Reflection for July 25

Family Reunions: A Taste of the Sacred

The [family reunion] Picnic stirs many deep emotions in me. It is one of those rare places that holds in a small space the expanse of my life: my origins, my gathered experiences, the people who have known me and stood by me in all sorts and conditions of years including years I am proud of and some years I would not mind forgetting. It holds the memories of my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins now gone. It reminds me of the place I have taken in the family, the place these elders once held. It reminds me no matter how far I have traveled, no matter how far I have wandered, no matter how much I have amassed or squandered, there is a place and a people present, waiting with a meal to share. All of the above makes for a sacred event.

We are in that period of the Liturgical Calendar called Ordinary Time, the Season after Pentecost; the season which tells us we are the body of Christ, we are the physical manifestation of God, the family of God. In this space we continue to recall our origins, our people (every human being), our stories, our losses and our joys. We recall what has been learned and what has been squandered. We recall times when we were a tight group and times some of us wandered away. We recall when our separation provided the space and hunger for the work of being reunited. There are all sorts and conditions in this body; there are all sorts and conditions of stories. (Todd Donatelli; www.episcopalcafe.com)