The Meal is Sacred
(04-18-2010)
Do you remember that Pillsbury commercial—nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven? I think there is a lot of truth to that in the dynamics of family life. The meal and gathering together is so crucial to the sense of belonging—of home—of welcome—security.
The fabric of family life is woven around the dinner table. There is almost an innate hunger to have that time together for it builds belonging, trust, and comfort.
Yet, the challenges for meal time together, especially for our young families with children, are huge. God bless our young parents today with all the dropping off and picking up, all the activities that demand being in six places at the same time. Frequently the last place to be is together around a dinner table too often lost and sacrificed in the rush and busyness that unfortunately is consuming family life today. Parents tell me they have to make a priority of time as a couple without the children as well as force family time to eat together—to make it a real priority.
For dining together, hospitality can express love or concern. It is a way we extend comfort, or touch the life of another person. It is an important aspect of family togetherness.
Such a lesson comes from Jesus over and over in our gospels. Jesus gives the meal-time, the togetherness, God-like importance —it is no exaggeration to say that a hallmark of his ministry centers on food and eating together. He ate with all sorts of people and united them—just as in our gospel today.
“Cast your nets on the other side” he tells them and they do. Is he merely telling them to go back to fishing? The miracle is more than mere fish. It is the model for us of life by faith in just who Jesus Christ is and how he continues to connect us right here at every meal with him just as he did the disciples nearly two thousand years ago. Calling the men to come together—stop their busyness –sit down around the fire and eat with him. Then they see him for who he is—bread broken—love from the open fire and remember what he has done for us.
“As often as you do this…” Jesus had said as they were eating, “remember me.”
The meal to Jesus, Communion, unites differences, eliminates barriers, and expresses love. Just as in everyday life, the meal is a part of nearly every celebration. The eating or giving of food is an important way by which we show friendship. Dining together, hospitality can express love or concern. It is a way we extend comfort, or touch the life of another person. Many of our parishioners know this as they visit the homebound, persons in hospitals, and convalescent homes, to share the meal of Christ the hope of the Eucharist. They extend the meal from the altar to the bedside.
Others at Mass come up for a blessing at the sacred meal time due to unresolved issues—perhaps that of divorce and a marriage outside of the faith, for example. If any of you are holding back from the Sacraments due to divorce or separation or remarriage, or know people that are, please see me or Fr. Francisco and find out the teachings of the Vatican II Catholic Church filled with the new possibilities by the gift and wisdom passed to the Church by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps soon you too can come forward to break breadin the Lord through the loving gift of his real presence.
The sacrament— of his new life in us, goes beyond the altar table in the church to the tables in our homes, hospitals, convalescent homes to heal and make real the presence of Jesus Christ. In Communion, we are called to acknowledge the holiness with one another around his table including those who need help to get to the table or be connected to the Eucharist by having Christ brought to them. It is the holiness in one another after we go from this table and into our everyday living to eliminate what separates us and to help Jesus feed his lambs, tend his flock, and feed his sheep.
We are called to dine with him and not forget the association between what we do in church and what we do around the tables in our homes.
It may be difficult for those who cannot come to the table—but we are together in prayer and spirit—in the spirit of the love Jesus holds open to you. Let us pray for that unity in his spirit—for his spiritual meal goes beyond the altar—into our hearts—out into our homes and into all that we do as we come and bring our concerns, and joys, our hopes and dreams, to his feast and –try to live what we share.
Blessed Eucharist, Fr. Gordon
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