Saint Peter Damian + Soft Pretzels + Simple Disciplines

Saint Peter Damian + Soft Pretzels + Simple Disciplines

Welcome to Cooking with Catholic History where in each posting we talk about Catholic people and/or events and a related topic, as well as look at one of my personal takes on recipes.

This time we’re talking about Saint Peter Damian Doctor of the Church, Simple Disciplines, and Soft Pretzels. You’ll love it!

Saint Peter Damian

That’s Saint Peter Damian Doctor of the Church!

As a doctor is one that a person turns to in time of pain or ailment for guidance from a learned mind. The Doctors of the Church are those the Catholic Church points to as being individuals from among the many Saints who all have from God given wisdom, to highlight as places to go for clarity and guidance in the ails we have in faith.

Saint Peter Damian was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XII.

A Benedictine monk, abbot, and cardinal who pushed for reform in priests and spiritual growth in all. Avid advocate, as Doctors of the Church are, for matters of the faith. He wrote an immense amount for his time and the work that he did, that survived, God only knows how much Saint Peter Damian wrote that has been lost or destroyed to time and the elements.

While much of Saint Peter Damian’s work that is talked about now was focused on guidance for religious, as with all Doctors of the Church, his writings and work reach all people even in those subjects are connections for the lay persons. Some of his office readings are easily applicable to everyone ( a translated one typed up here).

Unlike some of the more well-known Doctors of the Church such as Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Theresa of Avila, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Therese of Lisieux, and the like getting your hands on his writings can be difficult. If we can read a little of their works, if we have reason to believe they are accurate as I do with the link I provided earlier, we can glean a little gem by the grace of God. Each of these spiritual valuables help us not only build up real treasure in Heaven, should we actually let ourselves be changed by them (you do have the free will to not), then it is as a healing balm to the ailments we bring ourselves and thus we ail the Sacred Heart of Jesus less. What a Joy that hope brings.

Saint Peter Damian, pray for us!

Soft Pretzels

Pretzels are of European origin, I’ve read (and heard) a few conflicting accounts of country of origin. However, one constant is that all agree they were developed by a Catholic monk/monks. The crossed style that we know as the traditional pretzel being intentional as the shape of arms crossed in prayer a style that has had dotted usage that we now see primarily as Catholics when people seek a blessing during the Mass. It’s said, by some, this form was chosen (or found miraculously depending on the source) for the treat to be a reward for kids learning their prayers.

No matter the origins, this is a pretzel recipe you’ll love to have in your repertoire

Prep Time: 24 ½ Hours

Cooking Time:

Servings: depends on the size, length, shape and style of pretzel

Materials & Equipment

Equipment

Ingredients

Prep

  1. All ingredients, except salt and warm water, get mixed gently together in the bowl or mixing bowl of your mixer

  2. add the warm water

  3. add salt on top

  4. mix – if using a mixer a 2 or 3 is a good speed until it passes the window pane test, if mixing by hand mix it until it gets to that same point. With a mixer this usually takes around 10 minutes by hand expect somewhere around 20 or so.

  5. Roll dough into a ball

  6. place into a lightly greased proofing container and place in the fridge for 24 hours (we’re doing a cool-proof)

  7. after 24 hours gently shape the dough into either sticks or traditional “crossed praying arms” shapes that will fit into your spider strainer, the thicker the pretzel the longer the bake, harder outside to get fully cooked inside I go with ½” thick at this point

Cooking

  1. Put baking soda into pot First(otherwise you can get some reaction and spill over so be prepared for messes if you don’t and be careful with step 2, if you miss this step don’t add the baking soda when it’s simmering or boiling it’ll trigger a reaction releasing co2 and cause a huge mess)

  2. Add 8 cups of water to pot and mix thoroughly

  3. slowly bring water to a boil and back down to a simmer

  4. lower a few shaped pretzels into the water

  5. flip after 2 or 3 minutes

  6. after another 2 or 3 minutes take them out and put another few in

  7. place boiled pretzels onto a baking sheet that has parchment paper, a reusable non stick baking sheet like those used for macaroons, or lightly greased

  8. brush lightly with milk-wash or egg-wash and salt as desired

  9. bake at 350 for 15 minutes-20 minutes (based on thickness) or internal temp is between 190-210F if using a thermometer

  10. let cool as long as you can

  11. enjoy!

