Laudato Si Reflection
With Contributions by Fr. James DiLuzio, CSP, Team Member
Summer has arrived and we hope you we all will take a little more time to commune with Nature, reflect on the gifts of life, and the interconnectedness of all beings, remembering that in God “We Move and Live and Have our Being.” The quote comes from Saint Paul’s speech to the Gentiles at the Areopagus in Athens, Greece ACTS 17: 22-34, one of my favorite passages. It is also featured in one of our Eucharist Prayers at Sunday Mass. If you hear it, make a note of it and take some time to meditate upon all that the phrase implies.
Some of you are familiar with Franciscan Friar Richard Rohr and his Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. Fr. Richard and members of the Center offer daily meditations via email. I was very much taken with this interview with Jazz musician and composer Jon Batiste featured in Tuesday’s offering on the virtue HOPE. It’s beautiful. Save it for anytime you need a spiritual boost. https://cac.org/daily-meditations/hope-takes-practice/
In other news: Our Laudato Si Core Team is reorganizing for the new parish fiscal year. Parishioners are taking on new leadership roles while I will take a more concerted and focused role as Spiritual Director. As we convene, pray, and strategize over the summer, we will take a break from posting our Newsletter. When we resume in September, we will announce your new Team Leader and others who will be taking on organizational and promotional roles.
Meanwhile, remember September 1st through October 4 will engage us in the 2026 International Season of Creation. Saint Paul’s will participate in a number of ways including the fourth annual Laudato Si Mass sponsored by Metro New York Catholic Climate Movement comprising 25 Catholic parishes from all the New York boroughs and Westchester. MNYCCM will announce the date and the church for the mass in either August or early September. We’ll post it— so watch for it! I would also like to remind you to take a look at the Season of Creation website (first featured in our May 7th Newsletter): https://seasonofcreation.org and https://seasonofcreation.org/resources/
As previously noted, this year’s theme is LIVING WATER –a powerful image taken from Ezekial 47: verses 9 and 12:
9 Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow, they refresh; everything lives where the river goes. . . 12 Along each bank of the river every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit because the waters of the river flow out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.”
For further reflection, take a look at ISAIAH 55 (another favorite of mine) and Jesus’ words in Luke 12: 22-34.
To close, here are two more Veggie Recipes—one hot and one cold for the summer. Let us know if you would like us to continue this feature when we resume in the Fall. Have a safe and Spirit-filled Summer! God bless!
Skillet Broccoli-Cheddar Rice By Ali Slagle
Ready In 45 min
Yields 4 Servings
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
· 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
· 1 large head broccoli, stem coarsely chopped, florets cut into 1-inch pieces
· Salt
· 1 cup long-grain white rice
· 4 ounces grated, sharp Cheddar (1 cup)
· Hot sauce, for serving, optional
Preparation
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe skillet with a lid, melt the butter over medium. Add the onion, garlic and chopped broccoli stem, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2: Add the rice and 1¾ cups water. Season with salt (about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt). Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3: After the rice has cooked for 10 minutes, working quickly, scatter the broccoli florets on top of the rice and season with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the broccoli is bright green, another 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest covered for about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, arrange a rack near the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Gently stir the broccoli and rice, then sprinkle with cheese. Broil until melted and golden in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with a dash of hot sauce, if you like.
Classic Potato Salad By Millie Peartree
Total Time: 35 minutes, plus chilling
Yields 8 servings (2½ quarts)
NOTE: Make sure that your eggs are rinsed thoroughly, so no pieces of shell remain, and that your potatoes are uniformly cut into roughly 1-inch cubes, so they all finish cooking at the same time. (Millie Bell used her thumb as a measure.) And, most important of all, don’t overcook the potatoes — they take only 15 to 20 minutes to boil. You want potato salad, not mashed potatoes. You can prepare potato salad ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
· 3 pounds russet, Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
· Salt and pepper
· 1 cup mayonnaise
· ¼ cup sweet relish
· 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
· 1 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder · 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
· 2 celery stalks (optional)
· Sweet paprika, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1: Set the potatoes in a large pot; add 1 tablespoon salt and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Set over high heat and cook just until fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. (You still want the potatoes to still have some shape to avoid turning the dish into mashed potatoes.) Drain potatoes, and set them aside to cool.
Step 2: As potatoes cool, make the dressing: To a large bowl, add mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and granulated onion; whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add the potatoes to the dressing, along with the diced hard-boiled eggs, and celery, if using; stir gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Step 4: Chill for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. Serve cold. Finish with a sprinkle of paprika. Potato salad will keep for 4 days in an airtight container.
P.S.: Ever hear of Halloumi? If not, what do you think it is? A kind of Fish? Nut paste? Snails? Search it on your preferred search engine. If it intrigues you, try this recipe:
P.S. 2: An interview with Eco-Writer Katharine K. Wilkinson re, her new book CLIMATE WAYFINDING The Invisible Infrastructure of Climate Resilience – Inside Climate News
P.S. 3: Did you catch this? Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects – The New York Times LET US PRAY!
P.S. 4: GOOD NEWS! Bloomberg Philanthropies Commits $285 Million to Help Clean Energy Scale Fast Enough to Meet Surging Global Demand | Bloomberg Philanthropies