First Week of Lent

Rice Red Beans from Haiti (Diri Et Pois Coles)

Ingredients
2 cups of long grain rice
1 cup of red kidney beans
1 finely chopped onion
1 chopped hot green pepper
1 tbsp of butter
2 chopped cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook the beans in 4 cups of water in a medium pot for 2 hours or until tender.
Drain the beans but keep the water (it will be used to cook the rice).
Fry the salt pork or bacon until crisp (use oil if needed). Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Add the beans along with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the water used to cook beans & bring to a boil
Add the rice and cook for 20-25 minutes.

— Recommended cookbook: A Taste of Haiti

Three practices for this first week.

Sacred scripture states, “As one thinks in one’s heart, so is that one.” Spend at least 3 minutes, relax, breathe and let your mind be fed by “whatever is good and beautiful” as a way of helping you to be more peaceful.

Jesus urges us to “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) We can practice this in ordinary acts such as allowing others to go ahead of us as we wait in line at the post office; giving someone our seat; sharing our homemade cookies with those next door.

Gratitude: On her show Oprah Winfrey frequently promotes the daily practice of gratitude. Begin the day by listing five things for which you are grateful and end the day by sharing with one person all the good things that happened to you today.