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Happy Eastertide, Friends! It has been a whirlwind over here in Quarantine-ville! We had a glorious Holy Week, even with the deep sadness of not being able to attend Mass, Good Friday was particularly somber and prayerful for me. Mostly I've been learning how to teach Theology online which comes with its ups and downs, build some self-care tools into my routine, and spend time (5 minutes min) in silence everyday. All things considered, I have been counting my blessings and realizing that I may not be as extroverted as I thought I was, maybe that changes as you get older, who knows. Needless to say, I've grown more comfortable with silence, I've rediscovered the joys of delving into the adventures of a good book, and I've spent hours laboring over delicious loaves of bread. This Easter I made Pane di Pasqua, Italian Easter Bread, and it was a huge success, after the first couple of tries. There is something so comforting about making bread, except when you forget the yeast and have to throw your beautiful little unbaked lump of dough in the trash. Yes, the one thing that absolutely has to go in RISEN bread was forgotten, but I tried again with great success. Given that we are still celebrating the joy of the Resurrection I thought this would be a great recipe to make with or for the family! It's also the perfect addition to a Springtime table with its fresh, citrus taste and its bright colored eggs. Before we get started this bread has dyed Easter eggs tucked into it, this is optional, but if you do want them make sure you have an Easter Egg Dye Kit on hand or some vinegar and food coloring. Prep Time: 45 min Rise Time: 1:30-2:00 Bake Time: 20 minutes The Ingredients! This is for a large loaf which will feed about 10-12 people. You can half the entire recipe for a small loaf or keep the proportions the same and make two smaller loafs. A small loaf will feed about 5-6 people. For the Bread 1. 1/2 cup milk, warmed to about 105F 2. 1/4 cup sugar 3. 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp) 4. 4 cups flour 5. 1 tsp salt 6. 2 oranges zested and juiced (about 1/2 cup juice) 7. 2 egg, beaten 8. 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 9. 1/2 tsp anise extract For the Egg Wash 1. 1 egg, beaten 2. 1 tsp water Begin by measuring the 1/2 cup milk and warm it in the microwave to about 100-105F. Put the warmed milk and the 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and stir it until its dissolved. Whisk, whisk, whisk! Add the whole packet of yeast to the milk mixture. Whisk it in, cover it with a tea towel, and set aside for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast. Take a little peak! Next up will be our dry ingredients, so grab a large bowl. Measure out 3 cups flour into your large mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the flour. Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. Set that aside with your yeast mixture and get a medium bowl for the wet ingredients. First, lightly beat one egg. Then put 1/4 cup butter in a glass bowl to melt in the microwave. Set the melted butter aside and in another glass bowl zest two oranges. Take your orange and juice 1/2 cup it into the bowl along with the zest. This is the best part and gives the bread that fresh spring flavor! Add the beaten egg to the orange zest and juice like so! Then add the melted butter to that mixture! Measure 1/2 teaspoon of pure anise extract. My family loves this flavoring, we use it in pizzelles too, it tastes like licorice and makes a delicious flavor combination with the orange. Whisk the ingredients together and gather your three bowls. You should have a bowl with the orange mixture, another with the flour mixture, and a third bowl with the yeast mixture. Your yeast mixture should look like this now, foamy! Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and give it a little mixing, then pour the orange mixture in too. I started with a whisk and then changed my mind, grab a wooden spoon for this step. If you don't want as much of an arm workout you can always throw this into the stand mixer. Add the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time, mixing it in until it is all moistened. Lightly flour your surface and turn the dough out so you can knead it for 5-10 minutes. You'll know it's ready to rise once it has all come together in a soft, smooth ball of dough. It should feel soft and tacky! Oil a large, clean bowl, then place the dough inside and roll it around so it gets a nice top coat of oil too. Cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm environment to rise for 45 min to an hour. Here is my risen dough after an hour! Note: If the dough is not doubled in size within the hour give it more time. If you need to you can also put it in the refrigerator overnight, this will slow the down the activity of the yeast but it won't stop it so you may have to punch down the dough. When you are ready to bake the bread, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it get to room temperature. Lightly flour your surface again so that you can make the braid ring. On your floured surface cut the dough into three equal parts. Roll each piece into 24" ropes. I have learned that if the dough continuously springs back, cover the dough with a damp towel for about 5 minutes to relax the gluten. 3- 24" ropes! Pinch the ropes together so that you create one unified end. Braid the dough on your floured surface and connect it at the ends to form a ring. Now you can add your beautifully decorated eggs. I do a little trick by tucking one egg into braid where it is connected to hide that part. I only added two eggs to this one, but my larger loaf I did four eggs. Feel free to go crazy with it, it's Easter for goodness sake! Make your egg wash by beating one egg and adding a splash of water, 1 tsp if you like to be exact! Brush the egg wash on the braid for a little added color and shine, be careful not to let it touch the dyed egg because the coloring will bleed onto the bread as it bakes. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let the ring rise until almost doubled for about 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat your oven the last 5 minutes of your rise time to 350F. Bake the bread for 15-25 minutes. 20 minutes in my oven is sufficient but check on it often until the ring is golden brown. You can check to see if it is finished by tapping the bread, if it sounds hollow then it is done. Let it rest a few minutes on the baking sheet before placing it gently on a wire cooling rack. This. is. perfection! Cooled and ready to cut open! This is the best little loaf for a spring or summer brunch and should be light, airy, fluffy, and rich. This is one of our favorite cultural Catholic traditions, give it a try and see if it works for your family too. This is also a fun recipe to do with kids, while a little lengthy, it has many parts for them to join in on. Nothing brings people together like food! He is Risen! Alleluia! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more Catholic tradition resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

Don't worry about taking the twist tie off the bread this morning because we are switching it out for sweet potatoes. You can make this quickly in the oven and it's the perfect way to use up left over sweet potatoes. Last night we made fries with half of a large sweet potato in our air fryer, and this morning we are slicing them up and popping them in the oven for breakfast. This also makes for a lovely brunch item or a healthy mid-day snack. The best part is that this is grain-free and gluten-free and filled with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. If you are seeking to be more intentional about your health, this is your breakfast answer! Sweet potato toast can also be prepped the night before. Just bake according to the directions below, refrigerate overnight, and warm up in the microwave or in a skillet to get a little crisp back. And what I like most is that you can customize the toppings to suit your cravings. You can scroll down to see all the variations that I think would be delicious. All this chit chat is making me hungry, let's fire up the oven! Prep Time: 5 minutes Bake Time: 20 minutes Yields: 4-5 servings Ingredients for the Toast 1 large sweet potato Avocado or Olive Oil for cooking Sea Salt Ingredients for the Toppings Spreads Almond Butter Cashew Butter Mashed Avocado Ricotta Cheese Honey Peanut Butter Fig Jam Fruits/Veggies Sliced Apples Sliced Bananas Blueberries Raspberries Sliced Strawberries Blackberries Dried Cranberries Microgreens Dried Cherries Raisins Dried Dates Sliced Cucumber Sliced Red Onion Sliced Tomatoes Nuts/ Grains/ Seeds Granola Mix Hemp Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Almonds Pecans Sunflower Seeds Chia Seeds Flax Seeds Proteins Bacon Sausage Smoked Salmon Egg And don't forget to sprinkle with your favorite seasoning or spices! Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 2. Wash and scrub the sweet potato, leave the skin on 3. Cut the ends off of the potato, then slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick pieces 4. Lay them evenly across a lined baking sheet 5. Rub each piece with avocado oil or olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt 6. Bake for about 15 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes or until they are tender Note: You want to be able to insert a fork through them but make sure they don't get too soft. 7. Take them out of the oven and top them using your favorites from the suggestions above Note: You can also refrigerate them for up to 3-4 days For mine, I went with almond butter and a berry mix. What would you choose for your sweet potato toast? Tell me in the comments! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website! If the liturgy is for you, then so is liturgical living.

