O Night Divine

Happy Feast of Saint Barbara

Legend tells us that Saint Barbara was fleeing Roman soldiers through a field of wheat and the wheat grew up to surround her, covering her path and instantly protecting her from her persecutors. It is, therefore, appropriate that wheat is the food most often associated with this feast. 

In the Ukraine it is traditional to plant three seeds of wheat (representing the Holy Trinity) in three small saucers, sprouting them and transferring them to pots when ready. The quicker and taller the wheat stalks grow the more prosperous the coming year shall be. 

In the Middle East a wheat pudding is served in honor of this day (recipe to follow).  Saint Barbara is also the patroness of members of field artillery and architects.  Read the story here.  Her being the patroness of architects makes this a lovely day to build your gingerbread house if this is part of your tradition, and hey nothing wrong with the canned frosting and graham cracker version, especially if you have wee ones. 

A meditation for the day
Jesus said, "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built this house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse. It had been set solidly on a rock." ~ Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Let us try, this Advent season, to build our homes solidly on the rock of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To take in His word and make it the foundation upon which we build and grow our hearts as well as our homes.

 

Wheat Pudding

1 cup of whole wheat berries (available in Middle Eastern grocery stores)
1/2 cup of honey
1 cup of milk (slightly warmed)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup raisins (golden if you can)
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp chopped pine nuts
a sprinkle of coconut

Eight hours or the night before serving, place whole grain in a large jar and cover with boiling water. The next morning, the wheat will be tender and puffy. 

2.  In a medium bowl, combine honey, milk, and corn starch together.  Place in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Increase heat to high and boil, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, and cook until pudding has thickened. Taste, and adjust sugar, if necessary. 

3.  Stir in raisins and distribute into 4 dessert bowls.

4.  Mix pine nuts, walnuts, and coconut together and sprinkle on top of pudding.  Serve warm.

 

 

Fresh Hay for the Manger - St. Lucy Day Planting

A beautiful Hungarian and Croatian custom on the feast of St. Lucy (December 13)  is to plant the "Christmas wheat" on that day. It will be sprouted and ready to add to the manger as a soft bed for the Baby Jesus by December 24.  The new green shoots are also a reminder of the new life born in Bethlehem.           

If you don’t normally keep wheat berries on hand this is a chance to get some before the 13th.  You can purchase them at most health food stores. And if any one couldn't do wheat other grain berries such as rye or barley, or even grass seed could be substituted. Choose a container -  tray, shallow round dish, flower pot, basket. Line the bottom of your growing container/basket with approx. 2 inches of potting soil (or vermiculite mixed with soil).  Sprinkle wheat berries over the soil in a single layer. Cover with a very light layer of soil. Lightly water the seeds with a spray bottle.  To speed the growing you can pre-soak the seeds for 6-12 hours until they have started to sprout slightly, then plant.

        

Place container in a warm area but not in direct sunlight. Cover it with newspaper or paper towel. Each day mist the seeds with water. Do not use too much water – just keep moist. Remove the newspaper once the leaves start to sprout (usually a couple of days).  By Christmas Eve you'll have several inches of lovely green "Christmas grass".   Then the children may carry it to the creche as a gift for the Child Jesus, symbolic of the Eucharistic bread by which He feeds our souls at the altar as well as of the staff of life by which His Father keeps life in our bodies. It also reminds us Christ, the Bread of Life, was born in Bethlehem, whose name means "House of Bread." They could be tied with a ribbon and a candle may be placed near them as a symbol of the Light of Christ, as is suggested in a couple sources.

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. ~John 12:24

In researching I found other cultures (France, Ukraine, Romania, Yugoslavia) where setting out seeds to sprout before Christmas was a  tradition - some associated with the Feast of St. Barbara, December 4 instead of St. Lucy. In this recollection of a Danube Swabian celebration, it describes how the Christmas ritual began on December 4, St. Barbara Day.  A drinking glass was placed up-side-down in the center of a shallow bowl or plate. Grains of wheat would be planted around the outside. On Christmas Eve this would be the centerpiece on the table. The glass was removed and a candle was put in its place.  A bright red ribbon was tied round the bowl and the candle was lit.  

In France on the feast of Sainte-Barbe, children plant wheat or lentils, barley, chickpeas, or any seed that sprouts quickly, in a saucer: providing some greenery in the cold winter days, a precursor of the spring.  These seeds are described as being  sown on a piece of cotton wool, kept moist with water. Tradition says that when the seeds show a healthy growth by Christmas, the new year will be prosperous.

Another association of wheat with St. Lucy is an Italian tradition of eating bowls of a cooked wheat porridge known as cuccia.  The tradition comes from a time when during a famine, the people of Syracuse prayer to St. Lucy, who interceded and a ship arrived laden with grain.

Too late for this year,  but the Confraternity of Penitents also will provide St. Lucy Wheat Kits to those who request them - donations accepted.

