“…while
he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave
it to them. With that their eyes were
opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24: 30-31 New
American Bible, revised edition)
One of my favorite speakers is Cardinal Dolan of New
York. On Thursdays I try to listen to
his one hour program on Sirius XM radio.
He provides me with inspiration, education and humor. One day he was talking about the importance of
ritual in people’s lives. Responding to
a question about the necessity of attending Mass weekly he equated it to family
rituals such as Sunday dinner with the family.
We all have rituals whether we realize it or
not. Private rituals can include things
like a morning routine. As a high school
student I would get up before my parents.
As I was going out the door to catch the bus to school I would fix a cup
of coffee for my mother. Over the years
it became a special practice between us.
Even when I was married and living far from her, when I came home to
visit it became my privilege to make Mom’s coffee.
We have other more public family rituals. We can see this most often at Thanksgiving
and Christmas. Whose house will host the
dinner, what special side dishes accompany the turkey? While most families have barbecues for the
Fourth of July my family has a rib roast because it is my husband’s birthday
and many years ago HIS mother started celebrating his birthday with that
special meal. Being the “good”
daughter-in-law I have continued the custom.
And so, as Cardinal Dolan put so nicely on the
radio, rituals are important. They keep
us knitted together. I would suggest
that making a ritual of meeting with God in community is an even more vital
ritual than searching for a standing rib roast in July. That weekly ritual goes for everyone,
Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim. I am
reminded of the prayers at the foot of the altar when I was a girl. “I will go to the altar of God. The God who gives joy to my youth.”
Eileen
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