March is the perfect month to highlight how liturgical living can be done in a multitude of ways. I think so often we get focused on what we see immediately in front of us, typically what is shown on social media because that is where most of us spend our time, that we forget there are other ways to arrive at the same destination. Celebrating saint's feast days is what is predominantly shown online as liturgical living. When that becomes the repeated message then we may automatically begin to associate those two things as one in the same. Of course saint feast days are a special and integral part of this lifestyle, but it is only a slice of the pie. Think of it like this, the destination is a life of holiness and Heaven, the vehicle that we are getting there in is the liturgy, sacraments, and a liturgical life, and the roads that we take to arrive are many! Calm Liturgical Living I was recently told by Steph Weinert, God love her for this incredibly high praise, that I was "calm about my liturgical living." My heart was so happy to hear this, because it is out of a place of peace with Christ that joy comes forth. Everyone can, and should, approach a liturgical life in a way that makes sense to you as a person, your family, your friends, and your community. When we seek to attain things that are inorganic or inauthentic to who we are, our charisms, spirituality, devotions, etc. then we can deeply feel liturgical living as burdensome. Pay attention to your heart, when you feel that living the liturgical year is irritating or pesky then go back to your roots. At the heart of this year long practice should be praise of God. Praise of God shouldn't be stressful, it should be revitalizing! Let's look at March as our guide and apply these principles to all the months following. The Natural Seasons This month brings us the Ember Days, this is a three day period in each of the four seasons that are set apart for prayer, abstinence, and fasting. They are often referred to as a "little Lent" given the way it imitates the sacrifices we make in that season. They are beautifully woven into the natural seasons and cycles of farming and harvesting. This is a time intended to give thanks to God for the gift of creation and the fruits that it brings to us which play integral and important roles in the liturgical life of the Church. I encourage you to partake in the Ember Days as they are a deeply impactful in reminding us of nature, which we can oftentimes lose appreciation for in our busy lives. And what I'd like to share more about here is the connectedness that our liturgical living can have to the natural seasons. These two things are more woven together than you might think, the seasons were here long before the liturgical calendar. Let nature be your guide for how to honor and give glory to God day in and day out. This means that we can focus on and perfect one or two things for longer periods of time. For example, when we are in the months of winter seek to rest, practice more silence, and grow interiorly. Imitate the the plants and flowers, there might not be blooms on the surface, but there is always internal and unseen growth happening in the roots. When spring comes, allow yourself to imitate the rebirth of nature. Wake up early, seek to get more sunlight, and be a light of the resurrection for others through what you learned and meditated on in the winter months. The Liturgical Season I am currently writing this within the season of Lent and I think there is lots to be said for just focusing on the general principles and themes of the liturgical seasons. Lent is a seemingly obvious one to make this point with because when we Catholics get to Lent, it is all consuming. Everything we do, hear, and see in the Church and in our homes is geared towards helping us live this overall season. We do this in imitation of Jesus's 40 days in the wilderness. To me this message is clear, if Jesus needed 40 days of focus, prayer, and fasting then I certainly need weeks, if not months, to grow and offer God the highest praise. I think it's curious that we don't approach other seasons this way. Upon second thought, I suppose as a whole we are fairly committed to actively living out the season of Advent, but even when the Easter and Christmas seasons roll around we tend to taper off. There's much to be said regarding our lack of ability for prolonged periods of joy and praise, but that will have to be written on a later date. For now, I encourage you to approach each liturgical season like we do Lent. Consider the guiding principles of that season and ask, "how can I give God praise, honor, and glory during this time?" Approach this as working out a relationship with God for the long haul. Much like a marriage that takes daily tending to, communication, attention, patience, etc. we need to have that kind of longevity with Our Lord. To better praise Him we have to better get to know Him and ourselves. The longer weeks and months of a liturgical season can position you to do that without the scramble of celebrating lots of smaller feast days. The Month's Dedication The monthly dedication is great for those that would like to zoom in a little closer. Perhaps you are going to focus more on the general seasons and you can stand for a little more oomf in your liturgical living. Look no further than the devotion of the month. For March, we are considering St. Joseph in all that we do. Instead of celebrating him on just one day, we can grow to be like him over the next four weeks. In practicing the monthly dedication I get the opportunity to make St. Joseph inspired habits, virtues, that I think will honor the saint more than even my delicious homemade zeppole. What I think of with this kind of approach to liturgical living is the commonly known phrase, practice makes perfect. Prayer, virtue, and a liturgical life takes practice and the more we do it, the better we become. It also allows space for creativity and less of a rush in accomplishing our liturgical living ideas. I don't feel like I have to fit all my St. Joseph ideas into just one day anymore because I know that I can sprinkle in things throughout the month with ease. We can do the 30 day Novena to St. Joseph, make Italian pastries for a St. Joseph altar, seek to emulate his virtue, etc. over the span of a month. If you have children this is the way to go, because kids especially need repeated experiences of things to get to know it more intimately. For convenience here is the list of monthly dedications for 2023. These tend to stay the same from year to year but on occasion can and might change. January The Holy Name of Jesus February The Holy Family March St. Joseph April The Holy Eucharist May The Blessed Virgin Mary June The Sacred Heart of Jesus July The Precious Blood of Jesus August The Immaculate Heart of Mary September The Seven Dolors of Mary October The Holy Rosary November The Holy Souls in Purgatory December The Immaculate Conception Once we look to these three things, then we pepper in our saints. I don't go overboard with this, I look at the calendar and consider which saints me and my husband have more personal relationships with. For March I have chosen three: St. Joseph, St. Patrick, and Sts. Perpetua and Felicity. That's right, there are only three feast days that we are focusing on! We live liturgically for the other 28 days of the month with the natural seasons, liturgical seasons, and monthly dedication through prayer, reading, practicing virtue, going to Mass, regular confession, and spending joyful time together and with our community. This creates a sense of balance in our house so that our interior joy can come out in a meaningful way. It also gives us the opportunity to create ongoing interior joy, this too is a virtue and one that I have to practice. I don't always "feel" joyful or "feel" like giving God praise, but regardless of how I feel He deserves it always. I have to allow myself time to cultivate this disposition in my heart though, I don't just wake up prepped for praise every day. We really have to know ourselves to be able to bring the liturgy into our daily lives. I like to say that living the liturgical year should not be like a firework that goes off, everyone is in awe, and then it dissipates. More so it should be like a candle that burns steadily and slowly for Christ. Hopefully this gives you some things to consider as you are building your own personal approach to liturgical living. If you need help or ideas along the way, stay for a while, you are welcome here.

