Precious time

POUSSIN, Nicolas
1594 - 1665
From the collection of the Duke of Rutland's Trustees, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Lincolnshire.

A dying man is anointed with oil in accordance with the rite of the ancient Christian church. Mourners are in various attitudes of grief: his mother holds his head; his wife sits at the foot of the bed; behind her, his daughter joins her hands in prayer. This sombre scene is lightened by Poussin's use of colour and by the presence of a maidservant on the far right who is clearly not emotionally involved.

"There is nothing more precious than time; but there is nothing less esteemed and more despised by men of the world. This is what St. Bernard deplores when he says: 'Nothing is more precious than time, but nothing is regarded more cheaply.' The same saint adds: 'The days of salvation pass away, and no one reflects that day which has passed away from him can never return.'

You will see a gambler spends nights and days in play. If you ask him what he is doing, his answer is I am passing the time.' You will see others standing several hours in the street, looking at those who pass by, and speaking on obscene or useless subjects. If you ask them what they are doing, they will say: 'We are passing the time.' Poor blind sinners!-who lose so many days; but days which can never return.

O time despised during life! You will be ardently desired by worldlings at the hour of death. They will then wish for another year, another month, another day; but they will not obtain it; they will then be told that time shall be no longer theirs. How much would they then pay for another week, or another day to settle the accounts of their conscience? To obtain a single hour, they would, says St Laurence Justinian, give all their wealth and worldly possessions. But this hour shall not be given.

From Preparation for Death by St. Alphonsus de Liquori

Subway and Scholastic Discriminate against Homeschoolers

Subway must think that homeschoolers can't write. Either that, or they are just plain discriminating against home schooled children. Subway has a contest called Every Sandwich Tells a Story, open to United States school children; um, I mean school children who are not home schooled. Take a look at their eligibility requirements:

2. ELIGIBILITY. Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted. Employees and members of their families of Scholastic and Subway, their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion and production agencies are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

I see the contest is sponsored by Scholastic, and we all know that Scholastic makes their money by plying elementary schools with their catalogues on a monthly basis. No wonder homeschoolers are being discriminated against. Scholastic isn't capable of tapping into that market.

Is it something in our water...

Or is this story for real? Canadian women are being asked to mail their underpants - yes, you read it right- to Myanmar to aid the international effort to shame Myanmar's ruling junta into giving citizens greater access to humanitarian aid and human rights. It seems the men of Myanmar believe that contact with women's undergarments drains them of their power, and this is an attempt to play on that superstition. I can't help wondering...whatever happened to plain old Kryptonite?

Wise Words

It is so easy to notice the faults of others that we often forget our own faults, and Thomas Kempis, is his little book, My Imitation of Christ, makes a good reflection on how to admonish ourselves not to notice the defects of others.

He tells us to be patient in bearing the faults of others, because we also have many things that others have to put up with, even though we tend to overlook our own faults. He goes on to say that if we can't make our own selves perfect, how can we expect others to be able to perfect, and pleasing to us all the time?

"We would willingly have others perfect and yet we mend not our own defects. We would have others strictly corrected, yet we are not willing to be corrected ourselves. The large liberty of others displeases us, yet we would not want to be denied anything we ask for. Thus it is evident how seldom we weigh our neighbour in the same balance we weigh ourselves."

Wise words.

You can watch a traditional ordination May 30 on EWTN

Be sure to tune in to EWTN on May 30 (the feast of the Sacred Heart) to watch the priestly ordinations of four FSSP deacons to the priesthood. This will be the first time a traditional ordination has been televised on EWTN. Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, the President of the Pontifical Ecclesia Dei Commission, the Vatican office concerned with the Traditional Mass, will perform the ordinations. Mark your calendars!

EWTN live coverage
Friday, May 30, 2008
8:00 a.m. (PDT) (4 hours)
From the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, Lincoln, Nebraska

Calling the Sinner

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1667/1670 by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo


Words of St. Alphonsus de Liquori:

"Consider the mercy of God in calling the sinner to repentance. When Adam rebelled against the Lord, and hid himself from His face, behold, God, having lost Adam, goes in search of him, and calls him as it were with tears. 'Adam, where art thou?' (Gen 3:9)

These words are the words of a father seeking a lost son. My brother, God has often done the same for you. You fled from God and He sought after you, calling you at one time by His inspiration, at another by remorse of conscience, now by sermons, again by tribulations, and by the death of your friends. Speaking of you, Jesus appears to say, 'I have laboured with crying; My jaws have become hoarse.' (Ps 68:4)

My son, He has almost lost His voice in calling you to repentance."

From Preparation for Death, by St. Alphonsus de Liquori

Indulging in the Treasury of the Church

An indulgence to most people is a box of chocolates, a good bottle of wine, or any other number of self-rewards for the body. They bask in the enjoyment of some well-deserved pleasure, relishing the moment.

To a Catholic, however, an indulgence is a means of gaining spiritual rewards. Specifically, it is the remission by the Church of temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven.

How does the Church come by this treasury of graces, and under whose authority can she dispense them? The Catholic Church holds a Treasury of Graces called indulgences that were earned by the infinite satisfaction of Jesus Christ, through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, as well as by the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, especially the martyrs.

The Blessed Mother lived a pure and sinless life, yet she suffered much, and had no need to use her many sufferings to expiate any sins of her own, because she was free from all sin from the moment of her conception. Her complete faith and love of God, united with her sufferings she endured alongside her Divine Son, (especially during His Passion), earned immeasurable graces for the treasury of the Church. All these graces, earned by Jesus and the saints, are at the disposal of the Church. The Catholic Church draws on this heavenly treasury to give remission to her members of the punishment due for sins that have already been forgiven.

Indulgences should not be overlooked in your spiritual journey towards heaven. We already know that they lessen or cancel the temporal punishment due our sins, but did you know they also console us as we consider the pains of Purgatory, giving us hope for less punishment of our own? And they encourage us to confess our sins so that we can obtain the graces the indulgence offers. Think of it a spiritual carrot dangling before you, well within reach if you will only grasp for it.

There are four conditions necessary to obtaining an indulgence. First, you must be baptized. Second, you must fulfill the conditions of obtaining the indulgence, which usually mean receiving Communion and praying for the Pope's intentions. Third, you must be in the state of grace; you cannot have mortal sin on your soul. Fourth, you must have the intention of earning the indulgence. A person can gain an indulgence only for himself or for the souls in Purgatory. You cannot gain an indulgence for another living soul. Only one plenary indulgence per day can be earned.

We have all seen indulgences written below certain prayers that say things like “5 years indulgence” etc. Many people have mistakenly thought this meant they would receive 5 years off their Purgatory. It is actually written as a comparison to five years of penance that would have been done in the early days of the Church, and according to the rules of the Church of that time. It is only through the mercy of God that we will know exactly how much punishment due our sins that the indulgences we have earned on this earth will benefit us.

There are two kinds of indulgences: plenary and partial. Partial indulgences remit only part of the temporal punishment due your sins. A plenary indulgence takes away all the temporal punishment due your sins. This means that if you died immediately after receiving a plenary indulgence, you would go straight to heaven! To obtain a plenary indulgence, you must:

1) have the intention of gaining the indulgence

2) go to Confession and be free of all sin including venial sin at the time of saying the required prayers.

3)meet the four requirements mentioned earlier,

4) You must also not be in the habit of committing any sin, whether it is mortal or venial.

Some examples of partial indulgences are praying the Rosary, reading Scripture, making the Sign of the Cross, and visiting the Blessed Sacrament.

Plenary indulgences can be gained by:

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one hour
  
• Making the Way of the Cross or, if unable to get to a church, the pious meditation and reading on the Passion and Death of Our Lord for a half an hour
  
• Private recitation of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done vocally, continuously, and while meditating on the Mysteries
  
• Public recitation of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done vocally, continuously, and with the Mysteries announced out loud and meditated on.
  
• A plenary indulgence is granted on each Friday of Lent to the faithful who after Communion piously recite before an image of Christ crucified the prayer: "Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus." On the other days of the year the indulgence is partial.
  
• A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who renew their baptismal promises in the liturgy of the Easter Vigil
  
• A plenary indulgence is granted when an Act of Consecration is publicly recited on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  
• A plenary indulgence is received by those who publicly make the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Christ the King (last Sunday in October per the traditional calendar, last Sunday of Pentecost per the Novus Ordo calendar)
  
• A pious visit to a church, a public or chapel on All Souls' Day (November 2) with the prayers of one Our Father and the Creed; this indulgence is applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.
  
• A devout visit to a cemetery with a prayer, even if only mental, for the departed souls, from the first to the eighth day of November.

Start your Novena to the Sacred Heart May 22

The Feast of the Sacred Heart is early this year, occurring on Friday, May 30. Here is a traditional novena to help you prepare spiritually for this day.

[Say once a day for nine days]

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee, and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Within Thy Heart I place my every care. In every need, let me come to Thee with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus help me. [here state your prayer intention]

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. [3 times]

Sanctifying your Sunday

The third commandment tells us to keep holy the Lord's day by going to Mass, engaging in other spiritual exercises or reading, and by not engaging in servile work, other than what is necessary for our family, or required for the good of our neighbour or the honour of God.

That means no shopping, other than necessities like food or gas, according to my priest. I recently asked him if it's alright to stop at a certain store that I only pass by on my way to Mass every Sunday, to pick up a few (unnecessary but convenient) items. He said no, that it would be breaking the third commandment.

I have come to terms with the no shopping except food and gas rule, but I still struggle with how much work around the house I can get away with on Sunday. My hobby is gardening and landscaping. (Yes, I really do have a hobby outside of blogging!) Yesterday, after Mass, I did some spiritual reading (The Glories of Mary and Imitation of Christ), prayed the rosary and the chaplet, My God I love Thee, - so far so good- then I headed out to the yard and started planting a new garden for ornamental grasses. I ran short of plants, so I headed to the nursery for more. Not only did I engage in servile work, which really could have waited until today, but I went shopping for plants.

How much work is too much? If it's your hobby do you allow yourself to "work" on Sunday? I'd be interested to hear readers opinions on what is proper for keeping the Lord's day holy.

Hearing the cry

We've all heard about the tragedy in China. Today the priest at the Mass I attended said the magnitude of this catastrophe has caused many to question whether God exists. To me, it is glaringly obvious. God does exist. And he is angry. Angry at the loss of human life in the form of China's one-child policy. Angry at their forced abortions and mandatory sterilization rule for anyone who already has one child. Yes, the souls of the unborn are crying out to heaven for vengeance, and God is listening.

Genesis 4:10 10 And he said to him: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth.

Contrition

Tears of St. Peter, 1647, by artist Guercino, shows St Peter crying before the Blessed Mother for his sin of denying Jesus three times during His Passion. Notice how the white cloth collecting the tears of sorrow stands out, and the sorrowful expressions of St. Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to the Catechism, true contrition must have four qualities: it must be interior, meaning that our contrition is sincere; it must be supernatural, which means we are sorry because we offended God; it must be supreme, which means we hate sin above all other evils and are willing to endure any suffering rather than keep offending God by sin; and it must be universal. This last one means we must be sorry for at least all the mortal sins we have committed, including those in our past.

The Church teaches us that there is perfect contrition and imperfect contrition. Perfect contrition means that we are sorry for our sins because we love God above all things and are sorry for having offended Him. If we make an act of perfect contrition to God after committing a mortal sin, our sin is forgiven, but we still must go to confession as soon as possible, and before receiving Holy Communion.

