Pierogi are dumplings made from unleavened dough filled with a variety of foods - meats - potato - cheese - fruits. Pierogi are popular among the peoples of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The West Slavic Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks, as well as the East Slavic Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians and Rusyns, and the Baltic Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians. Depending on the peoples -the name may be different but they all boil down to a dumpling. While in Poland earlier this year - I was traveling with my wife and another deacon couple. Although the food in Poland is varied as in most cultures - the only thing my deacon brother wanted to eat was pierogi. That and potato pancakes - placki ziemniaczane. I tried my hardest to have him try the other Polish dishes - but pierogi was it. He ate pierogi from Krakow to Warsaw to Gdansk where we found a restaurant that served 21 different types of pierogi. Those with sweet cheese were among the most popular. He nicknamed that restaurant the "Pierogi Palace" alternatively the "Pierogi King". Last Christmas - my wife and I made about 700 pierogi to be shared with our family - a task we do not repeat that often.
When we first come to Jesus - we are starving for His Word - the Words of Life that build us up - that edify us - that strengthens us - that fills us. As we grow in our relationship and learn about the Liturgy of the Church we learn about Eucharist and how important it is to Catholics. In the Eucharist we receive Jesus - the Bread of Life and once you connect with Him in this special sacrament - nothing else will ever fill you in the way that Eucharist does. You begin longing for it - searching it out - at home and in your travels - because you have found in the Eucharist the Truth that is Life - the Truth that is Christ - the Truth that is God. Nothing - not even pierogi - will ever fill your soul the way Jesus does!
Deacon Dale
Deacon Dale
