Blessed and Belonging: The Family Meal

In today’s fast-paced world, the tradition of sharing the family meal is frequently overlooked. However, for Catholics, coming together at the table goes beyond nourishment – it mirrors God’s design for family life, community, and the Eucharist. Because the Church teaches that the family is the “domestic Church,” the family meal then becomes a continuation of the Eucharistic meal. It becomes both a place for a legacy of faith and a legacy of family.  

The spiritual practice of family meals 

​​​The family meal also unites each member as one connected community in a smaller, everyday way. Saying grace, listening to one another, and eating together prepares hearts for the greater feast of the Mass. 

Sharing meals as a family creates meaningful space for conversation, gratitude, and hospitality. Around the table, children learn to listen, to share, and to recognize God’s blessings with thankful hearts. Family meals quietly affirm that relationships are more important than busy schedules, love outweighs convenience, and everything we have is a gift from God. Making time to eat together then becomes an intentional spiritual practice. 

A radical witness to Catholic values 

Reclaiming the family meal is an avenue to continuing your family legacy and building up your family culture. It actually serves as a countercultural witness in this post-Christian world of the Catholic values of deep community, rooted identity, and formation of the whole person. It stands against the modern ethos of fast-paced schedules, dependence on technology, and surface-level interactions.  

The couple who embraces natural family planning also embraces these same ideals: being present, loving with a self-giving love, and connecting the physical with the spiritual. Picture a family regularly sitting down to a meal together, even once a week, beginning with prayer, sharing their highs and lows, offering gratitude, and laughing together. Imagine the children feeling safe, finding support, and growing in virtue. The family table offers stability and rhythm in an often chaotic and isolating world. 

Around the table today is built the Church of tomorrow. There also is built the family for generations to come. Every family meal can be a foretaste of the heavenly banquet – shared in your home, around your table, and with your domestic Church. 

Bison Meatballs with Baked Eggplant & Cauliflower  

Bison is a great alternative to beef because it has less saturated fat, less calories, and is naturally grass fed. Hemp seeds contain two essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6. Eggplant and cauliflower are both non-starchy vegetables, which help balance blood sugar. The coconut flour and flax meal are gluten-free and higher in fiber, compared to white flour. T+T Rosemary Orange Cooking Salt recommended, available for purchase at templeandtable.com/shop. 

Meatballs 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 lb. ground bison 
  • 1/2 cup hemp seeds 
  • 1 teaspoon + pinch salt (T+T Rosemary Orange Cooking Salt) 
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Mix bison with hemp seeds, 1 t. salt, and pepper. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form meatballs roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. 

Heat olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet (we used a cast iron). Place meatballs in skillet and season with a pinch of salt. 

Sear quickly at high heat, about 2 minutes each side. Place skillet directly into the oven to finish cooking for 3-5 minutes until meatballs reach desired doneness. 

Yields 15 meatballs 

Serving size: 4 meatballs | Protein: 29.7 g | Fat: 25.4 g | Carbohydrates (net): 1.2 g 

Eggplant and Cauliflower 

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets 
  • 1 eggplant, cubed 
  • 1/2 cup olive oil 
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour 
  • 1/4 cup flax meal 
  • 2 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (can sub with 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon thyme) 
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional) 
  • Optional topping: fresh chopped parsley 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment or foil. 

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. 

In a separate bowl, place the cubed eggplant. Pour about 1/4 c. oil over it and toss with hands to coat. Then pour 1/4 c. dry mix into the bowl and gently toss. Transfer to a lined sheet pan. 

Then place the cauliflower in the bowl and pour up to 1/4 c. oil over it, enough to lightly coat, and toss with hands. Pour 1/2 c. dry mix over the florets and gently toss. Transfer to sheet pan. 

Bake for 25-30 min until golden brown, tossing about halfway through. Immediately after removing from the oven, season with another 2 pinches of salt and top with parsley. 

Serving size: 2 cups | Protein: 8.7 g | Fat: 21.0 g | Carbohydrates (net): 11.5 g 

Written by Amanda Rohwedder. Amanda is a degreed nutritionist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds a B.S. Nutritional Science and an M.S. Medical Science with a concentration in Women’s Health. She founded Temple and Table in 2017 as a way to nourish our culture by drawing a connection between physical and spiritual health. For more information on T+T’s mission, visit templeandtable.com.

Order a copy of Amanda’s recipe book published by CCL, Food for Fertility. Check it out in the store here.