The Widow's Mite

Structuring and achieving an active spiritual life as a young professional can be very difficult at times. I have felt this frustration very keenly over the past few months. Perhaps this is not simply because the duties of working keep me busy for the greater part of the week, but because without a car, I am at the mercy of the (often unreliable) and inflexible schedule of public transportation. I would love to be able to hop in my car after work and go to the adoration chapel for a half an hour in the evenings sometime. Or have a Church close enough to my work that I could go to Mass on my lunch break. The reality is though, due to the location of my work, a relatively unflexible schedule, and the inability to just hop in my car and catch an evening Mass or night adoration, it's difficult for me to incorporate these spiritual events into my daily routine.

As someone who went to two vibrant Catholic colleges, with a plethora of daily Mass options and Eucharistic chapels right down the hall, it's disappointing not to be able to make these things part of my day everyday. These were definitely aspects of college life that I took for granted, and didn't realize how difficult it would be at times to get to daily Mass or adoration on a 8:30-5pm schedule as a young professional. Last week, I was particularly frustrated that I am seemingly a "slacker" in the spiritual life compared to many of my friends who are able to get to daily Mass and adoration on a much more regular basis. Yet as I was bemoaning my state, I felt the Lord say to me very clearly, "remember the widows mite".

Mark 12:42-44 says,

"But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

As I recalled this story, I felt the Lord encouraging me in my desire to give Him His due honor, worship, and praise. Sure, I could accomplish a lot more spiritual activities if I had a more flexible means of transportation, or more flexible schedule. But that is not how my life is structured right now. Right now, all He is asking of me is to give out of my poverty, and offer what I can to Him. Even if that just means being faithful to reading my Magnificat prayers each morning as I ride into work when I would rather be daydreaming or reading a novel. For those of us who aren't able to attend daily Mass or adoration, He is asking us to give Him our hearts, in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass; our desire to be with Him and to know Him more deeply in itself will bring Him great glory and honor. He merely asks us to give what we've got. He's not asking us to give what our friend has got, what our neightbor has got, or what or aunt has got. He is asking us to give what we have got. It could be a wide open schedule full of time to fit in multiple spiritual devotions a day, or it could be making it a priority to pray in the very midst of the hustle and bustle.

I remember vividly a talk that a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville gave to a group of Communication Arts students my senior year. She was talking about her job as a film producer and the integration of her spiritual life within that hectic schedule. She was reminding us that we were not always going to have the luxury of having the time or means to attend daily Mass, adoration, or prayer groups. Depending on what God was asking us to do in our lives and the circumstances that He places us in, it would most likely be a lot harder to find structured time to pray. I remember her saying that sometimes her spiritual life consisted, at the end of the day, a desperate prayer to the Lord, "Jesus, I need your help."

So I pray for the grace to give Him my fraction of a penny. May I give it with a zealous, sincere, and loving heart, in whatever way He asks.

Greek Spinach Balls

I have been recently trying different recipes in the "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites" cookbook, and found a winning recipe the other day for Greek Spinach Balls. These health-filled balls were relatively simple to make, and tasted delicious! They were great to bring with me for lunch, and I imagine they would also be a great appetizer to bring to a potluck or dinner. I did not use bread crumbs because I try to eat a low-gluten diet, but they were just fine without the bread crumbs.

Greek Spinach Balls

2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and large stems removed
1 cup chopped scallions (I didn't have scallions so I used chives instead)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (2 teaspoons dried)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup feta cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup plain or herbed bread crumbs

In a large covered pot, steam the spinach in the water that clings to the leaves until just wilted, 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and chp the spinach and set it aside. In another pan, lightly saute the scallions in the oil for about 5 minutes or until softened and slightly browned. (I did not saute the chives, I just added them into the rice mixture fresh).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, scallions, rice, cheese, dill, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, mashing the rice mixture against the sides of teh bowl with the back of a large spoon until the mixture holds together.


