By Brea Cannon
Liturgical Rhythm of Life
There is not a right or wrong way to live the liturgy. One of my favorite ways to live the liturgy is with food. It is amazing how food is so intertwined in our faith and how it helps to build community in our homes and parishes. When people gather around a table or create an environment that fosters hospitality, it can be an occasion for both prayer and feasting.
September is a great month to live the liturgy with food — both in prayer and celebration! Let’s take a look at some saints and angels we can honor this month with food:
Sept. 5: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta — St. Teresa spent her life serving the poorest of the poor in India. She cared for men, women and children, many of whom were outcast and living in the streets. Not only did she and her sisters care for the sick, they also spent hours in prayer. On this day we like to honor St. Teresa’s life with Indian food — either homemade or at a restaurant. St. Teresa often prayed a Flying Novena — Nine Memorares and one more in thanksgiving for an answered prayer — in times of emergency. We like to pray this flying novena for a current need for ourselves or someone we know.
Sept. 8: The Nativity of Mary — There is no better way to celebrate this day than with a birthday party of cake and ice cream. We usually throw some type of little party and indulge with a sweet birthday treat. I am not particularly fond of cake, so some years at my home we celebrate Mary’s nativity with birthday pie or cookies.
Sept. 14: Exaltation of the Cross — Traditionally on this day it is customary to eat red and white items together; strawberries and cream, caprese salad of tomatoes and mozzarella or my kids’ favorite: strawberry and banana fruit salad. The red and white symbolize the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross. It is a great day to call to mind some small or large crosses you are carrying with you.
Sept. 15: Our Lady of Sorrows — This day is not really a day we celebrate, rather to reflect and pray. In prayer time, reflect on the seven sorrows of Mary and possibly enjoy a glass of cold lemonade to remind you of Mary’s bittersweet suffering as the Mother of our Savior.
Sept. 21: St. Matthew — The apostle Matthew was a tax collector. In that time, it was a controversial job with tax collectors unliked and seen as outcast. Matthew, however, gave up his lucrative profession to follow Christ. I like to honor St. Matthew with one of my favorite breakfast foods: silver dollar pancakes. The pancakes represent the silver coins the once tax collector gave up to follow Jesus.
Sept. 29: The Archangels — Michael, Raphael and Gabriel share this feast day as the Archangels. With each angels’ spiritual gift, Michael’s strength, Raphael’s healing and Gabriel’s communication, we reflect and call upon these archangels to be with us in all of life’s circumstances. On this feast day, we can choose between two desserts: angel food cake or blackberry pie. Angel food cake is fitting for the day we honor the Archangels and blackberry pie follows the legend that when St. Michael defeated Lucifer in a great battle, St. Michael kicked Lucifer out of heaven and he landed on a thorny blackberry patch. Our home loves both desserts so it might be that we simply can’t choose and make both!
There are so many ways to live the liturgy in our daily lives. This month reach in and pull out your inner culinary skills, or simply find the bakery at your local grocery store, to celebrate our liturgy with friends and family in fellowship! Host a family dinner with the liturgy or invite some friends from church for a small party to celebrate a saint or the Archangels. This month, I will enjoy some of my favorites, Indian food, silver dollar pancakes and blackberry pie.