September 25, 2016
Getting Back to the Table!
The dining table over the years has taken on a different purpose than originally designed. It has become the “dropping off zone” for assorted things coming into the house. When it’s time to eat, we grab a plate, get the comfortable place on the sofa and eat off a TV tray.
Losing the dining table as a place to gather and share a meal as a family is not all that is lost. Spending quality time with one’s family, utilizing the time to share the experiences of the day, gives the family the opportunity to bond with one another. Additionally, table time with the family opens opportunities to educate in faith and life. Before starting what can be shared at the table, it will help to understand the dining table as one of the most important “tools” in the home. It may not be the place families spend the most time; however, it can be the place that involves each person and makes them open to sharing.
If this is your first time making the effort to eat together at the table, don’t get frustrated if the family lapses back to T.V. trays. Simply restart eating at the table. This will soon become routine as the family bonds tighter.
Scheduling Prayer in the Home
1. At the beginning of every meal, giving thanks for the company at the table and for the food, is most appropriate. Allowing “Grace before Meals” or a prayer made up by one of the members teaches the children prayer is necessary in our lives and can be personalized.
2. Saying “The Morning Offering” each morning as a family unites the family for the day.
3. Praying the Rosary as a family bolsters the unity of the family. It also provides a forum for teaching the Mysteries of the Rosary as well as Scripture.
4. Just as each morning the family gathers to recite the “Morning Offering,” the family can gather at the end of each day to give thanks to God for the blessings they have received. During this time, they can share one blessing for which they are most grateful.
