Catching You: A 5-Day Plan to Creating a Life of Security and Loveనమూనా

Every time we break bread together, we are remembering Christ’s gift of self, the single greatest act of love ever carried out. That is what breaking bread is all about: love. And love isn’t always, or even usually, subdued or restrained or picture perfect. It’s wild and messy and often doesn’t look like how we had envisioned it. But regardless of how unique our family cultures, day-to-day routines, and mealtimes may look, they all have that one thing in common, because they are emulations of God’s love for us as manifested in holy communion. They become one of the primary places where we are seen, known, and loved.

When we come together to have dinner, we are given the opportunity to notice one another. Who is unusually quiet? Who seems sad? Who is bouncing up and down, eager to share something? Who is especially happy? We see each other. Then we can ask about the quietness, the sadness, the eagerness, and the happiness. We can listen to the answers and come to better know one another. And ultimately, we are given the honor of loving one another as we soothe and comfort and guide and celebrate together—as we break bread and share in God’s inestimable, untamed, intimate love. . . .

Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good. Gather when you can. Let the cups spill and the china break. Eat the frozen pizza and the ice cream sandwiches. And laugh at the diva-ishness of the toddler screaming at you.

Don’t stop gathering. Don’t stop communing. Don’t stop finding and loving one another amid the madness and messiness of life.