April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Memories of dinner with gram
Rev. George Fleming, associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady, has proof that some traditions don't take a lot of effort but leave lasting memories. For him, it was dinners with his grandmother before he entered the seminary.
"When I was working in Albany, I'd go to my Grandmother's house for dinner on Thursday nights," he said. "She'd put a tablecloth on" and set the table with her nicest things.
After she died, he felt sentimental about the not-quite-pink, almost lavender, round tablecloth. "After she passed away, the tablecloth reminded me of all of the things she had made," he said.
Today, he keeps that tablecloth in his office to use for special occasions. "I decorate the youth table with it," he said. "I almost use it liturgically to jazz up the table."
Food memories
Another lasting impression for the priest was the type of foods prepared by his family. His grandmother was a good cook who was especially adept at making pies. His mother, who died while he was in the seminary, was not as good a cook but could make good mashed potatoes."The family joke was that my mom made the best mashed potatoes," he said. "Grandma could make pies, but at least Mom could make mashed potatoes. That was the running joke."
He said his mother's spuds were so good that he and his twin brother used to lick the mixing beaters after she made them, the way other children lick beaters after a cake is made.
Tasteful homily
"I gave a homily once where I talked about ethnic foods," Father Fleming said. "I started thinking if we had any ethnic foods and I thought of the mashed potatoes."During the homily, he shared this story: "My pastoral year at St. Teresa's [in Albany] started six months after her death. One day at dinner, we had mashed potatoes. I got choked up because I realized I hadn't had them in a year and as good as they were, they were different."
The priest believes that food can be a way of experiencing God. Through food lovingly prepared for others, he said, people are able to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Of his mother's potatoes, he said: "It's not just what she put in, but how she made them."
He noted that Scripture contains several occasions when Jesus shares meals with others. His first miracle was at the wedding feast of Cana -- a family feast, and the ultimate example of Jesus' sharing a meal is the Last Supper, eaten with His friends.
(11-27-97) [[In-content Ad]]
MORE NEWS STORIES
- Church unity, mission must be at heart of all Catholic groups, pope says
- Maryland Catholic bishops call for ‘prophetic voice’ in pastoral letter on AI
- Florida bishop appeals for end to death penalty, calls it ‘a failure of mercy’
- National pilgrimage walks with Christ amid protests and finds inspiration along the way
- Gifts of conversion, mission, mercy shine in Christ’s church, pope says
- Inspired by millennial soon-to-be-saint, Irish teens create animated Lego-Carlo Acutis film
- Anxiety, uncertainty follow Trump travel ban
- Supreme Court rules in favor of Wisconsin Catholic agency over religious exemption
- Analysts: Trump’s action on Harvard, Columbia could have implications for religious groups
- Commission tells pope universal safeguarding guidelines almost ready
Comments:
You must login to comment.