Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
The family meal has made a comeback. The coronavirus pandemic has flattened the activity curve that had divided the family into essential activities such as soccer practice, gymnastics, and piano lessons. Discovering that these activities were not as essential as our calendar taskmaster had led us to believe, the family has found the joy of an uninterrupted dinner and time to talk together about their day.
The Mass is our parish family meal. We gather in the Spirit to hear what God wants to say to us. We receive from his altar something that we do not get at school, the beach, Netflix, work, or even home. We receive God’s very self, Body and Blood. The hour of Mass is an hour together as the family of God.
After communion and before the announcements and dismissal, there is a moment to spend in quiet with the Lord. I like to chew on something that struck me during Mass. It might be a phrase from a prayer. It might be an image from a reading. It might be a memory shown in a new light. I show it to the Lord and notice what I notice.
This moment in Mass could be called the “Italian pause.”
On a pilgrimage in Rome, a small group of us ate at a nice Italian restaurant. I’m glad that I did not come too hungry. Every ten minutes or so, the waiter (they are all male) would drift into the dining room. We had to catch his attention. Once he was at our table, he took all the time needed to help us order.
Then we waited. Our dinner did not fly out of the kitchen in the usual American bustle of three waiters carrying everyone’s complete order. The waiter started us with wine. After a while, an antipasto appetizer appeared. We talked about the pilgrimage over the appetizer. More wine. A soup appeared. We talked over the soup. The waiter cleared the soup and started a new wine. The pasta and dinner came an hour after we had ordered. We talked over the dinner and waited.
Well into the second hour, the waiter appeared to ask about cappuccinos and aperitifs. Other tables were equally leisurely in their meal. The room felt more like a large family kitchen than the usual conveyor belt. We talked more. I got to know my fellow pilgrims better in those few hours better than in the week of bus touring.
Even with our coffee finished, the waiter did not hurry us out the door. We had to get his attention and ask for a check. I was surprised when we finally made our way for the door how the clock no longer mattered. The dinner was not just a meal. It was an occasion to spend time with one another. The gracious evening nourished not just our bodies but also our friendships.
In the Mass, the moment after communion is like that Italian Pause after-dinner conversation. We sit and visit not with each other but with the Lord. We only take a brief minute during Mass. The real chance to enjoy the after communion Italian pause is Eucharistic Adoration.
Next week in Part 2, I’ll say more about Eucharistic Adoration. In the meantime, give it a try. Every Friday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., we hold Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic Adoration. Come and enjoy an Italian Pause with the Lord.
In Christ,
Father David