Venite Prandete

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS 1st JUNE The Wikipedia entry provides that there are two inscriptions from the first centuries of Christianity related to the Virgin Mary: (the Theotokos, Mother of God) and (the Helper). The Fathers of the Church referred to our Lady as (the Helper). John Chrysostom used the title in a homily of 345 AD, Proclus in 476 AD and Sebas of Caesarea in 532 AD. After the Patristic period (that is, the period of the Early Church Fathers), in the 5th century, other significant figures in the Catholic Church used it, such as Romanos the Melodist in 518AD, (Patriarch of Jerusalem), Sophronius in 560AD, John of Damascus in 749AD and Germanus I of Contantinople in 733 AD. Wikipedia states further: “In the view of the Rev Johann G Roten SM, the invocation of Mary as Help of Christians is part of the oldest prayer addressed directly to Mary, the Sub Tuum Praesidium, which was found on papyrus dating, at the latest, from the end of the 3rd century. ‘Praesidium’ is translate...

  THE ROMERIA DE EL ROCIO PENTECOST PILGRIMAGE IN ANDALUCIA A pilgrimage to the Hermitage of El Rocio Almonte, in Andalucia in honour of Our Lady of the Dew starts on the second day of Pentecost, finishing on Whitsunday. Our Lady of the Dew has been venerated there at least since the 13th century, although the current ornamentation of the statue dates from 1653. The pilgrims come on horseback and in gaily decorated wagons and the pilgrimage itself becomes a colourful and noisy celebration. On Pentecost Monday the Blessed Virgin is brought from the church and the hermandades, (brotherhoods) carry the statue - the statue is passed from one brotherhood to another. The Hermitage at the site dates from the late 13th century or early 14th century. The statue is theological – Our Lady is looking down at the Christ child – leading us to Christ. The statue is very early but it is dressed in later dressing (16th or 17th century). A site called Spanish Fiestas (from which some of the images a...

  THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION IN VENICE THE WEDDING OF THE SEA The blessings of the Rogation days were sought in regard to the fields and crops (from the Latin, "Rogare", to ask), but they were not confined to the land. The harvest of the sea was blessed, as was the very dangerous profession of fishing, so the Parish would process to the waterside and the fishing boats, the sea would be blessed and prayers offered for a good harvest in teh coming year. The Festa della Sensa (The Feast of the Ascension) is a special feast day for the republic of Venice, commemorating the religious significance of the Ascension, together with secular events in the history of the city. The first is the relief in war from defeat by the Slavs, on 9th May 1000 AD, under Doge Pietro II Orseolo. The second event occurred in 1177 AD, when the Doge, Sebastiano Ziani, welcomed to St Mark’s Basilica the Emperor Federico Barbarossa and Pope Alexander III to conclude a peace treaty that settled a centuries-...

  THE PILGRIMAGE OF LA VIRGEN DE LA CABEZA, SPAIN LAST WEEKEND OF APRIL La Virgen de la Cabeza is a Black Madonna, whose cultus is centred at the Basilica of Nuestra Senora de la Cabeza, located in the Sierra of Andujar, in Spain. Legend tells us that the image was given to Saint Euphrasius by Saint Peter and is said to have been the portrait that Saint Luke painted of the Blessed Virgin. Saint Euphrasius brought the image when he came to Spain in the first century AD. In the 8th century, when Andujar was occupied by Moorish forces the image was hidden at the top of one of the highest and most inaccessible hills of the Sierra Morena, the Cerro del Cabezo. Tradition has it that a shepherd named Juan Alonso de Rivas was watching over livestock belonging to a neighbour. Rivas was an elderly man, suffering from anchylosis and paralysis in his left arm. One night, in August 1227, Rivas began to see strange lights at the top of the Cerro del Cabezo. He also heard the incessant sounds of ...