The Feast of Saint Barbara

    Barbara was a lovely and intelligent girl, the daughter of Dioscorus, who was a wealthy nobleman and a pagan. In order to protect his young daughter, Dioscorus built a magnificent tower for her to live in and to keep her safe. He spared no expense, providing her with every material luxury, the best food, clothing, servants and teachers, but forbade her to have friends and even speak to anyone without his permission. Barbara was a bright and intelligent girl who was obedient to her father's wishes and remained in the tower, without complaint, even during his frequent business trips. Dioscorus felt that by keeping her secluded from the world, she was sure to grow up and be a pagan worshipper.

One day, before leaving on one of his many business trip, Dioscorus decided to build a bathhouse for Barbara next to her tower. He drew up plans and left strict instructions for the builders to follow. His business however, kept him away for an unusually long time, so that the workers were over half finished with the bathhouse and he had still not returned home. It was around this time that Barbara came down from her tower to inspect the new structure. She noticed that it only had two windows, and she instructed the workers to create a third window. The workers were afraid to deviate from the plans, but Barbara assured them that she would assume full responsibility with her father for the change. The workers, aware of the love that Dioscorus had for his only daughter, agreed and placed a third window in the bathhouse.

When the construction was nearly completed, Barbara stood by the pool facing the east she said, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” and she miraculously drew the sign of the cross in the marble wall of the bathhouse with her finger. She then returned to her tower where she spent her time fasting and praying.

When Dioscorus finally arrived home he immediately noticed the third window in the bathhouse and became very angry. He entered the bathhouse, to inspect it further, and then noticed the large cross, carved on the marble wall. He became furious. He quickly went to the workers and demanded to know who gave them permission to make changes to the bathhouse. The workers, cowering in the face of such anger, replied that Barbara instructed them to add the third window and then drew the cross on the marble wall with her finger.

Dioscorus immediately sought out his daughter and demanded to know why she had deviated from his strict instructions. Barbara responded in a very loving way to her father that indeed the three windows represented the three Lights which guide everyone who comes into the world. Barbara then proceeded to explain and confess her faith in the Holy Trinity.

Upon hearing this Dioscorus became enraged! Barbara had been open tot he grace of God through her pure heart and even thoguh she had no human helper she was able to meet with some Christians in secret who told her about Christ and His teachings. Barbare had sought out the truth and with the help of God she became a Christian who loved God passionately.

In a rage, Dioscorus delivered Barbara to Marcian, the Roman prefect, to torture her until she denied Christ. Young Barbara was tortured mercilessly and through it all Barbara stood firm in her faith and would not deny Christ or the Christian faith.

She was then tossed into prison and ordered to return the following day. In her cell, Barbara knelt in prayer to ask God to continue to grant her the strength to remain faithful to Him, and as she prayed her wounds were completely healed.

When Barbara was brought in front of Marcian the following day he was amazed to see that her wounds had healed and demanded her to deny Christ. Her refusal angered the prefect and her father. Marcian ordered her body to be hung on a stake and ripped with iron claws. The soldiers then burned her wounds with hot irons and beat her head with spiked clubs. Yet through it all, Barbara found consolation in prayer.

She endured her torture singing hymns and praising God. In a fit of frustration Marcian pronounced a sentence of death upon her. When Dioscorus, who was watching the his daughter’s torture, heard Marcian pronounce the sentence, he offered to execute Saint Barbara himself with his own sword. Saint Barbara was then led out of the city to a mountainside were she was beheaded by her father. As the Dioscorus hurried down the mountainside, a great bolt of lightning came from heaven striking Dioscorus and killing him. When Marcian, who was a cowardly bully, heard of these events, he became so paralyzed by fear that he died of fright.

Saint Barbara gained her crown of martyrdom on December 4, 306 and joined her true Father in Heaven. Barbara is the patroness of the US Field Artillery and architects as well as many other things including death by fire and death by explosions.  To commemorate her feast day the children and I read about her extraordinary life and talked about the importance of standing firm in your faith.  Being a soldier for Christ might not necessarily mean taking arms and opposition can, unfortunately, even come from those dearest to us.  Since Saint Barbara is the patroness of architects and it is the Advent season I thought it would be fun to make gingerbread houses.

First off, let me tell you that I cheated.  I used graham crackers, canned frosting and store bought candies.  It didn't matter to my children or the dear little friend we had visiting. They had a glorious time.

I will update this post with photos as soon as I can find the cord that connects my camera to the laptop.  Right now I am running around like a crazy lunatic tearing the house apart calmly searching likely spots where it might have been misplaced.

Meanwhile I will leave you with this from Catholic Culture;

"She is especially invoked for preservation from sudden death. She is one of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers."

Saint Barbara, thou noble bride,
To thee my body I confide
As well in life as at life's end.
Come, aid me when I breathe my last,
That I may, ere here all is past,
Receive the Blessed Sacrament!

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I found the camera chord! Actually my dear husband did. He also fixed the internet so now I can update with some pictures.