There is no question about Baxter's appetite. He is ready to eat at any time in any place with almost any faire someone is willing to offer. You could say that Baxter lives to eat. He orders his day around the two regular feeding periods, and he always seems to wake up and find me when I am at the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It doesn't matter that these are not his meal times. If there is a meal in the vicinity, it is Baxter's time to eat. He certainly has a hardy and insatiable appetite.
But this bottomless pit that is Baxter's stomach can get him into trouble. He gobbles down his food. There is no savoring the taste. It is all about quantity and feeling full. Keep the kibble coming and he's happy. But sometimes, Baxter eats so much so fast that he can't digest it, and he ends up "losing his lunch," as we say. I read once that cats have many less taste buds on their tongues than we humans have, so Baxter is not all to blame for his ravenous and gorging appetite. He doesn't have the apparatus to appreciate the full taste of his food.
But we do. Especially, we have the faculties to savor the most precious and tasty meal of all, the one that feeds our spirit, the Eucharist. I am not talking about the physical aspect of the Lord's supper of course. I am referring to the full ritual that feeds many aspects of our spiritual lives in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Do we appreciate and savor all that the Eucharist offers us each Sunday?
It brings us together as God's family. We do not eat alone. We share the Body and Blood of the Lord. Ours is a common food, so that through the one bread and one cup we can become one in Christ. We hear God's Word at this meal. The readings from Sacred Scripture are not appetizers to nibble at before the main course is served. They are part of the substantial nourishment God offers to feed our lives of faith. We need to listen carefully to them, ponder them, raise questions about their meaning, and find the current message for us in these ancient texts. The Eucharistic meal is a sacrifice. It is not just fellowship with each other that is celebrated at the altar. It is fellowship with God, hard won on the cross of Christ, that is recalled and renewed at each Eucharist. We are one because Christ's death and resurrection released the Spirit to us and the whole world. That Spirit works at every Eucharist to allow us to share the very life of God in this sacred meal. Given this gift then, we are charged to take God's life into the way we live each day in our homes, work, and civic community. At each Eucharist we celebrate, we are taken into God's sacrifice for us in Christ, so that we can live in the same sacrificial way in the world and continue God's salvation as our lives become His instruments.
Baxter loves to eat a lot of food quickly. We need to take the time to taste deeply of the food that feeds our souls at the Eucharist, so that we can cherish its richness and receive its full nourishment. We hunger for the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. Don't leave Mass malnourished. Make the effort to savor the Lord's supper prepared for us
VACATION TIME
Baxter is threatening me with a law suit for unfair labor practices unless I give him the vacation time he has due. So his lessons in faith and life will be missing for the summer months. If you need a dose of Baxter through the summer, the reruns are on his blog. Come fall, he will be back with more of his foibles and antics.
Baxter wishes his readers a pleasant, peaceful and refreshing summer. He knows that he is blessed with a good home, a loving care giver, and fans who follow him. He thanks God for all of these blessings, and he hopes you do the same for yours. A grateful life is a happy one, and Baxter is one, happy cat. He hopes you are too.
"MEOW" TO ALL UNTIL THE FALL!
