Welcome to the Last Lenten Friday

Today is the last Friday of the Lenten Season. While some people count Good Friday as the last Friday of the season, actually it’s not. The Lenten Season ends with the evening Mass of Holy Thursday. It is the Lord’s Supper, and it ushers in the Holy Triduum. More on that later.

Some people find it difficult to give up all meat (beef, chicken, pork – those warm blooded animals) for Lent. Within the Church, this abstinence on the Fridays of Lent is a Universal Penance, a way of bringing the church together as a single body. Personally, I wish they would do that throughout the year. Maybe not necessarily meat, since the sacrifice of eating meat was more to do with status and means. Once upon a time those with means had meat. Those without could neither afford to purchase meat nor sacrifice the family’s milking cow or laying hen without a very good reason. So vegetables and fresh fish were a part of their everyday diet. The idea of giving up meat on Fridays is directly tied to the belief that a rich man has a far more difficult time obtaining true grace. Money lends itself to too many earthly distractions. If the Church were to adjust to modern life and sacrifice, perhaps no social media on Fridays would be a better form of Universal Penance. Such a call to a united sacrifice would have all sorts of positive affects. On Fridays, if we wanted to communicate with one another socially, we’d either have to pick up the phone and speak or get face to face with someone. Maybe then our verbal skills would improve.

To be honest, I do socialize more on Social Media. It does have its benefits. I’ve been able to reconnect with childhood friends and maintain connections with friends that no longer live nearby. We’ve even watched each others children grow into adults, and comforted one another in times of sadness and loss. So Social Media isn’t a bad thing. I picked Social Media as an example of a universal penance because most of us use it. Call it the meat of modern times.

There are things about the Church of old that appealed to me, and brought people to it in many ways. Veiling is one, abstaining is another. Kneeling in church, confession, and adoration are all uniquely Catholic. I like the idea of faiths that retain their unique characteristics despite the melting pot of modern life. I think in order to truly retain those characteristics we first need to understand the reasons behind them in the first place. In that sense I think our catechism has failed us. And that’s sad.

Two-Bean Enchilada Casserole
1 (15 oz) can Whole Black Beans
1 (15 oz) can Whole Pinto Beans
1/2 medium Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Red Onion
9 (6-inch) Corn Tortillas
2 Green Onions
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Flour
1 (8 oz) can Tomato Sauce
3/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
Pinch Cinnamon
1 (4 oz) can Diced Green Chilies
Cooking Spray as needed
2 cups Mild Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
Sour Cream if desired

Drain, rinse and drain again the beans, set aside. Stem, core and dice half a bell pepper, discarding the seeds. Cut onion in half from root to tip. Reserve half for another purpose, peel and dice remaining half. Trim roots from the green onions and discard. Slice onions, set aside. Cut tomatoes into quarters, remove seeds, dice and set aside. Stack tortillas. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut tortillas into wedges, set aside.

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Coat an 8-inch square casserole banking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stir until smooth. Stir in tomato sauce, chicken stock, chili powder, and cumin. Crush oregano between fingers, add to the sauce. Finish with a pinch of cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Cook another minute, until bubbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine black beans, pinto beans, bell pepper, onion and diced green chilies. Set aside.

Spread 1/3-cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer one-third of the tortillas over the sauce. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Scatter a cup of mild Cheddar Cheese over the beans. Repeat with 1/2 cup of sauce, one-third of the tortillas, one-third of the beans and remaining cup of Cheddar Cheese. For the final layer, spread remaining sauce, tortillas, beans and finish with the Mexican Cheese Blend.

Cover casserole with foil. Place in the heated oven to bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, turn oven to broil and melt the top of the cheese until bubbling, about 3 more minutes.

Remove from oven. Let rest for a few minutes to cool slightly. Scatter green onions and tomatoes over the top just before serving. Dollop with sour cream as desired and enjoy – great with Margaritas

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In my distress I called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice.