What will you get in a “Cooks with Collars” video that you won’t get from watching other cooking videos on TV or the internet?
Admittedly, you might get more professional cooking techniques and more precise measurements in those other videos, but in “Cooks with Collars” you will get spiritual moments.
In “Cooks with Collars” videos you will see people praying grace before meals, sometimes in languages other than English, such as Spanish and Portuguese.
You will see Father Stanley Moczydlowski, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, talking to a statue of St. Elizabeth. You will see him figuring out what to cook in this year’s contest, and then remembering to thank her at the end of the video.
You will hear Father Thomas Bortz, pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring, reminding us that the Eucharist is “ultimately the elixir that we need in life.”
You will get recommendations to pray or read spiritual books from Father Brendon Laroche, parochial administrator of St. Ursula, Fountain Hill.
His recipe started in the oven at 425 degrees and needed to be reduced to 375 after 15 minutes. What to do with those 15 minutes? “You could pray your rosary,” said Father Laroche. Or start the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the Church that priests and religious pray every day. And for the last 30 minutes of cooking time, you could start the spiritual classic that he likes to reread every year about St. Therese, “Story of a Soul.”
You will see Father Jason Stokes, pastor of Holy Family, Minersville, enjoying a glass of wine while cooking and “toasting the Holy Father because Trinitas winery out in Napa, California came out with this cabernet franc and named it after Pope Francis.”
You will hear Father Keith Laskowski, pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, Easton, talking with Rev. Mr. Miguel Ramirez about parish life while serving there during his transitional deacon year. You will be asked by Father Laskowski to offer a prayer for Ramirez “so God willing he will be ordained to the priesthood in June.”
And you will hear them talking about vocations. “What would you say to any young man watching this video if he’s thinking about the priesthood?” asked Father Laskowski.
“Allow God to guide you into His call and do not feel afraid, because He has a plan for you. He will open the doors for you to be where He wants you to be,” said Ramirez.
These videos are among the 44 posted at www.cookswithcollars.com. Watch the videos, then vote for your favorite priests by clicking the vote button to make a donation. All voting dollars go directly to parishes.
Voting deadline is Monday, Feb. 12, and champions will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 13 (Fastnacht Day).
Photo: Father Brendon Laroche recommends prayer and spiritual reading while waiting through the stages of cooking. Listening at right is Father Joseph Becker, O.S.F.S., in residence at St. Ursula.
