How to Celebrate Saints in the Kitchen

Silvia Patalano unveils easy tips and resources to help you celebrate saints in your kitchen and home.

When it comes to cooking meals, I am inspired by so many things. It boils down to two main concepts: equal parts family recipes and feast day inspiration. I’ve spent quite some time planning meals around which feast day it is. If you don’t know what I mean, I’m referring to the major and minor feast days that occur during the Catholic year, otherwise known as the liturgical calendar. Celebrating Catholic saints and their feast days is probably one of the best ways to connect to your faith!

Resources for Tracking Catholic Feast Days

There are many resources out there that track Catholic Feast Days. I primarily use the Liturgical Calendar from CatholicCulture.org, primarily because each day is paired with sample activities, recipes, and short descriptions of saints and celebrations.

My Catholic Life is another resource that outlines each feast day per month. CatholicCuisine, Feast with the Saints, and SaintsFeastFamily are long-standing websites that I always find myself looking through for feast day recipe inspiration.

The best hands-on resource I use is my monthly Magnificat. It's a devotional that combines inspiring editorials, daily readings, prayers, and short snippets from the saints or other faith leaders. Every morning and every night, you can find me thumbing through its pages. The publisher is also based in lower New York, making it a no-brainer for me when it comes to supporting local business!

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Celebrating Feast Days in the Kitchen Is Easy

People already associate specific meals and treats for some of the most popular feast days. Think corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day or lamb for Easter. More often than not, people celebrate the culture or country just as much as the patron saint that represents them. There is such a beautiful connection between faith and food when it comes to feast day celebrations. It's no wonder that patron saints often have their own special dish in honor of them!

In a more domestic spin on this practice of celebrating through food, many traditional Catholic households also see mealtime as a sacred act itself. Sharing a meal together is an opportunity for connection and reflection.

For example, on one particular Saturday, we had celebrated the feasts of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, two men who were protectors of both their faith and their people. They interceded in times of illness and mediated controversy until they died for doing that very same work. It’s a simple thing to commit oneself to protecting your family and community. It is also very difficult to maintain when you face challenges.

It's just like the simple act of cooking and serving meals, day in and day out. Preparing family meals, no matter how big or small, reminds us that true peace isn’t found in grand acts but in the little things we do every day to nourish ourselves and those around us. Cooking and serving meals is perhaps one of the greatest acts of service and of love—the very work that our cherished saints inspire us to do.

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Other Ways to Celebrate the Saints on their Feast Days

Besides everything that can be done in the kitchen, there are several ways to infuse your daily routines with saintly inspiration.

Intercessions in your Daily Prayers. Those of us who practice daily readings or prayers often do so to nourish our spirit ... and to ask for help. It's almost common practice to ask for assistance while we pray. By spending some time reading about the saint or feast of the day, you can elevate your prayers toward a more meaningful experience.
Acts of Service or Charity. Most saints are well-known for their service toward others. One of the best ways to work towards our own sainthood is to engage with our community in a positive way. You may feel inspired to do your own good works by contemplating on what many saints have done in years past. These acts of service don't have to be highly complicated: call a friend, volunteer at an event, share a meal, make a few donations. The best act of service is the one you can do right now.
Symbols, Candles, and Mementos: It's easy to get caught up in the material side of worship. There's just as many accessories and items that you can purchase as there are saints to celebrate. However, never has there been a Catholic who didn't love a beautiful rosary or Christmas candle! When setting up your walls or tables with pictures, images, or symbolic treasures, be sure you spend time reflecting on their significance. One easy practice to is light a candle at mealtime or prayer time and spend a few moments in quiet reflection.

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Cooking and serving meals is perhaps one of the greatest acts of service and of love—the very work that our cherished saints inspire us to do. #CatholicMom

How do you like to celebrate saints and their feast days? Do you have a patron saint you love? What are your favorite traditions? Share in the comments below!

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