Imperfect contrition occurs when we are sorry for having offended God because we are afraid of the punishments of Hell, or because our sins are hateful in themselves. Imperfect contrition is sufficient to receive forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance.

Like St. Peter, we can achieve perfect contrition if we only meditate on the goodness of God, and love Him because He is all good and worthy of all our love. We should make frequent and fervent acts of love to God every day. Here is a little prayer you can say anytime, anywhere:

"Oh, my God, I love thee with all my heart, all my soul, all my spirit and all my strength."

Busy, busy!

I have been delinquent about posting these last few days, but I have a very good reason. The weather has been great, and it's gardening season! I have been busy making up hanging baskets and flower pot displays. When they start to bloom, I will post pictures, as they should be very beautiful. I also bought a fuschia standard, which is a fuschia trained to be a small tree. It's the dark purple variety with red contrast. In the next few weeks, we are putting a pond and waterfall in the back yard. The climate here is quite temperate, so the backyard will host a banana tree (non edible) and a palm tree that will help to shade the pond. I have a statue of St. Anthony that is meant for a garden, and he will watch over things while they grow. Did I ever mention I love gardening?

The Miracle of Fatima

Above is a clip from the 1952 movie, Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima. Below are two eyewitness accounts of the miracle of Oct 13, 1917

O Seculo, October, 1917 (a pro-government, anti-clerical, Lisbon paper):

From the road, where the vehicles were parked and where hundreds of people who had not dared to brave the mud were congregated, one could see the immense multitude turn toward the sun, which appeared free from clouds and in its zenith. It looked like a plaque of dull silver, and it was possible to look at it without the least discomfort. It might have been an eclipse which was taking place. But at that moment a great shout went up, and one could hear the spectators nearest at hand shouting: "A miracle! A miracle!

Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was biblical as they stood bareheaded, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws---the sun "danced" according to the typical expression of the people.

Standing at the step of an omnibus was an old man. With his face turned to the sun, he recited the Credo in a loud voice. I asked who he was and was told Senhor Joao da Cunha Vasconcelos. I saw him afterwards going up to those around him who still had their hats on, and vehemently imploring them to uncover before such an extraordinary demonstration of the existence of God.

Identical scenes were repeated elsewhere, and in one place a woman cried out: "How terrible! There are even men who do not uncover before such a stupendous miracle!"

People then began to ask each other what they had seen. The great majority admitted to having seen the trembling and the dancing of the sun; others affirmed that they saw the face of the Blessed Virgin; others, again, swore that the sun whirled on itself like a giant Catherine wheel and that it lowered itself to the earth as if to burn it in its rays. Some said they saw it change colors successively.

Fr. Ignacio Lorenco (Alburitel, 11 miles away):

I was only nine years old at this time, and I went to the local village school. At about midday we were surprised by the shouts and cries of some men and women who were passing in the street in front of the school. The teacher, a good, pious woman, though nervous and impressionable, was the first to run into the road, with the children after her.

Outside, the people were shouting and weeping and pointing to the sun, ignoring the agitated questions of the schoolmistress. It was the great Miracle, which one could see quite distinctly from the top of the hill where my village was situated---the Miracle of the sun, accompanied by all its extraordinary phenomena.

I feel incapable of describing what I saw and felt. I looked fixedly at the sun, which seemed pale and did not hurt the eyes. Looking like a ball of snow revolving on itself, it suddenly seemed to come down in a zigzag, menacing the earth. Terrified, I ran and hid myself among the people, who were weeping and expecting the end of the world at any moment.

Near us was an unbeliever who had spent the morning mocking at the simpletons who had gone off to Fátima just to see an ordinary girl. He now seemed to be paralyzed, his eyes fixed on the sun. Afterwards he trembled from head to foot and lifting up his arms fell on his knees in the mud, crying out to our Lady.

