Hail Mary, Heavenly Queen

Why Catholic? The obvious answer from a non-Catholic perspective would be I was baptized as a baby. What choice did I have? That would be a wrong assumption.

Yes, we Catholics indoctrinate our babies into the faith through baptism. So often I have heard my “recovering” Catholic friends say they will not force a religion onto their children. As adults, they can decide for themselves. Very few children reach adulthood and suddenly “come to Jesus”. Raising a child in a particular faith is simply building a foundation. As adults, we are all free to decide for ourselves, to accept or reject the faith of our youth. If you are not free to stay or leave a particular faith, that’s not a religion but a cult. Children need a foundation, a reference point. Without one many are lost, filling that void in their souls with worldly distractions. While I was baptized as a baby, that did not stop me from exploring other faiths as a teenager and young adult. It was by learning about other religions that I came to understand my Catholic faith. There are many reasons for a return to the faith of my childhood. Being a true Catholic is not easy. Have you seen our Catechism? By that I mean the written publication promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992. For more than a decade bishops, theologians and experts in the faith compiled a compendium of all Catholic doctrine regarding both the beliefs and moral principals of the Catholic Faith. You practally need an advanced education and maybe even a law degree to understand it.

In a nutshell, it’s Canon Law, and it reads like a law book. So if being a Catholic is so hard, why am I still Catholic?

I could give you the standard answer found in Matthew 16:17-19: And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

To Peter alone was given the keys to the Kingdom on earth, the Church. Peter was the first Pope of the Catholic Church. Catholic means Universal. All other Christian faiths have splintered away from the Catholic Church, the oldest Christian Faith. That should be reason enough. But then there is Mary. Our heavenly Queen. She is not equal to her Son, Jesus Christ. He alone is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Jesus is God incarnate. This was possible through Mary. She is the new Eve of the new Covenant. Unlike Eve who disobeyed God, Mary is obedient to the very end. Today is the feast day of her Coronation in Heaven. Everything she does she does for the glory of God. And that is why I am Catholic. Because women are important to Christ. He made me a women not to stand beneath His feet, or to submit to the domination of man, but to glorify Him through love and devotion. Over and over throughout scripture we have example after example of how much Jesus loves and admires women. Men are the head of the Church. But women, we are the heart.

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Sweet-n-Sour Stir Fry Shrimp
Sweet-n-Sour Sauce
1/2 cup Honey
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons tomato Paste
3 tablespoons Pineapple Juice
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Water

In a medium bowl whisk together the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste and pineapple juice. Set aside. In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.

Shrimp Stir-Fry
1 lb large Shrimp
Pinch Kosher Salt
Pinch White Pepper
2 Garlic cloves
1 nub Ginger
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Pineapple Chunks
2 Green Onions
2 tablespoons Oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 teaspoon Black Sesame Seeds

Peel and clean shrimp, removing tails. Pat shrimp dry. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Peel and mince garlic. Peel and mince ginger. Set aside. Core, seed and dice bell peppers. Drain pineapple chunks. Trim green onions for garnish.

Heat a tablespoon vegetable oil with the Sesame Oil in a wok. Once hot, add shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 1 minutes. Stir and cook for about another 30 seconds or until shrimp is opaque and pink. Remove shrimp from the wok.

Add remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok. Add bell peppers, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add the pineapple chunks; continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

Pour the sweet-n-sour sauce over the stir-fried vegetables and pineapples. Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes. If necessary, whisk cornstarch then gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the wok. Stir constantly until the sauce is thick and beautiful.

Return shrimp to the wok, toss to combine and warm shrimp through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve shrimp with sticky rice for a truly Catholic Friday Night Supper.

And for the non-Catholics among us who might like a bit more on a Friday night, might I suggest including Kahlúa (Kalua) Pig to serve alone side this amazing Sweet and Sour Shrimp?

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Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.