Vegan Effect

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 27th of May 2022 Christians and Jews are among the most Earth couscous people i know.  Perhaps it is down to the popularity of science in the Church or the need to show respect to God's creation, but being green and environmentally friendly is like the eleventh commandment among long-term practising Christians. Therefore, if you are new to Christianity being green is as important as anything else otherwise you are going to look odd.  With this in mind, what are the top things you can do to be that green Christian that sets the standards?

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 16th of May 2022     This dish is creamy with a smooth texture and great for a Daniel fast.  It is basically the same as a regular hummus recipe; however, this recipe observes the rules of a Daniel fast.   Goes great with unleavened bread .  

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 25th of April 2022       Looking for a bread you can have on a Daniel fast?  This simple unleavened bread will do for the fast.  Since no sugar is permitted on a Daniel fast, I used sultanas to sweeten it up a bit and added some herbs for more flavour.  If you don't know what a Daniel fast is, read the blog Daniel Fast Handbook .

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 8th of April 2022     You may have heard about fasting, but what is a Daniel fast?  Depending on the tradition or denomination a Daniel fast can be at different times of the year.  For instance, it may be at the beginning of the year or in lent.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date  of February 2022 If you want to take your worship to the next level, start learning Latin.  Praying in Latin can be a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.  Just learn one line at a time until you have mastered it. 

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 17th of December 2021 Christmas as a child was the most exciting time of the year. The build up to Christmas and the anticipation of being with family and getting wonderful and exciting presents was indescribable. One of the best things about Christmas, for me, was visiting family. I would go to my uncle's and see my cousins. I would get to see my Mum, brother, Sister and Aunties. Visiting family meant dressing up and getting ready for the occasion, which only added to the fun. As a Child, Christmas was a guaranteed joyous occasion, a time of fun and celebration for all. The build up to Christmas would start early in the year. Unlike today, children would receive gifts, main gifts; big expensive gifts, at birthdays and Christmas although we would get some smaller gifts throughout the year. Since modern children have gifts all the time, perhaps the children of today have lost the sense of excitement and lost the lesson of patients. Throughout th...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 4th of December 2021 Are you feeling lost in Catholic Mass?  Are you wondering what is being said?  You don't have to stand there feeling left out; just read this blog as part of a series and all will become clear.  This is a series of blogs aimed at giving you a better understanding of what is said in Mass.   The Order of Mass: Introductory Rite   The Order of Mass: Liturgy of the Word The Order of Mass: Liturgy of the Eucharist The Order of Mass: Concluding Rites   The Order Of Holy Mass Holy Mass First Part Second Part Introductory Rite Liturgy of the Word Liturgy of the Eucharist Concluding Rites Opening Prayer The Act of Penance   Confiteor The Gloria Readings Gospels Homily Nicene Creed Prayer of the Faithful  The Offertory Eucharist Prayer Our Father Holy Communion Co...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 27th of November 2021 Holy Mass is a wonderful experience for Catholics all over the world. However, if you are new to this, you might be wondering what is going on.  If you have not read it already, I have a blog that shows you four prayers to learn for Holy Mass .  Mass is separated into two parts with different sections, see table. The Order Of Holy Mass Holy Mass First Part Second Part Introductory Rite Liturgy of the Word Liturgy of the Eucharist Concluding Rites Opening Prayer The Act of Penance   Confiteor The Gloria Readings Gospels Homily Nicene Creed Prayer of the Faithful  The Offertory  Eucharist Prayer Our Father Holy Communion Concluding Prayer Dismissal If you have read the last blog for Mass, you will know I have covered Something for each of the four sections: The Co...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 20th of November 2021 These four prayers will help you on your way to learning Holy Mass because they hold key places.  I will not cover the whole of Mass in this blog or any part of it in detail, but I will help you get started.  If you put the effort in and learn the these prayers, your experience of Mass will greatly improve. The Confiteor I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God This prayer is usually said near the beginning of Mass in the Act of Penance after the welcoming.  It differs from other versions in two ways. One, through my thought is repeated three time with through ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 17th of May 2021     With Pentecost only days away at the weekend we need a dinner with a story to tell!  Since red is the colour of Pentecost, this dish is mainly red. Red pepper, red lentil pasta and tomatoes, which are red.  Undoubtedly many of you will be fasting for nine days before Pentecost and some of you will find all of this new.  Whatever stage of understanding you are at, you will all understand a really great dinner!  Since you are vegan or are looking to try something vegan, you will be used to trying something new.  If you want to stick to some Sunday dinner like meal. you can.  If you are looking to explore new dishes, this is a great place to start. Ingredients Red lentil pasta x 50g Red lentils x 30g Red bell pepper x 40g Red chilli pepper (to symbolise flames) x 1/2 Red onion x 40g Carrot x 30g Leak x 40g Mushrooms 50g Quorn vegan pieces  x 50g Garlic cloves x 3 Vegan cheese...

