Fun with Monks- 7 QuickTakes

1.  We were at a monastery day before yesterday and prayed vespers. Priest-husband and the big girls also prayed the "Jesus prayer" before vespers; the monks do most of the Jesus prayer silently so I didn't have the little children in the chapel. Twenty minutes of silence is not possible with them.

2. This is the "Jesus Prayer"--- "Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It can be prayed on a knotted prayer rope.  You can start with saying it about 100 times and then slowly try to increase it so that it becomes an unceasing 'prayer of the heart.'

3. To monastery retreatants- stop feeding the raccoons. They look cute, but no matter what, they will stay wild. They'll just expect food from innocent 20-month old toddlers.

4. To good Catholic men who want to remain unmarried- please seriously consider the monastic life. The monks seem to have an aspirant or two (I didn't really get details- don't want to 'jinx' anything). I pray that he will hear God's will for his life-- and I pray that many more men will find their way to this faithful family.

5. It is hard to be in church when your kids are the only children there.  Baby Girl especially loves to hear her own voice echo. The next time I go to the monastery, I hope to go on an actual retreat by myself!

6. a sad (to me) story- while at an Orthodox women's monastery in the old country last summer, we visited with the mothers and told them about this Byzantine Catholic monastery in the States. We said that their special ministry is to work towards the unity of all Christians and the preservation of true Byzantine spirituality while being in union with the Catholic Church. The mothers could not contain their disgust and asked us why would we ever pray for unity- the Orthodox are happy without being diluted by liberal faith. But our monks keep praying and being faithful to Byzantine spirituality and the Catholic Church.

7. Here is a vegan recipe from one of the monks (they are vegan year-round Wednesdays and Fridays and tougher still during actual fasting periods):

Lentil Vegetable Pasta

Saute a chopped onion, 2 chopped bell peppers, and a few cloves of crushed garlic in a teaspoon of olive oil in a heavy pot. When onions are softened, add 2 cups of lentils and 2 peeled carrots along with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then cover. Turn to low. While the lentil vegetable mixture is cooking, prepare 2 cups of dry pasta according to package directions in a different pot. After 20 minutes, add a can of crushed tomatoes to the lentil mixture. Drain pasta and then add to lentil mixture. Add salt, if needed. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.

a post about posting

What to write when there isn't much to write about? I feel like I don't even have seven short thoughts for Jen's Friday quick takes. I could try to be profound like Anne or practical like Leila and crew, but there is just not much there in the past weeks. I suppose my primary problem is trying to maintain a bit of anonymity on the web. It might be correct, but it makes it nearly impossible to share about what is going on with life. I could write about where I went and what I did these past few days for 'family fun;' Priest-husband had a few days off from his paying job. If readers knew where I was, they would know who I am. And that's okay because I have never written anything here that my husband has not seen and the important people in my life would be hurt by- a few things might be controversial simply because I have shown a bit of life's imperfections when 'church-type people' are supposed to be holy at all times, but I am okay with that. I started writing this blog to 'vent' a bit but mostly so that those people interested in religion would know that we Byzantine Catholics exist. So I have put myself out there, in my own very small way, as an authority of sorts on being Byzantine Catholic. And this is paralyzing to me. I don't want to disappoint anyone or be a scandal to anyone. But no matter what- no person is perfect. God alone is perfect, so I'll just write what I know with as much charity and dignity as possible and leave the rest to God.

Films to Enjoy Again- 7 QuickTakes

Here are a few secular choices for your pre-Lenten viewing pleasure. You can't go wrong with any of these recommendations; I would say that none of these films are appropriate for the littles. Save them for when the kids go to sleep!

1. Rope- Choosing my favorite Hitchcock movie is like trying to choose my favorite child. Rear Window is also superb as are The Man who Knew Too Much, North by Northwest, and Vertigo. But I am naming Rope as my favorite today. The stage direction, costuming, casting, music, theme- all are perfection. And Jimmy Stewart doesn't make one misstep. Watch it with your favorite pro-choicer.

2. Minority Report- I love novels about the future that is basically already here (Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Brave New World, Children of Men), realistic, sort-of-depressing science fiction. Minority Report fits the bill. Sitting in highway traffic, I dream of the transportation system in place in this movie. The special effects work really well here.

3. The Man Who Knew Too Little- Most comedies just make me smile. This one with Bill Murray has me laughing loudly and needing to stifle myself; I don't want to wake up the kids. I prefer this movie over What About Bob (can't get over the house exploding).

4. Enemy of the State or The Fugitive for semi-mindless action- It is a rare action movie that I will watch again. Both of these fit the bill for a relaxing no-brainer that isn't completely brainless. Does that make any sense at all?

5. Cinema Paradiso- a movie about movie lovers, this Italian film is abashedly over-the-top romantic. It certainly met my needs during college for a melancholic movie about love and loss. He does not get the girl.

