One of the highlights of our community activities is eating together. The spirituality of the dining table, as I call it, is a deep reflection on our community life of love, kinship and hope for a new life of faith. As many people say, the dinner table is seen as a place of connection, brokenness, and blessing. It is a place where family and friends gather to share food, stories, and laughter. Sharing a meal is considered a gift and a means of grace. It can be said that celebrating togetherness around the dinner table is a culinary art, as seen in the holy feast of the Eucharist. In this reflection, we will explore the spirituality of the table from my perspective as a Xaverian Missionary.
A DINING TABLE IN THE SPIRIT OF FAMILY
The dining table is a place where family and friends gather to share food, stories and laughter. It's a place where we gather to connect and foster intimate relationships as one missionary family. In this sense, I can feel the energy of the dining room is overwhelming. The dining table is not only a place to socialize but also a place to share faith, where our co-workers and friends gather to share a meal and catch a glimpse of God's truth: love itself. Regardless of the situation, the dining table is a place where people gather to share food, stories, and fellowship, and nurture their relationships.
Our constitution emphasizes the importance of this family life: "As a family we share everything: faith, apostolic commitment, hopes, joys, concerns, spiritual and material goods" (C.35). In that sense, the atmosphere of the dinner table is filled with a sense of family. The dining table is a place to remember God's blessings. Gathering with my confreres to enjoy a meal is a gift and a means of grace. With that atmosphere, the dinner table is potentially the most "missional" place in our missionarylives.
THE LAST SUPPER AS A GOOD EXAMPLE
I would like to relate this activity to the last supper between Jesus and his disciples. The Last Supper is an important event because it was the last meal that Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion. During the Last Supper, Jesus prayed and thanked God for the meal, broke the bread, shared the wine with the disciples, and explained to them that the bread was a symbol of His body, which was broken for them, and the wine was a sign of His blood that would be poured out for their sins to be forgiven. The important point is that the sharing of food and drink is the basis of the Eucharist, also known as "Holy Communion" or "the Lord's Supper." The Last Supper is a reminder of the importance of togetherness and fellowship, as Jesus gathered with his disciples to share a meal and prepare for the events ahead. As missionaries, we are called to celebrate food and the culinary arts and see the table as a place of giving and blessing. The Last Supper is a powerful example of the importance of sharing a meal with others, as it is a time of communion, fellowship, and preparation for what is to come.
FOR YOU, MY BELOVED BROTHERS AND SISTERS...
The importance of the dinner table and eating together is not limited to Catholic spirituality, but is a universal concept recognized by many cultures and religions. Sharing a meal with others is a way to connect, communicate and build relationships. In today's fast-paced world, where people are always on the go, finding time to sit down and share a meal with loved ones can be challenging. However, studies have shown that eating alone can be isolating and lead to unhealthy eating habits. The dining table is a place to eat and connect with others, share stories, and build community. In some cases, the dining table can also be a place for justice, as seen in dining halls for the homeless, where guests gather to share a meal and catch a glimpse of God's truth. Regardless of the situation, the dining table is a place where people gather to share food, stories, and fellowship, and foster their relationships. If dinner table fellowship is such an important spiritual discipline to shape and sustain our life with God for the world, we need to make it a point to share our dinner table with people who are in our lives but far from God.
