John Keble, Priest & Poet

'What are the symptoms, by which one may judge most fairly, whether or not a nation, as such, is becoming alienated from God and Christ?' --- From John Keble's Assize Sermon of 1833.

Today is the feast of Blessed John Keble, the saintly man, who, according to Cardinal Newman, launched the Oxford Movement in the Church of England, which still greatly influences the Anglican Communion today. Also a popular poet, Keble wrote The Christian Year, which I use as a devotional. Keble College, Oxford is named in his honour as well.

At the core of Keble's theology was a cry for the Church to be the holy Church of God, that is, to be a beacon of truth and light in an increasingly secular age, when, as the world around us exhibits, is filled with half-truths, watered-down anthropologies, and hundreds of schema for self-actualisation.

His question, 'What are the symptoms, by which one may judge most fairly, whether or not a nation, as such, is becoming alienated from God and Christ', is our question. We, too, must ask what are the symptoms that demonstrate that we are becoming alienated from God. This is not just a question for a group of people, but is a question that must be answered individually, too. This is a perfect Lenten discipline, for God will, as he did in Keble's own day, restore us and draw us closer to the Divine embrace we all so desperately need.

We mustn't be afraid of asking God to show us those dark places in our lives. God will remove the hardness of our hearts and heal us just in time for Easter morn, when the stone will be rolled back and the Light of the world, which is Christ Jesus, will fill our hearts with joy and gladness.

Keble rightly reminded the Church that her roots were not governmental, nor were they based on the volunteerism of her adherents. No, the Church was the Church because God himself founded, blessed, and set it apart to the end of the ages to carry out His work on earth. Even and especially now, the Church must be the prophetic voice of our Lord.

Pray with me brothers and sisters that God would raise up more people like John Keble, ones that will not be held captive to society at large; ones that will stand for the Truth that is Jesus Christ; ones that will give their lives to Him, who loves us and calls us by name.

John Keble, I must also tell you, lived on the cusp of Victorian England, which was a time of many culinary advances. Both spices and nuts from India were new to the Victorian diet. I'd like to think Fr. Keble liked these touches, so here's a great little recipe for spiced nuts. These are best served whilst they're still warm.

Bon appétit!

Spiced Nuts
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.

Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.