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May 27
Moveable date: June 9, 2019

The month of Mary: A Marian Month

 

Most Holy Trinity

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost 

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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Trinity Sunday is a moveable feast celebrated a week after Pentecost Sunday. Also known as Holy Trinity Sunday, Trinity Sunday honors the most fundamental of Christian beliefs—belief in the Holy Trinity. The human mind can never fully understand the mystery of the Trinity, but we can sum it up in the following formula: God is three Persons in one Nature. There is only one God, and the three Persons of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—are all equally God, and They cannot be divided.

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The History of Trinity Sunday

As Fr. John Hardon points out in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, the origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday go all they way back to the Arian heresy of the fourth century. Arius, a Catholic priest, believed that Jesus Christ was a created being rather than God.

In denying the divinity of Christ, Arius denied that there are three Persons in God. Arius' chief opponent, Athanasius, upheld the orthodox doctrine that there are three Persons in one God, and the orthodox view prevailed at the Council of Nicaea, from which we get the Nicene Creed, recited in most Christian churches every Sunday.

(The Council of Nicaea also gives us a wonderful example of how a real bishop deals with a heretic: Confronted with Arius' blasphemous views, Saint Nicholas of Myra—the man best known today as Santa Claus—marched across the council floor and slapped Arius across the face. See the biography of Saint Nicholas of Myra for the whole story.)

To stress the doctrine of the Trinity, other Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ephrem the Syrian, composed prayers and hymns that were recited in the Church's liturgies and on Sundays as part of the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church. Eventually, a special version of this office began to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, and the Church in England, at the request of St. Thomas à Becket (1118-70), was granted permission to celebrate Trinity Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday was extended to the entire Church by Pope John XXII (1316-34).

For many centuries, the Athanasian Creed, traditionally ascribed to Saint Athanasius, was recited at Mass on Trinity Sunday. While seldom read today, this beautiful and theologically rich exposition of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity can be read privately or recited with your family on Trinity Sunday to revive this ancient tradition.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Sunday

https://www.thoughtco.com/when-is-trinity-sunday-541618

 

Prayer:

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The Athanasian Creed 

 

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.


Song
 


Holy Holy Holy

(also listed on the feast of the Holy Guardian Angel day)


Isaiah 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord ...

Revelation 4:8-11 ... And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

..."You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Recipe:

 

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In cooking we use the term Holy Trinity & Mirepoix. These two terms are different because of pepper vs. carrot: (See pictures below)
The ratio before cooking is alway 50% onion, 25% celery, and 25% green bell pepper or carrot.
Once cooked down all three parts are equal just like the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

Holy Trinity: 

onion (50%), celery (25%), green bell pepper (25%) (Cajun)

Mirepoix:

onion (50%), carrot (25%), celery (25%) (Classic French)

Mamma's Étouffée

 

Shrimp or Crawfish Étouffée

Étouffée is one of the most delicious foods to grace the table in Cajun country, or perhaps in the universe. The dish derives its sultry richness from a deep mahogany-brown roux, so don’t be timid about the depth of color when you prepare the roux for this dish.  
          

  • 1 recipe Cajun Roux 2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails (or shrimp)                 

  • 2 medium onions      

  • 3 medium garlic cloves, minced 

  • 1 cup Seafood Stock, or 1 (8 oz.) bottle clam juice           

  • 1 large green pepper, chopped 

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped 

  • Salt to taste           

  • 1 T. + 1 t. tomato paste 

  • ½ t. red (cayenne) pepper 

  • 1/4 cup minced parsley, preferably flat-leaf           

  • ½ t. black pepper 

  • 8 green onions, chopped           

  • 6 cups hot cooked white rice            
     

​​Directions:​

  1. Make roux in a heavy 12 inch skillet as directed, cooking until mahogany-colored.

  2. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery to hot roux.

  3. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly wilted and transparent, about 5 minutes.

  4. Stir in tomato paste, cayenne and black pepper. Stir in crawfish tails. Slowly stir in stock or clam juice.

  5. Season with salt. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes.

  6. Stir in parsley and green onions; remove from heat.

  7. To serve, spoon about 1 cup rice on each plate; top with etouffee.
    Makes 4 to six servings.

  8. - Be careful when adding the red and black peppers. I don’t use this much. In fact, I often use only red pepper. Begin with an 1/8 teaspoon and add more to taste. You can always add more.

  9. Also, I use more onions and slightly more tomato paste.

  10. I prefer to saute the vegetables separately because the roux becomes a little gummy.

  11. Adding the tomato paste directly to the hot oil mixture gives the tomato paste a richer flavor.

  12. Add vegetables. Have extra chopped green onions for garnish.

  13. But the really important thing I need to tell you is, don’t cook the shrimp for 45 minutes.

  14. Put them in after everything else has been added. Watch them closely because they will over cook.

  15. At this point, your sauce will be very thick. Try not to add much water because the shrimp will add liquid as they cook.

  16. Taste and make sure you have enough salt and garlic.
     

Cajun Roux           

  • 1 Cup lard           

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
     

  1. Melt lard in a heavy Dutch oven or a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When lard is hot, add flour all at once, stir or whisk quickly to combine flour and lard. If necessary, use back of wooden spoon to smooth out any lumps of flour. Reduce heat to low. Cook, STIRRING OR WHISKING CONSTANTLY, until roux is desired color and has a nut-like smell. Cook about 45 minutes for peanut-butter-colored roux or 55 minutes for the dark mahogany-colored roux. The process should not be rushed. If small black or dark-brown flecks appear in roux, it has been burned and must be discarded. A burned roux will impart a bitter and scorched taste to any dish in which it is used. To stop the cooking process, either add the vegetables called for in the recipe or immediately pour finished roux into a metal bowl. Stir or whisk 10 minutes in bowl. To make ahead, cover and refrigerate 2 days. Or freeze up to 6 months. Makes 1 cup.

Variations
Substitute vegetable oil for lard, if desired. However, the taste of the finished dish will not be as good as the one prepared with a lard-based roux. Substitute another fat, such as rendered duck fat or a combination of duck and lard, for lard

And of course making anything Cajun makes me think of Princess and the Frog:
Can you tell we love that movie here!
Gumbo Gumbo in the Pot....

 

Beignets...Man catching!

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast

  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

  • 1 cup evaporated milk

  • 7 cups bread flour

  • 1/4 cup shortening

  • Nonstick spray

  • Oil, for deep-frying

  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar

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Directions

  1. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

  2. In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

  3. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

  4. Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

  5. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

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