It’s appropriate that Ms. Julia Child was born on a feast day! After all, the woman knew how to feast.
But Ms. Child was not unlike Mary, the Mother of God. She really understood that cooking or more importantly “mealing” was a centerpiece of hospitality. Undoubtedly, Mary also passed that trait onto Jesus, who made “healing” and “mealing” the center of his ministry. Jesus is always feeding people, but he doesn’t feed people to just offer them material sustenance. Jesus makes a point with every meal. He violates all kinds of laws by having the rich and the poor eat together. He eats at the house of sinners which means that his family must reciprocate. And he offers himself as food for our spiritual sustenance, a meal that offers us permanent sustenance–eternal life.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Julia Child and one of my prized possessions is a cookbook that she signed for me along with her longtime TV partner, Jacques Pepin. She asked me if I could cook and when I told her that I merely “dabble” she was ready to whisk me away to learn how to cook with “Jack” as she called her dear friend.
So rest in peace Dear Julia, I’m sure that Mother Mary and you are cooking up something fine in your kitchen.
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