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Novena for August

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Saint Philomena

 

291 – 304

Feast Day: August 11

Patron of: the Poor

 

Keywords: the poor, children, babies, priests, lost causes, youth

Symbols: palms, arrows, anchor, crown

 

Quote:  “For the love of God!  It might well be that her name is not Philomena, but this Saint has performed many miracles and it is not the name that did them.”   Padre Pio

 

Never official canonized, and listed in the local Calendar of Saints for only 130 years before being removed, Saint Philomena enjoys a unique and fervid following among common people, popes and saints. Her remains discovered seventeen centuries after her death, Saint Philomena is known as one of the great Wonder Workers of the nineteenth century and is the only person declared a saint based solely on their intercessionary powers. Recognized for her miraculous influence by six popes and ten different saints who have claimed personal experiences through her intervention, she is called upon when things look most hopeless. Discovered by a priest who hailed from a poverty-stricken parish near Naples, she is said to be particularly in tune with the needs of the poor.

 

In 1802, the bones of a girl between the ages of 13 and 15 were discovered in the Catacombs of Priscilia in Rome, Italy. Three tiles closing off her space hollowed into the rock read, “Peace be with thee, Philomena”. Entombed with the girl was a vial thought to contain blood as well as drawings of a palm, two anchors and three arrows. Because these images were well known symbols used by early Christians to convey martyrdom, it was established that the girl was one of the many virgin martyrs in the early, underground church. In 1805 a young priest from the diocese of Nola (a district near Naples) requested the Vatican to allow him to obtain a relic for the new altar in the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Mugnano. Because he felt a spiritual affinity when he was near her remains, he was allowed to take the relics of the recently discovered virgin martyr back with him. Before her remains were translated to the church, they were put on display in Naples. Almost immediately, there were reports of miraculous healing. When her relics arrived in Mugnano on August 11, 1805, a cult rapidly grew, attributing many miracles to the intercession of the little martyr.

 

In 1833 a Neapolitan nun, Sister Maria Luisa de Gesu, claimed to have a vision of Philomena who relayed her life story. According to her vision, Philomena was the daughter of the king of Corfu in Greece. When the Emperor Diocletian of Rome threatened her father’s kingdom with war, he traveled to Rome with his family in order to obtain peace. There Philomena discovered Christianity and vowed her virginity to Christ. When the Emperor saw how beautiful she was, he asked to marry her. When the young girl refused him, she was tortured and then drowned with an anchor tied around her neck. When two angels raised her up out of the sea, she was shot with arrows. After this failed to kill her, she was decapitated. According to the nun’s vision, Philomena declared that August 11th, the day her relics were installed in Mugnano, was also the anniversary of her death.

 

In 1835, when Pauline Jaricot, the well-known and respected French reformer was gravely ill with heart disease, she made a pilgrimage to Mugnano and was completely cured by Philomena. News of this event spread throughout France and Spain and Philomena attracted such notable devotees as Saint Anthony Mary Claret from Spain and Saint John Vianney of France who built his own shrine to the little martyr. Several popes, while still cardinals paid visits to Philomena’s shrine. Pope Pius IX credits her with curing him of epilepsy. Saints such as Francis Xavier Cabrini, Padre Pio and Father Damian are numbered among her devotees. When the Calendar of Saints was reassessed to only list saints who had historical proof of their existence, Philomena lost her place. Her cult is still very strong and pilgrims from around the world visit her shrine in Mugnano.

 

Symbols:

Crown – of royal birth

Anchor – early Christian symbol of being ‘anchored by Christ’

Palms – martyrdom

Arrows – method of martyrdom

 

NOVENA PRAYER TO SAINT PHILOMENA

 

O Faithful Virgin and glorious martyr, St. Philomena, who works so many miracles on behalf of the poor and sorrowing, have pity on me. Thou knowest the multitude and diversity of my needs. Behold me at thy feet, full of misery, but full of hope. I entreat thy charity, O great Saint! Graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I now humbly lay before thee.. (mention your intention).

I am firmly convinced that through thy merits, through the scorn, the sufferings and the death thou didst endure, united to the merits of the Passion and death of Jesus, thy Spouse, I shall obtain what I ask of thee, and in the joy of my heart I will bless God, who is admirable in His Saints. Amen.

