(aging)

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. Luke 15:22-25

So today in class we had a discussion about meat and aging. This had me thinking about the time in between when the father called for the slaughter of the fatten calf and the actual celebration. In fact, when a steer is slaughtered, it will go into rigormortis. It takes a few days for the natural enzymes to start breaking down the actual muscles to make them tender once again. Granted, Marie-Antoine Careme or August Escoffier weren't around the people in a desert society over two thousand years ago, to advise them on how best to prepare this fattened calf. When I read over the scripture tonight, I was surprised to see the "meanwhile" before what the older son spoke. I don't know, but I feel better knowing that God did advise the father to at least enjoy some good food. So it makes me think about all the preparations that went into the grand banquet, and personally knowing this, there had to be some days before the party actually took place, if not at least a week. Anyway, random isn't it.