6. Au Revoir Les Enfants- This is an autobiographical movie based on the director's life in Nazi-occupied France. The main character befriends a Jewish boy who is being hidden at the boarding school by the headmaster, a monk. Beautiful cinematography and music; bring your tissues.

7. Children of Heaven- This Iranian movie is about a sister and a brother who share one pair of shoes between the two of them. It is more about relationships than poverty, but the normalcy of poverty is a part of it. The brother enters a race and tries to win second place; the second place prize is a pair of shoes.

Looking at this list, I notice that there are very few girl-power roles. It is what it is- this is the list I am coming up with at this time of the year. I am looking forward to the newest Jane Eyre. That should be an enjoyable escape to 'Olde England' while sitting on the couch, waiting for a kid to squawk. Here are some bonus movies that I really enjoy and can watch again:

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, To Kill a Mockingbird, Memento, Moulin Rouge (any Baz L.- of course Australia is my least favorite), A Room with a View, Up (all Pixar- Toy Story movies are my least favorite), new Narnia movies- even the old ones (don't judge me), Jean de Florette,  The Count of Monte Cristo, Enchanted April, Henry V (Branagh's  version- yes, he is an egoist, but he makes great films), any 'old' musical (Sound of Music, State Fair, just no Carousel) almost any Austen adaption, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (my grandfather was in it)...I guess I could go on and on...

Garlic, je t'aime

All this St Valentine talk reminds me of the first time I met my future father-in-law. Future priest and I were dating seriously (basically engaged except he hadn't met my family yet), and we went to visit his parents. My future mother-in-law served a delicious meal, as usual. After the soup, she served pork loin, mashed potatoes and more veggies. A delicious-smelling garlic sauce was in a bowl at the middle of the table. My boyfriend (funny to call him that) took a large spoonful of the sauce. I felt the table rattle and he had to stifle an 'OUCH'- my future father-in-law had kicked my boyfriend under the table. He assumed I wouldn't be kissing his son if his son ate garlic. We laughed, and I took a big spoonful of the sauce, too. It has been a staple on our menu ever since and required whenever we eat pork. My girls put it on their mashed potatoes...here's the recipe- it is very simple, but please use fresh garlic- nothing pre-minced!

Classic Garlic Sauce 

Crush 1 large head of garlic and place in either wooden or ceramic bowl. Cover with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of mild paprika over garlic mixture. Mash with a wooden pestle or plastic spoon (metal might react). Add 2 tablespoons of water or white wine. Blend.

Garlic Sauce with Sour Cream

Crush 1 large head of garlic and place in either wooden or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of freshly minced parsley over garlic mixture. Mash with a wooden pestle or plastic spoon. Add 3 or 4 spoons of sour cream and blend.

St Valentine's = Thanksgiving

WHAT- you say? Has priest's wife gone around the bend??? St Valentine's Day is like Thanksgiving? Yup- here's how: Both holidays are not really holy days; they are basically secular days that industry uses to encourage us to buy things. Thanksgiving is a reminder to thank God for our blessings, and St Valentine's day is a day to focus on love.  

A big difference is this:

Everyone celebrates Thanksgiving. Everyone sits down to a big dinner with as many family and friends that they are inclined to invite. In high school and college, I worked at a high-end grocery store. The day before Thanksgiving is the biggest moneymaker of the year. Families that would normally spend $100 on their groceries would spend at least double that amount. Carts would be filled with extra-special food and drink along with floral arrangements and liquor. No one would comment on 'big food' constructing a conspiracy of Thanksgiving. No one refused to celebrate Thanksgiving because 'if they aren't equally thankful to God every day, then they aren't thankful enough.'

But- look at St Valentine's Day...

Some people boycott the holiday and have anti-love webpages or groups. Husbands and wives refuse  to celebrate St Valentine's Day because 'if they show extra love on this day, they aren't treating her well the other days' or 'it is a conspiracy from Chinese communists that want us to buy cheap, tacky goods (then DO something kind and then say Happy Valentine's Day) or 'the day is really Saints Cyril and Methodius on the calendar.' 

I have been having an IRL exchange about the day on Facebook with a friend who, like me, didn't date at all until she met her husband and then got married happily ever after and had a bunch of kids. She seems to detest the day and the forced romanticism. They don't celebrate it at all. My Valentine's =Thanksgiving argument has not convinced her. Perhaps she remembers those times when the Valentine box was almost empty. She remembers during college when everyone seemed to be going off with a boyfriend and she was alone. Maybe she remembers that the only treat she got on the day was Mom's waffles and cherries (thanks, Mom!). My friend says that in her country, the holiday is only about consumerism. That is probably true about the States as well. But still....

But the Church is well-known for taking something not-so-perfect and sanctifying it (example: Christmas trees). So, in my not so humble opinion, I say that we take St Valentine's Day back and celebrate all the people in our lives that we love. If we feel like buying chocolate and flowers, fine- but the only 'requirement' is to show and spread love to friends and family.