So many significant events in the life of Jesus involved meals. From His first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana right up to the encounter with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus; if something significant was happening in the life of Jesus, it typically involved food. Often, Jesus provided the meal for others (think of the multiple accounts of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes), but there are plenty of accounts when others provided a meal in gratitude for having met Him—Matthew inviting fellow tax collectors to his house for dinner with Jesus comes to mind. Reading through the Gospels, there are these constant encounters that involve food and meals.

Because these events happen with such frequency, there must be some significance. But since it is never discussed in the Gospels, it is left to us to discern.

On a primary note, sharing a meal is a sharing of spirit; I share my gifts with you, my guest, and, by doing so, build a bond of friendship and companionship along the way. By the sharing of food, the bond of brotherhood is forged. As an extension of that, I think of all the conversations I have had during meals. Because there is a pace and a rhythm to a meal, there is a chance to just be with one another, not in a rush, not in a hurry to move along to the next thing, but to just enjoy the person who is there with me. This is a skill that is lost in the modern world, it seems; so, to reconnect with that is a way of reconnecting with Jesus in the midst of life’s chaos, too.

Building from a simple meal to something more complex, a true feast, takes this to the next level. Sometimes, a group of friends and I make something complex and involved, preparing a single meal over multiple days of work. It is tremendous fun! And no small part of that fun is sharing in the work, as each contributes to the whole of the meal. This happens in the meal, too—each ingredient contributing to the whole, becoming more than the sum of the individual parts.

And then we come to the Mass, the holy sacrifice, the sacred meal, in which Jesus gathers the Christian Community in one sacrifice of praise to His Father. All these things that happen when friends or family gather in fellowship also occur in the Mass: we exchange hearts, we exchange spirit—we share the gifts that we have been given so that all can receive something greater.

Additionally, coming to Mass with the same approach as coming to a gathering of friends helps our frame of mind. Much like sharing in the development of a meal helps in the sharing and enjoyment of that meal, coming to Mass with an approach that I am contributing what I can helps in our participation in the Mass, too. Mass is not a spectator sport, but one that I am involved in, where I am adding to the greatness of the whole community experience.

How good God is in that He takes something supremely simple, a family gathered around a meal, and builds from there to something profound: the Eucharistic Banquet of Our Lord. In doing so, He gives us an insight into who He is and whom He calls us to be. ✣

Father Kyle Schnippel is the pastor of the St. Gabriel Family of Parishes and competed on the Great American Baking Show in 2017. He enjoys cooking and baking as a ministry.