Oh Fudge!

Every Christmas my wife makes fudge to give away to friends and family.  Fudge is her specialty.  She has perfected a recipe that I got at my workplace some forty years ago.  For the uninitiated, the Fannie May Candy Company dates back to 1920 in Chicago.  In the 60’s and 70’s, their Buttercreams, Mint Meltaways, and Pixies were among the most popular confections available.  One of my co-workers claimed to have the recipe for Fannie May Fudge.  During a break in a class one day, he wrote out the recipe on a piece of notebook paper and made copies for anyone who wanted it.  

My wife still has that same copy in her recipe file.  Over the years, she has perfected the process.  The ingredients remain the same, but her technique has developed to insure the creaminess and appearance.  Some folks have their Christmas time specialties.  For my late mother-in-law, it was fruitcake.  My sister makes crockpot candy.  For my wife, it is fudge.  

The secret is in her preparation.  She has a routine that she follows to precision.  The mixture of different chocolates and other ingredients has to be heated to a certain temperature and stirred sufficiently to keep the fudge from becoming grainy.  She stirs and stirs and stirs some more.  When the time is right, she pours it into two pans and places it in our oven to cool.  The reason she puts it in the oven to cool is so the cat can’t get into it.  Now mind you, we haven’t had a cat for about fifteen years, but the fudge still solidifies in the safety of the oven to this day.

A recent hip-replacement surgery slowed her down a little this year.  While some previous years had her making some forty to fifty pounds, this Christmas she limited production to a few batches.  When beginning her first batch during Advent, she realized she didn’t have the oleo margarine she normally uses, so she substituted real butter.  The fudge turned out fine.  It was creamy, tasted great, but she was not happy with it.  The fudge had a dull appearance, not shiny the way she likes it to be.  I could not tell the difference.  It seemed fine to me, but it did not meet her standards.  

One might think using butter in a fudge recipe would be better than using margarine, but my wife claims that fudge made with the cheapest oleo is far superior than fudge made with real butter.  This superiority apparently exists in the appearance rather than the flavor, but as Pope Francis might say, who am I to judge.  In any case, it was off to the grocery store to get more chocolate and some Blue Bonnet margarine.  The Friday before Christmas, she was back in the kitchen to make a proper batch of Fannie May fudge.  

This time the fudge turned out perfectly so I am told.  It was cooling in the oven so I didn’t see it, but my wife was gloating all afternoon about its glossy appearance and perfect creaminess.  This batch would be divided, placed in small tins and given out as Christmas gifts to anyone who stopped by.  The rest we will take to my sister’s house on Christmas Eve.

By Friday evening I was hungry.  As old traditional Catholics, we do not eat meat on Friday, so our go-to Friday supper is frozen cheese pizza.  Our go-to brand of late has been Digiorno’s Rising Crust Four Cheese variety.  For whatever reason, our local grocery has been out of it for several weeks, so we are trying a few other brands.   On this particular day, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees per the instructions.  When it was time to put the pizza in, I opened the oven door to find my wife’s fudge bubbling like some kind of volcanic tar pit.  Neither of us had remembered the fudge was still in the oven.  I immediately thought of what Ralphie said in the Christmas Story movie when he accidentally scattered the lug nuts while helping the old man change the flat tire.  

My wife was ready to send the entire batch down the garbage disposal.  I told her to let it cool and maybe it would be alright.  We waited a couple of hours and I tried a piece.  It had crunchy gobs of burnt sugar that tasted like chocolate gravel.  We sent it down the garbage disposal.  

When we reach our mid-seventies, we can be forgetful.  Stuff happens and we just have to shake our heads and move on.  We made another unscheduled trip to the store, picked up more fudge ingredients and she made another batch.  It turned out fine.  Yes, she let it cool in the oven so our non-existent cat wouldn’t get it, and it made for a good story to tell our family on Christmas Eve. 

Bias time again

We were eating lunch one day with my son and his family when the conversation turned to plans for Thanksgiving.  My fifth-grade grandson remarked that Thanksgiving was a made-up holiday.  Is that what they teach you in school, I asked.  He said yes.  My wife, who happens to be on the school board said, “Did your teacher say that?”  My grandson replied in the affirmative.  He appeared to be learning a negative view of the colonization of America. 

