July’s Most Precious Blood

Within the Catholic Faith, each month has a special dedication to a different doctrine of faith. This is different from the Church Liturgical Calendar. The Liturgical Calendar does not begin on January 1 and end the last day in December. It begins with Advent. It ends the Saturday following Christ the King.

Monthly dedications follow the secular calendar, beginning with January, and a dedication to The Holy Name of Jesus, and ending in December with the Immaculate Conception. July is dedicated to The Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, poured out for all for the forgiveness of sin.

Saint Paul tells us in Colossians 1:20 that “Jesus reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” Often during July special prayers are offered up for those of religious life, our priests, and for those who can no longer ask for forgiveness, those in Purgatory. It’s interesting to note that the Church has never said become a priest and skip Purgatory. Indeed, there are priests who died while not in a state of grace. They are washed clean in Purgatory just like the rest of us. Sometimes we forget about priests, focusing on our own family instead. Priests need prayers, too.

I remember, years ago attending the All Souls Mass, when the faithful are asked to pray for those awaiting purification. We write the names of our dead on envelopes and offer up prayers as a united body of believers. Monsignor Poole looked at the baskets filled with names, looked out at his flock and asked “Did anyone here offer up the name of a priest?” We were all a bit shocked, thinking priests have an advantage in that they are – priests – men of God. “Priest are sinners, too.” He continued. “Forgotten sinners. We have no wives to pray for us. No children. Who remembers us?” His remarks have stayed with me. When I enter the Church and dip my fingers in Holy Water to make myself ready to enter God’s sanctuary, I let a few drops fall from my fingers to the floor. I ask for forgiveness for those who cannot ask for themselves, including the priests in Purgatory.

July is dedicated to Our Lord’s Precious Blood. As we reflect on all that His Precious Blood means to us, it would be a good time to pray for those men of God who might have faltered along the way. While we are all created in His image, we are far from perfect.

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Now for the secular aspects of a food blog. The warmer it gets outside, the greater my motivation to slap together meals that are delicious yet quick. If I can put a meal together with lightening speed, it means less heat generated in the kitchen and more time spent pool-side. Let’s face it, when the thermostat hits triple digits, the last place anyone wants to be is slaving over a stove. I suppose we could eat out. But then that’s just selfish in that someone else has to suffer for our supper. Too bad we couldn’t all just take the summer off.

If this recipe seems familiar, it is. I’ve done a little tweeking. No pesto, just the sun-dried tomatoes instead. And a kiss of red pepper flakes to make the Bomb Sauce really burst in your mouth. Enjoy!

Garlic Meatball Bombs
Garlic Butter
3 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup Butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Peel and finely mince garlic. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic. Cook until fragrant and just beginning to brown, just under a minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, whisk in the cheese, dried parsley, dried oregano, and ground black pepper. Set aside.

Bomb Sauce
1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil
2 cups Olive Oil and Garlic Pasta Sauce
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Pat tomatoes of excess oil, then mince the tomatoes. In a bowl, whisk together the tomatoes, marinara sauce, and pepper flakes until blended. Set aside until ready to use.

Meatball Bombs
Cooking Spray as needed
12 frozen Meatballs
1/2 cup Pasta Sauce
Parsley, garnish
12 Dinner Rolls
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside. Gather ingredients and get organized.

Place frozen meatballs in a microwave-safe rimmed dish. Stir in Pasta Sauce just to coat the meatballs. Cover loosely with a paper towel to prevent splatter. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Snip or mince parsley for a garnish, set aside.

Hollow out the tops of each dinner roll with a sharp knife. The hole should be slightly bigger than the meatballs, yet not so deep that a hole is puncture the bottom of the roll. Arrange rolls on the prepared baking sheet.

Using a pastry brush, liberally smear the holes of the dinner rolls with half the garlic butter. Spoon about a tablespoon of the prepared sauce into each of the hollowed out dinner rolls. Place a cooked meatball into each hole. Top each meatball with the remaining sauce mixture. Brush with remaining garlic butter.

Evenly distribute the Mozzarella cheese over each of the dinner rolls. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven. Garnish with parsley.

Plate and enjoy with a simple toss salad and a nice bottle of wine.

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 Why do you recite My statutes,
and profess My covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast My words behind you?