Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of Saint Hilarion the Great (21 October) celebrates the 3rd and 4th century Christian anchorite hermit who spent most of his life in the desert and in the coastal area near Gaza, and is now considered to be the founder of Palestinian monasticism. Living as a hermit, he was sought out for healing, exorcisms, prophetic words, and spiritual training. This led him to establish a monastery. Hilarion is the patron saint of Caulonia, a southern Italian town in Calabria, under the name Sant’Ilario.

On icons, Hilarion is depicted as an old man with a brown, rush-like beard divided into three points and he holds sometimes a scroll which reads: “The tools of a monk are steadfastness, humility, and love according to God.”

+ Includes a feast day recipe for Tisana Barley Porridge

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Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of St. Edward the Confessor (13 October) celebrates the pious and childless Anglo-Saxon king of England whose death led to the Norman Conquest. He was known for performing many miracles in his life, and is said to have cured scrofula by the laying-on of hands — the origin of the ‘King’s Evil’ tradition continued by every English sovereign until Queen Anne.

He was a patron saint of England until 1350, when Edward III named St. George as England’s patron saint. Every monarch of England has been crowned next to his shrine at Westminster Abbey since the time of his death in 1066 AD.

+ Includes a feast day recipe for the Anglo-Saxon treat, Honey Oat Cakes.

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Dusty Buildings

Pena Palace (Sintra, Portugal)

+ A product of the Romanticism period of 19th century architecture, this palace is among the best examples of such in the world.

Blending Romanesque and Neo-Manueline elements, as well as some Moorish flourishes, the final product is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and an architectural love letter to the country and its people.

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Against Heresies (Book Review)

Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyon

+ This 2nd century book is one of the earliest books of Christian theology and apologetics. The author was taught by Polycarp who was taught by John the Apostle. As a result, it is considered an important work in understanding the Church and its beliefs in its earliest days. It is also arguably the best surviving work that describes Gnosticism, from a contemporary.

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