Monday, November 14, 2011

The Joy of Community

There is not much we love more than having people over to our house.  My husband is amazing in the kitchen.    He is such a gracious host.  And he knows that I'm more likely to appreciate a splurge in the grocery area if it's for the purpose of feeding others (because he is clever like that).

So a few weeks ago we invited a visiting priest from Cameroon and our associate priest from Vietnam, along with another family that love and hang out with as much as we can, to come over and to do a house blessing and share dinner with us afterward.

It was SO great.  First the blessing- prayers and a healthy application of holy water in every room of our house, including that dirt-floored dungeon of a basement.

Then on to dinner.  Tommy made his pollo al disco ( chicken in a disc) using thigh and leg pieces marinated for an hour in terriyaki sauce.  He cooked them outdoors in a wok of oil over a fire.
Ooooh, he also made grilled cactus which you can see tucked in behind the wok!  Once the chicken was done- crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, we shredded it to make tacos with queso fresco, guacamole, homemade salsa, and sour cream.  Homemade refried beans and the grilled cactus on the side; delicious flan made from scratch for dessert.

After dinner was tucked safely away, we sat and listened to Father's stories from Cameroon.  Stories of hiking 13 miles from the nearest roadway to get to a village that is only accessible by cow trails in order to say mass.  He laughed, a hearty, infectious belly laugh telling us about being accosted by a tribe of armed ,strange men along the way.  His walking companions were so afraid, trying to make plans about "what to do".  That's when Father laughed and said "What to do?  Get on your knees so you die praying!".  But the armed strange men made friends with them, gave them gifts, and allowed them to continue on their way.

And then one about cats and dogs and the bishop of Cameroon, complete with loud meowing sounds and more laughter.  His joyful spirit is contagious and he had us spellbound with his storytelling.

It was a crisp, beautiful autumn night outside.  A warm, beautiful autumn night inside.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality." 
-Romans 12:10


sometimes you just need to go outside...even if you can't find a pair of shoes.
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23 comments :

  1. Oh, I love it! Hospitality is something I could really grow in, and stories like this remind me of what a blessing it is for everyone involved. Sounds like it was a magical evening!

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  2. We're new in our area, so as much as I desperately want to entertain in our house....we're really short on friends here and though we just moved to a new house, half the rooms don't have furniture. I can't wait until we can have nice gatherings at our home, yours looked like so much fun!

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  3. I love entertaining and feeding people more than anything in the world!

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  4. It is my favorite! Everyone is happy- the kids, the dogs, the grown ups. Food and drink and chatter. There's just nothing better :)

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  5. looks like a lot of fun! We don't host much, but I always enjoy it when we do.

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  6. We love to have people over too. However, I am thoroughly and horrifyingly socially awkward. We've never had any priests, over, something I would love to do. I'll admit, priests, especially the good ones, intimidate me. Help me out! Is there a script for asking a priest to come over and bless your house? How far in advance did you plan this particular gathering?

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  7. I bet your priest guests loved it Dwija. My guess is life of a priest can be lonely sometimes, filled with blessing yet in some ways solitary. What a nice day for you all!

    And the menu sounded yummy!

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  8. Hey D, I love everything about Romans Ch. 12. Just sayin' ~ LD

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  9. Sounds like a wonderful evening! I've had the pleasure of hanging out with priests in a casual, community setting and it's always amazing. I love listening to the stories of the priests we've been able to hang out with! :o)

    Jamie
    For Love of Cupcakes

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  10. You are amazing for having him over and welcoming him into your home. I know what it is like to spend lots of time abroad and away from 'home'. Getting together with good friends for a good meal like this is just the cure for any kind of homesickness. Plus, that dinner sounds amazing!! :)

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  11. Oh my! Dinner sounds delicious! Story time sounds even more interesting!

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  12. Oh yum...that meal had my mouth watering. What a beautiful time it sounds like you had.

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  13. Sounds wonderful, Dweej!
    Love that last picture...it's exactly like my house ;)

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  14. Thats my husbands love language - creating for his family. He just gets going in there for us, for friends, for the holidays - which is good, since he is not a fan of the decorations ;)

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  15. too familiar with me. just like the way Filipinos trear their gusets. keep the spirit!

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  16. It sounds like such an awesome evening!

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  17. You inspired me to look for more opportunities for hospitality!

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  18. What a lovely night! And I always see those cactus leaves in the store and wonder what they're like.

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  19. This is such a beautiful picture of community. What a lovely evening! {And yummy dinner!}

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  20. Amazing dinner! I admire how you were able to do something quite spectacular for your guests but in a low key way that allowed everyone (even the hosts) to truly enjoy the companionship of one another. That is really special. I envy you that skill.

    BTW...happy baby to you! Hope all goes well.

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  21. i love the grilling part over there. i'm a bb-q lover!

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