Tacos are a weekly staple in my kitchen. We always have the ingredients on hand and let's just call it like it is, they are easy and everyone likes it. I mean who doesn't like tacos? This recipe of mine is also readily adaptable, here's what I mean by that. During Lent we switch out the usual chicken we make with shrimp, and when are are seeking to eat healthier I abandon the tortilla for romaine lettuce. My shrimp tacos are simple and flavorful, they remind me of the way my grandmother used to make them for my brother and I when we were younger. I hope these bring good dinner memories for you too! Let's get ready for a no fuss, delicious dinner. I use three seasonings in this recipe: sea salt, Mi Tienda seasoning, and oregano. Mi Tienda is one of my favorite premixed seasoning because it has all the things that I would sprinkle in myself: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and dried celery. Highly recommend having this on hand, I basically put this or Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning on everything. If you don't have it just do a light mix of what I listed above in italics. Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yields: 6-7 servings Ingredients 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1/2 yellow onion 1 tsp Mi Tienda Seasoning 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp Olive oil for cooking Romaine lettuce leaves or Tortillas Other Toppings to Consider Spanish cauliflower rice or regular spanish rice Lettuce Salsa Cheese Jalapenos Beans Pour in 2 tbsps olive oil into the skillet on medium heat. Slice the red and yellow bell peppers and 1/2 yellow onion then toss them into the skillet. Season with 1 tsp Mi Tienda and 1 tsp sea salt. Saute the peppers and onion until they are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Note: Start your rice at the beginning of this recipe, this will go quickly and as you know, rice takes a little while. For a week night while on the whole30 I used this pre-packaged cauliflower rice. If you like to make your Spanish rice from scratch, I recommend this recipe. When the bell peppers and onions are soft, set them aside in a bowl, cover them, and pour 2 tbsps olive oil in the skillet to cook the shrimp. Work the shrimp in batches so they will cook evenly. On each new batch sprinkle 1/4 tsp of the Mi Tienda on the shrimp and 1/4 tsp oregano. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until they are opaque. Be careful not to overdo it either, you don't want gummy shrimp. Note: My dad taught me that a good way to know if your shrimp are overcooked is if they curl up too tight, close to making the shape of an "O". If they are still "C" shaped then you haven't reached that point yet. O= overcooked C= cooked When all the shrimp are finished put them in a serving bowl and cover to keep warm. See the note above regarding Spanish Rice. If you are doing tortillas, this is the best way to do it! Take a stick of butter and rub the end all over the skillet. Place your tortilla on the skillet and when it begins to bubble up, flip over and repeat. You don't need to do anything else! My grandmother showed me this and I love how the butter gives the tortilla a little flavor and they also have a bit of a crunch to them. In fact, my grandma used to put them directly on top of the gas burner! When you are finished, put them in a sheet of foil to keep warm for serving. If you don't have butter, don't use anything at all, oils won't do the trick. We did these while on the Whole30 so I didn't use tortilla but instead replaced that with romaine lettuce. I wash and half them so that they are easier to fill and hold on to. This is a good low carb option for those of you that like to be conscientious of that. Yum! Loving the real dinner quality photos here, had to snap a couple of shots for you blogger style. Let's close or begin dinner time with a Lenten prayer. Heavenly Father, as I enter another week of my Lenten journey, guide me to the path that leads to you. Fill my heart with gratitude, patience, strength, and peace as I strive to become the-best-version-of-myself, honestly admitting my shortcomings and sins. As I renew my resolve each day to become a better person, let me hear your voice in the deepest reaches of my heart. Give me rest in you.Help me to accept others, showing them your great love instead of casting judgment. Stay with me through the busy days this week and remind me that when I need comfort, solitude, wisdom, or guidance, I can always turn to you. Help me develop discipline and generosity through fasting and almsgiving, and come closer to you through prayer this Lent. In your name I pray, Amen. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website! If the liturgy is for you, then so is liturgical living.

One of the things that I enjoy most about Catholic celebrations is that they don't just last one day. There is always so much build up and anticipation towards a particular feast day that it can come and go in the blink of an eye. How could we possibly celebrate the greatest accomplishment of our salvation for just one day? The covenants have been fulfilled, God has kept his promises, Jesus Christ has proven that He is Lord, the just souls have received their reward, darkness and death have been defeated, and the gates of Heaven are open to us! ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA! My soul cannot hold or comprehend the magnitude of this, I need more time for meditating, rejoicing, and immersing myself in depth of what has been done for me. Thankfully, the major feasts that we celebrate in the Church aren't over in one day, and for Easter we have a full fifty days of proclaiming Christ's resurrection. We must keep this reality alive in our homes and our communities by continuing to proclaim that He is Risen through prayer, scripture, activities, and food. Engaging in these things helps us in a more tangible way to experience the true, physical, and real resurrection of Christ. I am going to throw out 50 activities (even though a couple of days have passed) to help get you going. You don't have to do them all, but there is a good mix of things to be done with family members of all ages so as to keep our hearts focused. For me, the fun stuff is just a means to engage ourselves in calling our hearts and minds back to the meaning of what we are celebrating. Read all 50, the list gets pretty good as you get down to the bottom, if I do say so myself! 50 Activities for the Easter Season! Adaptable for All Ages 1. Make resurrection cookies. 2. Plant an Easter garden. 3. Dye Easter eggs. 4. Go to Mass another time this week. 5. Pray one of the Liturgy of the Hours at home, maybe once a day, or once a week. 6. Make an ALLELUIA banner to hang in your home. 7. Make and send cards to grandparents or godparents. 8. Plan a Pentecost party. 9. Celebrate a few saint's feast days within the Easter season. Check the USCCB liturgical calendar for feast days. 10. Plan an Easter egg hunt every Sunday. Change it up, do one inside, or maybe just hide one egg that has $$, try it in the dark with glow in the dark eggs! 11. Begin meal time prayer with one person saying "He is Risen" and have the rest of the family respond with "He is Risen Indeed". (We started this and I have been enjoying it more than what may seem normal.) 12. Go to confession on Divine Mercy Sunday. 13. Read the story of the resurrection from each Gospel account, pick one to do per week, compare and contrast the accounts. 14. Display a resurrection scene, this can be made out of paper, peg dolls, clay, items found outside like rocks and sticks, or order one online. 15. Pray the Resurrection prayer together as a family as you close out your day. https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/resurrection-prayers 16. Bake bread together, use it as a teaching tool to exemplify how in the breaking of bread, Jesus reveals Himself to us. You could also make the connection between bread rising and Jesus rising. 17. Read the road to Emmaus and go on a family walk. 18. Keep white flowers in your home throughout the season. 19. Butterflies are a symbol of Easter, order a butterfly kit to grow at home. 20. Go on a picnic for the Ascension and fly kites! See more ideas for the Ascension and Rogation Days here. 21. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. 22. Make a resurrection cross, for children this could be done with Popsicle sticks or other craft supplies, but for teenagers perhaps this could be an opportunity to learn how to build something! 23. The Regina Caeli is an antiphon that is used during the Easter Season, learn to sing it together. 24. Make an Easter playlist on spotify to listen to while cooking or going about your daily tasks at home. 25. Bring home blessed water from your local parish and bless your home. 26. Keep a holy water font by your front door filled with blessed water from the Easter vigil. 27. Use painters tape and washable paint to create stained glass windows by your front door. 28. Create Easter sidewalk messages for your neighbors/community to see as they drive or walk by. 29. Once a week have a nice meal together, set the table with nicer linens, and make dessert. 30. Play this fun Jelly Bean Prayer Game- https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21APb%2D%5FfTgtKf6qws&cid=47D78E23512A8BBE&id=47D78E23512A8BBE%219493&parId=47D78E23512A8BBE%219436&o=OneUp 31. Renew your baptismal promises. 32. Make an Easter candle and light it for dinners or prayer time. 33. Watch an Easter movie together, we chose "The Easter Parade" this year. 34. Print and color these Easter coloring pages. - https://www.saintanneshelper.com/printable-easter-coloring-pages.html 35. Help your children begin an Easter journal by using these writing prompts from Ave Maria - https://www.avemariapress.com/engagingfaith/2010/04/dying-and-rising/ 36. Create an Easter calendar together, have them decorate it, write down feast days, and traditions that you would like to start or keep going as a family. 