Recasting Meal Etiquette
Our society is
very status oriented. If you are the President of a company, your
office must be on the top floor with an ocean view. If you are the
Vice President, you will have the next best room. And if you are far
down on the totem pole, you may not even have a private room; you
may have to share or else get a view of the parking lot. Vance
Packard says “we are all status seekers.”
In the time of
Jesus society was similarly status conscious, especially at
banquets. For example where one sat at a meal vis-à-vis the host was
a public advertisement of one’s status. Consequently, seating
arrangements at a table were carefully attended to. Similarly,
because meals were used to publicize and reinforce social hierarchy,
invitations to meals were meant to enhance one’s social status. It
is for this reason that Jesus spoke of choosing the “lowest places”
at banquets and of inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame and the
blind.
The early church
understood the teachings of Jesus to apply to the Eucharist. There
is a story of King Charlemagne, king of the Franks. Once, wishing to
attend the Eucharist, he sent his royal procession to the Cathedral
at Aix, France. The doors were closed. The Bishop came out and
asked, “Who is it that wishes to enter?” The herald announced “This
is
Charlemagne, King
of the Franks, friend of the Pope, Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire!” The Bishop answered, “Him, I know not!” It is only when the
royal announcer tried again, “This is Charlemagne, a lowly sinner
begging to receive the bread of life!” that the Bishop said, ‘Now
you may enter and receive Christ’s gift of life!”
In other words,
at the Eucharistic table, and in the Christian community, there are
supposedly no ranks, no places of honor, no status, no hierarchy.
All are equal, sharing in the one bread and the one cup.
Fr. John D’Mello