 

End with:

Saint Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us!
Saint Philomena, powerful with God, hear our prayers!

 

(Redacted from the soon to be released “Novena” app by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua.)

Novena for July

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Saint Ann and Saint Joachim

First Century B.C.

Feast Day: July 26

Patron of : Grandparents

Keywords: child rearing, childless people, fathers, family crisis, infertility, mothers, pregnancy

Quote: “O blessed couple, all the world is indebted to you, for it is by your means that it can offer to its Creator the most excellent gift possible, her who is worthy to be Mother of His only Son.”   -St. JohnDamascene

Symbols: two white doves, meeting at the golden gate, teaching the Virgin Mary

Grandparents are the foundation of a family and we invoke Saints Joachim and Ann for strength in every sort of family crisis. As  parents of the Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus Christ, they offer a vast array of earthly experiences relatable to every human being. Infertility, late parenthood, an unmarried pregnant daughter, a grandson who was imprisoned and executed, are all parts of their life together which they accepted with grace and dignity.

Joachim and Ann are  important as moral examples  rather than truthful historical figures. According to legend, Joachim and Ann were married twenty years and still had not conceived a child. Living inNazareththey were upstanding citizens, always tithing one third of their income to the temple. After many years, their barrenness was considered a form of divine judgment and eventually their contribution to the temple was refused and they were ostracized by their community. In shame, Joachim went off to live with his shepherds. There he was visited by an angel who told him, that Ann was pregnant with a child named Mary who was to be dedicated to the Lord. He was to return home and find his wife, who would be waiting at the golden gate, the entrance to the city. Doing as he was told, his joyful reunion with Ann at the golden gate has become a famous image in art history.

Mary was raised according to the instructions of the angel, she was consecrated to the Lord at infancy and sent off to live in the temple, away from the world, at the age of three. Accepting this great sacrifice of giving up what is most cherished to God, Joachim and Ann acted out an almost impossible act of faith. Though Saint Annwas younger and lived much longer than her husband, she and Joachim are inseparable in sharing the important patronage of grandparents.

Explanation:

A rare image of Joachim as an older father, instructing the Virgin Mary to listen to God.

God is directly speaking to this Father and daughter.

Lily: the purity of Mary.

Novena to Saints Joachim and Ann

Saints Joachim and Ann, grandparents of Jesus and parents of Mary, we seek your intercession. We beg you to direct all our actions to the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. Strengthen us when we are tempted, console us during our trials, help us when we are in need, be with us in life and in death.

O divine savior, we thank you for having chosen saint Joachim and Ann to be the parents of our Blessed Mother Mary and so to be your beloved grandparents. We place ourselves under their patronage this day. We recommend to them our families, our children, and our grandchildren. Keep them from all spiritual and physical harm. Grant that they may ever grow in greater love of God and others.

Saints Joachim and Ann, we have many great needs. We beg you to intercede for us before the throne of your divine grandson. All of us here have our special intentions, our own special needs, and we pray that through your intercession our prayers may be granted. Amen.

(Mention your request here)

(Excerpted from the new NOVENA APP by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua, available soon).

Dining With the Saints in Honor of Saint Rosalia

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The Feast Day of Santa Rosalia

 

Santa Rosalia is the patron Saint of Palermo, Sicily and her feast day on July 15th, known for centuries as Il Festino, was once on of the most elaborate events in all of Europe, stretching out sometimes to eight days of grand Baroque celebration with gloriously decorated guilt chariots, fireworks, and a passeggiata of nobility that made the throngs of spectators crazy with excitement. There was no better place to witness this extravaganza than in Palermo itself.

Il Festino, although not as lavish as it once was, is still quite the occasion, lasting two full days, beginning on July13th. The centerpiece of the feast of Santa Rosalia has always been a huge, ornate chariot shaped like a ship and decorated with golden seashells.  A modern and scaled down model of the original chariot, first unveiled in 1701, is still  pulled down Palermo’s main streets by six horses and filled with a forty piece orchestra dressed in pink and purple velvet, all in honor of the Saint the Sicilians have nicknamed La Santuzza, the little saint, the women who in 1624 appeared to a hunter in a vision, after not being seen since 1159, to save Palermo from a devastating plague.