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 23rd of March 2021 The feeling that no one is here has returned making this week increasingly more difficult.  Earlier in the week, the news from the Vatican stating that the Church couldn't bless gay unions has highlighted a massive chasm in the Church with the gays on one side and the heterosexuals on the other.  Anyone that speaks out against the gays comes under attack and is threatened with legal action. Subsequently, the Church has become a really unhappy place because of the attempts to make us 'Love the gays.'  I have begun to feel unwelcome as a straight man in Church.  All i want is God.  More and more i wish Jesus was here to sort this whole mess out.  While in Church, i feel that we are all under the monitoring eye's of the liberal overlords policing our thoughts.  Furthermore, it is less and less like Church doctoring that we are learning and more and more like liberal brainwashing. ...

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 16th of March 2021  The whole feel of Lent has changed for me.  I don't feel lost or lonely any more. Most noticeable, is my desire to pray more than ever.  In fact, i find myself praying endlessly all day and just want to stay in and pray all day, which i then do.  I also get the distinct feeling that i am not alone, which is the opposite of what i have been feeling and the need to pray the chaplet for the Mercy to Forgive Another almost overwhelming.  I still find myself disappearing into the past; however, the crying has not stopped.  I look out of the windows and at the blue sky and then i notice the fence, which in turn leads to a feeling of being back in one of the houses i grew up in.  The second house i remember living at to be exact.  I remember going to see Star Wars and becoming fascinated by it to the point that i was surrounded by cards with gum and magazines about it. I would w...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 14th of March 2021    Adam and Eve had three sons after being told to leave the garden of Eden: Cain, Abel and Seth. However, Seth is born latter in the story, yet still plays a significant roll.  This story may be brief, but it is so important to understanding the bigger picture.  Cain and Abel (Gen 4) Cain is the eldest of the three brothers followed by Abel and it is with these two brothers that the story starts.  While Abel is a keeper of sheep, his older brother Cain is growing vegetables.  As they get older, both give offerings to the Lord; Cain offers fruit from the ground and Abel the first fat portions from the first of his flock.  The story doesn't tell us why Cain's offering was refused or why Abel's was accepted, but it does say Cain was very angry at being rejected:  "...but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." (Gen 4: 5) Before I g...

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 9th of March 2021 Lent is a time of fasting and repenting.  It is a time of simple clothing and simple foods.  Most will give more and pray more during the Lenten period.  As we get deeper into Lent, we deepen our faith in Jesus turning to Him more for comfort.  Although this is a sombre time of year, it can greatly increase our trust in God.   Attacks On The Christian Church Early this week, i have found it difficult to ignore the attacks on the Christian Church.  Mostly, it is an attempt to silence the Christian Church.  Many people have had their posts removed from different social media platforms or even been banned!  This Lent has been the hardest i have ever had.  I really do feel that we are under attack from foreign nations and pro-communists and i believe that Satan is ultimately behind it all. Something Feels Wrong Nothing feels right, so i try cleaning everything but it doesn...