Okay... mind wandering time again.
I'm over 60. It happens.
A lot of Malta's special recipes are tied to our holy days.
That's HOLY days, not holidays.
Ma's Dead Man's Bones recipe was traditional for All Souls' Day.
November 2, All Soul's Day, a holy day when we remember our dead.
On All Soul's Day we remember our not quite hallowed friends and family.
Catholics are big on the 'helping others' way.
Remember the Kennedys and the Peace Corps?
Our 'All Souls' are dead, so duh, they need our help.
What goes around, comes around.
When we need a hand, we ask the Halloweds for some help.
We Catholics spend quite a bit of time talking to dead folks.
We're not morbid.
We just like to keep in touch.
Some Saints have gotten a huge reputation for being great at helping.
Hey, miracles happen.
When I was born, there were complications.
The doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst.
They did.
They prayed to St. Rita, known as "The Saint of the Impossible".
And, wallah, I survived, and was christened Margherita.
Did you catch the RITA bit at the end?
Ma had absolute faith that her prayers would be answered.
How do I know?
She prayed to St. Rita.
St. Rita was a nice Italian girl.
Since Ma knew I'd survive, she wanted me to have a nice Mediterranean name.
Something that would go with Sultana.
For problems that didn't involve names for her children, Ma turned to St. Jude.
St. Jude is huge in Catholic circles as a mega star at helping.
There's a prayer to St. Jude which, according to our prayer books, is said:
when problems arise or when one seems to be deprived of all visible help,
or for cases almost despaired of.
Don't take my word for it.
Danny Thomas prayed to St. Jude when he feared his career was going nowhere.
Danny also made a promise.
Danny also made a promise.
Opportunites opened up for Danny Thomas.
In gratitude, Danny, with Dr. Diggs, founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
St. Jude hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the
dawn of life".
St. Jude helped Danny.
Danny helped kids.
Like I said, Catholics are big on the 'helping others' way.
