Contributed by:  Reverend Patrick Dooling, Parochial Vicar, San Carlos Cathedral, Monterey, CA

Some weeks ago this summer I returned to my former parish in Capitola to preside at the funeral Mass for Al, an wonderful husband, father and parishioner.  One of his sons gave a fitting tribute to his dad before the Liturgy of the Word.  In this midst of his remarks, he made the astounding  statement, "We were not a dysfunctional family."   And it is true: Al and his wife and six kids were not!  A huge part of this familial health was coming together each evening for dinner.

In the Gospel you hear about the Apostles being so busy 'they had no opportunity to eat.'  Our Lord correctly observes how dangerous this is for their spiritual and psychological health and determines to take them off by themselves for a rest.  I am willing to bet that because of jobs, sports, and other pressing commitments, only a minority eat together every evening in our parish.  If I can use a dramatic term, this is catastrophic for human and spiritual growth for children and their parents.
 
When I say 'dinner' I mean at a table without television or any other media in evidence [that includes those ubiquitous cell phones, etc.]: without that kind of freedom from distraction, how can young people learn both how converse and how to listen?  God knows, there will be fights as well as fits of laughter--that is life in a family, dysfunctional or not. 
 
I know, I know--some family members get home late because of work or other valid commitments.  So how about dessert together later in the evening if the entire meal cannot take place with everyone present?  Who doesn't like dessert?  It sweetens the deal, as it were.  For us Catholics this is a doubly important issue because it can be very difficult to encourage the next generation to come around the altar each Sunday if they are not used to gathering around the dining room table for meals.  All of this eating and enjoying each other is supposed to whet our appetite for what the Church calls the 'heavenly banquet'--but that's a topic for another time.