Saint Benedict Farmhouse Ale

Happy Feast of St. Benedict! 🍻 

"In the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the feast of St. Benedict of Nusia is today, the date on which his relics are believed to have been translated to Fleury Abbey in St. Benoît-sur-Loire in France. In the traditional or extraordinary form of the Roman rite, his feast day is March 21, the day of his heavenly birthday. We don't blame you for wanting to celebrate the founder of Western monasticism twice in one year. After all, given all the drinks the Benedictines developed, you'll need far more than one sitting to appreciate them." - Drinking with the Saints

While we were in Oregon this past weekend, for my little sister's wedding, we were able to stop back by Benedictine Brewery to purchase a couple more glasses and some more of their great beer. Unfortunately our options were pretty limited following the 4th of July rush!

SAINT BENEDICT
Farmhouse Ale

A session ale in the farmhouse tradition, this beer gets its name because it was first brewed on March 21 and first served on July 11, the two annual feasts of St. Benedict. Bears the fresh aroma of yeast. Complex flavor for a lighter beer, with a slightly tart and peppery finish. Stands well as a cold beverage on a summer day. ABV about 4.7%.

This will be perfect to go along with the Benedictine Pizza found in the archives!

You can browse through all the different beers they have available at Benedictine Brewery here.

Saint Benedict, Ora Pro Nobis!

Cupcake Forest for the Feast of St. John Gualbert

ST. JOHN GUALBERT 

Patron of Foresters, Forest Workers, Park Rangers and Parks

Feast Day - July 12

St. John Gualbert was born at Florence, A. D. 999. Following the profession of arms at that troubled period, he became involved in a blood-feud with a near relative. One Good Friday, as he was riding into Florence accompanied by armed men, he encountered his enemy in a place where neither could avoid the other. John would have slain him; but his adversary, who was totally unprepared to fight, fell upon his knees with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross, and implored him, for the sake of Our Lord's holy Passion, to spare his life. St. John said to his enemy, "I cannot refuse what you ask in Christ's name. I grant you your life, and I give you my friendship. Pray that God may forgive me my sin." Grace triumphed. A humble and changed man, he entered the Church of St. Miniato, which was near; and whilst he prayed, the figure of our crucified Lord, before which he was kneeling, bowed its head toward him as if to ratify his pardon. Abandoning the world, he gave himself up to prayer and penance in the Benedictine Order. Later he was led to found the congregation called of Vallombrosa, from the shady valley a few miles from Florence, where he established his first monastery. Once the enemies of the Saint came to his convent of St. Salvi, plundered it, and set fire to it, and having treated the monks with ignominy, beat them and wounded them. St. John rejoiced. "Now," he said, "you are true monks. Would that I myself had had the honor of being with you when the soldiers came, that I might have had a share in the glory of your crowns! " He fought manfully against simony, and in many ways promoted the interest of the Faith in Italy. After a life of great austerity, he died whilst the angels were singing round his bed, July 11, 1073.

(Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler)

(originally posted over at Shower of Roses, July 2018) 

These forest/tree cupcakes were so easy to decorate with some melted green and cocoa candy melts and a couple plastic bags with the corner cut off to squeeze the melted candy onto the wax paper. After the candy trees had hardened we simply placed them on the cupcakes.

Variations of my Deer in the Woods" Birthday Cake and Snowy Mountain Ski Resort Birthday Cake over at Shower of Roses would also be fun for this patron saint of foresters, forest workers, park rangers and parks!

“The just will flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a Lebanon cedar, planted in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.”— Psalm 92:13-14

St. Junípero Serra's Black Mission Figs

Fig Cookies and The Mission Bell (OOP) - The story of Father Junipero Serra's travels in the California wilderness, of his interest in the Indians and of his building of the missions.

July 1st is the feast day of St. Junípero Serra who was canonized a saint on September 23, 2015. You can find lots of other ideas in the Commemorating the Canonization of Junípero Serra post over at Shower of Roses. 

The Black Mission Fig was named after the mission fathers who planted the fruit as they made their way north along the California coast! Black Mission Figs or fig filled cookies (Trader Joe's Fig Bites, Fig Newtons, etc) would make an easy and simple treat for today.

Black Mission Figs from Trader Joe's

Mission Figs Back in Black Supersnacks from Made in Nature

St. Junípero Serra, Ora Pro Nobis!