Prepare a baking sheet or large baking dish with cooking spray or a very light coating of vegetable oil. With dampened hands, back a heaping 1/4 cup of the rice mixture into a firm, round ball (like making a snowball). Roll the ball in the bread crumbs and place it on the baking sheet. Continue making balls until all of the rice mixture is used, arranging the balls on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the balls are heated through and crsip on the outside.

Makes about 24 ping-pong sized rice balls.

Cooking -- my story

One of the best things about having more free time after finishing grad school is having more time and energy to cook. I must say, I do not miss the days of unhealthy, unappetizing cafeteria food, or grabbing sugar or caffeine-laden food for late night brain sustenance. Perhaps it is because my mom was a foods and nutrition major, or because I have several friends passionate about organic eating and cooking that this has become a great area of interest to me. I find it challenging and fun to find nourishing recipes that are both tasty and healthful, and then try them out in my kitchen. My theory is, who wants to eat healthy food if it's bland and boring, right? But trying new recipes with unusual ingredients, fresh spices, and lots of flavor provides an outlet for culinary creativity that I very much enjoy. It's very satisfying to be able to discover recipes that are both healthy and delicious. One of my approaches to exploratory cooking is to find one or two new recipes each time I make a weekly shopping trip to try. I figure that now is the best time for me to begin experimenting with recipes, since I am generally only cooking for myself, and don't have to incorporate multiple food likes/dislikes/allergies as many wives and mothers do. This way I can learn how to become a better cook and hopefully develop skills that I can use if/when I am cooking for others in the future.

Of course, even now it is most fun to be able to share my dishes with family and friends at brunches, potlucks, and dinners. Many of my friends also enjoy cooking, and it's lovely when they share their delicious new recipes at these events, and then we end up swapping recipes and all expanding our culinary repertoires. Home cooking is a wonderful gift to be able to share with those you love!

So, in recognition of the important place that cooking has in my life, I would like to share my favorite recipes here as I discover them.

Young, transient, and....organized?

It's Monday again. I have mixed feelings about Mondays. Unlike the rest of the world, Monday is not the day I start my work week (I work Tuesdays - Saturdays), but it is my day off. As Sunday is my first day off which I seek to spend in relaxation, leisure, and good company, Monday is my day when I want to get stuff done. Frequently when my friends ask me what I am going to do on Monday I say "organize my life." It's pretty much my main goal every Monday - run errands, pay bills, and most of all, try and organize the paperwork, mail, clothes, and random boxes in my room. Sometimes I make a dent in the project, many times, I get frustrated. Last Monday was especially frustrating because I realized that by the time I did my household chores, did my laundry, and dealt with other paperwork, I wouldn't have as my time to organize the piles in my room as I hoped.

I suppose it's much easier to accomplish the goal of organization when you are a choleric personality and strive to have everything in exact order. For those of us who are more free-spirited in our home organization, it's much more difficult to bring order to our space without getting suddenly distracted by a great magazine article on our desk that we have been wanting to read, or remembering a package that needs to be mailed at the post office.

But digging deeper, I know that my frustration with home organization is not just an aggravation with stray papers, but a reluctance to develop a more permanent state of organization in my room in the midst of my transient existence. In the past 8 years, (counting college years), I have moved 8 times. Because of my tendency to take my time to decide how to organize each room, and very thoughtfully and deliberately unpack my things, by the time I get my room fully unpacked, it's about time for me to pack up again. And inevitably, this means adding more odds and ends to my odds and ends box(es) that just seem to get more full with each move.

I truly admire my friends who have also moved frequently, and are able to establish a well-organized room within a few days. Knowing that even my current location is somewhat temporary, I am still reluctant to unpack every single box, in anticipation that before long, I will probably be moving again. But every time I face the challenge of organizing, I also face the desire putting down roots, and having more stability. As a young adult still discerning my permanent vocation and God's will for my life, geographical stability is not something that I have. So it is my challenge and prayer not only to organize my space to be well-ordered for the present moment, but to find my roots and stability in His heart. For us transient, nomadic singles, at this time in our lives, our lack of stability and roots is a unique cross. I have heard the quote before, "My home is in His heart." May this be our comfort and our prayer in our packing, unpacking, moving forward, and staying in place.