Holy is the Cross of Christ

If not for Sunday, today would not be a Holy Day of Obligation, yet is a very special day within the Church calendar. It was on this day in 335 AD that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher within the Christian Quarters of Jerusalem was dedicated.

What made this dedication so special? This particular Church was built to house something so Holy, so important to the Christian world that there is none other. Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went on a quest to find the actual Cross of the Crucifixion. It is believed that she was in fact successful. It is unclear at what point in her life Saint Helena became a Christian, or how much of an influence she played in her son’s conversion. No doubt, a Roman Emperor converting to the Christian faith led to a huge shift in the political climate for Christians everywhere. We cannot help but to see the hand of God in all of this. Or the importance once again of the role a woman played. Men are the head of the family, and as such the head of the faith. But it is a mother’s heart that holds the key to God’s love.

Today is also Grandparents Day. Each year on the second Sunday of September we honor those who were parents before we were parents – the Grandparents. Grandmothers and Grandfathers who pass on the stories and wisdom of what came before. Not only are they the keepers of family stories, they are a link in the oral traditions of faith.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole
2 (12 oz) tubes refrigerated Cinnamon Roll Dough with Icing
3 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
4 large Eggs
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Heat oven to 375-degrees.

Open the tubes of cinnamon roll dough. Set icing packets aside. Chop the dough into 1/2-inch cubes. Scatter dough in the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole baking dish. Melt butter, drizzle over the dough pieces. Toss lightly, spread out into an even layer.

In a small bowl whisk cream, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla together. Pour the mixture over the dough pieces. Drizzle with maple syrup and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Bake Cinnamon Roll Casserole in the heated oven until golden brown, about 22 minutes. Remove from oven, spread icing over the top as a glaze. Serve warm.

Enjoy the sweet sticky goodness of a beautiful morning.

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Hearken, My people, to My teaching;
incline your ears to the words of My mouth.
I will open My mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.