Eating through the Gospels showcases 1st century food and scripture

Eating Through the Gospels: Jesus at the Table will focus on breakfast. 

Linger Over Breakfast at Avila University

By Sue Reames

As part of an on-going mission to promote peace and non-violence, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet will host Eating Through the Gospels: Jesus at the Table, Saturday, October 26, at Avila University. The event is centered on a breakfast that not only showcases the types of food enjoyed by people of the 1^st century, but also includes typical 21^st century breakfast items.

Featured speaker, Sister Mary Ann Figlino, will guide participants on a scripture adventure to discover eating habits of 1^st century diners: their seating arrangements, typical menus, politics, guest lists and entertainment. By engaging the eating habits of Jesus’ contemporaries, 21^st century participants will begin to appreciate the culture and customs of the early church.

Sister Mary Ann was a primary school teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Elizabeth schools in the Kansas City area. She earned a master’s degree in scripture in 1998 and spent 13 years with Denver-based Empowerment Program. Leading a busy life of service, she worked with women in poverty, homeless women, victims of violence and those leaving the penal system. 

Sister Mary Ann’s interest in how Jesus’ cultural context influenced his teachings fueled her own research into the eating and entertaining habits of 1^st century hosts and their guests. She feels that such an understanding helps today’s students of the gospel stories. When asked what comments or feedback she has received from participants of earlier presentations of the program, Sister Mary Ann said, “Participants tell me they especially appreciate knowing about the social conditions of Jesus’ world. It gives them a deeper understanding of the stories and parables Jesus told.” When asked what she enjoys the most about these events, she replied, “Watching people enjoy scripture in a new way.” 

Tickets are still available for Linger Over Breakfast, Eating Through the Gospels: Jesus at the Table, October 26, 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., in Avila University’s Whitfield Center on Wornall Road.  Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with the program by Sister Mary Ann from 9 – 11 a.m. Register online at www.csjsl.org or call 816-501-2944.