As the parish of St. Simon Likas continues in her journey in the Year of Faith, the YOF committee has introduced another item into the many programmes that have been designed to make the YOF a memorable experience in faith-building for all their parishioners. This time around, they have introduced the YEAR OF FAITH – THE FAMILY BOWL. Their parish priest Rector Cosmas Lee, while introducing the Family Bowl informed all parishioners through the bulletin:
“As we journey on in this Year of Faith, we have been reminded of the greatest importance of practising the Faith in the Family, the School of Life and Love, the first place where we learn to Believe, to love and serve our God with all our heart and soul. One important way to become a family of Faith is to EAT TOGETHER, and spending meal time for each other, listening, learning, understanding, communicating, and sharing. We need to be aware that the Lord is the Provider of all gifts and the divine Guest at each family meal, and every meal leads to the Table of the Eucharist, the source and summit of all our Christian life.
The parish of St. Simon has come up with the Family Bowl to help families promote communion and bonding with God and each other at meals.
The family should pick at least a day in the week where all family members are to eat together. A cooked dish is placed in the Family Bowl. At the beginning and end the meal, the head/member of the family is to recite the Grace Before and Grace After Meal (slowly and devoutly) imprinted on the bowl. All members of the family must start and end their meals together. All members should join in the conversation throughout the meal, and strictly refrain from all forms of distraction (like music, television, electronic games, use of mobile phones etc) during the meal”.
By the end of the mass, a number of parishioners were seen purchasing the bowls which was subsidized by the parish.
St Simon Catholic Church Likas 