37. Create a social media challenge to share a positive message about Jesus' resurrection every day. 38. Teach your kids about redemptive suffering, "offering it up". Just as Christ died for our sins, we can accept suffering for a greater good. We can do that by saying a small prayer when something is hard and then doing a small good deed. 39. Begin a novena, St. Joseph the Worker and St. Catherine of Siena both fall within the Easter Season. 40. Read about doubting Thomas and talk about how we should deal with times when our faith is difficult for us to understand. 41. Learn about a Saint that had stigmata! St. Rita bore a wound from the crown of thorns and her feast day is within the Easter Season. 42. Make Italian Easter Bread, save your dyed eggs for this. 43. Create "upper room" time in your home. Designate a quiet space for reading, praying, coloring, listening to chant, etc. 44. Visit deceased family members, those who are anticipating their resurrection. 45. Pray for the souls in purgatory, we do this at the end of every meal prayer. 46. Create a sacrifice Jelly Bean container to use until Pentecost. 47. If you buried the Alleluia, dig that up and display it in your home. 48. Read an Easter book. https://catholicexchange.com/seven-books-to-share-with-children-for-lent-and-easter 49. Honor Mary in the Month of May and through the Easter season by praying the Angelus together at noon. 50. Display a crucifix or statue of Jesus along with an image or statue of Mary in a prominent place in your home with flowers. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! See you in the Eucharist, His Girl Sunday

Tradition for the Ages and All Ages Over the last few years Ascension Thursday has developed some delightful traditions in our home, and while this is seemingly a feast that isn't as expressly celebrated, it dates back throughout the ages. In the writings of both St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. John Chrysostom we can find mention of the festivities surrounding the Ascension. In fact, St. Augustine writes about it as well expressing that this was celebrated long before his time. It fascinates me that by being intentional about living out the joy of this feast day, we are continuing a tradition that dates all the way back to the early church. I mention this because of how profound tradition is, by its nature of transmitting truth and happiness from generation to generation. It links us to the past but also provides a way for us to move forward in unison and hope. The Minor Rogation Days Something noteworthy that is also tied to the Solemnity of the Ascension are the rogation days! You may not have heard about them because we are no longer obligated to observe them, but they are quite similar to the ember days which have been back on the rise. I myself had to do some research not long ago because my Catholic planner has them marked and my interest was piqued. There is a major rogation day that happens on the feast of St. Mark, April 24th, and minor rogation days that take place the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday preceding Ascension Thursday. In short, these are days set aside for prayer and fasting during the Spring planting season in hopes for a bountiful harvest. The word “rogation” has its origins in the Latin word “rogare," which means to supplicate or ask God for His mercy, to turn away His anger, and to ask Him to bless the fruits of the earth while protecting us from natural disasters. Traditionally these were observed with abstinence but not fasting since they take place within the Easter season. And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luke 11:9-10, from the Gospel for the Rogation Mass Why a Picnic? Our annual picnic developed from a combined understanding and appreciation for the meaning behind the Ascension and the rogation days. The Ascension, celebrated 40 days after Easter, is the culmination of Jesus' earthly life in which He returns to the Father, body and soul. This divine event is not to simply be interpreted as Christ leaving us, but an encouragement for us to wait and watch for His return. It is a feast that should inspire hope within us as well as anticipation for His return and our eternal life with Him in Heaven. With that, and the anticipatory rogation days, we decided that it was a fitting tradition to sit outside, eat fresh foods, and look towards the beautiful sky. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11 What to Pack in Your Pic-a-nic Basket If you opened my picnic basket this is what you would find: some sort of cooked bird, food that resembles clouds, fresh fruit and veggies, and something with grapes... usually wine. ;) See below for all the fun and traditional connections! In keeping with the theme of the Ascension, and upward flight or ascending into the sky, we usually have some sort of bird. Here are some recipe examples to get you started! Small Birds, Big Flavors Quail Recipes 40 Chicken Sandwich Ideas You could also do foods that resemble clouds in light of the Scripture passage mentioned earlier. Meringue Clouds Berries and Cool Whip Jell-o Cloud Parfaits In honor of the blessing of the Spring crops, make sure you pack some sort of fruit and/or veggies. Strawberry Cinnamon Butter Spread Fruit Kabobs 20 Great Vegetable Recipes Incorporate your own culture into the menu. We reflected on Italian tradition per our family culture and found that they would bring grapes and beans to Church to have them blessed. Afterward they would then be used as feast for the dead in Heaven. With that in mind we will either keep it simple and have grapes incorporated into a fruit bowl, or I will make something that is grape flavored. Wild Rice with Roasted Grapes and Walnuts Grape and Prosciutto Crostini 5 Minute Grape Sorbet Bless, O Lord, these new fruits of the vine which Thou hast brought to maturity by the dew of heaven, by plentiful rains and by tranquil and favorable weather. Thou hast given us this fruit for our use that we may receive it with thanks in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Time to prepare a menu for us this year, but I'm glad that you read along and I hope you will consider doing this for your family too. If you would like to see what I ended up making, check in on Facebook where I will share more specifics and pictures. Praying for you and your families, please pray for mine too!

As many of you know, I typically cook and bake for feast days. You can see that by the way I have chosen to organize Liturgy Kitchen by month, for easy access to saint feast days, and by the name of each recipe. Yet, there are other times when I make what I call, 'any season' meals, still keeping with the mission of intentional liturgical and season living. While I'd like to think I am so organized and over the top energized that I could cook each day for a saint, that just isn't the case. And I think we all need those healthy, tasty day in-day out recipes. This is an addition to that, but I am taking it a step further. I have been practicing the Whole 30 with my husband, mostly for health reasons, and it has been a challenge to say the least. Oh I forgot to say, a good challenge, not one of those never will I ever hurdles. It has been a learning curve to meal plan, which I am already bad about, and another climb to find recipes that are Whole30 approved that we enjoy. That being said, what we have accomplished has felt physically, mentally, and emotionally uplifting. I feel as if I'm not as weighed down by the amount of processed foods and sugar that we typically take in. All this combined, especially during the Lenten season, has been the spiritual exercise that I needed too. This was a recipe that I thought was worth documenting and one that I thought you might like as well. Every ingredient used is Whole30 approved! I even went two steps further to make sure that the bacon and the sausage met the standards. I have listed the specific brand in the ingredients to take that extra work out of it for you. Let's serve up a bowl of health and happiness! Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yields: 4-6 servings Ingredients 1 pack Aidell's chicken apple sausage, cut into rounds 1 pack Pederson's Bacon, no sugar added, uncured, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 lb brussels sprouts, bottoms cut and halved 1 lb cubed butternut squash, bought cubed 2 small gala apples, cubed Marinade 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup coconut aminos 1 tbsp dijon mustard 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp sea salt Take one package of bacon and cut the strips into 1 inch pieces. Lay them out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes. While that is baking, cut the bottoms off 1 lb of brussel sprouts and then half them. When you are finished put them in a large mixing bowl. Pour in a 1 lb package of cubed butternut squash, and 2 small apples cubed. Lastly, add 1 package, 4 links, of sliced sausage. Prepare the marinade by combining 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp sea salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour the marinade over your bowl of ingredients and mix to thoroughly coat. When the bacon pieces are finished take them out of the oven and pour the bowl of ingredients onto the sheet pan. Stir everything on the sheet pan so the bacon and bacon grease combine with your sausage and veggies. Bake in the oven at 425 for 18-20 minutes or until the vegetables have browned to your liking. We added cauliflower rice to this meal and it was absolutely delicious and filling. Save the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch! Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website!

