, accompany us on these 40 sacred days of Lent. May our efforts, as well as those of CRS Rice Bowls, bring us to a level of discipline, compassion, humility and holiness.  Bless our efforts for praying, fasting and almsgiving, and make us true instruments of your peace.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

My typical “Faithful Foodie Adventures” share great food finds from my travels.  However I want to write about a different kind of “adventure” this week – one that brings challenge and fear instead of excitement and joy.   Besides having no place to call your own, or a comforting place to lay down your head, one of the biggest fears for the population considered “homeless” is the uncertainty of their next meal. While their journey is a difficult one, we can offer them many different points of hope along the way.

One of the guests at Winter Relief was a “walking icon” with many Catholic images on his body. I told him he should be a living saint rather than a billboard for sanctity.  Thank God this “body art” was religious rather than dark, destructive or demonic.

This past week,  Our Lady of the Fields Catholic Church in Millersville and the House of Hope hosted over 60 homeless people in a program called Winter Relief.  For the past nine years, Our Lady of the Fields has provided guests a place to sleep, shower, clean up, eat home cooked (and quite delicious) meals, and most importantly, experience God’s love without a forced, preachy, or judgmental message.

Dave Luddy the current site coordinator, Deacon Ed Stoops the original site coordinator, and Dawne Shroeder-Elmiger the successor for site coordination.

Volunteers at Winter Relief get a sense of holiness talking with the guests that comes from the  Corporal Works of Mercy – especially feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless.  There is an immediate understanding that homelessness has no quick fix or simple solution, but that helping them is as easy as opening your door and caring for them.  Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta gives a saintly example of the positive impact this kind act can have on the world.

Volunteers serve the food but – more importantly – eat with the temporary residents.

To partake in this Faithful Foodie Adventure, you need only help in some way – big or small.   The efforts at Our Lady of the Fields show the world its truly living the Gospel holiness by extending the sacramental life to a tangible act of love in a big way.   However, a famous quote from  Blessed Mother Theresa suggests even small acts make a difference as long as you “do small acts with great love.”

Volunteers at Our Lady of the Fields were from all walks of life, but there was great support from young people who helped shoulder the burdens of the homeless.

 

• Do you cook with wine?
• If you are unable to use wine in your meals, do you have a favorite wine substitute?

Click here to find out more: http://gracebeforemeals.com/montana-catholic-conference