3rd Sunday of Easter
Cycle A
May 3-4, 2014 4pm
& 9:30 and 11am Masses
Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air
Family Meals -- Data
There
have been some recent, interesting studies that show the importance of family
meals, of families eating together.
The
American Psychological Association has published a report of research done over
a fifty year period. These studies,
taken together, indicate that there is great value to family meals, especially
dinner.
For
example, one study finds that the more often children eat dinner with their
families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or try marijuana or drugs
as teens. These family dinners are also
linked with teens having a good sense of self, good academic achievement, and
good family relationships.
Girls
who ate three or four family meals a week are at significant less risk for
eating disorders. There also seems to be
a link between family meals and a lower incidence of depression.
The
ritual or routine of family meals tends to give shape and meaning especially to
the children. And by the way, the
studies show that these benefits apply to the traditional family of mother,
father and children, and also to single parent, divorced, and blended families.
Family Meals -- Value
A
family meal can be very simple – chicken, chili, hamburgers, pizza, whatever.
The
important point is that a family dinner or another meal can be a powerful ritual
or routine. It gives children times and
days that they can count on.
It
assures them that there is a place where they belong and that you value being
with them. And it is a moment for
conveying important values, maybe by just talking about what happened during
the day.
I
recommend that we begin the family meal with a prayer. It can be the standard Catholic Grace before
Meals or each person thanking God for something that happened that day.
On
one level, this prayer marks the transition from busyness to mealtime. And beyond that, it opens your family to God
and God’s presence.
Now
this may be a big challenge with today’s busy and stressful lives. But I recommend that each family work at this
and pick a minimum of three days a week for a family meal, especially
dinner.
The Eucharistic Meal
I
also want to say that Jesus left us a family meal that we call the Eucharist.
In
today’s gospel Jesus celebrates this spiritual meal with two of his
disciples. This meal gives us Jesus in
the form of bread and wine.
The
ritual or routine of this meal gives us a place to count on for belonging, to
each other and to God. It gives us a
way, Jesus’ way, to live by and live for.
Vey
important, this meal gives shape and meaning to our lives. It does this over time, in a steady,
consistent, incremental way.
The
Eucharist fortifies us for dealing with both the ups and the downs of life. It gives us a framework for understanding and
living the whole journey of life.
And
like a family dinner, everything doesn’t have to be perfect. We don’t have to be perfect to be here and to
receive the Eucharist.
In
fact, Jesus gives it to us because we are human and not perfect. So I recommend that we make the time and
space to share this meal once a week.
I
recommend that we make this meal a priority along with our family meals. It is important and it will make a difference
in us as persons and in the way we live our lives.
