Terry's Kitchen: Broccoli and Rice Casserole

This is my famous “Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe. It is the first recipe that my mother gave to me when I moved out of the house and into my apartment back in 1981. It works great as a side dish with any kind of meat. I also double it and make it for pot luck dinners at work and church. Usually, I don’t have to worry about leftovers. Enjoy!  

Broccoli and Rice Casserole 

1 10oz pkg. chopped broccoli, cooked and drained 

1 small jar or  1/2 of a large jar of cheese whiz 

1 cup minute rice, uncooked 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

2 tablespoons butter or oleo 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 325 

Grease a 1 quart casserole dish. (I usually use a bread pan.) 

Cook and drain broccoli as per instructions on package. 

Mix all ingredients in casserole dish. 

Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes. 

Serve hot. 

Since I  originally posted this recipe, after talking to a former co-worker it was suggested that I try adding chopped onion. I tried it and really liked it. 

A Test Drive for Catholic Radio

You are invited to take a test drive. No, it’s not the latest hybrid. What I am talking about is Catholic radio. A friend pointed me in the direction of Catholic radio about 5 years ago when she turned me on to Fr. Corapi (pronounced co-rah-pee). Since then, I have discovered other great Catholic programming on the radio and TV.

Before my friend turned me on to Catholic radio, I didn’t know that it even existed, or that the Wichita area had a Catholic radio station. Now I have a preset on my car radio for KAHS 1360 AM. Our local station carries EWTN programming, and even has a local show on Wednesday evenings.

Twenty-eight years ago, a Poor Clare nun by the name of Mother M. Angelica turned a garage into a TV studio as an outlet to get her video series of talks on the air. This became know at the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). EWTN is now the largest religious media network in the world. It transmits programming 24 hours a day to more than 148 million homes in 144 countries and territories on more than 4,800 cable systems, wireless cable, Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), low power TV and individual satellite users. Since then, EWTN has established programming on shortwave radio. They also have a 133 station AM/FM network and have an agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio to carry Catholic programming.

Catholic radio is a great resource. You can learn and know about your Catholic faith. In this day and age, with so many people, groups and politicians misrepresenting what the Catholic Church teaches, it is important to learn what the Church actually teaches. Catholic radio can be your source for this information.

It will never replace your spiritual life. It will never replace your need to receive the sacraments or to say your daily prayers. You should always take advantage of what your parish offers, but sometimes with our busy lives that’s not possible. Catholic radio can help you fill those gaps. It is a great supplement to what you should receive at church. Catholic radio has strengthened my spiritual life. Since I started listening to Catholic radio, I have started praying the rosary on a daily basis, I have joined the Knights of Columbus, and I am now an RCIA sponsor.

The problem with Catholic radio is that just like public radio, it is listener supported. Many of these stations are on a shoestring budget. They depend on you the listener to pay the bills. There are no commercials. The other problem, at least with our local station is that they don’t have the strongest signal. In some parts of the metro area, in some buildings, and at night, you can’t pick them up. They do, however, have a web site where one can stream the audio and listen live on line. http://kahs1360.com/Home.php. Also many of the programs are available for podcast or download.

My challenge to you is to give Catholic radio a test drive. If you aren’t in the Wichita area, check the following link for a station near you, http://www.ewtn.com/radio/amfm.htm or go online and stream the programming. Make a donation if you can. If you can’t make a donation, at least pray for the success of Catholic radio. You might be surprised how much you will learn about the Catholic Church and how your faith will take off.

To My Friends

Today, Friday, April 23, 2010 will be one of the most difficult days of my postal career. I have been working at Chisholm Station for a long time (since January 1998). I have made many friendships during my 12 years at Chisholm. Now it is time to move on. Tomorrow, I will begin anew at Munger Station. The reasons for this move, well let’s just say that I really needed a change of scenery. I know in my heart that this is the right move for me. The hard part is saying good-bye to all of those who I have gotten to know over the years. That however doesn’t mean that these friendships have to end. Maybe our paths will cross again some day. At least there is hope. If not, then I guess that’s the way it was meant to be.

A wise man once said,

"Make new friends and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold. A circle is round-it has no end; that's how long I want to be your friend. "

Thanks to all of my friends.

Things That Matter

Have you ever been so passionate about something that you felt like you had to shout it out to the whole world? Was this cause so important that perhaps you could make a difference, and maybe even save the lives of others?

I have a cause that I feel is that important and I recently responded with a letter to the editor of the Wichita Eagle. The letter was published. (It’s not the first time I’ve had one published.) The next day, a friend of mine suggested that I get a hobby.

In this country we have the freedom to speak up and express ours opinions about things that are important to us, even if others may not agree. People in other countries don’t always have what we call “freedom of speech”. We should not take this right lightly. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

My letter was in reference to another letter that suggested that it was wrong for the Catholic Church to use communion as a weapon for politicians who oppose the Church on the issue of abortion. This was in reference to Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, a Catholic, who recently criticized the nation’s Catholic bishops for their opposition to the health care reform unless the Congress restricts federal funding for abortions. You can read the story here on my blog. Here’s my letter to the editor which was published on Sunday November 29, 2009. http://www.kansas.com/opinion/letters/story/1075675.html The bold print is what the Wichita Eagle edited out of my letter.

The Catholic Church is not a cafeteria where one in disagreement can pick or choose what they want to believe. One cannot start pulling pages out of “The Bible” or “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” just because they don’t agree with what the Church teaches.

Name withheld (Communion Should Not Be a Weapon) was wrong in saying that the bread symbolizes Christ’s body. The bread actually becomes the true body and blood of Jesus Christ! That’s why Bishop Thomas Tobin was right in asking Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive communion. Through his actions and statements, Kennedy was in a state of sin. The Church teaches, “Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion”.

