Palm Sunday: A reflection                                      April 10, 2022

“He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’” Luke 19:40 

How humbling that things that exist to glorify God in their own way would physically shout out to glorify the Lord if I don’t. Now, as a person created with a mouth and a voice, physically designed to shout out, to cry out, to sing, to praise with song and dance, how often do I fail to cry out to and for Jesus? How often do I fail to speak up on behalf of a brother, a sister, or in the name of the Lord Himself? Even when I know that I should? Especially when I know that I should? How can I make every action declare the glory, praise, and honour of the Lord? If I do not cry “holy” with every breath I take, then the rocks and the hills and the trees will. They already do. And I will not be out done by a mere rock. 

Jesus, you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Help me to breathe your praise, honour, and glory. Let me cry holy every second of my life. Let all of my thoughts and actions point back to you and your glory that shines brighter than a million suns ablaze. Do not let me be out done by a rock in singing your praise. In your holy name I pray. Amen. 

Pax,
Marrick

midway Lent Check in!                                           March 23, 2022

1. Have I done what I said I was going to do to the best of my current abilities?

2. Am I growing closer to the Lord?

3. If you’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, what is something you can do to get back on?

Even Jesus fell 3 times while carrying his cross, and every time, he got back up.  Simon of Cyrene even helped him carry it.  To whom can you reach out and ask to hold you accountable and check in with when the going gets tough?

This Lent, I gave up unnecessary purchases, will be purging my closet and belongings, and adding 5 minutes of designated silence within my day.  We are halfway through Lent, and I have yet to purge my belongings and closet.  I forgot I had committed to silence, and my unnecessary purchases have been going ok.  So, what is the rest of my lent going to look like?  It’ll be setting a daily timer on my phone to remind myself to sit in silence with the Lord and scheduling in a specific time to go through my things.

This is an opportunity to stand up and try again if this lent hasn’t been going how you envisioned, and it’s a time to be gentle with yourself, recognizing we aren’t expected to be perfect.  The Lord knows your heart.
If this Lent has been going well for you, and you’re having the best Lent ever, praise Jesus!  That is awesome.  Keep running the race and keep fighting the Good Fight.

Pax,
Marrick

Lent is just around the corner...                           Feb 23, 2022

Lent is just around the corner, and I caught myself wondering how I’m going to live out this season in my daily life this year.  There’s the never-failing giving up of sweets and snacks, donating old clothes, and/or adding an extra devotional book to guide me in prayer.  This year, I wanted to think outside the box, and instead of falling into the usual Lenten habits I choose every year, I decided to dive deep into the reason for fasting and almsgiving to be able to more accurately choose what’s going to help me journey into the wilderness with Jesus. 

So why do we fast and abstain (especially from meat) during Lent?  I appreciate the way Fr. Michael Van Sloun puts it: 

“Abstinence is a form of penance. Penance expresses sorrow and contrition for our wrongdoing, indicates our intention to turn away from sin and turn back to God, and makes reparation for our sins, it helps to cancel the debt and pay the penalties incurred by our transgressions. Abstinence is a form of asceticism, the practice of self-denial to grow in holiness. Jesus asks his disciples to deny themselves and take up their Cross (Matthew 16:24). Abstinence is a sober way to practice simplicity and austerity, to deny the cravings of our bodies to honor Jesus who practiced the ultimate form of self-denial when he gave his body for us on the Cross.” 

Every Friday during the year, we are called to offer a penance on Fridays.  On Fridays during Lent, we are also asked to abstain from meat since Jesus sacrificed his flesh for us on Good Friday, we refrain from eating flesh meat in his honor.  In the past, that meant cheese pizza every Friday for the next 7 weeks.  There’s nothing wrong with pizza, but I struggled to find nourishing, tasty, and filling meatless recipes.  For the next 6 weeks, we will have Meatless Meal Friday recipes available on the website under the Lent tab!  I want to encourage you to try them out, send me your reviews, and photos of your family sharing the meal. I pray this is a resource that serves and helps draw you closer to Jesus this Lenten season, nourishing your bodies and souls. 

This Lent, I will be giving up unnecessary purchases, purging my closet and belongings, and adding in a designated 5 minutes of silence within my day.  If you’re unsure of what to do this Lent, I encourage you to ask Jesus to show you where you can grow in your relationship with Him.  Although fully God, He was also fully man and spent 40 days fasting and praying in the desert. “Each day, God calls us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as we live out the promise of our baptism. Each Friday, we share in the Lord’s cross, learning to obey with him, joining in his death to sin and evil. Each Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death, and our eventual victory with him. Every Friday is a promise from God that we who are baptized will rise again with Christ. We suffer and carry our crosses now, but we will share in Jesus’ glory if we are faithful by his grace.” (CCCB).

Pax,
Marrick

Awesome 7-Minute Mac & Cheese

• 2 ½ cups elbow macaroni (or cavatappi, shells, rigatoni, or fusilli)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Put the pasta, vegetable stock, cream, salt, and pepper into a pressure cooker. Set pressure cooker to high pressure and set timer for 7 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the steam out of the pressure cooker using a quick release method. Add butter, milk, and the cheeses to the pot and stir. 
(This recipe works well with the Instant Pot!)

Meatless Meal Friday:
Elevated Ramen Noodles
Add an egg or any type of nuts for protein!

Meatless Meal Friday:
Vegetarian Lasagna