# The Annunciation + Sweet Potato Waffles + 9-Month Novena 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 the Annunciation, 9-Month Novena, and Sweet Potato Waffles. You’ll love it! ## The Annunciation The Annunciation, March 25th. A single, incredibly powerful moment in human history, one of the most powerful and most important. There’s so much grace God has permitted to flow from this short moment. Sure, you could summarize the event into something akin to: _The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit._ _She said “Let it be done to me according to thy word.”_ _And the Angel left._ That’s a hyper brief summary. Often this level of brevity is how reading over the Annunciation is illustrated in our hearts and minds when we read it in the Bible, when we pray the Angelus or Mary’s Fiat, even when we hear it proclaimed at Mass. You might say that you’ve meditated on the fact that this is a crucial point in terms of human salvation and Jesus coming into the world. You may also have already meditated on the fact that Mary didn’t deny what was being said to her as impossible, only asked how and accepted the God’s will. You could also have already pondered the fact that the angel greets Mary with praise, and dwelt on the words including that she’s one of three people greeted with praise by an angel in the Bible. Today I want to reflect on the end of the interaction and mostly what happens after. The Archangel Gabriel shows up, hails Mary, delivers the message, answers a brief question, and receives Mary’s Fiat. Then poof, Gabriel is gone, leaves her. Mary then as we know keeps the interaction in her heart and ponders it. To have such a powerful, brief encounter, then have the messenger leave, without other witnesses. That isn’t easy. On top of that Mary would have to endure the weight of shame. People would figure out that she had gotten pregnant outside of wedlock even with Joseph not divorcing her. What Mary did have was her memory of the messenger of God, her faith, and her reflections on the event. That is until the visitation to her cousin Elizabeth when she got more miraculous support which again would be kept in her heart and mind. Mary would reflect on these things during the entirety of her pregnancy to the Nativity but it wouldn’t stop there. As we know from when Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple after he was lost for three days she kept those events in her heart holding and reflecting on them. A few small words that show the faith of the Blessed Mother and to an extent a glimpse at a perpetual prayer and reflection on things from God. Not forgetting those little gems. Similarly, Mary never let doubt or fear cloud or discolor those memories either. ## Sweet Potato Waffles Waffles are one of the traditional Annunciation foods. While waffles are traditional a lot of people I know have a waffle recipe sitting around even if they don’t use it. So, I brought out an alternative waffle recipe to make things more fun, not only that but these sweet potato waffles are great around American Thanksgiving for breakfast (or dessert). **Cooking Time:** 5 or so min per set of waffles (time will vary by machine) **Servings:** 6-8 3inchx3inch square waffles ### Materials & Equipment _Equipment_ - waffle maker - 2-3x bowl - mixing spoon - pot - steamer basket - sifter _Ingredients_ - 2 cups all purpose flour - 1 tablespoon baking powder - ½ teaspoon salt (optional) - 1 cup whole milk - ½ cup brown sugar - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted - 1 ½ cup cubed sweet potatoes (¼ inch, approximate no need for a ruler) * **Note: you can keep or remove the skins we keep ours for nutritional value in the skin and we don’t mind the texture** - ½ cup applesauce - 1 tablespoon cinnamon - water (for steaming potatoes) ### Prep 1. Steam sweet potatoes on stove or in microwave, your choice 2. mix well and sift together in one bowl flour, salt, baking powder 3. in a second bowl mix applesauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until well combined 4. mix sweet potatoes into the second mixture 5. mix the dry mixture gradually into the wet mixture until fully combined ### Cooking 1. Warm your waffle-iron per your make and model until it’s ready 2. add mixture to waffle-iron for us ½ cup of mix makes a single 3 inch x 3 inch waffle 3. Thank God and remember He loves you! ## 9-Month Novena On the Annunciation each year some people, me included, start a nine-month novena for 3 requests. This novena is often called “The 9-Month Novena for Impossible Requests” and similar click-baity names. The truth is all miraculous events from any intercession, novena, or even just fleeting prayer to God is the doing of the impossible. That is exactly why the event is called miraculous because it’s God showing that He is God and answering prayer outside the bounds of what science and lack of faith measures as possible. So, does that mean that there’s no reason to do a 9-month novena. Far from it. If I thought that I wouldn’t undertake this novena each year myself. Sure, there have been miracles from the novena. That’s part of where it gets its moniker. It’s also an accompaniment of Mary in prayer through her pregnancy with the Living God. That’s right if you didn’t do the math it’s a 9-month novena that starts on the Annunciation and ends on Christmas. That means praying this novena is in essence to ask Mary to pass on your intention as she joyfully recalls her beautiful pregnancy and expectancy of Jesus. We’re also sharing in her expectation of Jesus on the first Christmas and His second coming by our own reflection with her. Thus, permitting ourselves to live, be changed by, and impact others by the Joy of Christmas every day, if we choose to. Sometimes in life God gives us a message or direction as with Mary long ago. Then we get silence, like Mary. In these times it can be comforting to know that the Blessed Mother went through this, that other Saints have gone through it, and yet it can still be difficult like the Israelites in the desert. In such a way this novena while it isn’t magic, it’s not a special coupon for the “Vending Machine God” that some people picture where you insert 9-months of prayer and get what you want guaranteed, it is a prayer God can answer and it is a channel for grace to us if we let Him change us through it. Faith. Hope. Love. Trust. They’re all found in this novena and God can increase them in us if we let Him, that we may be more like Him for others. So, if you think you can stick with it, I encourage you to enjoin in the 9-Month Novena with your three intentions. That our Blessed Mother may carry you with Jesus from the Annunciation to Christmas whispering you and your intentions to Him each day. God might just transform your and bring some beautifully miraculous answers to prayer too! [Here’s the first link I found to the novena](https://catholicnovenaapp.com/novenas/annunciation-9-month-novena-impossible-requests/#day-1). Remember God loves you! I keep you all and your intentions in my prayers daily.