In his letter to Kennedy, Tobin uses this occasion as a “teaching moment” not just for Kennedy but for all Catholics. Bishop Tobin offers Kennedy the opportunity “…to enter into a process of discernment, conversion, and repentance”. Bishop Tobin also explains the obligations of Catholics and describes what it means to be a Catholic, “…that you are part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teaching of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals….

You can read the full text of the letter at the web site of “The Rhode Island Catholic”. http://www.thericatholic.com/opinion/detail.html?sub_id=2632

It obviously made an impact on at least two other people. One looked up my name in the phone book and called me thanking me for expressing my opinion. The other also looked up my name and sent me a letter also thanking me and saying that it inspired her to write to the hierarchy of the Church on this issue.
Here is the text of her letter to me. I’ve omitted her name for privacy reasons.

Dear Mr. Brennan,

I am writing a big Thank You to you! You have voiced the opinion of many area national and international Catholics.

We are constantly bombarded by the media, enjoining us to fit the Church into our lives instead of the other way round. We’re told what to believe by atheists and Protestants.

You have inspired me to write to our hierarchy urging them to follow the Church even when their teachings are difficult.

Sincerely,

Name Withheld

To my friend who suggested I get a hobby. This is my hobby! In some ways it is more of a hobby because it is only through Jesus Christ and His Church that we will get to heaven. That makes it a way of life. It is our job on earth to get to heaven and take as many people as we can with us. Most people write to be heard and to inspire others. It is obvious that my letter to the editor did just that. This is the reinforcement I need to continue my hobby (way of life) of writing whenever I feel that I have words of wisdom to share.

Follow Up: Bishop Tobin Lectured on Hardball and What Can We Do to Support the Bishop!

In a follow up to a story to the one I put on here yesterday, seems like Bishop Thomas Tobin in under attack for his letter to Congressman Patrick Kennedy. He went on MSNBC Hardball yesterday and was rebuked and lectured in an insulting interview by Chris Matthews, also a Catholic. See the Interview and story here.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17820




Also Judie Brown of the American Life League made some comments about the letter. She also gave some ideas about how we can show our support for Bishop Tobin.

http://www.all.org/newsroom_judieblog_response.php?id=2851

Take action:

1. Thank Bishop Tobin for his courage in standing up for the truth and for his concern for Congressman Kennedy’s soul. Contact the bishop’s public affairs manager, Karen Davis (call 401-278-4600, fax 401-278-4659 or e-mail kdavis@dioceseofprovidence.org), or write to this address:
Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, D.D.
Diocese of Providence
One Cathedral Square
Providence, RI 02903



2. Contact Congressman Patrick Kennedy to let him know that you are praying for his conversion to truth. E-mail him through his congressional web site, call 202-225-4911, fax 202-225-3290 or write to this address:
Representative Patrick Kennedy
407 Cannon House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Another Catholic Politician Defies the Church and The Response by His Bishop.

Another Catholic politician has gone rogue. No it’s not Sarah Palin. This time it’s the son of the late Edward Kennedy, Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy represents Rhode Island’s First Congressional District in the U S House of Representatives.

It seems that Kennedy has a history of going against the Catholic Church on the abortion. In February 2007, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence asked Kennedy not to receive Communion because of his voting record supporting abortion rights. Recently, Kennedy criticized the nation’s Catholic bishops for their opposition to the health care reform unless the Congress restricts federal funding for abortions. Since then, the two have had a harsh war of words. The feud went public when on November 10th Kennedy told reporters that he had canceled a meeting with Tobin. In response, Bishop Tobin published a letter to the Congressman in his regular column in the “Rhode Island Catholic” entitled “Without a Doubt”.

The Church has a history of Catholic politicians defying the Church’s teaching on abortion. Kennedy is one of many, including his late father. Others include Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi; former Kansas Governor and now secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius; Vice President, Joe Biden; former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo; and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The letter is one of the best that I’ve seen by a Catholic Bishop in response to the anti-abortion stance of a Catholic politician because it defines what it means to be Catholic. It not only explains to Kennedy what his obligation as a Catholic, but is a great teaching moment because in the Bishop’s words, “…might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.”

Bishop Tobin refers to the “Code of Cannon Law” saying, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)

He goes on to say, “…being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals…”

Finally, because Kennedy is in a state of sin and and as the Church teaches, " Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.", Bishop Tobin offers Kennedy the opportunity "...to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion, and repentance."

You can read the whole letter here.

http://www.thericatholic.com/opinion/detail.html?sub_id=2632

Other Sources...

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34816&page=1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_re_us/us_ri_bishop_kennedy;_ylt=AkOr0CfmxqmZG.FOox08qpys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNranBqdmk2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMTIyL3VzX3JpX2Jpc2hvcF9rZW5uZWR5BGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMwRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDZnVsbG5ic3BzdG9y

The Christmas Novena

Beginning on November 30th, St Andrew the Apostle's feast day, it is tradition to pray the following beautiful prayer 15 times a day. Normally a novena is a nine day prayer, however sometimes the term is used for any prayer that is repeated over a series of days. This prayer is often called the "Christmas Novena" or the "Christmas Anticipation Prayer" because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) until Christmas.

The Novena is not actually addressed to St. Andrew but to God Himself asking Him to grant our request in the honor of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can pray the prayer 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary, (perhaps five times at each meal). Prayed as a family, this novena is a great way to help focus the attention of your children on the Advent Season.

Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment

in which the Son of God was born

of the most pure Virgin Mary,

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.

In that hour vouchsafe,

I beseech Thee, O My God,

to hear my prayers and grant my desires

(here mention your request)

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ

and of His blessed Mother.

Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day, from the feast of St. Andrew (30th of November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur

MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York

New York, February 6, 1897