Special meals

At the beginning of our First Communion class last month, I invited each participant to share about a special meal. Some were special because of the occasion - a holiday meal, or birthday dinner. Others were special because of the food they ate - cheesy pizza, a towering cake, a favorite soup. Many remembered the special people who gathered there around the table - friends, family, and some who have since died.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

November is a month of special meals. There is, of course, Thanksgiving, where special people gather to eat special, comforting food on a special day. In this meal we celebrate abundance, and express our gratitude for food to eat, people to share it with, and blessings throughout the year. Traditional family dishes call to mind the warm, inviting kitchens from years before, where recipes were passed down and meals prepared with love. Around the table, familiar stories are re-told to a new generation, laughter is shared, and bonds are strengthened. A special meal, indeed!

And, though it might not be the first thing to come to mind, I think that All Saints Day is another opportunity for a special meal. On this day in the life of the Church, we remember those people dear to us who have died in the past year. As we share in the special communion meal on this day, we are especially mindful that, as we receive the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ, we stand alongside not just those gathered for worship here and now, but indeed with the saints of all times and places. 

Family members and friends, neighbors and strangers - we call them "saints" not because they lived exceptionally good and holy lives, but rather in thanksgiving for the gift of baptism. Through water and the Word, God claims us as beloved children. It is by God's promises that we are called saints - people who are forgiven of our sins, freed from the power of death, and formed into the Body of Christ. 

As we eat and drink now in the Communion meal, we receive the smallest foretaste of the great heavenly feast to come, when all will be gathered in the presence of God. At this banquet table, everyone will eat and be satisfied. Tears will be wiped away and hearts will be filled with joy. All creation will celebrate a feast that has no end. 

As you gather this month around different tables for meals both special and ordinary, remember with joy and thanksgiving the never-failing promises of God, who joins us as one.