When I was younger, I often took my parents for granted. Now that they live in heaven, I would do anything to see them again. But when I remember the relaxed, normal, everyday way in which they made faith in Jesus part of our lives, I can feel their presence still. And one of the neatest things they did was to pray before every meal. I am so used to saying “Come, Lord Jesus,” before every meal that I often just do it without knowing why. Dad and Mom taught it by example, doing it day after day, meal after meal. “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.” Those are very simple words, so easy to remember, but it is incredible how much can be said in this special prayer.
Of course, Jesus is always with us, but when we take time away from hunger or a rushed schedule and invite Jesus to join us at the table, we can’t help but understand what a powerful moment of faith that is. Would we leave Jesus standing at the door if he knocked? Would we ignore him if he sat next to us in the park? As we are blessing the food, it is such a powerful act of love to remember to invite Jesus to sit down with us. It isn’t that he needs an invite, but think about why it is important. Remember your days in the school cafeteria when everyone got to their tables before you and it looked as if you might be alone? Or ignored? Remember how good if felt when someone invited you to sit with them? How good that felt? One of the gifts of Jesus’s journey into our world is to help us understand how to be loved and how to love. His presence is an invitation to know God is close at hand.
“Come, Lord Jesus,” is a loving invitation, but it also serves as a reminder he is already and always standing nearby. As we speak such a prayer, it is like inviting a loved one or friend to take a seat and join us. Whenever someone brings us a gift, the next step is to open it. And in unwrapping a gift, we become connected with the giver. This prayer reminds us that in our meal we open gifts of food, nourishment, and family togetherness. And we begin by welcoming the Giver of all gifts. Certainly, we want God to bless such a moment, to make it a special time, a holy time. We want God to do for us what the gift is intended to do. And in such a time of faithful response, the flavor and feel of the meal is truly changed.
At the Last Supper, Jesus did the same thing as he blessed the bread and wine, and they were changed into more than just food. And in that meal of the new community, we are fed the same gift as the disciples. “Let these gifts to us be blessed” is more than a request for Jesus to act. It is also a statement of faith that reminds us that when Jesus touches anything, it has a new purpose and has the potential of being something more. What a reminder that gifts of God are meant for more than what might be apparent at first glance. What God blesses becomes a miracle in many ways, and how neat it is for us to handle and share what God has blessed.
Isn’t it amazing how a simple prayer can say and do so much? At home, we say it out loud. Sometimes in a restaurant we say it out loud as well and other times silently. But it is part of our routine. It keeps us from taking Jesus or his gifts in our lives for granted—ever! “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.” In such a simple prayer, a meal becomes a time of worship. As we leave the table, our worship continues as we share the gifts of our lives, which are always blessed by the touch of God. Never forget: with God there is always more than meets the eye. In such a simple prayer, we learn and remember some of the most important issues of faith, living, and loving and are reminded of whose we are! My parents and this prayer have taught me that there is much that I should never take for granted.