Saint Thomas, the Apostle

Poor Saint Thomas, doubting Thomas. For an Apostle, he sure seems to get the short end of the stick. Saint Thomas is believed to have died on December 21, which by all accounts should be his feast day. After all, it is the day he was called home to Heaven.

When the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle was first inserted into the Roman Calendar during the 9th Century, it was assigned to the date believed to be his death. However; more often than not the Feast of Saint Thomas interfered with the major days of Advent when observed on December 21. So, in 1969, the Roman Catholic calendar was adjusted, and the celebration was moved to July 3. Traditionalist (those mainly of Latin Rites and those who follow the General Calendar of 1960 or earlier) still hold to the December 21 feast day. Most of the rest have accepted the modern liturgical calendar date of July 3. Still others, such as many Anglicans, Episcopal, and Eastern Orthodox have their own traditions where Saint Thomas is concerned.

Saint Thomas is best known for having doubted the stories of Christ’s resurrection. He wanted to see for himself, and not just accept the word of others. It’s interesting to note that, according to The Passing of Mary written by Pope Gelasius I in 494, Thomas is said to be the only witness of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. According to Catholic teaching, the other apostles were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to witness her death, while Thomas was left in India. Yet after her first burial, Thomas was transported to her tomb, where he alone witnessed her bodily assumption into heaven. It is said that the other apostles were skeptical of Thomas’ story until they themselves find the tomb empty. Perhaps his bearing witness was because, when confronted with the Risen Lord, Thomas is said to have uttered “My Lord and my God.” It was not Rabi, but Lord and God that he recognized in Jesus Christ. Bearing witness to Mary’s return to her Son in heaven was his reward. May we all believe with the same passion that Thomas came to believe.

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I couldn’t really come up with a recipe to celebrate Saint Thomas. So I thought I’d share something else instead. Years ago I dated a boy whose mother made the most boring food on the planet. She was an interesting women, strong and opinionated. She reminded me of Ma Kettle. (Yeah, that’s a throwback – look her up some time).

Essie was suited perfectly to her lot in life, as a cook at the County Hospital. I’m not sure she knew how to season foods. Everything was bland. With the except of one thing – she could make gravy from just about anything. Bacon grease was her go-to fat. And she taught me how to make gravy using nothing but bacon grease. Over the years, I’ve perfected her gravy and now it has great flavor. It takes only minutes to make, and can be served with just about anything. Some mornings when it’s just me, I’ll whip up a skillet of gravy for my morning biscuits. Quick and easy. Hope you enjoy.

Easy Biscuits with Bacon Gravy
2 frozen Buttermilk Biscuits
2 strips Bacon
2 Country Style Sausage Patties
3 tablespoons Flour
1 tablespoon Butter
3/4 cup Milk or more
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Pinch Mesquite Seasoning

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Line a small baking pan with foil. Bake biscuits according to directions, about 22 minutes in the heated oven. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Dice bacon. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Fry up bacon until crisp. Remove bacon pieces from skillet, leaving bacon drippings behind. Fry sausage patties in the bacon drippings, about 3 minutes per side. Wrap sausage in foil, keep warm until ready to serve.

Scatter flour over the bacon drippings. Create a roux, cook over low heat until nicely browned. Whisk butter into the roux. Add milk and the bacon bits to the roux. Season with salt, pepper and a touch of mesquite or smoke seasoning. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until gravy is desired consistency. If gravy becomes too thick, simply thin with a little more

Split biscuits. Cut each sausage patty in half, place half a sausage on each biscuit half. Smother in gravy and enjoy.

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Go out to all the world and tell the Good News