Kolaches and the Gift of Prayer

December 19, 1955

Dear Diary,

The frost lay thick on the ground this morning, sparkling under the faint light as Sister and I set off for St. Mary’s. The air was sharp and cold, but the walk felt peaceful, with Mini trotting beside us, her little bottom wagging as if to keep us both cheerful. The crunch of the gravel beneath our boots was the only sound apart from my whispered prayer: "O Mary of Grace and Mother of God, may I tread in the paths that the righteous have trod!"

We arrived at the church early, as always, so I could hand out the daily gospel readings. Parishioners smiled warmly as they took the papers from my hands, with Mini standing nearby to greet them with her usual enthusiasm. Once everyone was seated, Sister and I joined them, our hearts ready for the Advent Mass.

Afterward, we stayed for a little while to read today’s meditation: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." It spoke so beautifully about the necessity of prayer, especially during Advent. Sister explained that Jesus, even before His birth, was already preparing the world for salvation, united with the Father and offering prayers on our behalf. The thought of Him praying for us while still in Mary’s womb filled me with wonder. It reminded me of how important it is to pray fervently during this season of waiting and preparation.

When we returned home, Sister had all the ingredients laid out for baking kolaches. As we worked, she shared again the story of the recipe. It was given to her years ago, when she was still a student at St. Boniface Grade School in Sioux City. Her class had visited the Carmelite monastery, where the nuns had baked fresh kolaches for the children to enjoy. One of the elderly nuns, who was growing frail, wanted to share something special with the younger generation. She had written down her mother’s kolache recipe for each child, her handwriting plain but shaky, reflecting her age and care. Sister has kept her copy of that recipe tucked safely in her prayer book ever since, saying it’s a fitting place for something so treasured.

Today, that very recipe, written in the nun’s shaky but steady hand, was the one we used to make our kolaches. Sister smoothed the old paper gently as she read it aloud to me. Here it is, just as the nun wrote it:

Kolache Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
1 cup warm milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup melted butter
2 large eggs
½ tsp salt
Strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Instructions:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until frothy.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and eggs. Knead the dough until it is soft and elastic.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Divide the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly, then make a small indent in the center with your thumb.
Fill each indent with a spoonful of jam. Let the kolaches rise again for 20 minutes.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before enjoying.

When the kolaches were ready, they smelled just as Sister described from her childhood—warm and sweet, with the jam bubbling gently in the center. We enjoyed them by the fire with glasses of milk, Mini curled up beside us.

As the day came to a close, I knelt to say my evening prayer:

"Lord, thank You for the gift of this Advent day, for the warmth of traditions and the blessing of Sister’s stories. Help me to prepare my heart for You through prayer and love, and may the small acts of this day—like baking from a treasured recipe—remind me of Your constant presence in all things. Amen."

Goodnight, dear diary.

Kathy

Sources: 

1. Jesus - The Model of Religious, Meditations for Every Day of the Year, Volume One, 1925.

2. An elderly nun - Carmelite Monastery, Sioux City, Iowa. 

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