Participants pray together before a meal organized by Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese Jan. 7. (Photo courtesy of chuongtrinhchuyende.com)
Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese is fostering family meals as a way to strengthen relationships and foster harmony within communities.
Some 300 Catholics and Buddhists on Jan. 7 attended an event hosted by Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese’s Ministry Committee for Family called "Meal of Heaven."
The event was part of a campaign in the southern Vietnamese city inviting families to rediscover the importance of meal times in bringing families together.
"We should restore the real value of meals in Catholic families, who gather to pray to God, express loving care, talk to one another and share food." Sr. Mary Nguyen said, speaking at the event.
Also present were Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung and Pastor Pham Dinh Nhan and his wife.
Sr. Que, who initiated the program, said mealtimes were a space to unite family members, promote harmony between parents and children, educate children in faith values and give the chance for children to experience family life.
Participants watched a play depicting the common state of meals in many families. During the meal, the father was often on his cellphone, while one son played Pokemon GO on his smartphone, and another came home drunk. They didn't say a word to each other and quickly left after the meal.
Sr. Que warned that, "Ignoring family meals is a start to broken homes and other broken-hearted things." She called on people not to use phones and TV but to spend their mealtime expressing gratitude to one another and building happy families.
Sr. Que also said that today many people spend a lot of time inviting guests, preparing food and looking for restaurants, but ignore the deeper meaning of meals.
Bishop Hung said meals in families should show the love and fraternal communion of the Eucharist. Parents work hard to provide food for the family and show their love to their children. During the meal, family members share the joy of food and live in communion, he said.
"When we eat, we should thank God and think about the poor and those who are absent from the meal," Bishop Hung said, adding that if family meals disappear, so too will the family.
Participants had lunch and practiced what they had learned from the meeting. They were also given copies of mealtime prayers to follow at their homes.
