The Food and Fellowship of Summer Gatherings

Dear Friends,

Meals are often different in the summer. More vegetables and fruits, less stews and soups. Put away the frozen and prepared food, and head to a farm market if you can. Summer fruits and vegetables are so much fresher if we can shop farm to table.

With a little extra effort, summer meals can be eaten outside, in a more leisurely manner. Whether we eat alone or with others, the point is to relax more, enjoy the taste of sweet and savory, inhale the fragrance of sun-ripened vegetables, garlic, rosemary and basil straight from the garden.

Not all meals are banquets, but they don’t need to be. My friend Viktor was hitchhiking down the Italian peninsula, when he was picked up by a smelly, sweaty farmer in an old pick-up truck, heading to Rome. With adequate signs and a few words, they agreed that Viktor would ride the distance with him. Lunch time came and went. Finally, the driver pulled over under a tree. They got out to stretch. The driver brought out of the truck some bread, cheese, and a bottle of wine. They sat on the ground and shared. Viktor had nothing to offer. Sometimes it’s like that. But it didn’t matter to the driver. Later that night, thinking over his experience of the day, Viktor realized that he and the driver had shared Eucharist.

In many of our mealtimes, Christ comes to us. He was a great one for sharing meals anytime he could – in houses or while traveling. Festive meals like the wedding feast at Cana and the Last Supper. Revelatory meals where something new was experienced or learned, like the times he ate with Matthew’s friends or Zacchaeus. How about the multitude that was fed because the young boy trusted Jesus enough to share his loaves and fishes with Jesus and all?

When Jesus and others shared a meal for the well-being of their bodies, they also fed their minds and hearts. We do that too with tender conversation over a meal or learning something from the strangers at the next table.

And then there are the summer parties with lots of food and light banter. Tempted to overeat, we hold back, trying with great effort to be moderate. The true joy in summer gatherings comes from being together and not only from the food.

The Irish St. Brigit teaches us about inclusive table fellowship in heaven. She loved the idea of a heavenly table with an abundance of food and drink. Let’s plan to join her!

~ Sister Joan Sobala