  DYEING EASTER EGGS For naturally dyed eggs, the dyeing process should commence on Holy Thursday, (assuming Good Friday is a day of prayer). For food colouring, Holy Saturday is possible. The Greeks dye their eggs on Holy Thursday, the Poles on Holy Saturday. FIRST METHOD: WITH FOOD COLOURING: There are two ways to prepare the eggs: The first is to blow the eggs. This involves making a hole with a needle at the end of the eggs and blowing the contents of the egg out. The second is to hard boil the eggs. This way they can be served on Easter Monday as devilled eggs. INGREDIENTS Eggs + for each egg; ½ cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar 10-20 drops food colouring Mix together the boiling water, vinegar and food colouring in bowls and soak eggs for time necessary to get the desired colour. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon or tongs and let dry. Polish eggs with butter. USING NATURAL COLOUR From My Frugal Home (from which image is taken). INGREDIENTS Bunch of Beetroot, chopped (pin...

  EASTER BREAD FOR EASTER SUNDAY This is a traditional Italian bread – made a with a brioche dough and decorated with coloured eggs. NB: It takes two days to make. The Brioche recipe is from: Rodolphe Landemaine, "The Complete Guide to Baking” Hardie Grant Books, at pp. 224 et seq. BRIOCHE DOUGH INGREDIENTS DOUGH 175 g pastry flour 2 eggs 40g caster sugar 2g orange blossom water 10g white rum 10 g fresh baker’s yeast 3g salt 50g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes GLAZE 1 egg 3g (1/2 teaspoon) milk pinch salt THE DAY BEFORE 1 Put the flour, eggs, milk, orange blossom water, rum, crumbled yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. 2 Knead for 4 minutes at the lowest speed, then 8 minutes at medium speed, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. During kneading, scape down the sides of the bowl regularly. 3 Return to the lowest speed and add the soft butter. Knead slowly until well incorporated. 4 Transfer the dough to a floured, round-bottom...

  OUR LADY OF LOURDES 11th FEBRUARY This feast day honours Our Lady as the Immaculate Conception – pure and without sin, as befits the Mother of God. She is all powerful in defeating the evil one. She is the Woman of the Book of Revelation and the Woman of the prophecies. Because of the healing effect of the water at Lourdes, she is, on this feast day, particularly identified as the comforter and healer of the sick. It must be remembered though, that, although numerous miraculous cures were credibly reported and investigated following visits by the faithful to the shrine at Lourdes, Our Lady’s mandate to St Bernadette was not one of physical well-being. Rather, she advocated that the faithful pray, engaging in penance and pilgrimage. As such, she was guiding us to a spiritual, rather than corporal, healing and well-being. The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family whom Pope Leo XIII described as embracing the “perfection and completeness of all domestic virtues.” The mod...

  CANDLEMAS; 2nd FEBRUARY      Hans Memling, "The Presentation in the Temple", (1470), Prado, Madrid. The Missal provides as to today’s feast day, which is a second class feast day of Our Lord (the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple): The Feast of Candlemas, which derives its origins from the local observance of Jerusalem, marks the end of the feasts included in the Christmas cycle of the Liturgy. It is perhaps the most ancient festival of Our Lady. It commemorates not only the obedience of the Blessed Virgin to the Mosaic Law in going to Jerusalem 40 days after the birth of her Child and making the accustomed offerings, but also the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, and the meeting of the Infant Jesus with the old man Simeon-the Occursus Domini, as the feast was anciently termed. This is the principle theme of the liturgy on this day: Jesus is taken to the Temple ‘to present Him to the Lord’. So the Lord comes to His Temple and is met by the aged Sim...

  THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY THE BLESSING OF HOMES DURING EPIPHANYTIDE 6th JANUARY The feast of the Epiphany is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Traditional Latin Rite and in certain countries. In traditional Latin Mass parishes, the eve of Epiphany, on the 5th January, sees the blessing of water and chalk at the Mass. The Mass on the 6th January incorporates the blessing of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The priest then blesses the houses and marks the front door with the blessed chalk, with the year on the outside, and the first letters of the three Magi - Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior, between the numerals signifying the year. The symbols for the coming year would be thus; “20+C+B+M+[last 2 numerals of coming year]”. This year, the chalking is: “20+C+B+M+21”. The letters stand for the blessing: “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” (Latin: May Christ bless this house”). The crosses represent the blessing of Christ. The blessing, marked with the blessed chalk over the entrance door, represen...