FEED THE HUNGRY.
God created the world with enough food to sustain everyone's need but not everyone's greed. Hunger is rooted in poverty and inequality and sometimes results from natural disasters, disease and conflict; but it is not because of scarcity.
The planet already produces enough to feed 10 billion people -- more than one and half times what is needed to feed everyone. Yet, millions are starving or are malnourished. Despite its significant economic progress in the last few decades, India is still home to about a quarter of the world's hungry poor.
Hunger and starvation can make it harder for people to work and earn a living because of poor physical and mental health. This can lead to increase in poverty and even greater hunger. Globalization may be able to alleviate food problems by making food cheaper. But corruption, faulty administration and distribution, robs the poor of their daily bread. Also, a third of all food produced is never consumed. Food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security in the world where 1 in 8 people are hungry.
"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value, which goes well beyond mere economic parameters. We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry!"
The first corporal work of mercy is to feed the hungry. Feeding the hungry is a basic tenet of Christian faith; it invites us to respond to the scandal of hunger. The traditional approach to works of mercy is to donate time, food and money especially at the times of feasts and functions.
We must never turn away anyone who is hungry. But it is also important that we help to find solutions to the problems of unemployment and education for everyone so that people can sustain themselves. Those in authority should create jobs. Giving work is the best means of removing the necessity of feeding of the unemployed. It would be wrong to support people who prefer to remain idle and sustain themselves by begging; this would encourage them in sins. But if we have no means of finding about the poor who beg for our aid, it is much better to err on the side of charity than our self-righteousness and miserliness.
It is the sacred duty of humans to share with the poor and hungry, for man can live individually but can survive only collectively. All saints and sages through their lives and commandments have implored us to love, care and share. All scriptures emphasize the need to serve our fellow beings. Service should be not only in word, but has to be translated into selfless action; life ought to give without remembering, and receive without forgetting. When we give something to the needy we give from what we have from God and therefore the giver and the receiver must be grateful to the ultimate Giver.
Humankind does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God. Following Jesus's command of feeding the hungry we become the sacrament of Christ to our brothers and sisters who are hungry. We are saved not because of the act of feeding the hungry but because we, like Jesus, become the sacrament of mercy to others.
Christ's sharing of Himself at the Last Supper was a very powerful expression of His mercy. He laid everything on the table, his total self, his emotions, thoughts insights, his attitudes, values, and his very life. He asked his disciples to eat and drink of him, to savor his life-giving self that they may be formed in His image and likeness. The more we take on Jesus' mind, heart, and way of life, His total self-giving, the more we will be merciful.
We may not be able to feed all the hungry people in the world. As followers of Christ, think of the hungry and do what you can. Mother Teresa said, "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed one." We may not be able to give much, but when we see another Lazarus at our doorstep we are called to respond to his need with love and a merciful heart. The miracle of loaves and fish teaches us exactly this, that if there is the will, what we have never ends. On the contrary, it abounds and does not get wasted.
As we walk alongside those in extreme poverty, the first work of mercy invites us to make space in our hearts for this emergency by respecting the God-given right of everyone to have access to adequate food. By God's grace, power and mercy we can be part of bringing physical and spiritual transformation to children, families, and even entire communities.
God created the world with enough food to sustain everyone's need but not everyone's greed. Hunger is rooted in poverty and inequality and sometimes results from natural disasters, disease and conflict; but it is not because of scarcity.
The planet already produces enough to feed 10 billion people -- more than one and half times what is needed to feed everyone. Yet, millions are starving or are malnourished. Despite its significant economic progress in the last few decades, India is still home to about a quarter of the world's hungry poor.
Hunger and starvation can make it harder for people to work and earn a living because of poor physical and mental health. This can lead to increase in poverty and even greater hunger. Globalization may be able to alleviate food problems by making food cheaper. But corruption, faulty administration and distribution, robs the poor of their daily bread. Also, a third of all food produced is never consumed. Food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security in the world where 1 in 8 people are hungry.
"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value, which goes well beyond mere economic parameters. We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry!"
The first corporal work of mercy is to feed the hungry. Feeding the hungry is a basic tenet of Christian faith; it invites us to respond to the scandal of hunger. The traditional approach to works of mercy is to donate time, food and money especially at the times of feasts and functions.
We must never turn away anyone who is hungry. But it is also important that we help to find solutions to the problems of unemployment and education for everyone so that people can sustain themselves. Those in authority should create jobs. Giving work is the best means of removing the necessity of feeding of the unemployed. It would be wrong to support people who prefer to remain idle and sustain themselves by begging; this would encourage them in sins. But if we have no means of finding about the poor who beg for our aid, it is much better to err on the side of charity than our self-righteousness and miserliness.