Meanwhile the people continued to cry out and to weep, asking God to pardon their sins. We all ran to the two chapels in the village, which were soon filled to overflowing. During those long moments of the solar prodigy, objects around us turned all the colors of the rainbow. We saw ourselves blue, yellow, red, etc. All these strange phenomena increased the fears of the people. After about ten minutes the sun, now dull and pallid, returned to its place. When the people realized that the danger was over, there was an explosion of joy, and everyone joined in thanksgiving and praise to our Lady.

A Tridentine Mass in Every Parish?

The pendulum is swinging, my friends - God bless Pope Benedict!

Pope wants Tridentine Masses in every parish, says Vatican official
By Ed West
9 May 2008

The pope wants the Latin Mass to be available in parishes "even if it is not specifically asked for, or requested", according to a senior Vatican official.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, said priests should make the extraordinary form available so that "everyone may have access to this treasure of the ancient liturgy of the Church".

In the latest sign that Pope Benedict XVI wants to make the Mass more widely available, the Cardinal made the comments in a Latin Mass DVD put together by the traditionalist group the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in cooperation with Catholic television station EWTN.

The cardinal added that the Pope wants the old rite to become normal in parishes, so that "young communities can also become familiar with this rite". The Ecclesia Dei Commission is tasked with the implementation of Pope Benedict's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum on the 1962 Latin Mass.

It has been claimed that priests may not celebrate a traditional Mass publicly in their parish unless they have first received a petition from a "stable group". Some bishops have tried to limit the public celebrations of the Tridentine Mass by imposing a minimum number of people in such a group.

But Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos's announcement suggests that priests should use the 1962 Missale Romanum in their parishes without such a request. Copies of the instructional video on the 1962 Latin Mass will be available for free to any priest or seminarian who orders it.

It includes over three hours of footage on two DVD discs, giving a step-by-step explanation and demonstration of the Mass in the extraordinary form.

The production includes multiple appendices with instructions on the general principles of gesture and movement, as well as commonly encountered variations in the elements of the Mass.

Also featured is a real-time demonstration of the Mass, which can be viewed from multiple angles on demand. A spiritual commentary is included, as well as an explanation from an FSSP priest on the liturgical_principles of the extraordinary form. The cardinal provides an introduction for the DVD in which he explains that Pope Benedict XVI hoped to foster a "spiritual and theological richness"

Religious Art - Holy Orders by Poussin

In this painting by Nicholas Poussin, circa 1637, Christ is shown giving the keys to the kingdom of heaven to his apostle Peter, surrounded by the other apostles. At the extreme right is Judas, the apostle who will betray Christ. Notice how the face of Judas is in darkness; above him is a symbolically withered tree.

Matthew 16:19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Humilty check

Luke 14:11 Because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

Signs of a lack of humility, from the Furrow:

1. Thinking what you do or say is better than what others do or say
2. Always wanting to get your own way
3. Arguing when you are not right, or even when you are - insisting stubbornly with bad manners
4. Giving your opinion without being asked for it, when charity does not demand that you do so
5. Despising the point of view of others
6. Not being aware that all your gifts and qualities are on loan from God
7. Not acknowledging that you are unworthy of all honour and esteem; even the ground you walk on or the things you own
8. Mentioning yourself as an example in conversation
9. Speaking badly about yourself, so that others may form a good opinion of you, or contradict you
10. Making excuses when rebuked
11. Hiding some humiliating faults from your spiritual director so that he may not lose the good opinion he has of you
12. Hearing praise with satisfaction, or being glad that others have spoken well of you
13. Being hurt that others are held in greater esteem than you
14. Refusing to carry out menial tasks
15. Seeking or wanting to be singled out
16. Letting drop words of self-praise in conversation, or words that might show your honesty, your wit or your skill, your professional prestige...
17. Being ashamed of not having certain possessions

Why do Catholics do that?

