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Home , Shrove Tuesday

Edition 40, March 2015

Back to Basics This month at a

Dear Friends, glance…

As our Lenten journey unfolds before He has to begin training with the basics us, we are reminded of the necessity to because before he can do spectacular things spiritually STOP, DROP and ROLL. Not in a sport, he must make sure he is doing Around the World Page 2 the simple and elemental things well. merely in the traditional sense inspiring connotations of ‘emergency’ and The same is true in the spiritual life. is a ‘urgency’, but rather motivated by the Pasquetta Picnic! Page 3 time to get tuned up, to get back to basics, notion of pausing, removing ourselves to remember the fundamentals. This is why from the clutter and distraction of daily the Church asks us to look at the beginning Lunch Room Chat Page 4 life, critically realising the heat of of the book of Genesis, the story of the imperfection and sin which often creation and the fall. Saint of the Month Page 5 envelops us and dashing for an immediate escape…seeking shelter with We’ve heard it often; it’s probably Jesus. I believe the following reflection, emblazoned in our minds—but we need to Nutella Page 6 sourced from Fr. Robert Barron, hear it again: “The Lord God formed man provides a beautiful yet confronting out of the clay of the ground and blew into What is Lent? Page 7 his nostrils the breath of life, and so man truth of the necessity to orient became a living being.” On , ourselves to God, who is our all. we heard echoes of this in the words, The Noticeboard Page 8 God Bless and Peace! “Remember you are dust and to dust you Domenico shall return.”

LENT - BACK TO BASICS Today we are reminded that our lives come Ben-Detto! is the monthly Fr. Robert Barron from God. Our very existence comes from e-newsletter published by FCI http://www.lentreflections.com/lent-day-1- God. We are owed nothing. We have Friends in Faith, a Catholic Commu- back-to-basics/ nothing coming to us. Every breath we take nity united in friendship and in is a reminder of our dependency upon God; faith and enriched by our Italo- At the beginning of baseball season, the every beat of our heart is a reminder that Australian heritage, bearing wit- coach has to bring his players back to basics. God is the Lord. ness to Christ through the promo- He has to remind them of the correct stance, the mechanics of throwing, the As we begin our Lenten journey, let us take tion and organization of spiritual, timing of a swing, the importance of a few minutes to reflect on the reality that social and charitable activities, in keeping your eye on the ball, etc. It doesn’t without God we are nothing and to give Brisbane, Australia. matter how great of a season a player had thanks that God loved us into being. the year before.

BEN-DETTO! Page 1 FCI Friends in Faith around the world

Contribution by Francesca Musumeci A history of “ Day”

With our Italian heritage, many of us According to tradition, in 1445 a think of Shrove in light of woman of Olney heard the shriving Carnevale, the feast before the fast bell while she was making where kitchens across the country and ran to the church in her apron, still emit a thousand aromas of fatty foods clutching her frying pan. The Olney that would become a distant memory pancake race is now world famous. for the next 40 days. Trays of lasagne Competitors have to be local rich with ricotta, pizza sfogliata with housewives and they must wear an sausages and pancetta, frittelle (or apron and a hat or scarf. zeppole, depending who you talk to), pasticci, cartellate and cannoli are but Each contestant has a frying pan a few traditional Carnevale delights. containing a hot pancake. She must The pancake has a very long history toss it three times during the race. However, moving off the Continent and featured in cookery books as far and tracing our Australian heritage back as 1439. The tradition of tossing The first woman to complete the across the Channel to our English or flipping them is almost as old: "And course and arrive at the church, serve forefathers, I found out that the every man and maide doe take their her pancake to the bellringer and be widely celebrated Shrove Tuesday has turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for kissed by him, is the winner. a peculiar beginning of its own. feare they burne." (Pasquil's Palin, 1619). “Pancake Day”, excerpts of article courtesy of: http://www.historic-uk.com/ The ingredients for pancakes can be CultureUK/Pancake-Day/ seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the  Eggs: Creation traditional feast day before the start of  Flour: The staff of life Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40  Salt: Wholesomeness days leading up to - was  Milk: Purity traditionally a time of and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon In the UK, pancake races form an Olney Pancake Race (Robin Myerscough) went to and important part of the Shrove Tuesday were "shriven" (absolved from their celebrations - an opportunity for large Many towns throughout used sins). A bell would be rung to call numbers of people, often in fancy to hold traditional Shrove Tuesday people to confession. This came to be dress, to race down streets tossing ('Mob Football') games dating called the “Pancake Bell” and is still pancakes. The object of the race is to back as far back as the 12th century. rung today. get to the finishing line first, carrying a The practice mostly died out with the

frying pan with a cooked pancake in it passing of the 1835 Highways Act Shrove Tuesday was the last and flipping the pancake as you run. which banned the playing of football opportunity to use up eggs and fats on public highways, but a number of before embarking on the Lenten fast The most famous pancake race takes towns have managed to maintain the and pancakes are the perfect way of place at Olney in . tradition to the present day. using up these ingredients.

