What nourishes us?

What we bring to the table is what we are called to eat. There is an understanding that in our age the gift of being a table with another has often been lost in what we are called to consume. The emphasis is placed on what we put into our mouths at what gives us the necessary nutrients to feed our bodies. In shows like Master Chef, we are called to also recognises what feeds and engages our senses. Yet rarely are we asked what feeds our souls. The conversation which takes place at table marks out what we consider important to life. It might be good to reflect on what we talked about last time we shared the table? What did we consider most important, what moved us most deeply, what did we hope for and what did we imagine? The discourse is not just about attending to grand ideas and great movements but rather how God called us to be present to the other.

When we sit down at the table it is looking for what will help us to notice where God is work in our lives. What allows us to become more the person we are called to become. This is not about being preachy or giving instruction but it is about being open to what will bring life and hope to another/ It calls us to listen to God's voice which is at the heart of all conversation. Will I rise from the table more deeply encouraged to be the person God calls me to become or will I speed eat to engage with a more pressing task? How will I linger over this time in a way which recognises that we are called to be present to who is there and how we are in their presence.

The other important element of any meal is that we trust the person who feeds us. This is not only in making sure there is enough to go around but that it will sustain us for the journey. In an age where we can access food from around the world more easily there is also a call to become aware of what we eat is not solely about ourselves. It brings us into connection with this who produce it and those who carry it to our door. We honour these connections when we realise each meal is a sacred time where we ask for blessing and thanksgiving not only on our gathering but on how each work of human hand and divine intervention in our lives. These are the Eucharistic moments which gather us at Mass to celebrate the person who unites us as body and spirit called to live in this world with truth and grace.