As a short guide and aid to your March liturgical living, I have compiled some quick tips, ideas, and links to bring joy and festivity into your domestic church. This is not a list of every single March feast day, but will be a very good start. Feast days that you will find in this post! 1. St. Katharine Drexel 2. St. Patrick 3. St. Joseph 4. The Annunciation Note: This is not a full list of resources on my blog for feast day celebrations, activities, and recipes in the month of March. Go browse around for saints and feast days that are special to you. Enjoy! 😊 The Month of February is Dedicated to the St. Joseph St. Katharine Drexel- March 3 About If your father is an international banker and you ride in a private railroad car, you are not likely to be drawn into a life of voluntary poverty. But if your mother opens your home to the poor three days each week and your father spends half an hour each evening in prayer, it is not impossible that you will devote your life to the poor and give away millions of dollars. Katharine Drexel did that. Born in Philadelphia in 1858, she had an excellent education and traveled widely. As a rich girl, Katharine also had a grand debut into society. But when she nursed her stepmother through a three-year terminal illness, she saw that all the Drexel money could not buy safety from pain or death, and her life took a profound turn. Katharine had always been interested in the plight of the Indians, having been appalled by what she read in Helen Hunt Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor. While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James O’Connor. The pope replied, “Why don’t you become a missionary?” His answer shocked her into considering new possibilities. Back home, Katharine visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader Red Cloud and began her systematic aid to Indian missions. Katharine Drexel could easily have married. But after much discussion with Bishop O’Connor, she wrote in 1889, “The feast of Saint Joseph brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the Indians and the Colored.” Newspaper headlines screamed “Gives Up Seven Million!” After three and a half years of training, Mother Drexel and her first band of nuns—Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored—opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. A string of foundations followed. By 1942, she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states, plus 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established 50 missions for Indians in 16 states. Two saints met when Mother Drexel was advised by Mother Cabrini about the “politics” of getting her order’s Rule approved in Rome. Her crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic university in the United States for African Americans. At 77, Mother Drexel suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire. Apparently her life was over. But now came almost 20 years of quiet, intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary. Small notebooks and slips of paper record her various prayers, ceaseless aspirations, and meditations. She died at 96 and was canonized in 2000. (Franciscan Media) Quick Links 1. Feast Day Activities for Littles 2. 5 Ways to Celebrate St. Katharine 3. Learning More About St. Katharine St. Katharine Prayer Ever loving God, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the Black and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your Church, that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Food 1. New Orleans Beignets because she founded Xavier University in New Orleans. Recipe Here! St. Patrick- March 17 About On March 17, Catholics celebrate St. Patrick, the fifth century bishop and patron of Ireland, whose life of holiness set the example for many of the Church's future saints. St. Patrick is said to have been born around 389 AD in Britain. Captured by Irish raiders when he was about 16, St. Patrick was taken as a slave to Ireland where he lived for six years as a shepherd before escaping and returning to his home. At home, he studied the Christian faith at monastic settlements in Italy and in what is now modern-day France. He was ordained a deacon by the Bishop of Auxerre, France around the year 418 AD and ordained a bishop in 432 AD. It was around this time when that he was assigned to minister to the small, Christian communities in Ireland who lacked a central authority and were isolated from one another. When St. Patrick returned to Ireland, he was able to use his knowledge of Irish culture that he gained during his years of captivity. Using the traditions and symbols of the Celtic people, he explained Christianity in a way that made sense to the Irish and was thus very successful in converting the natives. The shamrock, which St. Patrick used to explain the Holy Trinity, is a symbol that has become synonymous with Irish Catholic culture. Although St. Patrick's Day is widely known and celebrated every March the world over, various folklore and legend that surround the saint can make it difficult to determine fact from fiction. Legends falsely site him as the man who drove away snakes during his ministry despite the climate and location of Ireland, which have never allowed snakes to inhabit the area. St. Patrick is most revered not for what he drove away from Ireland, but for what he brought, and the foundation he built for the generations of Christians who followed him. Although not the first missionary to the country, he is widely regarded as the most successful. The life of sacrifice, prayer and fasting has laid the foundation for the many saints that the small island was home to following his missionary work. To this day, he continues to be revered as one of the most beloved Saints of Ireland. In March of 2011, the Irish bishops' conference marked their patron's feast by remembering him as “pioneer in an inhospitable climate.” As the Church in Ireland faces her own recent difficulties following clerical sex abuse scandals, comfort can be found in the plight of St. Patrick, the bishops said. They quoted The Confession of St. Patrick, which reads: “May it never befall me to be separated by my God from his people whom he has won in this most remote land. I pray God that he gives me perseverance, and that he will deign that I should be a faithful witness for his sake right up to the time of my passing.” (CNA) Quick Links Living the Feast Day With Kids Celebrate St. Patrick A Better Way to Celebrate St. Patrick Irish Prayer As I arise today, may the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me, the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me, the ear of God hear me, the word of God speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, the way of God lie before me, the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me. May Christ shield me today. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen Food 1. Irish Soda Bread St. Joseph- March 19 About The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts. When the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone, it means that God, the all-holy or “righteous” one, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God’s own holiness, and hence it is really “right” for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not. By saying Joseph was “just,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God. The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage. It is no contradiction of Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19). The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage. (Franciscan Media) Quick Links Traditions for St. Joseph Making a St. Joseph Altar St. Joseph Activity for Kids St. Joseph Prayer To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also. Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities. O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness. As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen. Food St. Joseph Bread Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord- March 25 About The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the most important in the Church calendar. First, it celebrates the actual Incarnation of Our Savior -- the Word made flesh in the womb of His mother, Mary. Second, it is a principal Marian feast. Two other feasts honoring Our Lord's mother, the Assumption (August 15), and the Immaculate Conception (December 8), are celebrated as Holy Days of Obligation in the United States. New Year's Day, January 1, is observed as a Solemnity of Mary. Many Catholics who are deeply concerned with the defense of the life of unborn children believe that it would be most fitting if the Feast of the Annunciation were also to be accorded this status. Although it seems unlikely that the American bishops will add another obligatory feast to the Church calendar, we can certainly take on the 'obligation' ourselves to attend Mass, if at all possible. In any case, it is most appropriate that we encourage special celebrations in the "Domestic Church"-- even, perhaps, in our parishes. The biblical account of the Annunciation is in the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, which describes the news given to Mary that she was to become the mother of the Incarnation of God, records the "angelic salutation" of Gabriel to Mary, 'Hail, thou who art highly favored. The Lord is with thee." This is the origin of the repeated "Hail Mary" prayer of the Rosary); and Mary's response to God's will, "Let it be done to me according to thy word." Her exultant hymn, the Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55, has been part of the Church's liturgy of the hours, at Vespers (evening prayer), and has been repeated nightly in churches, convents and monasteries for many centuries. The significance of this Christian feast on Western culture is made clear from the fact that New Years Day used to be celebrated on March 25. This was the case in England until as late as 1752. Another remnant of the historic universality of Christianity in the world is the universal use of BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini -- The Year of Our Lord) to denote periods of time in history. Although there has been an attempt in some circles to change 'BC' to 'BCE' (before the common era), AD to CE (common era), and although it is true that the religious significance of our system of dating has been effectively obliterated, nevertheless, Christians and non-Christians alike consent to the birth of Christ as the "fulcrum" of the dating the events of human history. ****Family observance of the Annunciation**** In families with young children, this feast would be a good time to begin teaching youngsters important lessons about the inestimable value God places on human life. First, that He loved us so much that He chose to become one of us -- to take on our humanity so completely that he "became flesh", as utterly weak and dependent as any human infant is. Second, God became "like us in all things except sin" at the moment of His conception in Mary's womb, not at some later time. The Feast of the Annunciation is a celebration of the actual Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Children may, quite naturally, think that the birth of Jesus is the time when Our Savior first 'became Man,' especially since Christmas has become the Christian holiday in our culture. We understand best what we can see, what is visible. The invisible, the hidden is, no less real for our lack of seeing it. (We think of the baby in its mother's womb, known and felt, though unseen, only to her.) Even very young children can know the truth about the growth of a baby inside its mother's body, especially If the mother of the family (or an aunt, perhaps) happens to be pregnant on the holiday. The exactly nine months' wait from March 25th to December 25th for the Baby to be born would be interesting to most children. (God made no special rules for His own bodily development!) What better way than the reading first chapter of Luke to gently begin teaching children about the beginning of each new human life? Children should be told how important it is to every person that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1), and parents can find this feast a valuable teaching moment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Article 3 of the Creed, "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the Virgin Mary" (#436-511), should be read by parents. This will not only give adults a timely review of Catholic doctrine, but it can be a great help to us in transmitting important truths of the faith to our children. The summary at the end can help formulate points we want to emphasize. Excerpts from the Catechism could be read aloud to older children. (EWTN) Quick Links Celebrate the Annunciation Learn More About the Annunciation Respect Life Annunciation Action Guide Annunciation Prayer I greet you, Ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Throne of Grace, miracle of Almighty Power! I greet you, Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and Queen of the Universe, Mother of Mercy and refuge of sinners! Most loving Mother, attracted by your beauty and sweetness, and by your tender compassion, I confidently turn to you, miserable as I am, and beg of you to obtain for me from your dear Son the favor I request in this novena: (Mention your request). Obtain for me also, Queen of heaven, the most lively contrition for my many sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you practiced so faithfully, especially humility, purity and obedience. Above all, I beg you to be my Mother and Protectress, to receive me into the number of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory. Do not neglect my petitions, Mother of Mercy! Have pity on me, and do not abandon me during life or at the moment of my death. Amen. Food Waffles for the Annunciation Happy Feasting! If you used any of these ideas, share with me on Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday.

