Grandma Lena’s Secret Ingredient (05/07/2025)

As a child, I relished time at Grandma Lena’s. We lived in Georgia; she lived in the small town of Jackson, Nebraska. We only got to see her when we journeyed north for a visit. How I loved those visits. Every time I went home with non-tangible gift that I still carry to this day.

Usually, when we visited, there would be a huge family gathering so all our Boyle relatives could see one another and catch up. My father was one of 10 sons. Our family of 8 was one of the smallest in the clan. Everyone lived nearby except us. So, when it was announced that we were coming for a visit, plans to gather were immediately begun.

One of my favorite activities was helping Grandma Lena make the food. I especially liked it when she made pies. We never had pies at our home because my mother favored cakes. Grandma Lena would put on her apron, get out the ingredients and the bowls for mixing and the pans for baking. And I’d help her prep. I especially remember the final ingredient. Grandma Lena would slowly spin her pie, crimping the upper crust, and she’d smile and tell me she was adding her secret ingredient – with every pinch of the dough she was adding love.

If you asked my kids what kind of desserts their mother makes, they would tell you pies. It is my way of both remembering Grandma Lena and of sharing the secret ingredient – pinches of love. Grandma always said that love makes things taste better and go farther. She was a Boyle – she never lied.

It took me many years to realize that Grandma Lena’s secret ingredient could be added to any moment, to any dish, to any situation. The importance wasn’t in the dish being created but in the heart of the one seeking to provide. Today, the gospel reading is from John and it is part of Jesus’ “Bread of Life Discourse.” And as I read it, I thought of my Grandma Lena who I am sure is with Jesus today because she understood His command to love one another as He has loved us.

As we go forward this day on our individual journeys of faith, buoyed by hope in Christ’s promise, and fueled by love, may we bring with us our stash of life’s secret ingredient and use it generously, applying it to all our moments, to all our encounters, to all our labors. May we share our love for the LORD with one another, one pinch at a time.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.