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My very favorite part of the day is when my family sits down to dinner together. Around the table something very precious happens. We say grace, then we talk, we laugh, we eat, and we enjoy each other's company. It is a cherished time that we experience as a family-and it happens every night at dinner.
I enjoy cooking so I do not mind preparing a delicious meal for my family almost every night. One of our all-time favorite meals is roast chicken. I love most of the recipes from Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, and she has a wonderful recipe for roast chicken called: "Perfect Roast Chicken". In her recipe you cut up various root veggies like onions, carrots, celery and fennel, mix them together and put them in the bottom of a roasting pan. You sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the veggies and pour a little extra virgin olive oil over them. Then you take your chicken, wash it and dry it well with paper towels. You season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper and add a quartered lemon, a whole head of garlic cut in half and some fresh thyme as well. You place the chicken on the cut-up vegetables in the roasting pan. Then you melt some butter in a pan on the stove and when melted, generously brush the butter all over the chicken. Sprinkle a little kosher salt over the chicken and place it in a pre-heated 425 degree (F) oven for an hour give or take depending on the size of the bird. When cooked correctly, this chicken has tons of flavor, the skin is crispy and beautifully brown in color and the meat is white and juicy. I usually serve it with a rich and flavor-filled homemade gravy made from the pan drippings along with a vegetable like spinach or steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes.
I have made this recipe countless times and most of the time it is cooked to perfection. Sometimes, however, I am rushed for time so I will not include all of the ingredients or sometimes I will just forget an ingredient. Sometimes I miss a step in the preparation and that changes the whole flavor of the chicken. However, most of the time when I make it, it turns out just lovely and it makes our family time at the table that much more special.
When Lisa, Theresa, Judi, Father William and I met this past week, I could not help but notice that preparing and cooking a meal for my family is much like preparing this mission of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for those in Nairobi.
This mission also has certain "ingredients" that are important parts of the mission (the Enthronement certificates and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) but we also have "ingredients" that in and of themselves are not required but will supplement and enhance the mission. We are in the process of gathering all of the "ingredients". Here are a few snaps of them:
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| Sacred Heart of Jesus images that will be used in the Enthronements |
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| Please note the red fabric which will be draped on an easel that will hold an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| Mary's Way of the Cross meditation that will be used for the Stations of the Cross |
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| Stations of the Cross |
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| Rosary Ring (1000 were donated and will be given to those that attend) |
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| Medals of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on one side and the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the other side (Many donated by an individual) |
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| Enthronement Certificates (Printing of the Certificates was donated) |
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| Enthronement Packets, Sacred Hear of Jesus bookmarks, Outline for the mission, and Image of the Rosa Mystica We have been very blessed to have some of these materials donated by various businesses, individuals, couples, a guild and a church organization. Sister Dorothy, an Evangelizing Sister of Mary, translated the Enthronement pamphlet that we will be using for the mission into Swahili for those that do not speak or read English. We are very grateful for all of the generous and varied gifts and donations.
Each item that we are taking are very much like each ingredient in a recipe. The success of the mission is not dependent on the materials, but they certainly add to its' being as fulfilling as it can be. Lisa stated that she heard in a recent homily: "... When one goes on a Mission, they think that they need to take many things, Bibles and such...but what is needed most is to bring them Jesus!"
All the materials or "ingredients" that, when put together, will help make the Enthronement Mission more spiritually-rich and flavor-filled for those that attend...but, more important than all the materials is Jesus.
Thank you for your continued prayers, support and encouragement for this Mission. Together we will bring Jesus to all that we meet, whether we are in Africa, or in our neighborhood, or our home, or wherever God has placed you!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with Infinite Love, pray for us...
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us...
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