Happy feast day to wives and mothers! Today we celebrate a woman who suffered a very difficult marriage with her Pagan husband Patricius who was prone to unfaithfulness and violence towards her and he refused to let their three children be baptized. As the well known story goes, she also had a very painful relationship with her son, St. Augustine, who fell into worldly and sinful ways when she desperately wanted him to become Catholic. She prayed unceasingly for both of these men even when there seemed to be no hope of conversion for either of them and persevered through her heartache until both her husband and son became Catholic. I love this quote from Franciscan Media, as if St. Monica isn't relatable enough this really showcases it. "The circumstances of St. Monica's life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter in law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of those temptations." To celebrate her feast day I made these delicious homemade pretzels. The pretzels are symbolic, folded like her arms were in prayer and the sprinkled salt reminds us of the many tears she cried. If you don't make them for her own feast day you could certainly make them for St. Augustine's which is tomorrow! Prep Time: 15 minutes Rise Time: 1 hour Bake Time 12-14 minutes Yields: 8-10 Pretzels Assemble the Team! For the Dough 1½ cups warm water 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2¼ teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (1 packet) 4½ cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter Coarse salt for sprinkling before baking For the Baking Soda Water Bath 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda For the Egg Wash 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon water After slightly warming 1 1/2 cups water pour it into a glass mixing bowl. Pour 1 tbsp light brown sugar into the warm water. Sprinkle in 2 tsp kosher salt and whisk it around until it is completely dissolved. Should look like this after about 2-3 minutes of whisking. Now pour out one packet of yeast, don't worry about whisking it in! Let the yeast sit on the top of the mixture for about 5 minutes until it begins to foam. While you are waiting you can go ahead and melt 4 tbsps of butter. Before 5 minute picture below. After 5 minute picture below. Nice and foamy! Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and add the melted butter. Pour in 4 1/2 cups flour, I started by pouring in about half before running the mixer and the other half with it on low. Once the mixture is more combined increase the speed to medium until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I then lightly floured the counter and my hands so that I could knead it for 5-10 minutes. You can knead it in the stand mixer but my personal preference is to do this by hand. The dough should now be smooth but still a little tacky. Grab a clean and well oiled bowl for the dough to rise in. Put the dough in, roll it around so that the dough is coated on all sides, and cover the bowl with cling wrap. Let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, while waiting I spent some time praying and journaling. What are you doing to do? 😊 Look at this monster, it should be at least doubled in size. Before you get started on shaping your pretzels, get the baking soda water bath ready. This is a combination of 10 cups water and 2/3 cup baking soda, bring this to a boil. While we are waiting for that to boil get out two baking sheets and line them with either parchment paper or baking mats. You can also take this time to preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Punch down the air from your dough and place it on the counter. You are going to divide it into 8 pieces but if you want smaller pretzels you could make about 12. After dividing the 8 pieces you are going to roll each one out into roughly 24 inch long ropes, then shape it into a "U". To make the pretzel shape, take the ends and cross them at the top. Give them one more twist and then pull that down the center and pinch the ends to keep them in place. When they are shaped and look like this place them on the baking sheets. Put the pretzels into the boiling water two at a time for about 30 seconds. Take them out with a spatula and place them back on the baking mat twist side up! Now for the egg wash! Mix together one tbsp water and one egg yolk. Brush the top of each pretzel so they have a nice shine. Sprinkle them with course salt and put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving. In the meantime get out your favorite dips and serve warm, yum! PRAYER TO ST. MONICA Exemplary Mother of the Great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son, not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray. Amen. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday. For more liturgical living resources check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to celebrate feast days.

Note: I hope you enjoy this little story of mine, I wrote it back in 2019 for Spoken Bride and thought it might be fitting to share as we celebrate the feast of St. Valentine. Novenas, roses, and a fateful road trip to Wisconsin. Steffani knew, coming back from a trip in 2012, that Dominick would be her future husband. But they wouldn’t be married until six years later. Their love story is a beautiful reflection of patience, prayer, and deep friendship that poured over into marriage. At their gorgeous autumn wedding, in true southern style, they made their vows before God and joyfully waltzed the night away with family and friends. From the Bride: Dominick and I met in 2012 during my senior year of college. We were on a road trip with a group of friends to Wisconsin for a mutual friend's wedding. Dominick was an altar server and I was a bridesmaid. When we arrived in Wisconsin, we all spent an evening outdoors at a quaint house settled in the middle of acres of land and corn fields. Dominick gave me his shoes to sit on in the grass, and we immediately clicked over a mutual love of beauty in nature, books, music, art, and theology. We spent the rest of the trip like this: escaping to take nature walks to talk about life and each other, dancing, and star gazing. It all sounds so cliché, but it really was adventurous, romantic, and sweet. It was exactly what I had been praying for after a couple relationships that left me feeling hopeless. I had been writing letters to my future spouse since 2010 about how God was converting my heart. I said countless novenas to St. Joseph for the grace to prepare me and the husband I did not yet know. I also prayed the novena to St. Therese of Lisieux frequently, in which it is said she will deliver a rose as an affirmation of her intercession. When we returned from Wisconsin I knew, perhaps from intuition, that Dominick was the man I was going to marry. Perhaps it was Divine Providence that he asked me to be his girlfriend with a single rose he picked from the garden at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. I took it as a blessing delivered by St. Therese. I didn’t know it was the same garden where he would ask me to be his wife almost six years later, and I would present him with the letters I had been writing and holding on to for almost eight years. God and his saints have a way of planning things better than I ever can, and I kept this reality present and true while preparing for our wedding day. Preparation for the vocation of marriage and not just the wedding day was the heartbeat of our engagement. That was the most common advice shared with us by married couples, and we took that very seriously. We went to confession and Mass often, prayed together more, and read books like Three to Get Married by Venerable Fulton Sheen and By Love Refined by Alice von Hildebrand for discussion. We reminded each other often of the wise words from our sponsor couple: “marriage is not about you, it’s about God.” The highlight of our engagement was our betrothal ceremony, which we performed on the Nativity of Mary to dedicate our sacramental engagement to her Immaculate Conception. We did it with the prayer that Mary might help purify and perfect the “giving of our troth” to each other. We wanted our nuptial Mass to be an expression of God’s gift of beauty. This was our goal, to give back to God what he had given abundantly to us. My husband is a liturgist, and I am a theology teacher and Catholic event planner, so liturgy is a common topic in our relationship. It would no doubt be our top priority and the longest part of our planning. Dominick and I spent much of our relationship going to Mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, a Dominican parish filled with gorgeous, detailed architecture, woodwork, and stained glass, so we knew we wanted to get married there. In fact, this was where Dominick would have proposed to me, but it took him too long to get the words out. And so we ended up at the rose garden instead. Coincidence? Not likely! We both love the Traditional Latin Mass, which Dominick grew up with. I was drawn into it during a major conversion through youth ministry and was more accustomed to the Novus Ordo (the most commonly used form of the Mass after Vatican II, usually spoken in the vernacular), as were many of our guests. After we considered doing the Traditional Latin Mass, we decided