Faithful Foodie Adventures is all about exciting opportunities that await us at various tables and food destinations across God’s beautiful world. Some weeks I may offer a cooking class tip, a
restaurant critique, or even some food ideas that hopefully expand faith and satisfy our culinary sensibilities. If you have any food adventure ideas, please be sure to let us know. E-mail me your ideas at assistant@gracebeforemeals.com.

Wining, Dining and Praying!

As you may already know, I’m leading a few culinary excursions this year. We’re already set to sail for a Mediterranean Culinary Cruise on May 15-21. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for some of our Grace Before Meals members to just sit back and take in spectacular oceanic views and scenic port stops for day trip adventures. Yes, Grace Before Meals is going on a vacation. It’s a vacation that includes prayer, time for fellowship, and even a few cooking lessons provided by yours truly. At this point, I believe we may be all booked, but I’m sure if you call we will certainly pray that the cruise ship can find room for a few more passengers.

If you aren’t able to join us for this cruise opportunity, you can certainly join us for an incredibly unique retreat opportunity to be held at Napa Valley from June 5-10. We’re going to have a retreat based on a very important subject: WINE!

I realize many people may find a “retreat” from Napa Valley slightly suspicious. Can we really find God in a city known more for its high-end wine culture than for its religious shrines. However, the sites and views of the Napa Valley region are very similar to some of the Italian
monasteries where I did my retreats as a seminarian. We will be surrounded by beauty, and, yes, we will also be surrounded by holiness.

People will be surprised to find the Catholic culture’s penetration in this region. Chapels and shrines will be part of our destination, reclaiming how that area was originally founded by people of faith.

The topic of our retreat, based on the liturgical prayer at Mass, unfolds deep theology regarding the use of wine in Scripture and in our Liturgy. We will have a very thorough class on Transubstantiation (i.e., the Sacramental Grace that changes wine into the Blood of Christ). We
will uncover some of the deeper theological references about wine in the bible. We will better understand more about wine making, the distinctions of particular varietals, and we will develop a more sophisticated understanding of why wine is so important to culture, to celebration, and to faith!

I’ve been to Napa Valley once before. On that trip I experienced this mountainous region’s beauty that reminded me of the monastic settings in Europe. I wanted to make this same opportunity available for all of you!

We will feast on great food prepared especially for our group by celebrity chefs, including Emmy Award-wining Food Network personality, Michael Chiarello. We will also drink deeply of the fountain of truth as we approach this beautiful area with a pilgrim’s sense of a search for God. After all, when two or three are gathered in His name, He is with us – even in the midst of world class accommodations surrounded by breathtaking views and creative culinary destinations!

Wining, Dining, and Praying! That’s what sums up this unique vacation and retreat opportunity. Join us!

We have been given an extra opportunity, for a limited time, to invite a few more participants on this once in a lifetime experience. If you are interested, please call 1-800-727-1999, ex. 180 immediately, as spaces are now very limited.

Let us Pray: “Blessed are You Lord God of all creation, through Your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands, let it become for us our spiritual drink. Blessed be God forever!”

Have you ever been to Napa Valley or the wine country? What’s your favorite wine to recommend for our subscribed members? Have you ever considered why wine is so important to our liturgical prayers? What do you think about taking a retreat in Napa Valley? Do you know of any good restaurants in that area? Do you have other faithful foodie adventure ideas for us to explore and share? Check out my travel schedule and let me know if you recommend places for me to visit while I’m in that part of the world. Your comments are important to us. Please post your comments below.

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