I love it when little opportunities to defend the Catholic faith crop up in everyday situations at work. This usually happens when one of my co-workers discover I am a Catholic. One evening, while driving in the ambulance, the sky was a beautiful red, with the sun disappearing into a haze of amber clouds. I made the comment, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight." My work partner told me that was a comment from the bible. I responded yes, but many people were not aware of that. (see Matthew 16:2-3) He then told me he was a Christian who had grown up reading the bible, and I took the opportunity to let him know I was a Catholic. That piqued his curiosity, and he asked me if it was true that Catholics really do pray to Mary, since the only way to God was through Jesus. (see 1 Timothy 2:5)

What a wonderful opportunity to correct one of the most common misunderstandings that protestant Christians have about the Catholic faith!

I told him that just as Jesus in the mediator between God and man, so is Mary the mediator between man and Jesus. I started by telling him that we pray for Mary's intercession, that she, who is already in heaven, and very close to God, might beseech God to bestow graces and spiritual favours upon us, so that our prayers will have more merit through her asking.

He asked me why we don't just go directly to Jesus. I asked him if he ever gets his church community, family or friends to unite their prayers to his for a special intention. He replied, "Of course! All the time!"

I told him that is exactly what Catholics are doing when we pray for the intercession of the saints. I asked him to imagine the saints in heaven beseeching God for his own special prayer intentions, and how eager God would be to grant those graces, because the elect were uniting their prayers to his.

Jesus gave his mother to us at the foot of the cross, (John 19:26) and she will intercede for us if we only ask. He will most certainly hear the requests of His holy mother, and just as God will deny nothing to Jesus, so Jesus will deny nothing to Mary, because her will is always in perfect conformity to the holy will of God.

We had a great conversation over this topic. Now there is one more Bible Christian who understands why Catholics pray to Mary.

Super Find!

I just found a great website for cooks in a hurry! It's called supercook.com You just punch in the ingredients you have on hand, and it displays suggested recipes. Check it out! Here's a few things I can make tonight with what I already have in my kitchen: (no running to the store or looking up recipes!)

Easy Chicken in Wine Sauce
Missy's Lazy Day Pasta
Pasta with Sweet Peppers

That's all. I'm off to cook supper now...

A Miraculous Staircase

Here is a fascinating story about a miracle of St. Joseph, that I received in my email some time ago from a friend. It was in Power Point, and since Blogger does not upload PP, I asked my brother-in-law to format it into JPEG so I could share it with you. Enjoy!

She sold her soul for a fairytale

From my inbox...

Would you renounce your Catholic faith to become a princess? Autumn Kelly did. And her Catholic mother approves:

“I think attitudes to things like that have changed,” she said. “Autumn is a very serious and intelligent young woman. She may be young, but she knows the world. And he’s a great guy. Isn’t that what counts?”

Uh, no, Mrs Kelly. What counts is eternal salvation.

(Kings and queens in England have to be Protestant in order to ascend to the throne, ever since the Act of Settlement of 1701)

Traditional Mass Explained

The FSSP, with the help of EWTN, has produced an instructional video for priests who want to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It takes the priest step by step through each part of the Latin Mass, and would make a wonderful teaching tool for lay Catholics as well. Here is the link. It is free for priests in North America, and others can purchase it for just $19.99 plus shipping. I've already reserved my copy.

What a great way to fully understand the Sacred Mysteries of the Holy Mass!

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Spring is a great time to make this light, refreshing, and very tasty salad. It's a mixture of spinach, strawberries and kiwi, with a raspberry vinegar-poppy seed dressing. I first tried this salad at a camp last year, and like all recipes I take a liking to, I went home and duplicated it. It's so quick and easy, anyone can make it!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 nine oz (225 grams) bag of spinach leaves, ready to use
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 kiwi fruit, peeled, halved and sliced

Dressing
1/4 cup oil
2 TBSP raspberry vinegar
pinch of salt
2 tsp sugar
scant tablespoon poppy seeds

Toss salad ingredients gently together in a large bowl. Mix dressing separately, and just before serving, toss dressing over salad. Serves 6-8