While They Were at Table

‘The image of a people gathered at table is the story of friendship. Tables are the places where stories are heard, where love is remembered and where food is shared. Tables are about presence and the quality of presence, our presence to one another and God’s presence with us.’ In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI calls us to find relief for our hunger in ‘the food of truth’, inviting us into the sacrificial meal, from where we draw our very life. Pope Benedict asks all people to draw near to God’s love, because it holds the deepest desire of the human heart. In this book, Anna Burke ponders some of the images and metaphors from Sacramentum Caritatis and offers resources for personal and communal prayer and for group reflection. Part One: Prayers At Table leads us on a journey through the Mass. The prayers focus on the various liturgical moments of the sacred rite and help to heighten our awareness of the communion of all creation in the Sacred Mystery. Part Two: Stories At Table explores some key texts from Scripture which direct us to the table of Communion.