Sicily’s unusual assortment of street food is what occupies the spectators while they wait for the golden chariot of Santa Rosalia to pass by and then the grand finale fireworks show. Small painted carts, some drawn by donkeys, are loaded with roasted fava beans and chick peas, carob pods, salty lupini beans, roasted hazelnuts, fried rice balls known as arancine, anchovies, octopus, and babbaluci, tiny garlic and parsley flavored snails that everyone digs out of their shells with toothpicks.

Sicily’s famous ice cream and sorbetti is also very  much a presence at this feast, offered in traditional flavors such as lemon, jasmine, cinnamon, mandarin, orange flower water, watermelon and cantaloupe. You can also sample Palermo’s famous gelo di melone, a classic cold watermelon gelatin decorated with chocolate, pistachios, almond paste, and candied fruits, a perfect example of the Sicilian’s love of elaborate sweets. I was once served this in a restaurant and it came presented in a pastry shell and decorated with fresh jasmine flowers. Watermelon sorbetto, also flavored with cinnamon, chocolate, and pistachios, and sometimes jasmine water, is a lot easier to make than the gelatin version. Here’s my version. It’s exotic and amazingly refreshing, the perfect way to celebrate the feast of Santa Rosalia, and to help you get through a hot July day. Choose a dark pink, locally grown watermelon for best flavor and color.

Watermelon Sorbetto with Bittersweet Chocolate

(This recipe is from my book The Flavors of Southern Italy, published by John Wiley & Sons)

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup water

1 5 pound piece of ripe watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The grated zest from 1 small lemon

1 egg white, whisked until foamy

A handful of unsalted, shelled pistachios

½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Bring it to a boil and let it bubble for about 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let this cool completely.

Add the watermelon chunks to a food processor a handful at a time, pulsing them to a fairly smooth puree (don’t worry about the seeds). Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl (help it along by whisking it). Continue until you’ve used up all the watermelon. You should have about 4 ½ cups of juice. Add the sugar syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, and egg white, mixing everything well. Chill the watermelon mixture for several hours, or until very cold.

Now pour it into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions until halfway frozen. Add the pistachios and the chocolate and continue freezing until firm. Garnish each serving with a few mint sprigs (or fresh jasmine flowers if you happen to have any).

 

Dining with the Saints is a monthly feature written by the chef and food writer Erica De Mane. Check out her blog at http://www.ericademane.com

Novena for June

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Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

1568–1591

Feast Day: June 21

Patron: AIDS sufferers, AIDS caregivers

Keywords: teenagers, lust, AIDS, pulmonary disease, youth

Quote: “It is better to be a child of God then king of the whole world.”

Symbols: lily, cross, skull, rosary

A duke from the legendary Gonzaga family of Mantua, Aloysius Gonzaga was born to inherit great wealth and to rule alongside the best families of Europe. While still a teenager he defied his powerful father, renouncing his birth rite in order to become a Jesuit novice. Weak in physical health but living a strong interior life, he knew he would not live long. He happily accepted his destiny and put himself into the hands of the Virgin Mary. Despite his fragile constitution, he insisted on caring for plague victims during a particularly virulent outbreak quickly decimating the city of Rome. He fell ill and lingered for months fully knowing his fate. Because his life was cut short at such an early age, and because he understood both the caregiver and patient side of serious illness, he is invoked by those with AIDS as well as those who tend sufferers of that disease. His novena is written by himself, commending his future to the Virgin Mary who he had a strong devotion to.

Though his father wanted him to be a great soldier, Aloysius Gonzaga was always a pious youth. He obediently served as a page in the Florentine court of Lorenzo de Medici and in the more auspicious Spanish noble court. Still, political ambition held no interest for him and he was appalled by the corruption and licentious behavior of the nobility. While in Spain he read a book about Jesuit missionaries in India and decided to join them for foreign missionary work. His father did everything in his power to prevent his son from giving up all his earthly privileges. When it appeared that Aloysius could not be persuaded away from the religious life, his family implored him to at least accept a higher office in the Italian church. Instead, he insisted on his birth rite being transferred to his younger brother and entered the Jesuit house of Sant’ Andrea in Rome as a lowly novice.