Page 2 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith You’re Invited: Pasquetta Picnic!

Mark the diary and call your friends… the Annual FCI Friends in Faith Pasquetta Picinic is on again! Event Details:

“Pasquetta”, an Italian Tradition, is all about getting the Date: community together to bask in the joy of each others 6 April 2015

company, play games, enjoy the great-outdoors and Where: Mulbeam Park celebrate the good news of the Risen Lord following Easter Cnr Muller and Beams Sunday! Come and join us for a fun-filled day and let FIF Rds, Zillmere be your hosts! We’ll also have lots of fun things for the children to do. Time: From 11.00am

What: - Steak Burgers Don’t forget to spread the - Italian Sausage word and invite your friends!! - Cold Drinks - Raffles - Children’s Games

For any questions and for catering purposes, please send us your RSVP by Wednesday 1st April:

Domenico: friendsinfaith 0406 647 421 @live.com.au

Michael: 0403 144 881

Page 3 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith Lunch Room Chatter Faith in the workplace

Hang on…..What is he trying to tell me? Contribution by Michael Guida

Sometimes, like in Bob’s case, we Ring Ring. Ring Ring. I look to the won’t know straight away what it is phone display; it’s a call coming that God wants from us. What is He through from reception: asking of me?

“Michael, speaking.” I responded. We have two options.

“Hi Michael, it’s Jo here. I have a man 1. The first option is simply to hang on the phone called “Bob”….. He wants up and go back to whatever it to talk to an accountant… can you was that we were doing, assist?” thereby convincing ourselves

that we don’t need any help and “Sure, let’s see if I can help”. certainly don't need the extra

work because we have enough What followed was one of the most clients already, and God’s needs confusing telephone calls I have He also, bless him, assumed I knew are too difficult. This is the “My experienced. But, just like many other exactly what he was talking about and life is fine….Thank-you-very- experiences in the workplace, there is what his needs were, which, sorry to much” attitude. a lesson to be learned. say, were impossible for me to know

given I had no idea who he was. 2. The second option, of course, is The telephone call from “Bob” was a to “stay on the line”, taking the challenging one. Not because of a A couple of times in the conversation, time to listen and have a foreign accent that I wasn’t used to, I simply had to say, “Hang on, Bob, are conversation. This is known as nor because of a static or interrupted you telling me that you need…..”. To discernment. line. The call was challenging because I which Bob responded, “No, not that.” could not understand what Bob I pray that each of us, including myself, wanted, why he was calling an So I listened to more of his stories will always go with Option 2. Lent is accounting firm and what I could do to and tried a few more options until I that very special time where we are assist him. had finally worked out what he was called to simply listen and discern trying to tell me. I took down all his what it is that God is trying to tell us. Don’t get me wrong, it was certainly details and passed them on to the great to hear from a fresh face, to hear right person in the firm to give him a “What parts of my life need improving about his business and listen to what call back. and how can I live the Gospel, each his plans are…. he even threw in a few and every day?” is an example of one interesting facts along the way. Bob’s phone call, however, could not of the questions we could be asking Whether or not they were related to have been more appropriate to the God when we’re on the line in prayer. his product or the reason for his call is season of Lent. an entirely different matter. But it was Our Lenten journey may require more his delivery of the information which During Lent, we are each summoned than one call…. but don’t stress about caused the most confusion, jumping to “pick up the phone and listen”. that. These calls are free. from one thing to another, heightened Lent is a chance for us to do the Pax et Bonum by his extremely fast pace of talking. listening, rather than the talking.

BEN-DETTO! Page 4 FCI Friends in Faith Saint of the Month

Contribution by When he was sixteen, he was Angelica La Spina kidnapped from his home by pagan pirates who took him to Ireland. There he lived as a slave for many years until escaping. Instead of anger, Information sourced from: Patrick felt love for his captors, and Illustrated lives of the Saint, http:// vowed to return and convert the Irish www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day people to Christianity.

