Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

 

Do you spend time with friends or family around a dinner table? Is it still common for you to have your family come together and eat? Sharing a meal can emphasize community, nourishment, togetherness, love, and support. It can also be a time of anxiety, distress, dread, or anger.

When we come to the dinner table or the restaurant table, how do we position ourselves around the people surrounding us? Do we see the people as competitors to our ideals or expectations, or do we see them as brothers, sisters, friends who desire to be heard and understood? Do you see the people surrounding you as less than or greater than you, or do you see them as equals in the sight of God whom he loves equally?

Next time you go to dinner, examine your position in the community around the table; who are you? Who are they? Is the time together life given, or is it a drain? Can you help raise the bar that the meal becomes a real moment of joy? Be the leader by being the servant of joy.

Reflection by Fr. Etienne Huard, OSB