Happy Birthday, Aaron!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:8-10 ESV).

Cannoli (Italian pronunciation: kan’no:li; or the more familiar Sicilian: cannula, are Italian pastries of the Sicilian region. The singular is cannolo, means "little tube", with the etymology stems from the Greek kanna, which means “reed”. Cannoli originated in Sicily and are a staple of the local cuisine. They are also popular among those of us who are Italian-American. In Italy, they are commonly known as "cannoli siciliani", Sicilian cannoli. They are a tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta. They range in size from "cannulicchi", no bigger than a finger, to the fist-sized proportions typically found south of Palermo, Sicily. While I haven’t been there, our family’s origin is in Cefula, Sicily. Our cousins, the Termini’s, who also come from that region have several bakeries in Philadelphia. They are nationally known and recognized for their cannoli. When we were there, they became the staple for our breakfast! “Absolutely wonderful” is not an adequate description! So, what does that have to do with either today’s devotional or my son’s birthday? Well, let’s start with the reading for today. The psalmist says “taste and see.” Isn’t that really the standard examination for anything that we might eat? Taste it! You may really like it. I always wonder about people who tell me they don’t like a particular food and they’ve never tried it. So it is with the Lord. Experience Him and you will be delighted!

And, then we come to the celebration of Aaron’s birthday. As I recall these 34 years with him, I am reminded of nothing but delight at the thought of Him in my life. He reminds me at every thought of him of the goodness and blessing of God. From the wonder of the miracle of his birth to each step in his growth and development I have been able to see the hand of God working in my life. So, I would like to wish Aaron a wonderful day! The Godfather said it best: “Leave the gun, take the cannoli!” That’s my way of saying to both him and all who read this short devotional, “Have the best day of your life!” Taste and see. Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Buon aaron di compleanno!