The Jesuits found Aloysius too extreme in his devotions and force him to eat better, mix with his fellows more and to distract himself with physical recreation. As the plague swept Rome in 1591, the Jesuits opened their own hospital, forbidding Aloysius from working there due to his fragile physical disposition. As many of his brethren were felled by the illness, Aloysius threw himself into the role of caregiver with all his capabilities. No chore was considered too humble for him to do. He himself fell in March of that year and was given the last rites. He surprised everyone by recovering from that bout. Three months later, he was bedridden with a low grade fever. Though his condition seemed routine, he announced his impending death. Once again he was given the last rites and died during the prayers for the departing.

Because of Aloysius Gonzaga’s personal inner strength at such a young age, he is called upon by teenagers at times of peer pressure. Since he knew exactly wanted to be as a teenager, he is also called upon by the young to help recognize an occupation or state of life.

Symbols:

Lily: purity

Rosary: devotion to Mary

Cross: contemplation

Skull: a contemplative life

Invoked: for help in choosing a state of life; against lust

 

Prayer Commending Oneself to Mary by Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

O holy Mary, my Mistress, into thy blessed trust and special blessing, into the bosom of thy tender mercy, this day, every day of my life and at the hour of my death, I commend my soul and body; to thee I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that through thy most holy intercession and thy merits, all my actions may be ordered and disposed according to thy will and that of thy divine Son. Amen.

(redacted from the upcoming Novena app by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua)

Novena for May

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Novena to the Holy Spirit

To be said between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost

(For 2012 Ascension Thursday falls on May 17th)

This is the oldest novena, dating back to the very birth of the church and its importance cannot be underestimated. When Christ first appeared to the apostles forty days after the crucifixion, he sent them to Jerusalem to await the Holy Spirit and instructed them to pray for nine days. This novena, written in the Middle Ages, is said for nine days prior to Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, and is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength, love, and wisdom needed by all. In art, the Holy Spirit is always depicted as a white dove.

Each of the nine days was given a different prayer with a different subject to contemplate. After each daily prayer, the Our Father and Hail Mary are to be recited once each and the Glory Be is to be recited seven times.

The following two prayers are said every day with your novena:

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body, to you, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of your purity, the unerring keenness of your justice, and the might of your love. You are the strength and light of my soul. In you I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve you by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against you. Mercifully guard my every thought, and grant that I may always watch for your light and listen to your voice and follow your gracious inspirations. I cling to you and give myself to you and ask you, by your compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced feet of Jesus and looking at his five wounds, and trusting in his precious blood and adoring his opened side and stricken heart, I implore you, adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, to keep me in your grace so that I may never sin against you. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to you always and everywhere, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Amen.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, who before ascending into heaven promised to send the Holy Spirit to finish your work in the souls of your apostles and disciples, to gran the same Holy Spirit to me that he may perfect in my soul the work of your grace and your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal: the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of your divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest way of choosing God and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with you and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the saints; the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear, that I amy be filled with a loving reverence toward God and may dread in any way to displease him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of your true disciples and animate me in all things with your Spirit. Amen.

FIRST DAY: The Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit! Lord of Light!

From thy clear celestial height,

Thy pure beaming radiance give!

Almighty and eternal God, who have vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and have given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold, Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

SECOND DAY: The Gift of Fear

Come, thou Father of the poor!

Come, with treasures which endure!

Come, thou light of all that live!

Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart that I may set you, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend you, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of your Divine Majesty in heaven, where you llive and reign in the unity of the Blessed Trinity, God without end. Amen.

THIRD DAY: The Gift of Piety

Thou, of all consolers best,

Visiting the troubled breast

Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart; enkindle therein such a love for God that I may find satisfaction only in his service, and for his sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen

FOURTH DAY: The Gift of Fortitude

Thou in toil are comfort sweet,

Pleasant coolness in the heat;

Solace in the midst of woe.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weaknesses, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from you, my God and greatest Good. Amen.

FIFTH DAY: The Gift of Knowledge

Light immortal! Light divine!

