Saint Gabriel of Old and New

Saint Gabriel is one of the Archangels mentioned by name in both the Old and New Testaments. He is also mentioned in the non-canonical Books of Enoch. His role as a messenger from God is accepted in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The belief in angels is a common thread in all three major Abrahamic religions. In the West his feast day has been moved to September 29, as a day to acknowledge and celebrate all the Archangels as one. In the Eastern Orthodoxy the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel is observed on March 26 and again on July 13.

While the Catholic Church no longer celebrates the individual feast days of the three major Archangels (Michael, Raphael and Gabriel), I think it’s important to at least take a look at the roles these heavenly beings played in the early teachings. The name Gabriel means Force of God. In the Old Testament, he appeared to Daniel in dreams to help Daniel to interpret his dreams. Gabriel brought news to Zechariah in his old age that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would be blessed with a son. Their son also had a special mission – as the forerunner to the Messiah, baptizing people in the Jordan and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand, that Christ was among the people.

Six months after Gabriel spoke with Zechariah he was once again was sent by God to deliver a message – and so he appeared before a young virgin named Mary, who by her faith was chosen to be the mother of the Savior. His final appearance in Biblical text is when Christ was born.

Often the faithful pray to Saint Gabriel seeking to understand better what God expects of them, to help interrupt a calling or help to clarify God’s will in a decision.

Saint Gabriel the archangel, angel of the Incarnation,
opens our ears to the sweet warnings and urgent appeals of the Lord.
Always stand before us, we beseech thee,
that we may understand the word of God well,
that we may follow Him and obey Him,
and that we may do what He wills of us in all things

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While not always possible, for the Feast Days involving angels, I try to include Angel Hair Pasta in some way as a tribute to the day. Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Pork Medallions with Wine Butter Sauce
1-1/2 lb Pork Tenderloin
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Black Garlic Sea Salt
1/4 whole Red Onion
1 tablespoon Roasted Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
White Wine as needed
2 tablespoons Butter

Slice the pork tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick medallions. Place the pork into a gallon size sealable bag. Whisk lemon juice, garlic powder black garlic sea salt together. Pour over the pork, massage into the meat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to begin cooking, cut a quarter section from the onion. Peel and thinly slice into slivers. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add Pork Medallions and cook until nicely browned; about 3 minutes per side.

Remove pork from skillet. Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic to the now empty skillet, sauté about 30 seconds or just until fragrant. Add wine and onions to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Return pork to pan, cover and cook about 5 minutes. Turn pork, add butter, cover and continue to cook about 5 minutes longer or until no longer pink.

Transfer Medallions to individual plates or a serving platter, spoon sauce over the pork just before serving.

Fresh Tomato Angel Hair Pasta
12 oz Angel Hair Pasta
16 oz Cherry Tomatoes
4 Garlic Cloves
1/4 cup Parsley
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. As the salted water comes to a boil, cut tomatoes in half. Peel and mince garlic. Snip parsley, set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and begin to fall apart, about 8 minutes.

To the rapidly boiling water add the angel hair pasta for a flash cook, no more than 3 minutes. Pull from the heat and drain.

While the pasta drains add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the fresh tomato sauce. Sauté for about 3 minutes, breaking tomatoes open in the process to release their juices fully. Add pasta to the sauce, pulling through with tongs to coat in the bursting tomato goodness. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with parsley just before serving.

Serve this beautiful meal with a simple Italian Salad, some sparkling wine and enjoy.

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The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live forever.