7 Quick Takes Friday

1. This weekend I am attending a Mass I have worked in planning for several months. Through my internship at the Archdiocese, I have had the opportunity to plan a Mass for Christians and Refugees of Iraq. I am so excited about this event!

It is being hosted by a local parish, and several Iraqi families who belong are participating in various readings, as altar servers, and there will be traditional instrumental middle eastern music (not unlike what would be heard at a Mass in Iraq) during the prelude and at communion time.

After Mass, several groups working in the city to assist refugee populations from Iraq will be present for hospitality and networking opportunities. We will also be enjoying yummy treats from the local middle eastern bakery.

Solidarity through prayer and community is such a beautiful thing; and I feel really blessed to participate in an event that draws attention to the plight of Christians in Iraq.

As of 2008, Iraqi Christians composed 5% of the general population, and 40% of the Internally Displaced Persons and refugee populations.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in faith who are suffering for the Gospel.

2. As Jen mentioned, I too have been weighing the merits of exclusively buying organic, grass-fed, free-range meat products. Our family currently buys organic milk and dairy products, and a good bit of organic produce, but rarely buy organic meat.

As part of an overall commitment to good stewardship of creation, respect for the dignity of animals (while obviously saying they do not have human dignity), and a desire to be in solidarity with those people around the world who cannot eat meat on a regular basis, husband and I are discerning committing to being vegetarian two days per week, and only buying organic, free-range meat.

I have not read the book Jen mentions, but have read and enjoyed Jane Goodall’s Harvest For Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating.

3. Also on the food front, Husband and I have discovered a program in Indianapolis which we are so excited to try when we move ( in June).

The website is www.farmfreshdelivery.com, and this company bundles locally grown, in-season, organic produce into weekly or bi-weekly shipments, and delivers them fresh to your home. There is also the possibility of adding in locally raised organic meats, dairy products, and other groceries.

Included with membership are recipes for each week’s shipment of food, information about the farmers and artisans who have created it, and tips for healthy living. The business was started by a married couple with a commitment to organic farming, nutrition, and local produce.

So exciting!

4. I saw this video on YouTube, via an article on cnn.com, about a new non-profit that is employing ironic and somewhat shocking advertising to help the homeless. The website is www.pimpthisbum.com, and the current video explains the life of Tim and John, two homeless men who have been living under the Interstate in Houston,TX.

In my courses, we talk about the distinction between handouts and justice, or true Christian charity. True charity seeks to help people help themselves; to realize that they can be agents of their own change, and that participation in the life of society is vitally important to what it means to be human person.

John, the homeless man in this video, gives one of the most moving and honest testimonies to this that I have seen. If you have time, check it out!

5. Am searching for Catholic or Christian resources on miscarriage. Most of what I have found is so clinical; it’s really made me not want to read anymore. And really, at this point, most of what is going on is emotional and spiritual, not physical.

6. When I am sad, I make bread. I’ve made a few loaves of whole wheat bread this week, and will make a few more this weekend. Kneading bread by hand is so cathartic for me; I can pour my sadness and stress into the making of the bread, and then I can offer that bread to the people I love and care about.

The recipe I use is the Whole Wheat Bread recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens red checkered cookbook.

Does anyone have another whole wheat/grain bread recipe that they recommend?

7. Happy Weekend and 5th Sunday of Lent! 🙂

For more quick takes, visit Jen at www.conversiondiary.com!