{"id":587,"date":"2013-03-28T07:50:34","date_gmt":"2013-03-28T07:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=587"},"modified":"2013-03-25T19:19:00","modified_gmt":"2013-03-25T19:19:00","slug":"chronic-illness-our-bread-and-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2013\/03\/chronic-illness-our-bread-and-wine.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Illness: Our Bread and Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Image courtesy of dan\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharing a meal with friends is a wonderful way to build fellowship, feel part of a social circle, and live wonderful occasions of love and care. For some, however, eating poses certain problems that might be mechanical (an esophagus that does not work properly, for example), allergy-driven (gluten intollerance or other dietary allergies or sensitivities), or otherwise tied to health issues (medication that causes dietary restrictions, for example, or disease-related constraints from, say, diabetes).<\/p>\n

Those of us who do have “eating issues” can creatively adapt our particular restrictions to enable us to attend and participate in events that have meaning for us – lunch with friends, holiday gatherings, and religious observations, such as that on Holy Thursday. Of course, we first must consult with our medical team, carefully asking questions and understanding the answers for our specific medical situations. Next, we make arrangements for what we need to do (request specific dietary accommodations, for example).<\/p>\n

Then, I think, one of the most important things is to focus on the spirit of the gathering above all, especially if there is part of it we cannot directly participate in. For example, those who have gluten intolerance or celiac disease might not be able to partake of the host at Eucharist. But this does not mean that they cannot understand, embrace, and affirm the Sacrament, and be present in prayer. Similarly, a person with diabetes might not be able to eat the cake and ice cream at a birthday or anniversary celebration, but he or she can sing along and celebrate with those gathered – and feel a deep bond among loved ones without jeopardizing health.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, those of us with serious illness feel very restricted in social and other settings. But, it isn’t the particular food or drink that matters, but the spirit, the meaning of the events, religious and otherwise, that are the underpinnings of “why” and “how.”<\/p>\n

I think of this especially on a day like today, Holy Thursday, when Jesus gave us the Eucharist. Whether the bread was whole wheat, rye, or sourdough does not matter, nor does the vintage of the wine. What matters is the meaning, miracle and love in and through it all, which is for us all,\u00a0whatever our health situations might be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

Sharing a meal with friends is a wonderful way to build fellowship, feel part of a social circle, and live wonderful occasions of love and care. For some, however, eating poses certain problems that might be mechanical (an esophagus that does not work properly, for example), allergy-driven (gluten intollerance or other dietary allergies or sensitivities),…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,43,4,418],"tags":[482,487,485,484,486,476,19,483],"class_list":["post-587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronic-pain-and-illness","category-encouragement-in-life","category-words-of-encouragemnent-and-info-for-all","category-lent-2013","tag-bread","tag-celiac-disease","tag-diabetes","tag-dietary-restrictions","tag-gluten-intolerance","tag-holy-thursday","tag-illness","tag-wine"],"yoast_head":"\nChronic Illness: Our Bread and Wine - 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\/2013\/03\/chronic-illness-our-bread-and-wine.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chronic Illness: Our Bread and Wine - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sharing a meal with friends is a wonderful way to build fellowship, feel part of a social circle, and live wonderful occasions of love and care. 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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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