Spirituality of Smoked Polish Sausage

What's in the Basket? Why?  Sausage

Giving one’s life is life-giving

This mystery is written on the soul of all creation: in order to give life, something needs to give-up its life.  Cows must give up their milk, destined for nourishing a baby calf, to give us refreshing ice cream, specialty cheese, Greek or non-Greek yogurts, milk in varying percentages of fat, butter, etc.  A steer must be butchered to place prime rib, a hamburger, or steak on our plates; a pig for bacon or ham. A chicken must give up a future chick to scramble eggs.  Even a plant must give up bringing another generation of new growth, each time we pick a cucumber, tomato, or apple. Eating a slice of bread means the wheat stalk was severed from the earth, grain violently separated from the plant, dried, crushed into flour, and baked over flames. Humans experience the pangs of birthing a new-born baby. We cannot exist, unless something dies for our welfare.

Mothers suffer much, even spilling blood, to bring a new child into our embrace. Raising kids also costs parents much personal and financial sacrifices. Athletes assure each other with the slogan, “No pain, no gain.”

This mystery is etched in all the living. It’s the reason we’re alive. Jesus applies it to Himself: Unless the grain of wheat dies falls to the earth and dies, it remains a grain of wheat. If it dies it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24). It is also celebrated in the Easter blessing of smoked meats, especially smoked sausage. Butchering a cow, pig, even a chicken, is not something most people these days take part in. The meats of these animals are presented to us, cleaned, washed, waiting in a supermarket line, sealed in cellophane on blood absorbing sheets, stamped with dates, pounds and prices.

Traditional families purchase pork buts and choice seasoning, cutting and grinding these “sacrifices” for consumption. Gentlemen often take on the roles of smoking sausage and meat over fragrant flames, bursting with smoke from cherry, apple, or other fallen fruit trees. Where there’s smoke there’s fire. And what’s summer without a BBQ?

Fire itself points to the worship offered God in the Jerusalem Temple, where priests and their assistants daily prepared and burned choice meats, called holocausts, to honor the God who created life and sustains it with meat and bread. Portions of these meats and grain were put aside, providing meals for the priests and temple staff.

Thank-offerings were offered by people to in gratitude for a good harvest or new child. Sacrifices were offered each morning and evening just to praise God, Creator and Author of life, from whom all blessings and goodness flow. It was at the time of the evening temple sacrifice of the lambs, that Jesus was nailed to the wood, and raised on the tree of Calvary. A feverish fire of excruciating pain burst through his limbs for hours. Humans, created in the image of God, brutally executed God. He gave up his life into our hands, so He would give us life, once and for all.

Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the bloody cross ended centuries of temple holocausts. He was buried like the grain of wheat. He descended into Hell, the realm of sin and death. He is the only person who ever lived, who could enter death itself, go beyond to crush Satan, and come out alive. This mystery we commemorate on Holy Saturday: Jesus descending into or harrowing Hell.

On the same day we bring smoked meats, bread, the bitter herb, eggs, etc to a church blessing. This day Jesus was conquering one of humanity’s greatest fears: death and darkness.  God, His Father, raised Him up from pit of death as Victor and Lord of Life. We celebrate this eternal event at our family Resurrection Tables. Here the centerpiece Lamb of God, with a Victor’s Banner, in a grassy lawn, made of cake, bread, or butter, RULES! The Butter Lamb proclaims, along with every blessed slice of meat & holy food: giving up life is life giving.

In his blood we are forgiven and healed of our weaknesses and enlivened in His weekly, Sunday Resurrection Eucharist.  Sharing the blessed Easter egg is a domestic participation in the greatest mystery ever proclaimed: Christ is Risen! Alive forever, already here on earth, we eagerly await the Wedding of the Lamb in heaven, and happily respond, embracing each other, and shouting out the ancient greeting: He is risen indeed!

NB  What weakness are you dying to this Lent?  How are you participating in Jesus’ once-and-for-all, forever sacrifice?

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  Just in time. Heritage Making and Meaning: Just released "Making Polish Sausage" Video by St Casimir Church, Buffalo, NY. From Table to Altar and Back series.

Check, enjoy and pass on to family and friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMLN0W-IWCc