{"id":1135,"date":"2014-04-15T01:43:45","date_gmt":"2014-04-15T01:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1135"},"modified":"2014-04-09T22:55:57","modified_gmt":"2014-04-09T22:55:57","slug":"sharing-a-meal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2014\/04\/sharing-a-meal.html","title":{"rendered":"Sharing a Meal"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>
Image courtesy of dan\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Passover and Holy Week’s commemoration of the Last Supper make me think about how we prepare meals today, and how different it was in Jesus’ time.<\/p>\n

For one thing, the obvious: There were no drive-thrus or microwaves in Jesus’ day, and the need for a room, even an upper one, has been supplanted by “grab and go,” and the occasional “my car is my dining room table.” And as for sharing a meal, well, in many families, this boils down (please pardon the pun) to labeling individual portions and placing them in the refrigerator, or hastily-made plans that are then carried out with one or more parties raptly focused on cell phone or tablet.<\/p>\n

Yes, much of our ritual at mealtime is fading, or gone completely. But it need not be so.<\/p>\n

Even in Jesus’ day, there were times when meals were merely times to replenish energy stores. But there were also times, such as those at Passover, when gathering, sharing, and honoring the time at a meal were extremely important, indeed crucial, to the fabric of the community at large and family, however extended.<\/p>\n

This week is a wonderful time to remember the underlying importance of sharing a meal with people close to us and tying that activity together with giving thanks for the One who provides the food and time, and for each other and the support, encouragement and love that also nourishes us, no matter how frantic the rest of our days and meals might be.<\/p>\n

Blessings for the day,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Passover and Holy Week’s commemoration of the Last Supper make me think about how we prepare meals today, and how different it was in Jesus’ time. For one thing, the obvious: There were no drive-thrus or microwaves in Jesus’ day, and the need for a room, even an upper one, has been supplanted by “grab…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,4,208],"tags":[717,5,213,1005,1006,1003,1004,1007,457,2118,538],"class_list":["post-1135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-encouragement-in-life","category-words-of-encouragemnent-and-info-for-all","category-thanksgiving","tag-community","tag-eating","tag-family","tag-meals","tag-nourishment","tag-passover","tag-sharing-a-meal","tag-spiritual-nourishment","tag-strength","tag-thanksgiving","tag-the-last-supper"],"yoast_head":"\nSharing a Meal - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2014\/04\/sharing-a-meal.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sharing a Meal - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Passover and Holy Week’s commemoration of the Last Supper make me think about how we prepare meals today, and how different it was in Jesus’ time. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. 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