A week or so later, my grandson was doing his Social Studies homework at our house.  When he was finished, I asked to look at the textbooks titled Indiana Social Studies, The United States: Making a New Nation. (Harcourt School Publishers).  I went to the index and looked for Catholic Church.  On page 133, I found a section on Missionaries to America.  Below is a transcript of five paragraphs from the textbook with my thoughts inserted in brackets and a few links added for contrasting viewpoints:

    “While the conquistadors were exploring the Americas, many changes were taking place in Europe.  Some people began to question the power [authority?] of the Catholic Church.  At the time, the Church forced [?] people [Catholics] to follow its rules [not teach heresy] and to pay taxes [?].  It even had its own courts [still do]. The courts could punish [admonish] people [Catholics] for disagreeing [teaching heresy] with Church laws [dogma].”

    “In 1517, A German priest named Martin Luther began to call openly for reforms, or changes, in the Catholic Church.  This period of reforms is called the Reformation.  Luther was forced out [excommunicated] of the Church, but he gained many supporters.  Those who protested the actions of Catholic leaders [magisterial authority] became known at Protestants.  They began new churches, including the Lutheran Church [and eventually many others].”

    “As a result, the Catholic Church made some changes.  It also tried to keep its power [maintain unity] through efforts now called the Counter-Reformation.  The Church banned books that went [promoted heresy] against its teachings.  People [Heretics] who protested Catholic laws were punished [admonished] in Church courts [or Councils].”

    “During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church worked on spreading its power [Christianity] to the Americas.  Church leaders wanted to gain new followers [converts].  They also wanted to share in the wealth [prosperity?] of the lands claimed by European countries.  To do this, the Church sent religious teachers, or missionaries, to convert Native Americans to the Catholic Church.  Soon after coming to the Americas, missionaries held ceremonies [Baptisms?] to make [share the gospel with] Native Americans they met Catholic.”

    “It was not until later [?] that the missionaries actually started [continued] teaching them about Catholic beliefs.  Some missionaries forced [?] Native Americans to become Catholic and also enslaved them [No. See articles linked below].  Many Native Americans fought to hold on to their beliefs, but others were forced [chose] to change how they lived and worshipped.”

I’m no historian, but I know Protestant bias when I see it.  The textbook author paints the Church in a negative light whether intentional or not.  When human beings are involved, abuses are bound to take place, but this was not by decree of the Church.  The Spanish conquistadors encountered Aztec ritual human sacrifices and fought to stop the practice.  As I write this today on December 12, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Guadalupe who by her miraculous appearance in Mexico brought about the conversion of some nine million Aztecs to the Catholic faith.  Of course, you will not learn this in a secular history textbook.  

Finally!

Thank God the election is over.  The barrage of annoying political ads have finally ceased, at least for a while.  I often wonder how stupid the candidates must think we are.  Unfortunately, they may be right.  People make bad choices every day.  Those same people help choose our leaders.    

I must say I was surprised by the result of the presidential election.  As I have stated before, the abortion stance is a litmus test for me.  While it may seem inconsequential for determining a candidate’s qualifications to develop foreign and domestic policies, I believe it is a strong indicator of one’s moral compass.  While I saw many more Trump signs in our conservative Indiana, I was also very aware of a strong dislike for him personally.  Several women I know view him only as a sexual predator and convicted felon.  I viewed the election as a choice between two platforms and how they aligned with my own ideals.  The candidate’s character, though important, was less important.

As a Catholic, I could not vote for someone who refused to place any limits on abortion.  In fact, I fail to see how any practicing Catholic could still consider themselves a Democrat these days.  Nonetheless, I know Catholics in my own family who voted Democratic.  They have their reasons.  I just disagree.  

The day after the election, my wife and I had lunch at a local café.  An elderly woman who works there part time was lamenting the fact that Trump won.  She brought up all the pro-choice talking points, rape, incest, and all the women who are going to die because they can’t get an abortion.  Another Mexican friend who has been an American citizen for many decades supposed that he would be deported.  So sad that so many people latch onto the incessant fearmongering. 

My wife was moved by the story of the Texas woman who died when doctors said they could not intervene in her miscarriage due to strict anti-abortion laws in the state.  She says she is against abortion but believes these decisions should be left to the woman and her doctors.  I might agree in the rare situations where the death of the woman or her child is imminent.  The problem, aside from the fact that the baby has no say in this decision, is doctors will protect their own interests.  They want to make sure the patient is aware of every possible bad outcome in a higher risk pregnancy even when those chances are minimal.  They are less likely to face a wrongful death lawsuit from the unborn baby than from the mother. Even in relatively routine minor surgeries, someone on the medical team will often make the patient aware of rare unintended consequences.  

