Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
June 1
Saint of the day:
Saint Justin
Patron Saint of philosophers, apologists, and lecturers
Saint Justin Martyr’s Story
Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.
As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than the philosophers.
Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher’s mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to Christ.
Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.
For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr
http://www.saintjustin.org/patronsaint
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=74
Prayer:
Visit:
Santa Maria della Concezione
(Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception)
Via Veneto 27
Rome, Italy
*This church is just north of the Barberini metro stop.
*Relics of St Justin the Martyr rest under the altar within the choir chapel. Kindly ask the sacristan for access. The remains of St Justin the Martyr were temporarily transferred in 1992 to the parish church of San Giustino a Centocelle in Rome; however, they have now been returned to this church.
*The bones of nearly 4,000 Capuchin friars are located in the crypt.
San Giovanni Battista e Biagio
(Saint John the Baptist and Saint Blaise)
Piazza San Biagio 10 / Via di Mezzo
00060 Sacrofano, Italy
*This church is located about 10 miles north of Rome.
*Some bones of St Justin the Martyr are said to rest in an urn under the main altar.
*Note: The parish San Giovanni Battista e Biagio has two churches in the center of Sacrofano. The larger church with a piazza claims to have some small relics of St Blaise. The smaller church, which is located in the historic part of the city and is simply called Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, has the relics of St Justin the Martyr.
Recipe:
Musakhan a layered preparation of chicken,
onion softened with sumac, and doughy pieces of taboon bread.
Serve with plain yogurt and olives. Celebrating the shining star of Musakhan.
Ingredients
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3 whole chicken legs, extra fat trimmed
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1/4cup olive oil
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4 onions, sliced thinly
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2 Tbsp ground sumac, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish
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1pinch saffron (optional)
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1pinch ground cardamom (optional)
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salt
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pepper
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3-6pieces Taboon bread- OR - naan
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1/4cup pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
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In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, brown the chicken on both sides in olive oil over medium-high – about 8 minutes per side. Use a splatter guard or, if you don’t have one, simply use less olive oil (add the rest with the other ingredients).
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Remove chicken and set aside on a platter. Add the sliced onions and cook until reduced by half.
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Return the chicken to the pot along with the sumac and seasoning. Loosely cover and continue cooking until the chicken is falling off the bone and the onions are very soft and browning – about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and reduce heat as necessary to avoid burning the onions.
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To serve, brush the flatbread with olive oil, top with onion mixture and chicken.
TIP: For lighter portions, cut the whole leg at the joint and divide the leg and thigh pieces over 6 breads instead of 3. Garnish with more sumac.
Broil for a moment to heat through.
Serve with plain yogurt and olives.
