Food for the tummy that feeds the heart

Fr. Leo Patalinghug gave us a call this morning on Daybreak, and wow, did he make us hungry! His  Grace Before Meals movement, which has started a Catholic foodie frenzy on the web is growing into T.V. shows, and two very popular cookbooks which you can find here. Fr. Leo's whole philosophy is that the simple act of creating and sharing a meal can strengthen all kinds of relationships. It works! After all, Jesus Christ himself used that message when he shared the Last Supper with the Apostles. The video below gives you a little taste of Fr. Leo's philosophy:

The most striking part about Fr. Leo is his sense of fun, joy and his knowledge that God permeates everything that we do. He mentioned that he has prayed about what he is going to cook at his next dinner. God, he said, is interesting in EVERYTHING that is going on in your life! There is nothing you can tell him that he is not interested in. He wants to be a part of everything, including your next meal. So what are some things that we can do to make our meal time a time of formation and growth? Fr. Leo has the answers:

1. Eat meals with your family 5x per week, or as many as possible. The meals don't have to be fancy, they just have to be eaten together!
2.  Engage in family conversation while preparing meals. This can be a great time to accomplish something together!
3.  Say Grace before each meal. For a blessing, click here.
4.  Turn off the T.V. while eating dinner. This is a no-brainer. If you are focused on your family, you don't need any other for of entertainment.
5.  Introduce interesting topics for your family to discuss during dinner time. Get to know your kids, get to know your spouse again, and use that time to get to know them! 

 Put these tips into practice, and your meal time will be transformed into an hour of spiritual and human formation that builds your family into the kind of family that builds up the culture and the Church. For more information, visit gracebeforemeals.com. And make sure to tune into his weekly show on EWTN called Savoring our Faith, every Sunday at 8:30 EST!