My wife said she was disappointed in our citizens who would elect a convicted felon to the presidency.  Personally, I believe his conviction was politically motivated.  Maybe Trump inflated his property values to obtain loans, but his lenders are no fools.  They knew with whom they were dealing and were undoubtedly comfortable doing so.  His wealth and demeanor make him disliked by many, but it is hard to argue with his success as a businessman.

As a pro-life Catholic, I am encouraged by the conservative outcome on election day.  Yes, I wish the executive branch was manned by someone a little less egocentric, but no candidate is perfect.  Should vacancies appear on the Supreme Court, I am confident the Republicans will nominate justices who support the constitution rather than an ideology.  The next four years will be interesting.  I remain optimistic.  

Public prayer

October is the month of the Holy Rosary.  A few members of our parish take the opportunity to hold an outdoor Rosary Rally at a prominent intersection in our town.  Our pastor asked that everybody attend at noon on Saturday.  He said it is important that we be seen.   A question arose concerning whether such rallies held in the public square violate Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6.

 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward.”  Matthew 6:5  RSVCE

The next verse says, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  A footnote in the RSVCE says, This does not, of course, exclude public worship but ostentatious prayer. Merriam Webster defines ostentatious as attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness.

Why is the Rosary Rally held in public view?  The warning in Matthew 6 seems to be directed to those who wish to attract attention to themselves.  I doubt that any of those saying the Rosary in public are doing it for their own aggrandizement.  Yet, why not then pray the Rosary in the church in front of the Blessed Sacrament?  There must be some purpose to praying in view of the public.  

Praying the Rosary in front of an abortion clinic in an effort to dissuade a woman from killing her unborn baby is a situation where being seen would be necessary.  Obviously not every instance of praying in public is prohibited by Matthew 6.  We need to read this passage in context.  The culpability of the person praying in public depends on intent.  Jesus was condemning men who were seeking praise for themselves.  

Getting back to our parish Rosary Rally, it seems those in attendance need to understand their reason for being there.  Is it possible some may come only hoping to be seen by their friends or neighbors?  It’s possible.  Our motivation can be disordered at times.  Is the rosary more efficacious prayed on a public street corner than in the church?  Does Matthew 6 say otherwise?  Is the answer yet to be seen?

Our rally had about a dozen people in attendance, including two priests.  They displayed a large banner from an organization called America Needs Fatima that says, “Pray the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking God to save America.”  The photo on the banner is the Our Lady of Fatima statue.  It is likely that most spectators passing by were non-Catholic.  If the rally somehow inspires someone to investigate the rosary prayer, that would be wonderful.  I fear it is more likely to reinforce the false protestant belief that we Catholics worship Mary more than Jesus.

Public displays of worship certainly have a place in our Catholic faith.  We have large open-air Masses on special occasions, Eucharistic processions of the Blessed Sacrament, even the Easter Vigil Mass begins outdoors in public view.  In those events, the larger numbers make individual identification less likely thus diminishing the opportunity for any hypocritical behavior.  Perhaps the most critical point here is that we not question the motives of others and continue praying, no matter where we are.  

 

Future Angst

I am very fortunate to be in relatively good health for my age.  In a few days, I will begin my seventy-fifth year on the planet.  I have all original parts minus one gall bladder.  My wife, on the other hand, had a hip replaced three weeks ago.  Taking care of her since then has given me a glimpse of what lies on the horizon for people my age.  Watching a once vibrant energetic woman hunched over a walker, grimacing as she tries to sit down or get into bed, has suddenly made me feel like an old man.  The guy in the mirror has aged significantly since earlier this summer. 

I have heard people say that age creeps up on you.  A sudden pain or an awkward fall can change one’s life in a heartbeat.   We avoid focusing on impending mortality until some episode brings it to the forefront.  Even if I live another ten years, much of that time could be spent alone in a nursing home or hospital.

