July 26th is a feast day within the church. Today we remember two very important people who are not mentioned in Sacred Scripture, yet we know they existed.
Anne was a women of great strength. Although she and her husband, Joachim, had prayed unceasingly for a child, they were without children. Catholics, unlike other Christian faiths, do not rely solely on one source for our beliefs. While the Holy Bible and all that is written within its pages trumps all other writings, the Church has so much more to draw from. The Apocryphal Literature (widely accepted to be true, although not holy) comes from writings that were based on the oral traditions of the early church. These traditions tell us that a woman named Anne, wife of Joachim, was saddened by the fact that she and her husband had no children. One day as Anne prayed beneath a laurel tree, an Angel is said to have appeared to her. He had a message, that the Lord had heard her prayers, and that nothing was impossible for the God of Abraham. Not only was Anne to conceive a child, but this child shall be known throughout the world for generations to come. Anne was so pleased with this message that she pledged her unborn offspring would minister and serve the Lord for all the days of its life. And just as Anne had promised, her daughter Mary, the Mother of God, surrendered her life entirely to the will of the Lord. Today Catholics remember Anne and her husband, as the grandparents of Jesus. They should be remember, for they raised a child who would say yes to the Lord no matter what was asked. This simple yes meant the salvation of all of mankind from the beginning of time to the end of days.
Saints Anne and Joachim are the patron saints of Grandparents everywhere. Grandparents are an important connection in life. They were parents first, influencing their children, who in turn became parents and influenced the next generation to come and so on and so forth. To celebrate this feast day is to remind us that we are not alone, the connections to one another go back to the very beginning of time.
Today is also the 4th Saturday in July – National Cowboy Day. It is from this that I found inspiration for today’s amazing feast. This 3rd Pound Western Bacon Burger is beyond delicious. Enjoy and have a most wonderful day.
Western Bacon Burger with Onion Rings
1 bag Frozen Onion Rings
Oil for frying
3 Bacon Strips
3 fresh Third-Pound Beef Patties
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 Sesame Seed Buns
6 tablespoons Hickory Barbecue Sauce, more if desired
Sharp White or Yellow Cheddar Cheese Slices, optional
Heat oven to 250-degrees. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking pan, hold in the warm oven.
Heat oil in a deep skillet to 350-degrees. Fry frozen onion rings in batches so as to not over-crowd the skillet, turning as needed for even browning. Remove rings from the oil with a large slotted spoon. Hold on the prepared baking pan in the oven.
Cut bacon strips in half to create 6 shorter strips. Fry in a skillet until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside until ready to use.
Heat a flat cast iron griddle over the grill for the burgers. Lightly season burgers with salt and pepper, set aside.
Lightly butter the buns, warm on the griddle until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes or so. Wrap the buns in foil to keep warm until ready to build the burgers.
Brush griddle with a little oil. Cook burgers to desired doneness, about 4 or 5 minutes per side depending on heat. If using cheese, let the cheese melt over the burgers just before pulling from the griddle.
To Assemble: Spread 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce on the inside of both the top and bottom buns. Place an onion ring on the bottom bun. Place the burger on top of the onion ring, bacon on the burger, then a second onion ring on the bacon. If desired, squirt more barbecue sauce over the burger before closing with the top bun. Serve Western Bacon Burgers with remaining onion rings and a side of fries. Enjoy!
Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.
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