Visit thou these hearts of thine,

And our inmost being fill.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to you, and your eternal rewards. Amen.

SIXTH DAY: The Gift of Understanding

If thou take thy grace away,

Nothing pure in man will stay,

All his good is turned to ill.

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation, and may merit at last to see the eternal light in your light, and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of you and the Father and the Son. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY: The Gift of Counsel

Heal our wounds – our strength renew;

On our dryness pour thy dew;

Wash the stains of guilt away!

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do your holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good, turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of your commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

EIGHTH DAY: The Gift of Wisdom

Bend the stubborn heart and will;

Melt the frozen, warm the chill;

Guide the steps that go astray!

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power, and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of the earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

NINTH DAY: The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Thou, on those who evermore

Thee confess and thee adore,

In thy sevenfold gifts, descend;

Give them comfort when they die;

Give them life with thee on high;

Give them joy which never ends. Amen.

Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with your heavenly fruits, your charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to your inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with you in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

(From the book, “Novena: The Power of Prayer” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua)

Novena for April

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Novena Prayer to Saint Bernadette

Feast Day: April 16

Patron of: Illness, Sick People, Shepherds, Shepherdesses, People ridiculed for piety; Lourdes, France

Dear Saint Bernadette,

Chosen by Almighty God as a channel of His Graces and Blessings, and through your humble obedience to the requests of Our Blessed Mother, Mary, you gained for us the miraculous waters of spiritual and physical healing.

We implore you to listen to our pleading prayers that we may be healed of our Spiritual and physical imperfections.
Place our petitions in the Hands of our Holy Mother, Mary, so that she may place them at the feet of her beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that he may look on us with mercy and compassion: (Make Petition)

Help, O Dear Saint Bernadette to follow your example, so that irrespective of our own pain and suffering we may always be mindful of the needs of others, especially those whose sufferings are greater than ours.
As we await the Mercy of God, remind us to offer up our pain and suffering for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins and blasphemies of mankind.

Pray for Saint Bernadette, that like you, we may always be obedient to the will of Our Heavenly Father, and that through our prayers and humility we may bring consolation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary that have been so grievously wounded by our sins.
Holy Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, Pray for us.

Amen

Dining With the Saints

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A Simple Ricotta Cake to Celebrate Easter

When I was a kid, Easter, culinarily speaking, meant Italian ricotta cake. We never made them at home, but purchased a Pastiera, the only-made-at-Easter time version of this cake from Rocco’s bakery on Long Island. The Pastiera contains whole wheat berries, candied fruit, and a beautiful lattice top. Rocco’s version was flavored with  orange flower water and vanilla, aromas that made the shop smell exotic.

This is a fabulous cake and a great Southern Italian tradition. It’s also, as I discovered when I finally decided to bake one myself, quite time consuming. This Easter I’ve decided to play around with the classic recipe, streamlining it, but without losing any of its alluring flavor. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I did away with the crust and lightened the filling with beaten egg whites. I keep the vanilla and orange flower water flavoring which, for me, really makes this cake special. The resulting recipe, to my amazement, baked up elegant, incredibly fragrant, and almost as light as a soufflé, and this version, I kid you not, takes only 5 to 8 minutes to assemble. You think you don’t have the time or patience to bake a beautiful ricotta cake this Easter? Think again.

Ricotta Cake With Orange Flower Water and Honey

About a tablespoon or so of softened butter to grease the pan

6 extra large eggs

½ cup sugar

½ cup orange blossom honey

A big pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon orange flower water

The grated zest from 1 large lemon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 large container of whole milk ricotta (about 30 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Grease a nine inch spring form pan with the butter.

Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a food processor and the whites in the bowl of the mixer (either a standing or handheld one).

Add the sugar, honey, salt, vanilla, orange flower water, and lemon zest to the food processor and give it a few good pulses. Now add the ricotta and the nutmeg and process until the mixture is smooth. Pour this into a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites until they achieve the classic stiff peak stage.

Add half the egg whites to the bowl and gently fold them in. Now add the rest of the egg whites and fold until just blended.

