I had Thanksgiving dinner with my family yesterday. With most of my cousins out of town, it was a small immediate family dinner. We shared a lot of laughs, caught up on each others lives and enjoyed each others presence.
My dad was coming home from a Benedictine Oblates retreat in the States. Dinner was ready by 7:00pm and we were expecting him to arrive shortly after. He didn’t arrive for a while so we ended up playing Scrabble and just talking amongst each other. I was reminded of my childhood and how my dad’s work required him to travel to the states regularly. He wouldn’t come home until 9pm sometimes but no matter what, we would wait for him before we had dinner.
Sometimes I’m not home to have dinner with my parents anymore. When waiting for my dad to come home last night, it reminded me of how important it is to be with family. A meal is best shared with the people you love. I know that a Thanksgiving meal would not be the same without my Dad present. In the same way, any meal is not the same if not all members are present.
I belong to a different parish than my parents. We actively serve our parish but in hindsight, I think this separation may be limiting us from experiencing the fruits of participating in The Feast together. I believe God is calling me to make more of an effort to be present with my family during day-to-day meals and Sunday Banquets.
Thank You, God for revealing to me the importance of family and each member’s presence. May I never forget this and may you give me the grace to follow through without delay.