Last month, we had a new roof put on our house.  I was interested in getting one of the new metal roof systems that look like conventional asphalt shingles.  They are durable and less likely to shed the little granules that tend to plug up my leaf guard gutter shields.  The downside is the cost, considerably higher than asphalt shingles.  I asked the salesman to price both types of roofing for the purpose of comparison.  The asphalt roof comes with a thirty-year warranty while the metal roof has a fifty-year warranty.

When it came time to deciding which way to go, I was set to choose the metal roof, but the salesman said, “Can I be honest with you?  Go with the asphalt shingle.  At your age, why spend the extra money for a fifty-year warranty?”  Ouch!  Of course, there could be reasons for doing so if the house will eventually be handed down to a family member, but that is no certainty.  I thought about it and agreed.  We now have a new asphalt shingle roof and a thirty-year warranty that will last until I am one hundred and five.

I have come to acknowledge my mortal existence.  While making plans for living is most desirable, we really need to prepare for dying.  Time passes so quickly and there is no going back.  Always be ready for that judgement day that may come unexpectedly.  

Speaking of an uncertain future, I watched the recent debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.  We are not talking Lincoln Douglas material here.  This was difficult to watch.  Who ever dreamed that a candidate in a presidential debate would bring up an unfounded rumor of Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield Ohio?  You can’t make this stuff up.  On second thought, I guess somebody did.  How incredulous can a person be!

Pope Francis said sometimes we have to choose the lesser of two evils when voting in an election.  As Americans, we should never have to choose between two people so completely unfit to lead our nation.  Both parties should be ashamed.  One of these two will likely be President of the United States for the next four years.

I have said this before, but my litmus test for a presidential candidate is his or her stance on respect for human life.  Harris is so completely pro-abortion that I could never vote for her.  Trump claims to be pro-life, but is also pro IVF which tells me he does not understand what true respect for life entails.  Unnaturally creating embryos, many of which will be frozen and never allowed to grow, is inconsistent with respecting life from conception to natural death.  

In elections like this one, I wish there were a way to cast a negative vote.  I may not want to vote for either candidate, yet I know which candidate is the lesser of two evils.  If I do not vote at all, I risk allowing the greater evil to prevail.  If I vote for the lesser evil, I am still voting for evil which violates my conscience.  By casting an anti-vote for the greater evil, my disapproving vote goes against the greater evil without violating my conscience.  Unfortunately, we don’t have that option.  

On election day, I often see people wearing those little stickers with the American flag that say, “I Voted!”  Similar looking stickers available on the internet say, “I Vomited”.  I may need to place an order!

Do you have life within you?

During this month of August, the Year B Lectionary is digressing from the Gospel of Mark at Sunday Mass.  Beginning on the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time and continuing for five weeks until the Twenty-first Sunday, we hear John, chapter 6, which includes the Bread of Life Discourse.  When instructing catechumens in the Real Presence of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist, John 6 is one of the go-to scriptural references. 

John 6:52-58

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,

"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 

Jesus said to them,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you. 

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

has eternal life,

and I will raise him on the last day. 

For my flesh is true food,

and my blood is true drink. 

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him. 

Just as the living Father sent me

and I have life because of the Father,

so also the one who feeds on me

will have life because of me. 

This is the bread that came down from heaven. 

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,

whoever eats this bread will live forever."

I have never understood how Bible-alone believing Christians can read this passage and not take it literally.  How much more emphasis could Jesus have placed on His words?  I pose this question to our Protestant brothers and sisters: Do you have life within you if you do not eat His flesh and drink His blood?

The sacrifice of the Mass is a re-presentation of the same once and for all sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.  Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God.  Like the animal sacrifices offered under the Old Covenant, this perfect sacrifice in the New Covenant must be offered by a ministerial priest.  Where else besides the Catholic Church can one find a continuous line of ministerial priests to act in the person of Christ in offering the bread and wine that become the body and blood?

Normally when the bread and wine are consecrated in the sacrifice of the Mass, the accidents or appearances remain while only the substance changes into the body and blood.  The Church calls this change transubstantiation, the change of substances.  Last week in our OCIA (RCIA) class, we examined some of the rare occasions where the appearance or species of the host also changed.  Where those miracles have occurred and could be scientifically examined, the bloody substance was determined to be heart tissue from a heart that had suffered damage, the blood type AB.  Think about that next time you receive Holy Communion!

(See the Eucharistic Miracles of Buenos Aires, Lanciano, and others.).