Banquet of Love Revisited

Friday, Aug. 30, 2024

 

A special invitation to clergy, lay leaders and faith formers: About a year and a half ago Bishop Oscar A. Solis introduced the Banquet of Love, The Eucharist as Weekly Marriage Enrichment online classes to the Diocese of Salt Lake City. The classes were highlighted at the last two Annual Diocesan Marriage Enrichment and Celebration events, with the creators of the program as the keynote speakers. This online program, created as a collaboration between the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life and Grace & Truth, LLC, is offered at no charge to participants until Dec. 31.

The feedback from those who have completed the 10-session online series indicates that the emphasis on the relationship between the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Matrimony enabled a greater understanding of both sacraments and that, for them, a fuller appreciation of both sacraments now seemed more experiential.

As we continue to put the final touches on our diocesan and parish pastoral planning efforts and continue to develop better models of comprehensive faith formation, we can also rediscover the centrality of matrimony in the whole process. It’s worth acknowledging that many Catholics get married and promise to raise the next generation of the faithful in their homes. Married life is complicated and there are daily opportunities to call on the Lord’s help. Married couples promise to make a total gift of self to each other in a covenant relationship that includes God at the center. It is simply not possible to have a holy and joyful marriage without a daily offering of our lives to God and calling on his assistance and guidance.

When we respond “Amen” at the Eucharistic Banquet we are also making the total gift of our lives to Jesus in response to his total self-gift. We also make the total gift of our lives to the Body of Christ sitting in the pews next to us as well as to the world into which we are sent at the end of Mass.  Recall that most Catholics do not live or work at the Church, so our mission occurs “out in the world” for most hours of the week. The world desperately needs the Church in that God’s personal presence, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel and strength arrive on the scene through us. The family, led by holy married couples, is the basic cell of a healthy society.  This awareness of God working through us hour by hour and day by day must be conveyed through the parent-led family.

While this whole mission can seem very daunting, the good news is that we know how to raise disciples in our families. We have the proper motivation of shaping the world our grandchildren inherit as a worthy goal. We have well-trained priests, deacons and many lay people. The transition to well-trained and formed parents doesn’t need to seem insurmountable.  

A simple observation of many adolescents and young adults indicates that they are probably more interested in romance and eros than they are in Mass or Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Good child formation starts with daily demonstrations of married parents making a total gift of self to each other in the family. In this we are modeling the very act of “becoming one Body, one Spirit in Christ” and participate in the action of the Eucharist.  When we can explain how essential the Eucharist is in helping a couple stay faithful to their mutual gift, our Eucharistic-centered religion and way of life will make more practical sense without weakening the miraculous presence of Christ among and within us.

There is still time to experience the Banquet of Love retreat series before the free access ends. Parishes have the opportunity to invite married couples to view the series together and share time in discussion and fellowship. 

If you want to learn more about this program for married couples and how you can bring it to your parish community, come to the workshop titled “The Banquet of Love: Guiding Couples in the Transformation of Their Marriage Through the Power of the Eucharist,” which will be presented during the Sept. 21 Utah Catholic Conference at the Skaggs Catholic Center in Draper.  For information, visit https://www.dioslc.org/conference or https://www.dioslc.org/offices/marriage-and-family/banquet-of-love

Father Rick Sherman is a retired priest of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Crystal Painter is the director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life.