Pour this into the greased pan and bake until the cake is browned and puffy and feels fairly firm in the center, about 50 minutes to an hour.

Place the cake on a rack. It’ll immediately deflate a bit, but that’s normal. Let it cool and then remove the rim of the pan.

Dining With the Saints is written by writer and chef Erica De Mane. Visit her at ericademane.com.

Image: “Morning of the Resurrection” by Edward Burne-Jones  1882

Dining With the Saints

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Saint Joseph’s Day

March 19th is Saint Joseph’s feast day. This is a huge holiday for Italians and for Italian-Americans. At one time it was actually an Italian national holiday. As a kid our next door neighbor always made the traditional Neapolitan St. Joseph day fritters called Zeppole di San Guiseppe. They were the most delicious sweet I could imagine and I waited for them every year. She’d hoist a big pot of oil up onto her outdoor barbeque and drop in balls of sweetened dough, cooking them until they were golden and puffy. Then she injected them inside, using a small turkey baster type thing, with a lemon custard. And just to make them richer, each one was topped with a dollop of sweetened ricotta and a cherry. There are many variations on this pastry through the South. In Sicily they’re called sfinci and are usually filled with a cannoli-like filling.

Considering that Saint Joseph’s day falls during Lent, a period of liturgical fasting that coincides with the fasting imposed by nature, this extremely decadent pastry always seemed to me a bit inappropriate for the occasion. That’s Southern Italy for you.

But before anyone gets to bite into one of these treats, everyone sits down to a bowl of bean soup. In Sicily Maccu di San Guiseppe, a soup made from dried favas, chick peas, and chestnuts is one of the bean dishes served, and many families cook up large pots of pasta e fagioli, serving it to anyone who happens to drop by. Here’s my version of an old pasta e fagioli recipe from around Naples. It’s made with a home-made, eggless pasta called lagane and chick peas flavored with hot chilis, parsley and garlic. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph.

Lagane e Ceci

(Serves 4)

For the lagane:

1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups fine durum wheat flour

For the sauce:

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cool water to cover
1 bay leaf, fresh if possible
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 small onion, cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 small, fresh red peperoncino pepper, minced
A sprig of rosemary, the leaves chopped
A splash of dry white wine
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, the leaves lightly chopped
A chunk of firm Caciocavallo cheese (optional)

To cook the chickpeas:

Drain the chickpeas and place them in a large pot. Cover them with cool water by at least 2 inches. Add the bay leaf and turn the heat to high. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat and let them simmer gently, partially covered, until tender, about 1 1/2 hours, but it really depends on how hard your chic peas are. Some can take longer, so start testing them after about 1 1/2 hours. Add more warm water if needed to keep the chickpeas covered. When they’re tender, season them with salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil, and turn off the heat.

To make the pasta:

Pour the water and the salt into the bowl of a food processor and give it a few pulses. Start adding the flour a little at a time, giving it a few pulses each time to work it in. When the flour is incorporated and everything has formed a slightly sticky ball, dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (if the dough seems too dry, drizzle in a tiny bit more warm water and pulse a few more times). Knead until the dough is smooth and shiny, about 8 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set it aside to rest for about 1/2 hour.

Cut the dough into 4 parts. Flour the first piece of dough lightly and run it through a hand-cranked pasta machine several times at each setting until you get to the third-to-last setting. The lagane should be a little thicker than standard fettuccine. Do this with each piece of dough. Lay all the pasta sheets out on a floured surface and let them sit to firm up for about 5 minutes. Now cut the sheets into approximately 1/4-inch-wide strips. Cut the strips into 2-inch lengths. Sprinkle the lagane with a little flour and lay them out so that the pieces don’t touch.

To make the sauce:

Drain the chickpeas, saving all their cooking liquid.

Set up a large pot of pasta cooking water and bring it to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the peperoncino, rosemary, and the garlic, and sauté a minute longer, just to release their fragrances. Add about half of the chickpeas, and sauté them in the oil for about 3 or 4 minutes, letting them turn a little golden. Season with salt. Add the splash of white wine, and let it boil way. Add 1/2 cup of the chickpea cooking water, and let the sauce simmer. You’ll have some chickpeas left over to use for a salad or a side dish (it seems to me if I’m going to take the time to cook dried chickpeas, I might as well make a good amount and use them for different dishes).

