Reflecting Upon the Old and New

Today we begin a new month – August. For some this signals the last days of summer. For Catholics, we will take a moment to reflect upon the dedication of this month to The Immuculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

We have Mothers Day. We have Fathers Day. We even have Parents Day. So what is today all about? Shouldn’t all those other days be centered around respecting and appreciating our parents? Apparently not, since today is Respect for Parents Day.

I find it ironic or amusing or somewhat twisted, however you wish to look at it that when you search the internet for Respect for Parents Day you can find a timeline for Respect for Parents Day, beginning with 1942 and the establishment of Planned Parenthood. How can Respect for Parents Day begin with an organization that promotes abortions? I’m sorry, but this is not reproductive rights. It’s one thing to say Planned Parenthood stands for a woman’s right to decided when she wishes to become a mother. It is quite another thing to say they protect a woman’s reproductive rights. The right to reproduce implies giving birth, not ending a pregnancy. While there is much controversy over whither or not Margaret Sanger was a racists promoting the extermination of blacks through Planned Parenthood, there is no denying that in 1921 she wrote “the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective among us.” That alone implies that some have the right to reproduce, while others should be sterilized. Sanger was a supporter of Eugenics, a discipline once prominent among scientists and those in the medical community that is no longer popular. It promotes the idea of “good” breeding and aimed to eliminate “poor” breeding. The idea behind this concept was that society would benefit greatly by encouraging people with traits such as intelligence, hard work, cleanliness (thought to be a genetic trait at the time) to reproduce, while also promoting the forced sterilization of less desirable people. I guess if only the “right” people are allowed to become parents, naturally all of society would respect those chosen few. Hogwash!

The actual holiday was the brainchild of Marilyn Dalrymple of Lancaster, California. She believed, and rightfully so, that having a strong relationship with one’s parents served to strengthen the family, creating strong bonds between parents and their children. The day is all about promoting a respect for our parents. Again, I find this strange. Respect for Parents Day is every day. Or at least it should be. Respecting our parents was so important to the survival of society that God Himself commanded it. I don’t know about you, but I have had a deep respect for my parents all of my life. This does not mean I have always agreed with them. We can disagree and still be respective. My father has lost his faith. As you can imagine, this does not sit well with me. And so I continue to pray for him while gently but respectively pointing out why he is wrong. Respect.

The idea of honoring (thereby respecting) our parents is so important, it is found in 53 different Bible verses in both Old and New Testament. Not only is this a commandment, it is the first commandment with a promise.

Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord, your God will give you.
Exodus 20:12

The commandments that follow are filled with Must Nots – must not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie and so forth. All good commandments. If they are ranked by God’s view of importance based on their order, the first four deal with our relationship to God. As for our conduct with others, it begins with honoring our parents. It makes sense since our first relationships are with our parents and siblings. From those early interactions we build the foundation for all future relationships.

That’s my rant for today. It seems fitting that I share a recipe that has evolved over the years. The first Bisquick Cookbooks came out when my parents were just babies. Since we are talking about a love and respect for our parents, such a nostalgic recipe seemed oh so fitting.

Bisquick Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
2 cups Bisquick
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Egg
2/3 cup Milk

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Grease a 9-inch deep pie plate, set aside.

Mix together the Bisquick, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Whisk together the egg and milk. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently to create a batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate. Set aside to make the topping.

Coffee Cake Topping
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Butter

In a bowl mix together the Bisquick, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter with a fork to create a crumble mixture.

Scatter the topping over the coffee cake. If desired, drag a butter knife across the top of the cake to create an attractive swirl of crumb topping.

Place coffee cake in the heated oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes on clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from oven.

Let cake cool slightly before slicing. Best served warm with some sweet butter.

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There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.