Meals are sacred times for nourishing not just the body, but also the heart and mind.
Meals are sacred times for nourishing not just the body, but also the heart and mind. From ancient days to the present, meals have been hallowed by a tradition in which they signify far more than mere caloric intake.
Throughout various world cultures and epochs, meals have taken on ritualistic meanings of friendship, respect, trust, hospitality, cultural expression, and even religious significance.
Feasting Together
In the Christian tradition, for example, we see the importance of a meal in the Biblical parable of the prodigal son. What act seems most suitable to the father to express his joy when his son returns home? A feast. Only a feast is a fitting ritual to embody the joyful spiritual reality taking place: “And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry: Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again: was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:23–24)
