In the Church, three Nativities or births hold a special place on the calendar. Of course, we celebrate the Nativity of Christ on Christmas Day, the Nativity of Mary on September 8, and finally, the Nativity of John that Baptist each year on June 24. God chose John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. He began to announce the coming of the kingdom, calling all people to reform their lives. He baptized for repentance but preached that another would come to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Every part of John’s life was directed toward leading others toward Christ. “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). These words indicate his understanding that it was all about Jesus from the beginning. Some traditional foods worldwide to celebrate the feast day are pickled herring on white bread in Sweden and “Goody,” a pot of boiled white bread with milk and spices in Ireland. However, we hear about John that “His food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). Since pickled herring, boiled bread, and locusts might not be on everybody’s list of favorite foods, here is a recipe for a Honey Cake to celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist and Fr. Healey’s anniversary of ordination on June 24th!
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup Honey,
3 Eggs
1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt & 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
Preparation:
