Sunday Dinner

One of my favorite activities is to cook and enjoy a big Sunday dinner with my family. We've always been the kind of family that has dinner together, and now that the kids are married and have their own kids it's particularly enjoyable for us to have a big sit-down meal together. If you've read some of my earlier posts on this blog, you know that I grew up in this tradition, surrounded by extended family. Some of my fondest memories involve the Sunday dinners my grandparents would cook. There wasn't a great deal of variety with the menu. Typically we would have some sort of Italian food- what you might call comfort food. We ate pasta, meats we raised and butchered right there (beef-chicken-pork), risotto (long before the Food Network made it fashionable), stews and the like. Even though the food was great,  the gathering was the important thing. This was a time to discuss our lives and the events of importance to us; three generations, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and  kids all gathered at one table. Children, like me, could join the conversation or we could listen to the adults talk about the world, politics, the high school football game from last Friday night, the price of Walla Walla Sweet Onions, or the tone of the sermon at Sunday mass. It was always an interesting time.

Because we believe these gatherings were such an important part of learning to be an adult, we've tried to make that tradition a part of our grand children's lives too. We're lucky our family all live here and we can do this for them. Sometimes those dinners happen at our daughters' homes- but mostly at our house. It's a regular part of our lives.

Every now and then there comes a Sunday when circumstances, previous commitments, or schedules just don't permit the Sunday dinner. Last Sunday was one of those. However, we did a Sunday dinner of another kind that proved to be a valuable experience just the same. We attended the Bishop's Poor Man's Dinner at the House of Charity. This is an annual fund raising event sponsored by Catholic Charities of Spokane and the Bishop of the Spokane Catholic Diocese. My wife works for Catholic Charities as a Program Director, which gives us an outstanding view of the agency's work. I've been familiar with Catholic Charities for many years through my own work, but now I have a special opportunity to see it from an even closer vantage point. In case you didn't know, Catholic Charities is the largest social service agency in eastern Washington and literally serves many thousands of poor people every year through a variety of programs. Once again, if you've read from my past posts, you know that issues associated with poverty are very important to me.

The Poor Man's Dinner was held at the House of Charity, a facility that's a shelter for many of our community's homeless citizens. They have a large, clean, dormitory upstairs to house about 90 homeless men every night. They serve over 77,000 hot meals and the same number of continental breakfasts a year, almost all from donated foods, the staff skillfully arrange into actual meals. They also have a free medical clinic and various other services for our fellow, less fortunate citizens. They do not ask a person's religion or seek to convert anyone. They serve "according to need-not creed" as they like to say. Catholic Charities operates in accordance with the principles of basic human dignity, human respect, and a profound sense of social justice.  These values form the creed of Catholic Charities and at the same time, to me, transcend religion. I say that because these core values cannot and should not be constrained to Catholicism or any religion, but should also be cherished and embedded in us as fundamental human values.

As I listened to the speakers talk about this special place I was filled with a sense of pride in being there to witness a devoted crowd support, and contribute to, this cause; and a sense of sadness in the realization of the tremendous unmet needs of so many of our people. The House of Charity cannot possibly house and feed the number who need their services. They turn away many in need. Even generous contributions cannot meet the demands. We were told the increase in meals served last year rose 17% from the previous year.



So I'm left to ponder these questions about values with you. If we revere and respect the values and work of great agencies like Catholic Charities, why do we not demand the same set of a values from those we elect to govern us? Why is it noble to care for our fellow man in church, but not in Congress? Why do seek and applaud social justice at the House of Charity- but seek and applaud budget cuts aimed at the poor and the elderly in the House of Representatives? Why do we give to the collection plate with one hand- and vote for politicians who will take away funding for the very same programs with the other hand?

As a movement is growing now on the streets of this country (Occupy Wall Street and beyond) more people are rising up to call for social justice- they call for economic justice- they call for fairness. Those are the same basic values Catholic Charities calls for. Some Republicans have called them "a mob", "unAmerican", or said to them "if you're not rich -blame yourself!". They are called "dangerous radicals". Well, I had Sunday dinner in a place where people know better. I ate a small bowl of lentil soup, a piece of bread, and small bit of apple dessert. It wasn't the Sunday dinner I usually enjoy with my family- but it was an important meal, just like the only meal hundreds of our citizens get every day at the House of Charity.  It has caused me to refocus on that value we call social justice. I hope you will too.

Thanks for looking in.