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‘Plagues’ of 2020 shake priorities – on living to serve God
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November 1, 2020Exodus is an intriguing book of the Old Testament, especially in its account of how God sent ten plagues upon Egypt when Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites for a three-day journey into the wilderness to serve Him. Each plague mocked an Egyptian god or goddess, cutting to the heart of the powerlessness of Egypt’s idol worship. It seems that similar plagues have beleaguered the United States this year, mocking our idol worship of work, money, power, pleasure, technology, and entertainment.
First Plague: Water turned to blood. 2020: Hurricane Laura lambasted southwest Louisiana in August, causing a large fish kill, littering marshlands with debris, and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without potable water.
Second Plague: Frogs. 2020: Just as frogs were a destructive force across Egypt, so was Derecho a destructive force across the Midwest in August, carrying damaging winds, tornadoes, torrential rainfall, and large hail. In 14 hours, Derecho left a 770-mile swath of devastation from South Dakota to Ohio.
Third Plague: Gnats. 2020: While the Saharan “Gorilla Dust Cloud” did not carry gnats, it is afflicting skies and air quality in the Caribbean region.
Fourth Plague: Flies. 2020: Following Hurricane Laura, thick clouds of mosquitoes descended on southwest Louisiana, killing cattle and horses.
Fifth Plague: Livestock disease. 2020: COVID-related issues caused meat plant closures and shuttered slaughterhouses. Millions of farm animals were “depopulated.”
Sixth Plague: Boils. 2020: Though rare, bubonic plague caused the death of a New Mexico man in August. California also reported a case.
Seventh Plague: Thunder and hail. 2020: September snow in Colorado triggered winds that fanned wildfires along the Pacific Coast, causing a firestorm that raced from Mexico to the Canadian border.
Eighth Plague: Locusts.
2020: Murder hornets appeared in the Pacific Northwest in July.
Ninth Plague: Darkness. 2020: Catholics experienced darkness during the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday when no one could attend Mass.
Tenth Plague: Death of the firstborn. 2020: COVID-19 caused the death of family members and small businesses across America.
Just as God spoke to Pharaoh through the Egyptian plagues, so has He brought many of us to our knees through the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. I ask myself, “What are the lessons of 2020? Am I a better person now than when 2020 began?”
As we give thanks to God this Thanksgiving, I take to heart the words of Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Jos. 24:15). Am I truly serving the Lord? What about you? Will you and your house serve the Lord?
CHEF JOHN D. FOLSE is an entrepreneur with interests ranging from restaurant development to food manufacturing, catering to culinary education. A cradle-Catholic, he supports many Catholic organizations including the Sister Dulce Ministry at Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, LA.
MICHAELA D. YORK is vice president of
communications for Chef John Folse & Company.
ROASTED LONG ISLAND DUCK
Ingredients:
2 Long Island ducklings
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Granulated garlic to taste
Paprika for color
2 medium onions, cut into two-inch pieces and divided
2 medium carrots, cut into two-inch pieces and divided
2 stalks celery, cut into two-inch pieces and divided
¼ cup garlic cloves, peeled and divided
½ cup cane syrup, divided
Method:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Rinse ducks inside and out under cold running water. Remove necks, livers, and gizzards from cavities. Season each duck inside and out with dry seasonings. Overseason inside of ducks, as only a small amount of seasoning will affect taste. Stuff each duck cavity with half of the fresh vegetables.
Place birds in roasting pan with a two-inch lip, breast side up, and surround with necks, livers, gizzards, and remaining half of fresh vegetables. Do not put water or butter in pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake 1½ hours. Remove foil and bake uncovered 30 minutes. Steam produced in a tightly covered pan tenderizes ducks and ensures that fat is cooked away from under skin.
When done, remove from oven and brush outside of each duck evenly with cane syrup. Ducks are done when legs separate easily from body. Meat will be tender, and skin will be crisp.