to use more traditional elements within the Ordinary Form such as chanting the Mass parts in Latin and singing the antiphons with more contemporary songs as the preludes. It was the perfect package of old and new. We wanted to pick readings that were truly expressive of our shared faith, so I picked the Old Testament reading, and he picked the New Testament reading. As a romantic, I chose lines from the Song of Songs which have always spoken to my heart. It is the story of the lover and the beloved, of God pursuing me and my relationship with Dominick being a delightful reflection of that. Dominick chose Ephesians 5, a tough passage, but a reading that we reflected and prayed with throughout our engagement with the help of the deacon who led our marriage prep. It is a reading we encouraged each other to live out, and one that we wanted our guests to hear and hold us accountable to. The highest point of the entire nuptial Mass was receiving the Eucharist with my husband. My soul experienced something in that moment that was beyond understanding. It was an elevation that brought me to tears, and I was fully aware that I was now united to this man in a way I would never be united to any other human being--by sharing Jesus’ Eucharistic sacrifice in an intimate way as husband and wife. My entrance song was “Eternal Source of Light Divine” composed by Handel. We coordinated a schola choir with our musically-talented friends who gifted us with their voices and sang the Ode, which was a heavenly piece as Dominick and I saw one another for the first time. We decided not to do a first look to preserve this moment, but had a private moment of prayer instead and said the last day of our St. Josemaria Escriva novena for a faithful and happy marriage. We were married in November, so we decided on an “autumnal southern charm” styled wedding. The décor was filled with deep, rich gem tones and mauve and gold accent colors. Being very much a southern girl, I knew I wanted a Gone with the Wind, antique, grand feel to our wedding and reception--but on a budget. We found a large plantation-style venue tucked away on a pecan orchard to capture the look we wanted. It was so dreamy. We were extremely fortunate that many of our friends and coworkers donated items we needed like printing, invitations, and decorations. I did a few DIY projects like floral lantern toppers, grand entrance bell wands, and “bride” and “groom” chair wreaths. We splurged here and there on antique pieces, like the mirror we used for our seating arrangement and frames. Our nostalgic invitations echoed our theme as well with mauve calligraphy and deckled edge paper. Our guest book was a poster of two characters made to look like us, and it now hangs nicely in our home. Since my husband is Italian-American, our sweets table was filled with some of our favorite treats made by my mother-in-law. We added Catholic touches by incorporating saints that played important parts in our lives on our table numbers. I got ready before the wedding at Link Lee Mansion, where we also had our rehearsal dinner. It is such a stunning location at our alma mater. I soaked in time with my best friends and listened to their stories about marriage and motherhood while drinking mimosas and being pampered by our hair and make up team. They also gifted me with a basket of wine; one bottle from each of them for a major moment in our marriage with handwritten cards fit to make a bride cry. My favorite moments after Mass were filled with dancing! Our first dance was a waltz to “La Vie En Rose.” My husband and I love to ballroom dance, so we showed each other off with our practiced waltz step. At every Aquila wedding his family circles up and sways back and forth, singing at the top of their lungs, and kicking their legs to the song “New York, New York.” My husband is one of eleven, so the evening was filled with lots of people, joy, and laughter. We also had a private last dance. I stole this idea from a wedding I had worked a couple years before. While people lined up to see us leave, we shared a dance alone in the ballroom to a Glen Hansard song that we sang to each other in our first year of dating. As the song goes, “maybe I was born to hold you in these arms.” Our wedding day was the start of a journey I believe I was truly meant for. Taking time to spiritually prepare the way we did only made our transition into married life that much better. It's not always easy, but knowing that we set a strong foundation of prayer and receiving the sacraments together gives us the graces we need. Savoring all the joy-filled moments of the day and not getting caught up in details I could no longer change put the emphasis back on us, our vocation, and God. We were supported in every step of our engagement by our parish community, family, and friends who constantly poured love and laughter upon us. Dominick and I both believe a relationship is not meant to turn in on itself but is meant to be shared with the Christian community. My cup has run over from the many blessings this provided to us. Photography: Ten23 Photography | Church: Holy Rosary Catholic Church Houston, TX | Reception: The Estates at Pecan Park | Flowers: Mary Tran | Invitations & Stationary- Pax Paper (Dominika Ramos) | Bride's Dress: Allure Bridal | Veil: Custom Cathedral Veil (Cindy Rose) | Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair and Makeup: BP Artistry | Rings: Helzberg Diamonds | Groom and Groomsmen Suits: Men's Wearhouse | Cake: Magical Memories Made Simple | DJ: Dave Clark Events

A Quick Glimpse at Our Lady of Lourdes The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is February 11th and one of the most widely known Marian Apparitions to Catholics all over the world. Our Lady appeared to a young girl named St. Bernadette numerous times beginning in 1858 in Southern France. Initially she was met with doubt by local officials who heard her story, but after returning to the grotto several times Our Lady revealed herself to the young girl and many villagers believed her. On March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation, Our Lady revealed herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception. A dogma of the Catholic faith that states, "from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is a doctrine revealed by God and, for this reason, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful." Commonly associated with Our Lady of Lourdes is the grotto which she asked St. Bernadette to drink from, water which we now know to be holy water which has healed and cured people of many ailments. You can read more about those miracles here. About This Recipe For this feast day we are making Chicken Cordon Bleu, which sounds much fancier than it actually is to make. This translates to "blue ribbon," which is perfectly fitting for the Marian Apparition where we see Our Lady wearing a wide blue ribbon tied around her waist. Additionally, and not related to Our Lady but still interesting, according to Larousse Gastronomique, a French food encyclopedia, "the phrase dates back to medieval times when the most prestigious order a knight could earn was called the Cross of the Holy Spirit. The honor was signified by a medal that hung from a blue ribbon known as Le Cordon Bleu. Over time, the blue ribbon became a symbol of excellence. The term, meanwhile, became associated with food that meets the highest of standards or that is prepared by the most prestigious chefs." There are a multitude of ways to craft this dinner, but this is how we do it in my home. Let's get dinner going! Prep Time: 12 minutes Bake Time: 30-35 minutes Yields: 4 servings The Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breast, thin sliced 4 pieces of prosciutto 10 slices of swiss cheese 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1 egg Salt Pepper Non-stick cooking spray Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap or foil and pound down to about 1/4 inch thick. The chicken I purchased, thin sliced, was about this thick. Salt and pepper on both sides. To cover my pieces of chicken I needed two slices of Swiss cheese per piece, perhaps your chicken is a little wider and shorter, just use one piece then. Next, lay the prosciutto across the Swiss cheese. You could also uses slices of ham from the deli, but I prefer prosciutto. Roll the chicken up like a pinwheel, and place a toothpick in the side or the top to keep it secure while it's cooking. Now we are going to dredge the chicken in egg and then breadcrumbs. In one prep bowl, combine one egg and one tbsp water then whisk together. In another bowl, pour in 3/4 cup breadcrumbs. Note: For this part I did have to remove the toothpick momentarily as I placed the chicken roll in the egg, and then the breadcrumbs. Once I completed that process I put the toothpick back in. Bake for 30 minutes then take the chicken out, place half of a Swiss cheese slice across the top, and put back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Check your chicken to make sure it has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Note: Instead of simply topping with Swiss cheese, you can serve this with a creamy wine sauce or a dijon cream sauce across the top. Slice and serve hot, displaying the side of the pinwheel. Our Lady of Lourdes Prayer for Healing O ever-Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; look with mercy on me. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favours; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with complete confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. (mention your petition) Through gratitude for your favours, I will endeavour to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory. Amen. Did you make this recipe? If so I would love to see it, drop a picture in the comment or send it to me on social media Facebook @HisGirlSunday or Instagram @steffani_hisgirlsunday. For more resources on building Catholic tradition, check out the blog section of my website or follow me on Facebook to see what Catholic things I am doing to make our day to day life more joyful. See you in the Eucharist, Steffani

