The Feast of the Annunciation: Celebrating the Incarnation

Happy Feast!

The Feast of the Annunciation is a significant celebration in the liturgical year and is celebrated on 25th March every year. It commemorates the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear a child, who was to be named Jesus, the Son of God. It is the miracle of the Incarnation, the moment when God became man and entered the world, changing it forever.

And this year, because of the date of Easter, the Annunciation falls just before Passiontide. The Incarnation and the Passion are almost united.

The Annunciation is a key event in the gospels of both Matthew and Luke, but it is Luke who provides the most detailed account of the event. According to Luke, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced to her that she had been chosen by God to bear His Son. 

At first, Mary was troubled by the angel's appearance and message, but she was reassured by him and accepted her role in God's plan.

The Feast of the Annunciation is celebrated in various ways around the world. In some Catholic and Orthodox countries, it remains a public holiday. The celebration of the Annunciation also has strong cultural and social significance. Over the centuries, it has inspired many musicians, artists, and writers. For example, Leonardo da Vinci's painting, The Annunciation, portrays the moment when Gabriel appeared to Mary, and it is considered one of his finest works.

This singular event represents the beginning of a new creation, the moment when God chose to enter the world, taking to Himself the fullnesss of humanity. This act of love and sacrifice set the stage for the ultimate redemption of humanity through Christ's death and resurrection. It also shows us the role of Mary, who is to regarded as a model of faith, obedience, and humility.

The Feast of the Annunciation is an invitation to reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation and the role of Mary in God's plan. It reminds us of the message of hope and salvation that Jesus brought to the world. It also challenges us to be open to the workings of God in our lives and to respond with faith and obedience.

Last year Pope Francis spoke quite beautifully about this:

'Without love, what can we offer to the world? It has been said that a Christian without love is like a needle that does not sew: it stings, it wounds, and if it fails to sew, weave or patch, then it is useless. This is why we need to find in God’s forgiveness the power of love: the same Spirit who descended upon Mary.
If we want the world to change, then first our hearts must change. For this to happen, let us allow Our Lady to take us by the hand. Let us gaze upon her Immaculate Heart in which God dwelt, “our tainted nature’s solitary boast”. Mary is “full of grace” (v. 28), and thus free from sin. In her, there is no trace of evil and hence, with her, God was able to begin a new story of salvation and peace. There, in her, history took a turn. God changed history by knocking at the door of Mary’s heart.

'Today, renewed by God’s forgiveness, may we too knock at the door of her Immaculate Heart. In union with the Bishops and faithful of the world, I desire in a solemn way to bring all that we are presently experiencing to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I wish to renew to her the consecration of the Church and the whole of humanity, and to consecrate to her in a particular way the Ukrainian people and the Russian people who, with filial affection, venerate her as a Mother.

'This is no magic formula but a spiritual act. It is an act of complete trust on the part of children who, amid the tribulation of this cruel and senseless war that threatens our world, turn to their Mother, reposing all their fears and pain in her heart and abandoning themselves to her. It means placing in that pure and undefiled heart, where God is mirrored, the inestimable goods of fraternity and peace, all that we have and are, so that she, the Mother whom the Lord has given us, may protect us and watch over us.'

I couldn't really think of any particular of foods associated with this Solemnity. I'll have to try harder for next year. But one of the most famous depictions of this great event was painted by Fra Angelico.

Why not try a delicious hazelnut liqueur named after Here?

Bignè di San Giuseppe: A Delightful Italian Pastry in Honour of St Joseph

Bignè di San Giuseppe, also known as Zeppole di San Giuseppe, is a traditional Italian pastry that is typically enjoyed on 19th March, the feast day of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Italy.

St Joseph's Day is also Father's Day in Italy. It wasn't unknown for the seminarians to wish our formators a happy feast in celebration of the spiritual fatherhood which they exercised of us. Naturally, I make no comment about the sincerity or irony of such greetings. . .

Anyway, this delightful treat is made with choux pastry and is usually filled with cream or sometimes ricotta, and topped with a cherry or some kind of frutta candita (candied fruit.)

The origins can be traced back to the city of Naples. According to tradition, in the 1800s, religious sisters at one of the convents in Naples would prepare the pastries to celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph. The pastry was named after the saint, who was known for his skill as a carpenter and the care with which he protected the Our Lord and his Blessed Mother.

They are made with choux pastry dough, which is a light, airy dough that is used in many classic French pastries, such as éclairs and profiteroles. The dough is made with flour, butter, eggs, and water, and is piped into small, round shapes using a pastry bag. The pastries are then baked until golden brown and hollow on the inside. Of course, many purists would say they aren't really bignè unless they're fried!

After the pastries have cooled, they are typically filled with either pastry cream or whipped cream, and are topped with a cherry or candied fruit. Some recipes also call for a sprinkle of powdered sugar or cinnamon on top.

There are many regional variations of this pastry throughout Italy. In some parts of Italy, the pastries are filled with ricotta cheese and topped with honey or chocolate, while in other regions, they are filled with custard and topped with almonds or other nuts.

Whether you preference is being filled with cream or topped with ricotta cheese, they are a delight! And absolutely no calories at all. . . it's sort of the rule for solemnities and feast days.

Assisi 2023

 I've been having a few days gentle retreat before Holy Week comes upon us and I've been staying at the Casa Santa Brigida in Assisi. Situated very close to the centre of Assisi, although definitely outside a steep hike up a hill, the house is only a few minutes from the Basilica Santa Chiara.

No emails. No telephone. No door-bell. Just a chance to rest, read and pray, before the hectic fever of Holy Week.

Assisi is a wonderful town, reigning over the Umbrian hills, with Tuscany to the West and Lazio to the south, and what must have been the piccolo pezzo di Paradiso of the Papal States. Being a hill-town, one's legs get a good workout. Even a gentle walk between basilicas gets the heart-rate going. The spiritual exercises of the Divine Office and the physical exercise have gone hand in glove. 

The food prepared by the sisters is nutritious, tasty and all home-made. Of course, there's no choice but seven years of seminary weans one off those little luxuries. It's an excellent place to stay with good food thrown in.

Just a short walk were two little trattorie next to each other. Trattoria Spadini is on the Via Sant'Agnese and is the perfect little spot to sample a glass of the excellent house red, a local wine available by the glass (suitably named a calice) and the selected of cheese and salami with fresh, warm bread. 

Good bread and local wine are really all one needs when it comes to the necessities of the good life. Except, of course, the 'living water' we heard about in last week's Gospel and the 'bread of life' we are offered each and every time we come to the Holy Sacrifice. 

Happy Lent!

Why?

A priest? Writing a food blog?

Some may be surprised, but others undoubtedly not, at the very idea.

I am told there used to be a mediaeval saying about wealth and poverty in relation to the clergy. I could have looked it up but have never got round to it. But it was something like, ‘that town is so poor that even the priests are thin.’

To be sure, we should not imagine that priests eat or drink or more than anyone else. And historically, clerical corpulence was more to do with the lack of manual labour than gluttony.

But many of us appreciate good food and, on modest incomes as most priests are, value for money is also a factor.

I trained in Rome, a place that is somewhat well-known for its eateries. A good rule of thumb, for avoiding the tourist traps, was to go to the places you saw clergy eating in.

This blog is simply my own attempt to share some of the food experiences I have had over the years. The good. The not so good. The weird. And the wonderful.