The Eucharist and Family Meals

~ One of the reason, I love to bake (and why I write all my columns about bread, baking, and food) is because of how bread and food have this capacity to bring us together as a family. 

The Eucharist we celebrate at Mass is more than just a ritual or a series of prayers the priest says. The Eucharist is our family meal that we participate in each week. One custom that my family has is how on most Saturdays we share a big meal at my grandma’s house. All the cousins, aunts, and uncles are there. My grandma sets out a big spread of food and there are probably 3–5 crockpots keeping everything warm. At that weekly meal, my family receives food and is nourished, not only by the food, but by our family interactions and conversations.

Like with the family meal, when we are gathered around the altar, we are gathered as the Body of Christ, nourished not only by bread and wine, but by the real presence of Jesus Himself and the fellowship we have with one another. The Eucharist is our family meal where we receive nourishment and life. 

Like any family, we may have our struggles, distinct political identities , sets of values, differences, and wounds, but through God’s grace, we remain one. Our family bond, our unity in Christ, deepens each time we participate in the Eucharist, each time we gather for our family meal. And it is this bond of unity we have through Jesus that is the foundation of our Church family. 

There’s a real and beautiful connection between our family meals and the Eucharist. In both places, bread is broken and shared. In both places, people are welcomed, nourished, and strengthened.

So here’s an encouragement from me to you: let’s reclaim the sacredness of family meals. Whether it’s a Sunday dinner, a weeknight around the kitchen table, or a potluck with friends—make time to gather, to eat together, to listen to each other. Pick a night, turn off the devices if you can, shut off the TVs, and gather around one table or in the backyard. These moments strengthen our families and teach us how to be humans and how to be Church.

When we gather to celebrate the Eucharist this week, may we remember the holiness of shared meals—in our homes and at the altar. May our baking, our cooking, our gathering, and our praying, whether in our homes or in our church, all be part of one great offering of love.

Throughout the year, we present an article in the bulletin each week on a variety of topics, written by a member of our Parish staff or ministries on a rotating basis.