We enter into what I've heard some call the "Triduum of Fire," beginning February 1st with the Feast of St. Brigid. Following that on February 2nd we celebrate Candlemas (the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord), and then on February 3rd is the Feast of St. Blaise. These days appropriately mark the midway point between winter and spring, short daylight and darkness, in that each feast is highlighted by fire! More specifically, they each characterize the prophetic words of Simeon "a light to reveal you to the nations," which we can see closely related to each feast. (Lk 2:32). In doing some reading about these feast days I noticed that some like to focus on the Catholic weirdness of these celebrations, getting your candles or throat blessed. Don't get me wrong I am right there with them, being a Catholic is fun and at times very interesting, but there is so much more than that. There is theological depth that makes these feast days quite profound, specifically Candlemas, and completely understated. St. Brigid of Kildare (February 1st) St. Brigid of Kildare was born around 450AD to a Christian woman and slave that was baptized by St. Patrick. She was said to be a very giving and thoughtful girl who became consecrated to a religious order and later became an abbess. The most popular story is about her cloak which she was carrying as she approached the King to give her land to build a monastery. As to be expected he denied her, but in her pleading she countered him by asking for as much land as her cloak would cover. When she and the others there helped her stretch out the cloak, it covered several acres which she was permitted to use for a monastery. Tradition tells us that at the monastery she founded, the nuns kept an eternal fire burning for her. In fact, this fire is said to have lasted from St. Brigid's death in 525 to 1220! It was also said to have been lit again later and burned for 400 years until the Protestant Reformation. Hence, the association of St. Brigid with the perpetual flame. However, I can't go without mentioning, given the words I quoted earlier from Simeon, the fire that Christianizes the Irish pagan rituals. There was a Celtic goddess also named Brigid that was worshipped by many and embodied the element of fire. Before Christianity a fire was kept lit in Kildare (the place St. Brigid is from) for the Celtic goddess Brigid, and women would tend to this ritual fire while praying for good harvests. However, as Christianity began to spread, this ritual flame that was once used as a pagan symbol was Christianized. The many followers that once worshipped the goddess then became followers of Christ through Celtic saints like Brigid. Just as Simeon says, "a light to reveal you to the nations", nations being interpreted as all people, Jews and Gentiles (pagans). Christ is the light that burns perpetually for us to see what is true and makes a way for us to salvation. (Image: Patheos) Candlemas (February 2nd) The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, also known as Candlemas, is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. On this day Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the temple to make an offering and dedicate their child to God. In the 1962 missal this feast would have been referred to as the "Purification of Mary," which refers to Mary being considered unclean after giving birth and in need of ritual purification and readmittance into the liturgical life of Israel. Even though this feast day isn't a part of the Christmas season, it is considered a "Christmas feast" given that it is the last one pertaining to Christ's infancy. Candlemas comes from the Canticle of Simeon and the liturgical practices that developed in relation to it. "Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:29-32 The blessing and procession of candles on this feast day became a common tradition that tapered out for some parishes but is definitely back on the rise. Even if your parish doesn't bless candles as a part of the Mass, you can always bring them with you and ask your priest to bless them for you. After you get home with your blessed candles you can use them for the rest of the liturgical year by putting them on your home altar/ prayer space, lighting them on feast day dinners, lighting them for baptismal anniversaries (especially if you can't find your baptismal candle like me), or putting them in your Advent wreath. Remember, after they are blessed the candles are considered sacramentals, so they are not to be disposed of, but rather burned or buried when you are finished using them. Here is our home altar with the blessed candles on it. (Image: His Girl Sunday) Why the Christmas Tree is Still Up For the last several years I have noticed the charitable disagreement about when Christmas ends and when their tree comes down. Some take their decorations down immediately after Christmas day, others wait until Epiphany, and some the Baptism of the Lord. As for my house, after the Baptism of the Lord when the Christmas Season ends according to the General Roman Calendar, I take down my Christmas decorations. However, I do not take down anything down that directly relates to the infant Jesus or light. More specifically I leave up the nativity scene, Christmas tree, and lit garland which I do because it makes more theological sense. I have actually found in building Catholic tradition and having formally studied theology, that you get the most richness of the Church's traditions when you blend the old and new calendars. So, that is what we do! Candlemas, while technically not in the Christmas season anymore and some would argue never actually was, is still a Christmas feast! We are powerfully reminded that Jesus is the light born for the world in Christmas, and looking forward he is the light of salvation in Easter. Through the words of Simeon, with Christ we can truly see, our eyes are opened! Through liturgical living I want to capture this and be physically reminded of all this meaning and tradition in my home. So, on Candlemas the tree and garland are lit, the candles all have their flames, and we pray on this last infancy feast day for the great gift of the Christ child. (Image: His Girl Sunday) St. Blaise (February 3rd) The "Triduum of Fire" is concluded with the feast of St. Blaise who was a 3rd century bishop that was known for his pastoral care of the faithful. When Blaise was ordered to be arrested he was able to escape by fleeing to the wilderness. It was there that he met a woman in his ministry who later would bring him candles to light his dark and dreary cell when he was eventually captured. It is interesting that we see here again the canticle repeated, not explicitly of course but in meaning. St. Blaise is persecuted under the Roman Empire, pagans, imprisoned by them and kept in darkness. Yet here again there is light: through St. Blaise and his love for Christ, the woman and her care for St. Blaise, and ultimately Christ who transforms everything in His light including Rome which is eventually Christianized. The Blessing of Throats tradition comes from a miracle that St. Blaise performed on a young boy who was said to be choking. St. Blaise blessed the child and he was healed of his ailment. The practice of blessing throats comes from this story and perhaps it is done with two candles sticks crossed over one another in remembrance of the woman that helped St. Blaise light his prison cell. Again, with this feast day and its traditions we are reminded through the flame of the candles that Christ is the light that dispels all darkness. As a way to celebrate all of these feast days I thought I would give brief and easy suggestions for each. Building Tradition at Home St. Brigid: Light a fire in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit and make St. Brigid crosses together. Candlemas: Go to mass and have the candles that you will use in your home for this liturgical year blessed by a priest. Have a candlelit dinner with your lit Christmas tree and/or garland for the last time this season. St. Blaise: Have your throat blessed at Mass and cook fish for dinner. I hope you enjoy the next few days of celebrations with your family and if you need more ideas follow along with me at His Girl Sunday on Facebook. You can also subscribe to get once a month notices of ways to build Catholic tradition at home, fun recipes, and more theology! Let me know what you did at your house by commenting below or sharing with me on Facebook. Have a blessed "Triduum of Fire"!