Humble is a Man in Service to Others

Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing you have received, but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage. – Saint Francis of Assisi

As a Christian, I am blessed to have the Word of God – the Bible. As a Catholic, there is more to faith. After all, it was the Catholic Church that selected which writings would be contained in the Bible and declared them to be Holy. Naturally, not everything of faith is contained in the Holy Book.

There are other writings, other teachings. None of these are in opposition to those found in the Bible. These are explanations, teachings, advice and guidance. Some stem from the Oral Traditions that eventually made their way onto paper. Others were written first, then shared. As Catholics, we also have the saints. Just people, ordinary people who answered God’s call and came to dedicate their lives, and some their deaths as witnesses of faith. Becoming a saint is not an easy task. Yet it is one the Church tells all Catholics to strive for.

Today we celebrate the feast day of one of my favorite saints. As a child Saint Francis was my favorite saint. I admired his ability to communicate with all God’s creatures, including the animals. He erected the first public Nativity Scene. And he received the gift of being a Stigmata. Once upon a time I thought that would be such an amazing gift. Think about it – a Stigmata is someone so intimate in their relationship with Jesus that they bear his wounds. Wow.

Saint Francis was a deacon of the Catholic Church, but was never a priest. This is even further proof to the lay among us that you don’t need to belong to a religious order to become a saint. It’s really a matter of surrendering to God‘s will. To surrender does not make you weak. No, it takes an unimaginable amount of strength to place the needs of others ahead of your own needs. Is a person in a successful marriage weak? No, but part of why that marriage succeeds is serving the needs of yours spouse and children. It means driving multi-passenger vehicle instead of a two-seater sports car or wearing last year’s fashion in order to send your daughter off to the prom in style. These are little things, but they matter. We also have an obligation to teach our children that they need to make sacrifices for the family. It will help them as adults to find harmony within their own families. One of the best ways to do that is to attend Church as a family on Sundays. This sets the tone and the example of meeting an obligation even when there are times that we’d rather do something else. And it makes it so much easier for children to understand the importance of attending Aunt Betty’s birthday party rather than hang out their friends. Family means commitment and obligations beyond ourselves. Within these are callings to serve one another. And in reality, serving is what sainthood is all about.

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Pico de Gallo Hot Dogs
Lime Crema
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 Lime, zested
1/2 Lime, juiced

Place sour cream and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Zest lime over the mixture. Cut lime in half. Juice half the lime over the Crema. Reserve remaining lime for the Pico de Gallo.

If desired, place Lime Crema in a squeeze bottle. Chill until ready to use.

Pico de Gallo
3 Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Red Onion
1/3 cup Cilantro
1 Jalapeño Pepper
1/2 Lime, juiced
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Seed and dice the tomatoes. Cut a quarter section from a red onion, peel and finely dice. Snip cilantro. Stem and finely dice the Jalapeño. Mix together in a bowl.

Squeeze the juice of the remaining half a lime over the mixture. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.

Skillet Grilled Hot Dogs
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 All-Beef Hot Dogs
4 Hot Dog Buns
1/2 cup Queso Fresco

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat melt the butter with the olive oil. Coat the bottom of the pan as it heats.

Fry hot dogs, turning as needed until cooked on all sides, warmed through and slightly blistered.

Split open the hot dog buns. Place the dogs inside the buts, top with Pico de Gallo, Lime Crema and Queso Fresco as desired. Serve and enjoy with a side of Spicy Mexican Pinto Beans.

Spicy Mexican Pinto Beans
1 can Pinto Beans in a Chili Sauce
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
Pinch Ghost Pepper Seasoning
2 small Jalapeño Pepper

Empty beans with their spiced juices into a saucepan. Add taco seasoning and a pinch of ground Ghost Pepper. Dice or slice the Jalapeños, scatter over the beans. Gently warm the beans.

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 See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!