It is the sacred duty of humans to share with the poor and hungry, for man can live individually but can survive only collectively. All saints and sages through their lives and commandments have implored us to love, care and share. All scriptures emphasize the need to serve our fellow beings. Service should be not only in word, but has to be translated into selfless action; life ought to give without remembering, and receive without forgetting. When we give something to the needy we give from what we have from God and therefore the giver and the receiver must be grateful to the ultimate Giver.
Humankind does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God. Following Jesus's command of feeding the hungry we become the sacrament of Christ to our brothers and sisters who are hungry. We are saved not because of the act of feeding the hungry but because we, like Jesus, become the sacrament of mercy to others.
Christ's sharing of Himself at the Last Supper was a very powerful expression of His mercy. He laid everything on the table, his total self, his emotions, thoughts insights, his attitudes, values, and his very life. He asked his disciples to eat and drink of him, to savor his life-giving self that they may be formed in His image and likeness. The more we take on Jesus' mind, heart, and way of life, His total self-giving, the more we will be merciful.
We may not be able to feed all the hungry people in the world. As followers of Christ, think of the hungry and do what you can. Mother Teresa said, "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed one." We may not be able to give much, but when we see another Lazarus at our doorstep we are called to respond to his need with love and a merciful heart. The miracle of loaves and fish teaches us exactly this, that if there is the will, what we have never ends. On the contrary, it abounds and does not get wasted.
As we walk alongside those in extreme poverty, the first work of mercy invites us to make space in our hearts for this emergency by respecting the God-given right of everyone to have access to adequate food. By God's grace, power and mercy we can be part of bringing physical and spiritual transformation to children, families, and even entire communities.
FEED THE HUNGRY.
God created the world with enough food to sustain everyone's need but not everyone's greed. Hunger is rooted in poverty and inequality and sometimes results from natural disasters, disease and conflict; but it is not because of scarcity.
The planet already produces enough to feed 10 billion people -- more than one and half times what is needed to feed everyone. Yet, millions are starving or are malnourished. Despite its significant economic progress in the last few decades, India is still home to about a quarter of the world's hungry poor.
Hunger and starvation can make it harder for people to work and earn a living because of poor physical and mental health. This can lead to increase in poverty and even greater hunger. Globalization may be able to alleviate food problems by making food cheaper. But corruption, faulty administration and distribution, robs the poor of their daily bread. Also, a third of all food produced is never consumed. Food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security in the world where 1 in 8 people are hungry.
"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value, which goes well beyond mere economic parameters. We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry!"
The first corporal work of mercy is to feed the hungry. Feeding the hungry is a basic tenet of Christian faith; it invites us to respond to the scandal of hunger. The traditional approach to works of mercy is to donate time, food and money especially at the times of feasts and functions.
We must never turn away anyone who is hungry. But it is also important that we help to find solutions to the problems of unemployment and education for everyone so that people can sustain themselves. Those in authority should create jobs. Giving work is the best means of removing the necessity of feeding of the unemployed. It would be wrong to support people who prefer to remain idle and sustain themselves by begging; this would encourage them in sins. But if we have no means of finding about the poor who beg for our aid, it is much better to err on the side of charity than our self-righteousness and miserliness.
It is the sacred duty of humans to share with the poor and hungry, for man can live individually but can survive only collectively. All saints and sages through their lives and commandments have implored us to love, care and share. All scriptures emphasize the need to serve our fellow beings. Service should be not only in word, but has to be translated into selfless action; life ought to give without remembering, and receive without forgetting. When we give something to the needy we give from what we have from God and therefore the giver and the receiver must be grateful to the ultimate Giver.
Humankind does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from God. Following Jesus's command of feeding the hungry we become the sacrament of Christ to our brothers and sisters who are hungry. We are saved not because of the act of feeding the hungry but because we, like Jesus, become the sacrament of mercy to others.
Christ's sharing of Himself at the Last Supper was a very powerful expression of His mercy. He laid everything on the table, his total self, his emotions, thoughts insights, his attitudes, values, and his very life. He asked his disciples to eat and drink of him, to savor his life-giving self that they may be formed in His image and likeness. The more we take on Jesus' mind, heart, and way of life, His total self-giving, the more we will be merciful.
We may not be able to feed all the hungry people in the world. As followers of Christ, think of the hungry and do what you can. Mother Teresa said, "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed one." We may not be able to give much, but when we see another Lazarus at our doorstep we are called to respond to his need with love and a merciful heart. The miracle of loaves and fish teaches us exactly this, that if there is the will, what we have never ends. On the contrary, it abounds and does not get wasted.
As we walk alongside those in extreme poverty, the first work of mercy invites us to make space in our hearts for this emergency by respecting the God-given right of everyone to have access to adequate food. By God's grace, power and mercy we can be part of bringing physical and spiritual transformation to children, families, and even entire communities.
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