Living Without School: The feast of St John the Baptist

Monday, June 25, 2007

The feast of St John the Baptist

..And Christmas in June! Well, Christmas pudding and custard and ice cream, that is.

John the Baptist was the precursor of Jesus, born six months before Christ. It is six months till Christmas and so we always have a little bit of Christmas on the feast of St John. Typically, pudding and custard.

Older son, Greg, sent me a text - he and his brothers in Adelaide also remembered the tradition and had Christmas cake last night, in honour of the feast.

Here is a summer pudding recipe, traditionally made in England on this feast day - cherry pudding decorated with flowers.

9 comments:

Christine said...: That sounds wonderful. I am afraid that many of us over in the USA have lost those traditions. Maybe I need to start a few in my family.

Christine; 11:31 am
Leonie said...: Yeah, we started this back in 1996 and the tradition has obviously stayed with us all!; 12:08 pm
Marianne Elizabeth said...: I love this idea, Leonie! Anymore wonderful feast day ideas coming up?
Blessings,
marianne; 9:20 pm
Anonymous said...: Mmmm...I remember a grand summer pudding I had in Yorkshire, delish! Now I have a recipe...thanks!; 6:40 am
Leonie said...: Marianne, the Catholic Culture website is good to check for up coming feast days and suggested activities. June 29 is the feast of St Peter and St Paul and June 30 the holy martyrs of Rome.

I'll check your blog, Jennifer, to see if you make that summer pudding! Its winter here. :-); 8:07 am
Anne (aussieannie) said...: Hey, that gives me and idea for next year! I don't know whether it is pregnancy cravings or not, but I've been craving pudding...or maybe it has something to do with the musical Scrooge (with Albert Finney) arriving in the mail last week bought from ebay!! I've had all my christmas books out planning for December already...little did I know I could have cooked up a pud for this lovely feast!; 6:23 pm
Leonie said...: Hey, Anne, you can still have the pudding and celebrate the feast day retrospectively. I've been known to do that in busy weeks....; 6:42 pm
Anonymous said...: That is great tradition!

Molly; 11:48 am
Leonie said...: And very yummy, Molly! lol!; 12:00 pm

Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.