St. Albert the Great: Nov 15 | saints-feast-family

November 15

Saint of the day:
Saint Albert the Great

Patron Saint of scientists, philosophers, medical technicians, natural sciences
*Advent is normally a period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas.

In many Orthodox and Eastern Catholics Churches Advent lasts for 40 days, starting on November 15th.

Saint Albert the Great’s Story

Albert the Great was a 13th-century German Dominican who decisively influenced the Church’s stance toward Aristotelian philosophy brought to Europe by the spread of Islam.

Students of philosophy know him as the master of Thomas Aquinas. Albert’s attempt to understand Aristotle’s writings established the climate in which Thomas Aquinas developed his synthesis of Greek wisdom and Christian theology. But Albert deserves recognition on his own merits as a curious, honest, and diligent scholar.

He was the eldest son of a powerful and wealthy German lord of military rank. He was educated in the liberal arts. Despite fierce family opposition, he entered the Dominican novitiate.

His boundless interests prompted him to write a compendium of all knowledge: natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, economics, politics, and metaphysics. His explanation of learning took 20 years to complete. “Our intention,” he said, “is to make all the aforesaid parts of knowledge intelligible to the Latins.”

He achieved his goal while serving as an educator at Paris and Cologne, as Dominican provincial, and even as bishop of Regensburg for a short time. He defended the mendicant orders and preached the Crusade in Germany and Bohemia.

Albert, a Doctor of the Church, is the patron of scientists and philosophers.

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=144

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-albert-the-great/

Bavaria

Prayer:

Visit:

St Albert the Great

(d. 1280, Cologne, Germany) (Relics: Cologne, Germany)

Sankt Andreas (Saint Andrew)

Komodienstraße 6-8

50667 Cologne, Germany

*The remains of St Albert the Great rest within a tomb in the crypt of this church.

*Also an arm of St Andrew rests within a reliquary located in the back of the choir in the main body of this church. It was placed here in 1997.

*The city of Cologne is also noted for its connection to a number of other prominent relics and traditions. The remains of the Three Kings are said to rest within a magnificent golden reliquary located in the apse of the Cologne Cathedral. Blessed John Duns Scotus is buried within a tomb in the church called the Minoritenkirche. Also it was here in this city that St Thomas Aquinas studied theology under St Albert the Great and where St Bruno, the founder of the Carthusians, was born. Finally, it was here in 1933 that Edith Stein entered a Carmelite Convent and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Recipe:

German Apfelstrudel
Apple Strudel

(*I doubled this recipe)
Oven: 350 degrees.
STRUDEL DOUGH

2 - 3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 small egg, beaten
2 teaspoons cooking oil
3/4 C. lukewarm water

*work in a nice warm room

Directions:

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center.
Add the beaten egg and cooking oil and mix well. You can do this by hand or use a mixer like shown.
Stirring constantly, gradually add the lukewarm water. Keep the mixture a smooth paste and keep mixing until a soft dough is formed.
Turn dough (dough will be sticky) onto a slightly floured pastry board.
Hold dough above board and hit it hard against the board about 120 times. Dough will become smooth and elastic and leave the board easily. This goes faster than you think. Slap it down about 100 times, really work it.
Knead and pat into a ball. Lightly brush top of dough with cooking oil or melted butte and cover with plastic wrap. (Not olive oil.)
Cover with inverted bowl and allow to rest 30 minutes - two hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the following:

FILLING for STRUDEL

1 Cup butter, melted and set aside to cool
4 medium size cooking apples (about 1 ¼ pounds or more...it is person preference)
2 Tablespoons Vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Allspice
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup walnuts, chopped finely (optional)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (optional)
2 Tablespoons butter
¾ C. fine dry bread crumbs (about 2 slices bread)
2 Tablespoons dark seedless raisins (optional)
3 Tablespoons Currants (optional)

Directions:

Wash, core, and pare apples. Cut into slices about 1/8 in. thick and put into bowl with Vanilla extract and 2 Tablespoons brown sugar. Toss lightly to coat slices evenly. Set aside for at least 30 min., tossing occasionally.1.
Mix together white sugar, Cinnamon and Allspice. Blend in 2 Tbs. brown sugar and set this mixture aside.
Chop walnuts and set aside. Grate Lemon peel and set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in skillet and toss dry bread crumbs in butter until thoroughly coated.

ROLLING AND STRETCHING THE DOUGH:

Cover a table (about 48 in. by 30 in.) with a clean cloth, allowing the edges to hang down.
Sprinkle with about ½ C. flour, most of it in the center of the cloth.
Place dough in the center of the cloth and roll into a square. If necessary, sprinkle more flour under the dough so it doesn't stick. With a soft brush, lightly brush off any flour on top of dough, and brush top with cooking oil. (Oil aids in preventing holes during stretching.)
With palms of hands down, reach under dough to its center (dough will rest on backs of hands) and lift slightly, being careful not to tear the dough. To stretch dough, gently and steadily pull arms in opposite directions. Lower dough to table as you walk around table, pulling to one side and another, but not too much in one place. Keep dough close to table. (If any torn spots appear, do not try to patch.) Keep pulling and stretching dough until it is as thin as tissue paper.
With scissors, cut off thick outer edges of dough. Allow stretched dough to dry for a short time--not more than 10 minutes.

FILLING, ROLLING and BAKING:

Paint ALL of the dough with ¼ C. of the cooled melted butter.
Repeat covering the dough but now with the sugar and spice.
Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs evenly over ½ the buttered dough, in the center, leaving sides free of filling so they can be folded over the apples.
Cover the crumbs with apple slices, sprinkle lemon peel over apples.
Toss on evenly the chopped nuts, raisins and currants. Sprinkle the spiced sugar mixture over the nuts and fruit.
Drizzle mixture with ½ C. melted butter.
Fold dough on 3 sides over the filling. Beginning at the narrow folded end of dough, grasp tablecloth with both hands. Holding it taut, slowly lift cloth, rolling dough over filling. Pull cloth toward you, again lift cloth, and slowly and loosely roll dough until it forms a largejelly-roll. Note for extra buttery crispiness add more butter, on every turn or roll coat the strudel with another coating of butter, sugar, and spice.
Cut Strudel into halves, and lifting half on cloth, gently roll onto baking sheet. Brush off excess flour from each roll. Cut off ends of dough and pinch together so filling won't ooze out during baking. Roll may be shaped into a large circle or "horse-shoe" shape if desired.
Brush top and sides with more melted butter and more sugar & spice
Bake at 400'F for 10 minutes
Then reduce the heat to 350'F, coat the strudel with more butter and continue to bake for 30 minutes. (until golden brown)
Top with powder sugar and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.