  12. Thank God and remember He loves you!

Simple Disciplines - Obedience

Saint Peter Damian encouraged simple disciplines for the sake of right ordering minds and lives. Among simple disciplines obedience is crucial to us. Unfortunately, so often today obedience is discouraged in favor of self-service or going it alone. Some even imply that obedience is counter to self-love and creativity. This is the opposite of the truth obedience practiced well is of real love to self because it works to form us in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ who was obedient even to death on a cross. Similarly, obedience doesn’t disconnect us from the skills God has given us, creativity among them. Is obedience easy? No. But you can grow in it, we all can.

“The virtue of Obedience makes the will supple. It gives the power to conquer self, to overcome laziness, and resist temptations. It inspires the courage with which to fulfill the most difficult tasks” – St Jean-Marie Vianney in Catechism on the Duty of Children

Some of you may note that this is from a catechism on the duty of children and be all “but I’m not a child!” That’s your pride talking. We are all children of the Most High and if we truly seek heaven we must recognize that to some extent we must always be childlike. This is one of those times. What Saint Jean-Marie Vianney is speaking of here applies across ages. Obedience is of asset at all ages.

As we grow, by God’s grace, in prompt self-controlled obedience we grow in the ability to fight temptations, slow ourselves to think over decisions to choose the one to glorify God, and more. That sounds worth the struggle to me.

Let’s look at some ways of growing the spiritual muscle of Obedience:

(As always praying for God to increase your Obedience while pursuing a practice can only be beneficial)

Regular Prayer: Set an alarm(s) for a regular prayer time every day, I would commend you to pray the first thing you do each day and last thing at night as well. When the alarm sounds stop what we are doing and go to the prayer ( See The Rule of Saint Benedict Chapter 5).

This is beneficial to us for by proxy of growing in this practice we end up ordering our days and thus our lives around God. In turn our minds are drawn more toward Him and the rest of our obedience can better follow.

Three examples of this would be the Angelus, the Little Hours (or the Hours), and praying the Divine Mercy at 3 each day.

Go when called, leaving things unfinished: In the Rule of Saint Benedict, which Saint Peter Damian would have been under, when the bell sounds for brothers to change tasks they must leave the current one immediately, unfinished ( See The Rule of Saint Benedict Chapter 5 linked in regular prayer, linking again here). Similarly they would be called to obey all superior brothers without question or disagreement ( see the Rule of Saint Benedict Chapter 71 you’ll need to scroll down). Saint Catherine of Siena(Sienna, yes both spellings are technically accurate for the location, one is historically two is modern English spelling) another Doctor of the Church also wrote about obedience to superiors the benefits and in her book The Dialogues of Saint Catherine of Siena which is easily found today. Similarly, Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote on the subject as part of his massive treatise Summa Theologica which can also be found today, I would note that it is over 2,500 pages long so it’s quite a text and it does cover a massive breadth of subjects.

Important Note! If abandonment of a task would be itself a sin you don’t abandon it for prayer or obedience. Then the obedience would be a sin. What would be an example? An alarm for prayer going off and neglecting to pay attention to the safety of an individual who needs you to pray, even on the claim “God will keep them safe” He was with you. Some, albeit slight, prudence is needed in this practice. If you can’t pray and drive while paying attention to the road, drive safe, pray when you get there.

Another Note! This is talked about in Summa Theologica but if a command or request is against moral judgment such, for example but not limited to a sinful directive it is in accordance with our faith to NOT comply. If we know a thing is sin, even if doing it out of obedience, it is still sin.

Obedience is a virtue of faith that every part of the world claims they want you to give them when they want servitude which is what you get if you take obedience and remove thought, freedom, and morals. Elsewhere it’s discouraged in favor of self-worship. True obedience isn’t easy, especially at first, as with all growth earliest steps can seem the largest and most painful. Through growth in obedience we, by God’s Grace, grow in the ability to better live our faith. It’s counter cultural to the world but we need it and you can grow in it!

That’s all we have for today.

Remember God loves you! I keep you all and your intentions in my prayers daily.