Pierogi and Beatitudes
Today I made pierogi for the first time, the meat and vegetable kind. The dough was not right. I won’t be serving the results to anyone. Instead I’ll have to eat forty perogi myself! The process of cooking them, though, prompted some reflections on life. We are all in the business of producing a life. We have a recipe, thanks to Jesus Christ. His Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–11) are a list of ingredients for happiness. Leaving out one or more of them will yield an imperfect life. In case you’ve misplaced your “recipe,” here is a copy, along with an example of each from today’s news. (It helps to have someone demonstrate the steps in a recipe.)
• Be poor in spirit. In other words, don’t be greedy for material things, don’t be a hoarder. Look to God to provide all you need. Pope Benedict is content to leave all the trappings of the papacy—the gold, the travel, the presents—and live simply.
• Mourn. Be sad at the sin in the world, your own sins and other people’s. Bear others’ sorrows with them. Witness the shared grief and outpouring of help and support for Newtown, CT after the tragic school shootings.
• Be meek. It takes strength to live gently and to refrain from bossiness, ostentation, and anger. When the actress Melissa McCarthy was cruelly and childishly criticized for being overweight, she didn’t respond but kept a dignified silence.
• Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Desire that all people be treated fairly. President Obama stands for helping the needy.
• Be merciful. Forgive those who hurt you. Have a heart for people who are in trouble. Andy and Kate Grosmaire forgave the young man who shot and killed their daughter. They visit him in prison each month.
• Be clean of heart. Live according to God’s laws even those that are unpopular and counter cultural. A few celebrities refuse to pose nude for magazines.
• Be a peacemaker. Put an end to conflict. Promote peace. Every day thousands of police officers risk their lives in order to keep neighborhoods safe and peaceful.
• Be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Don’t be afraid to take a stand for justice. Malala Housafzai, a young Pakastani girl, spoke out for equal education for girls was attacked by the Taliban for it.
• Be persecuted for believing in Jesus. In today’s secular world, faith is sometimes mocked. Every day Christians in Arab countries are killed by fanatics for practicing their faith.
Perogi dough must be kneaded for ten minutes. Then it must rest for from ten minutes to a half hour. Jesus invites, “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” We need down time to live at our optimum. We also need time just to “be” with God.
Circles of dough folded over the filling must be sealed completely, or the perogi will come apart in the water. Each day ought to be sealed with prayer at the start and the end. This will keep us from coming apart.
The perogi is boiled in water and then fried. It’s fire that turns the doughy lump into something delicious. Likewise, difficulties and, yes, persecution can bring us to perfection!
Then the kitchen has to be cleaned up, the flour and bits of vegetables swept off the floor and the many dishes and pots washed. We too need to clean up the messes in our lives: reestablish broken relationships, finish projects, repent of sins and be reconciled through the sacrament of Penance. Lent is just the time to do this.
May you have more success with your life than I had with my pierogi!
Which Beatitude is most challenging for you? Who do you know who is a prime example of one of the Beatitudes?
Lent: Meaningful Suffering
Every year during Lent we recall that God as man was beaten, whipped, mocked, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. Only the gift of faith enables us to believe the incredible: that the all-powerful God actually endured agony, suffered, and died for us. By his suffering, Jesus gave meaning to all of our suffering. When a young Sister, a friend of mine, was dying of cancer, I visited her every day during my lunch break. At the time, I was writing a textbook for high school seniors. My friend asked me to do some research and let her know if the Church still taught that we can put suffering to good use by offering it for an intention. Later, I was happy to inform her that, yes, we can. As I left her room that day she said to me, “I offer my suffering today for you.” (more…)
Standing in Love
This month we celebrate Valentine’s Day, and last Sunday we heard 1 Corinthians 13 about love. So some thoughts about love are in order. Let’s skip over sentimental and romantic love and focus on Dorothy Day’s kind. She often quoted Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov: “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.” When my father was dying, from his hospital bed he held out his hands and said, “These showed my love for you.” My dad was a factory worker who worked night shift. His hands were calloused, and often he had a fingernail that was black and blue. He never told me he loved me, but I knew it. In my family we were not demonstrative about our feelings for one another. My mother had nine brothers and sisters. I once overheard her say, “We didn’t hug and kiss or say ‘I love you,’ but we would die for each other.” (more…)
To Create Is to Live
You may have noticed that “Featured Book” in my blog’s sidebar announces my new book of arts and crafts. It’s a resource book especially for religion teachers, but any teacher (or parent) will find it useful. The book has led me to think about what it means to create. Echoing my thoughts, the other night in a commercial the fashion designer Ralph Lauren said that creating something brings great satisfaction. Using our brains, our imaginations and skills, to produce something new is exhilarating and makes us proud of ourselves. (more…)
A Smile: Sign of the Spirit
An old riddle asks, “What is the longest word in the dictionary”? In case you don’t remember, the answer is smiles because there is a mile between the beginning and end. I’ve been reflecting on how a smile goes a long way in making a difference in others’ lives and in our own. How uplifting it is when the clerk in the checkout line smiles at you or when a total stranger smiles and greets as you pass on the street. Mother Teresa said, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Oddly, when we smile, we feel better. It elevates our mood. That’s why a 1927 song advises, “Let a smile be your umbrella.” A smile can see us through dark and rainy days. Why do you think smiley faces became so popular? (more…)
