When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Luke 10:8
“Our spirit of mortification normally consists in specific little sacrifices throughout the day: keeping up a persevering struggle in our particular examination of conscience, sobriety at meals, punctuality, being pleasant to people, getting up on time, not leaving our work for later even though we find it difficult and trying, having order in our work, and taking care of the tools or implements and materials we use, being grateful for whatever food is put in front of us, not allowing ourselves whims and fancies.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 528-529.
When I train workers around the world, at least once when we are together for a meal and I am enjoying the food they chose for us to eat, I cite this verse. It’s intentional mortification that brings people together.
I may or may not be in the mood for the food they put in front of me, and if they ask me, I pass on raw onions, but it’s important to eat what people put in front of you. Why?
Food brings people together. Eating the favorite food in someone’s home or local eatery is like sharing part of their life and culture. Part of our mortification is going with the flow and not being picky about food.
Fernandez describes this as “specific little sacrifices” which over time we realize are not small. It’s why Jesus urged people to dig in to whatever food was offered with gratitude. Bon appetit.