Lent | A Simple Supper

Tonight I ate on my own. My shift ended at 7pm, so the children were already upstairs; and as soon as I got in, Jo had to go out on an urgent errand for a neighbour. Eating alone gave me cause to give thanks that I am not alone in the world; that I live as part of a loving family; and, more than that, that I am part of a wider community of people who are committed to one another. To pause to recognise that, for many, this is not the case; and to pray for those who are living, and dying, on their own tonight: Lord, have mercy…

The dish was a sweet root vegetable stew with couscous, a Nigella recipe. Root vegetables are humble, and hidden; yet nutritious, and delicious…which gave me cause to reflect on the value of the hidden life; the unpretentious, not-ostentatious, honest, simple life; of unearthing treasure in an apparently unremarkable field, or, seeing the commonly-missed value in others, and encouraging it to flourish…

The main course was followed by a bowl of fresh pineapple pieces, simultaneously sweet and sour on the tongue…which gave me cause to reflect on the nature of this life, where joy and sorrow intertwine; and the responsibility to celebrate with those who are celebrating, and mourn with those who are mourning – to get alongside each other…

A simple supper. A profound meal eaten, not alone after all, but with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sat around my kitchen table…each mouthful a prayer, of praise, of thanksgiving, of confession, of intercession…each mouthful, sustenance received, for body and for soul…


Lent , food , spirituality