I’m a Catholic priest and found God while cooking in the kitchen

I studied for nan priesthood successful Rome, Italy — a spot that takes nutrient very seriously. During a silent retreat, nan retreat head asked america each to "meditate" connected our meal. To deliberation deeply, to contemplate nan measurement it looked, smelled, tasted, and to see really it connected america to galore group and places. Some would telephone this "mindfulness." For maine it was a mind-blowing, sacramental, God moment: a clip to retrieve that God not only became a human, Jesus; but that God besides became food. Catholics telephone it Holy Communion. It’s arsenic if God was saying to me, "Food is nan reply to everything!" 

This gave maine a deeper knowing of why I loved nutrient truthful much!  Before being a "foodie" was a thing, I ever had an liking successful it. I cooked pinch my family for large Filipino-American fiestas. I worked successful hospitality during precocious schoolhouse and college. It was fun.  

But I ne'er wanted to go a master chef. I besides ne'er grew up wanting to go a priest, either. But God has a measurement of showing really our interests and hobbies, if put successful Jesus’s hands, tin beryllium transformed and multiplied into a life that serves meals pinch a message.  

WHAT IS LENT AND THE LENTEN SEASON AND HOW DO CHRISTIANS OBSERVE THE TIME BEFORE EASTER SUNDAY?

In 2024 I will person been ordained 25 years successful nan Catholic priesthood. For galore years I worked successful parishes, younker ministry, situation ministry and ngo preaching, arsenic good arsenic serving arsenic a professor of spirituality and pastoral theology and preaching for a nationalist seminary. 

Father Leo Patalinghug cooking spaghetti arsenic portion of his effort he calls 'Plating Grace' — making God’s grace desirable, appetizing and digestible.

All of this was awesome and fulfilling. But that silent retreat kept calling maine to make deeper connections to each group — not conscionable Catholics — utilizing nan simplest, yet eternally profound, gift of food. 

Parishioners heard that I had studied immoderate culinary arts while successful Italy, and truthful they’d induce maine to dine pinch their families. It was a soft measurement of asking for a leader to sojourn them, to thief fortify their family’s faith, and to make stronger connections to a building they called "church."  

In those family mealtime moments, nan meal array transformed into a table wherever awesome lessons were learned, friendships turned into family, and nan nutrient became nan conveyance to blessed memories. That silent retreat successful nan seminary helped maine to recognize that nan religion is my location and parishioners are my family. This is really nan faithful-foodie activity began.  

Over nan years, I developed a "theology of food." I study nutrient done nan lens of God’s salvation history. It’s turned into 5 books, an world play TV show called "Savoring our Faith" connected EWTN, hosting power shows and podcasts, interviews connected awesome networks, and invitations from astir nan world to springiness lectures while cooking up a crockery truthful group tin not only perceive nan Good News but "taste and spot nan goodness of nan Lord" (Psalm 34).  

Father Leo Patalinghug preaching nan faith.

I decided that my ngo was "Plating Grace" — making God’s grace desirable, appetizing, digestible and Instagram-able. As a Church, we request to do a amended occupation of plating grace for a quiet but finicky flock.  

This nutrient and religion activity gained momentum erstwhile Chef Bobby Flay challenged maine to a "Throwdown!" which aired connected September 9, 2009. Two independent judges declared that my fusion steak fajita bested Chef Bobby Flay’s recipe.  

That aforesaid evening, complete 2 cardinal group visited my website, quiet for much nutrient and religion connections. I received messages and emails from group astir nan world. Perhaps nan astir rubbing was a connection from a female who claimed she hadn’t been to religion successful decades. She said that aft watching my show, she went to confession and received Holy Communion for nan first clip successful complete 30 years!  

My first thought was, "I was conscionable cooking fajitas!" But that silent retreat years agone reminded maine that elemental acts done successful Jesus’s sanction tin toggle shape mean things — for illustration breadstuff and winee — into thing extraordinary. 

But I ne'er wanted to go a master chef. I besides ne'er grew up wanting to go a priest, either. But God has a measurement of showing really our interests and hobbies, if put successful Jesus’s hands, tin beryllium transformed and multiplied into a life that serves meals pinch a message.  

Since that awesome TV exposure, much group started to aftermath up to nan deeper knowing of nan theology of food. Parents are realizing that a regular family repast does much bully for children than immoderate prestigious schoolhouse aliases extracurricular activity.  

Social scientists person confirmed this commonsense believe arsenic fact. Communities and moreover Fortune 500 companies person improved accumulation and worker restitution by creating nutrient experiences and family mealtime opportunities pinch their employees. Afterall, nan connection "company," from nan Latin words cum (with) and panis (bread), implies really "companies" are "companions" who stock their breadstuff pinch each other, a.k.a. a family. 

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During nan 2020 pandemic, while my activity travels and presentations to ample groups came to a halt, I continued sharing nan connection and keeping countless numbers of group connected to each different done online dream services and cooking demos.  

I moreover started a societal endeavor successful consequence to nan request for safe and in-person organization meals done nan Plating Grace and Grub Food Truck. We service delicious, award-winning nutrient while besides feeding nan quiet and hiring group from nan situation strategy and disadvantaged communities. We person a faith-to-fork mission, serving a repast pinch a message, reminding group that nutrient has nan powerfulness to prevention nan world — 1 meal astatine a time. 

Father Leo Patalinghug responded to nan request for safe and in-person organization meals done nan Plating Grace and Grub Food Truck

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If we return clip and bespeak connected what we’re eating, see nan heavy connections that nutrient creates, springiness acknowledgment to God, and believe for group who spell without, I firmly judge that we tin alteration this world for nan better.  

We tin perchance go nan saints that provender nan quiet by becoming companions. It each starts erstwhile we tin spell connected a "food retreat" and meditate connected why Jesus gives himself to america arsenic breadstuff and wine. The theology of nutrient reminds america that we go what we eat.   

Bon Appetit!