Celebrating St Benedict 11th July
We will celebrate St Benedict of Nursia on the 11th of July at both our Sunday morning worship service and in a special contemplative service Prayer with St Benedict.
Here is the information page about St Benedict.
The contemplative service will be available for download at the Contemplative Services catch up for those who can't attend on Zoom.
We are invited to consider how contemplation is already nourishing us, or how we could explore silence and meditation to further enrich our relationship with God, individually and as a community. Many resources (apps and sites) can be found on the Resources page which is a great place to start making use of the ancient tradition of listening for God's voice in stillness. Sharing our experiences and the tools that we may use in our spiritual practice at worship is another way of building one another up in contemplative practice.
Also, although Eggs Benedict is not related in any way other than name to our Holy Hermit of the day, it is a good play on words and could provide inspiration for a meal to be prepared and shared as a sacred experience of rememberance and fellowship with Jesus:
Recipe for Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 egg yolks; 150g butter, melted, cooled; 1 tbsp lemon juice; Salt and pepper, to taste; 125g shaved ham; 4 eggs; 2 English muffins, cut in half; Avocado, thinly sliced, to serve
Method
Step 1 For hollandaise sauce, combine the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor, very slowly adding the butter bit by bit. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, cover and leave to sit.
Step 2 To poach the eggs, fill a saucepan with water to two-thirds full. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat. Stir the water until a whirlpool forms. Break the egg into a saucer, and then slide into the water. Cook, without stirring for 3-4 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Step 3 Toast English muffins until golden brown. Top with ham, avocado and eggs. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Serve.
And here is a cocktail recipie sourced by one of our Contemplative service curation team, which may help us to make the day specially themed:
Ingredients
30 ml DOM Benedictine (1 shot) 2-3 dashes orange bitters (2-3 drops) 125 ml Champagne (or prosecco) orange peel for garnish Metric US
Instructions
Pour the DOM Benedictine into a champagne flute. Add 2-3 dashes of orange bitter. Top with the champagne and garnish.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 110mg | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Here is a prayer you could use during a meal-time while honouring St Benedict and attending with the ear of your heart to how Jesus is present with you at table:
God of compassionate hospitality, Thank you for the gift of faith and your invitation to me/us to relationship with you. May this meal be one of nourishment and connection so that I/we grow in belief and discipleship. Please fill me/us with your Spirit so that I/we may take you with me/us from this sacred time together and into the next opportunity to share your love with others. Amen.