Saint Patrick During the next thirty years, that is exactly what Patrick did. He studied Every year on March 17, the Irish and for the priesthood in France and was the Irish-at-heart across the globe sent by the Pope in 433 to Christianise observe St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patty’s Ireland. As a captive, Patrick had Day was first celebrated in America in learned to speak the , 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish and he became familiar with the Society of Boston, including a feast teachings of the Druids, the priests and religious service. This first whose pagan religion he would replace celebration of the holiday in the with Christianity. colonies was largely to honour and celebrate the Irish culture that so He travelled throughout Ireland, to the many colonists had been separated farthest parts of the island, preaching Holy Profile: from. What began as a religious the word of Christ. He baptized all the

feastday for the patron saint of Ireland Irish Kings and their subjects. When has now become an international addressing the high King of Ireland on Name: Saint Patrick festival celebrating Irish culture with Easter Sunday, he used a humble parades, dancing, special foods and a native flower, the shamrock, with its Feastday: March 17 whole lot of green. triple leaf and single stem to explain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. However there is more to St Patrick Patron of: Ireland then a whole lot of festivities and Many miracles are associated with St green attire. Here are some interesting Patrick. One time a chieftain drew his Patrick founded three monasteries and sword to kill Patrick, but his arm facts that you might not have known filled the countryside with churches suddenly became paralysed and was about St Patrick. and schools of learning and worship. not healed until he converted to He ordained many priests and Christianity. Another time a Druid He was born around 387AD, and was consecrated no fewer than 350 priest caused a cloud of darkness to the son of a prominent Roman family Bishops. The memory of his good spread over the country, but Patrick’s that lived in Great Britain. works is so strong that even today, prayers let the sunlight break through. people in Ireland talk about him as if he had died just a few years ago, “Saint Patrick, you forgave those who harmed instead of in the 5th century. He died you and patiently taught the love of Christ. on March 17, and it is said that on the Help me to forgive my enemies and work to day he died, no darkness fell and that never again were the nights as dark as bring God into their lives.” they had been before.

Page 5 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith Things you didn’t know about Michele Contribution by Ferrero and his Nutella empire Michael Guida Sourced from the Daily Telegraph, UK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11415680/14-things-you-didnt-know-about-Michele- Hi Readers! Ferrero-and-his-Nutella-empire.html

As many of you would have heard in  It all began with chocolate  The name only goes back to 1964. the news, the founder of Nutella, Mr rationing. In the post-war Italy of the Ferrero rebranded the hazelnut Michele Ferrero, passed away on 14 mid 1940s, rationing meant that paste when the product launched in February 2015. Nutella, for many of chocolate was hard to come by. the UK in 1964, just over half a us, was no doubt that delicious part of Pietro Ferrero had the idea of adding century ago. Last year, to mark the our childhood, where we would opt for hazelnuts to a pinch of cocoa to 50th anniversary, Italy released Nutella on toast, while our neighbours create a creamy version of gianduja, 2.7m stamps featuring a picture of would add peanut butter or vegemite the hazelnut chocolate spread that Nutella. The stamps, which had a (although I must admit to taking quite was invented in Turin during a postage value of €0.70, were a liking to these other options). And Napoleon era British blockade - a published as part of a series who can forget countless “special time when chocolate was also rare. celebrating the country's economic occasions” like birthdays and system. where we share the  The spread wasn’t always delicious Ferrero Rocher, unwrapping spreadable. Pietro’s Pasta Gianduja,  But a big turning point came in that gorgeous gold wrapping to be or gianduja paste, was originally sold 1988. Nutella's three-year greeted with a perfume of chocolate in a brick that was designed to be sponsorship deal of the Italian and hazlenuts….. Mmmm yummo! sliced and eaten with bread, a core national football team helped But, now that we are in the season of part of the Italian diet. Shops would cement the idea of Nutella as Lent, I am sure that many of us are hand out small tasters for free to essentially Italian and associate the limiting any unnecessary intake of people who bought bread. This spread with healthy eating and these delicious little goods, so that we helped widen the product’s fitness. can “cleanse our spirit from earthly audience, taking it to people who desires”…. no matter how tempting wouldn’t normally have eaten  There’s much more to Ferrero than they look and sound. We can still look chocolate. Nutella. Ferrero was also behind forward to them on Resurrection Day Kinder Eggs, Tic Tacs - almost half of as we celebrate the victory Jesus won  Michele Ferrero is credited with which are produced in the for us. spreading Nutella around the world. company’s factory in Cork, Ireland - It was Michele who added vegetable and, of course, Ferrero Rochers, the In the meantime, I hope you enjoy oil to his father’s recipe, making the posher younger sibling of the reading a few fun facts about Nutella hazelnut chocolate spreadable, and hazelnut concoction. and the Ferrero empire. put it into the now-iconic glass jars.

