Be Like Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

One thing that has always amused me about the secular world as well as those “feel good, Jesus loves me” Christians is that they think becoming a Christian somehow saves you from the evils and painful events of life. Wrong.

The only thing you are truly saved from, if your conversion is sincere, is the fires of hell. As Catholics we believe that only saints go straight to heaven. The rest of us are first cleansed, then “sleep” until the final judgment. As far as having an easy life simple because we are Christians, for many nothing could be further from reality. Just look at His chosen – only John died of old age. The rest were tortured and martyred for their faith. They were repeatedly tested, tempted and persecuted.

Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Bartholomew. Unlike others, it’s not clear how Bartholomew was killed for his unwavering dedication to Jesus. There are tales of an upside-down Crucifixion (like Peter), that he was beaten unconscious before being cast into the sea (perhaps the most humane of the three), or the most believed – he was skinned alive. It is this death that is depicted more often in works of art. While little is known about Bartholomew through scripture, it is believed that he carried the Gospel to India, Mesopotamia, Persia and Egypt. One thing that we are certain of is that he was put to death for two simple reasons: accepting Jesus as Lord and savior, and publicly declaring his faith. The Christians I feel compassion for are not the ones shouting from the pulpits, but those who tiptoe around their faith. Sadly, for not so great will be their reward in heaven. Those of true faith are more afraid of denying Christ then anything this world could dish out, including death. While it might make living today in such a fanatical world easier, the truth is we’ll all die sometime. I’d rather not stand before Jesus and explain to Him, knowing that He suffered for me, why I could not do the same for him.

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Portuguese Breakfast Hash with Toast
2 large Waxy Potatoes (Yukon or Red)
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided
1/2 lb Linguica Sausage
1/2 large Yellow Onion
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Paprika to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
4 large Eggs
4 slices Bread
Butter for toast
Jam for toast

Scrub potato skins. Cut potatoes into cubes for the hash. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water, bring to a boil. Cook potatoes for about 5 minutes or so, until almost cooked through. Drain well.

While the potatoes are boiling, cut the sausage into tiny bite-size pieces. Peel onion, dice and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, swirl the pan to coat the bottom.

Add potatoes, sausage and onion to the skillet. Season with Paprika, Garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Turn mixture several times to distribute seasoning. Gently press down a bit with a spatula to entice the potatoes and sausage to begin to brown. Cook over medium heat undisturbed for about 8 minutes.

Create 4 wells in the potato mixture. One at a time add an egg into each well. Once the wells are filled, remove skillet from heat.

Turn oven to broil, place the skillet on the top rack. Broil for about 4 minutes, until the tops of the potatoes and sausage bits begins to brown. Continue to broild until the eggs have reached desired doneness, over easy to over medium with cooked whites and runny yolks.

While the eggs cook, toast bread and lightly butter. Serve the hash straight from the skillet.

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The LORD is just in all His ways
and holy in all His works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
to all who call upon Him in truth.