Table fellowship?

[Oscarthecat]

I have heard this term a lot lately being used to subtly rename the Mass.

I was told, by someone who uses the term, is that it “harkens (yes, they said harkens) back to Jesus’ community where sharing your table with others was a sign of friendship and community.” Given that sharing a table with someone today also usually indicates friendship and community (unless you prefer eating alone, or in silence with complete strangers), I don’t see that this term is appropriate to refer to the liturgy.

Can anyone fill me in on what “table fellowship” is, where this term came from, and why its being used to refer to the liturgy?

 

[Dorothy]

I have never heard of “table fellowship” used before, and I hope I never do.

It definitely waters down the sacred and holy meaning of the Mass.

 

[ReginaNova]

Is it really used to refer to the Mass? “Table fellowship” does not sound at all Catholic, but rather something that non-Catholic Christians might use to refer to their “Communion” service.

 

[Caesar]

Yes, I too have heard this. An old religious studies teacher used this as an excuse for turning the altars around to face the people. He said that it was to bring back that feeling of a “sacred meal” to Catholicism and to remind us that the altar represents a table where Christ feeds us.

A priest told me that the altar represents Christ’s tomb where Christ sacrifices Himself for us.