Contribution by In honour of Mr Nutella, check out the Francesca Musumeci link to this amazing video showing how to make this Nutella Brioche.

Keep this link handy…. You may like to What would the world be without tuck it away as an Easter Sunday Nutella?! Breakfast idea!

Nutella is a great ingredient in some https://www.youtube.com/watch? delicious recipes. v=HwvYmBo_bN4

Page 6 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith Contribution by During Lent we are also called to do At one time, people gave up all dairy Dino Varricchio “good works” such as going to Mass products and meat during all of the more frequently or visiting the sick or Lenten season. Since chickens continue curbing our quick-tempered retort to produce eggs and cow’s milk, the when provoked. It is not necessary to custom developed to make the milk into What is Lent? “give up something” but it would be a cheese and colour the eggs so that when tragedy to do nothing. Easter arrived, no food would be wasted. From its earliest days the Church has made special preparation for the The , in an attempt to Prayer, fasting and other acts of self- annual commemoration of Jesus’ help us Catholics do at least a discipline are essential and effective death and resurrection. This period of minimum during Lent, asks all activities in helping us to lead a Christian preparation is called “Lent”. Catholics to fast and abstain from life. However, every once in a while we meat on certain days. Fasting means to would also benefit from reflecting more The season of Lent is a Catholic limit food to one full meal a day with deeply on what it means for a follower liturgical season consisting of forty the possibility of two smaller meals of Jesus’ ‘Way’ to prepare for Easter, the days of fasting, prayer, and penitence (not adding up to a full meal) as feast that gives meaning to our Christian beginning at Ash Wednesday and needed. Abstinence means not eating lives. concluding at sundown on Holy meat, although fish is allowed. Thursday. The official liturgical colour Catholics are asked to observe all days for the season of Lent is violet and of fasting and abstinence which is one Lent for 2015 began on February 18. of the precepts of the Church.

During Lent, we are asked to practice Catholics 14 years of age or older are for the 40 days, examples of to abstain from meat on Ash which include giving up lollies, sweets, Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent. desserts or other treats. These are left Catholics between the ages of 14 and for those special occasions when we 59 are also to fast on Ash Wednesday have a reprieve from our self-imposed and . If one’s work or fast; occasions such as Sundays or health make it inadvisable to fast or major feasts. But acts of penance abstain from meat, they are not include more than just abstaining and obligated to do so. fasting from our sweet treats or (Reference sourced from http:// The Season of Lent calls us to drinking alcohol. www.catholicenquiry.com/frequently-asked- journey with Jesus to the Cross questions/lent-and-easter.html)

and Fr Michael will join us to celebrate If you would like to join us, please We’re going Holy Mass. contact us as soon as possible.

on Retreat! The Retreat will focus on Pope Francis’ Lenten message, Jesus’ path to the With Lent underway, the gang at FCI Resurrection and an explanation of the Friends in Faith is heading on Retreat on Holy Triduum. We ask for your prayers Saturday 14th March to spend some as we take this time to go on retreat, quality time in prayer. that our ears and senses may be open to God’s word and listen to what He wants The Retreat will be facilitated by Sr Rosa, from us.

Page 7 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith Upcoming gatherings and events:

14 March: Full Day Retreat

17 March: Formation Night

2 –4 April: Easter Triduum

5 April: Easter Sunday & FIF led Mass, 8am Congratulations to Giovanni and Francie 6 April: Pasquetta Picnic Musumeci on the safe arrival of Rosario Giuseppe Musumeci!!!

God Bless you all with abundant love, peace, joy and happiness each and every day.

With lots of love from all your friends in FCI Friends in Happy Birthday to Faith Domenico Antonaglia (9th March) and Giovanni

Musumeci (25th March). Thank-you to everyone who contributed to: Edition 40, March 2015 : Domenico, Wishing you both abundant Francesca, Angelica, Dino health, happiness and joy for and Michael (Editor)

the year ahead, and always with We acknowledge that images have been used from God’s blessing. the internet in this edition. Love, FIF

Page 8 BEN-DETTO! FCI Friends in Faith