Drop the lagane into the water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain well and add them to the skillet. Toss everything together briefly in the skillet, adding a generous drizzle of fresh olive oil and the parsley. Add more salt if needed. You can also add a little extra ceci cooking liquid if it seems dry (the consistency shouldn’t be too soupy, but a little moisture is the traditional texture). Transfer to a warmed serving bowl, and serve with grated Caciocavallo if desired. Often in Southern Italy dishes that contain hot chilies are serves without cheese, but this is not a hard rule, so just follow your taste. I like my lagane e ceci with a little cheese.

(Dining With the Saints is written by chef and writer Erica De Mane. Check out her blog: EricaDeMane.com)

Lenten Novena

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Novena Prayer for the Forty Days of Lent

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, during the Holy Season of Lent You call us to a closer union with Yourself. Help me to prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed. Give me a spirit of loving reverence for You, our Father, and of willing service to my neighbour. As I recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ, bring the image of Your Son to perfection within my soul.

This great season of grace is Your gift to Your family to renew us in spirit. Give me strength to purify my heart, to control my desires, and so to serve You in freedom. Teach me how to live in this passing world with my heart set on the world that will never end.

I ask for the grace to master my sinfulness and conquer my pride. I want to show to those in need Your goodness to me by being kind to all.

Through my observance of Lent, help me to correct my faults and raise my mind to You, and thus grow in holiness that I may deserve the reward of everlasting life.

In your mercy grant me this special favour: (Mention your request).

The days of the life-giving Death and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Your Son, are approaching. This is the hour when He triumphed over Satan’s pride, the time when we celebrate the great event of our Redemption. The Suffering and Death of Your Son brought life to the whole world, moving our hearts to praise Your glory.

The power of the Cross reveals Your judgement of this world and the kingship of Christ crucified. Father, through His love for us and through His Sufferings, Death and Resurrection, may I gain eternal life with You in heaven.

Amen.

 

Dining With the Saints in Honor of Carnevale

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Carnevale literally means ‘good-bye to the flesh’ and this celebratory time of the year, coming right before the restraints of Lent, is when the people of Venice, Italy (and people throughout the Christian world) go to great excesses. Here is their last chance to over eat and carry on with other hedonistic activities until ash Wednesday, when fasting begins. Carnevale also symbolizes the agricultural year put to rest until the spring earth begins again to pour forth its abundance.

Carnevale in Venice is a blaze of color and activity with people drinking prosecco in the streets, stylish balls held on the piazza, fireworks, elaborate floats, and masked processions on the Grand Canal. Masks supposedly give the partying wearer the amnominity to engage in excesses of all types without being recognized.

If you’d like to celebrate Carnevale, Venetian style, an elegant pork dish is really in order. Here’s my version of  a recipe from the Veneto for maile al latte, pork cooked in milk. It’s made with a boneless pork loin so it’s very tender and easy to carve. Serve it with sautéed greens such as spinach or Swiss chard, and a glass or two of Valpolicella.

Maiale al Latte

(Serves six)

An approximately 2 pound boneless pork loin, tied

3 garlic cloves, slivered

10 fresh sage leaves, cut into strips, plus about 5 extra leaves, lightly chopped, for garnish

The zest from 1 small lemon, cut into thin strips

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Extra virgin olive oil

½ quart whole milk, heated to just boiling

Make a bunch of slits all over the pork with a thin knife. Insert the garlic, sage, and lemon strips into the slits. Season the pork well with salt, black pepper, and the nutmeg.

In a high sided casserole, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame. Add the pork and brown it all over. Now pour on the hot milk, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, turning the meat occasionally, until it is just cooked through, about an hour. When the pork is done, the milk will have cooked down to a mass of curdles. This is what you want.

Remove the pork to a cutting board and let it sit for a few minutes. Take off the string and slice in thinly. Lay the pork out on a platter. Spoon the milk curds on top, leaving any that have become too browned in the casserole. Garnish with the remaining sage. Serve hot or warm.

Erica De Mane is a writer and chef. Check out her blog: EricaDeMane.com