Abundance in a Deserted Place

June 10, 2007

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:11-12

Piety

Let us pray: Jesus, in our abundance, help us to see those who have less. In our satisfaction, help us to share with others out of our livelihood. In our consumption, help us to take less and give more. Remove our eyes from seeing the desert and focus us on what is possible. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/061007.shtml

Perspective. We can only see what we allow ourselves to see. As humans, our sight and perspective is limited to what we can imagine based upon our limited knowledge and experience.

Today, the disciples saw the lengthening afternoon shadows, the large and enthusiastic crowd basking in the healing service just completed, and the limited provisions that they were carrying. Realizing that there was no “human” way to feed five thousand people, they were backstage trying to give Jesus the sign to wrap things up.

If Jesus sent the crowd away, the disciples knew that they would have plenty to eat without sharing. If Jesus did not turn away the throngs, the then-enthusiastic crowd was likely to get very restless as they got hungry and had no time to find dinner.

Perspective. Jesus can see what we cannot. His divine eyes have seen all that the Father has revealed to Him. His perfect wisdom across the fullness of time has no limits. Jesus saw hunger…not just physical hunger, but also spiritual hunger from a people who needed to be healed.

Today, Jesus saw a crowd hungry for holiness. So he started the day just trying to make a friend in the crowd providing what he could to those around. He healed those who turned to him in faith. Like a true friend, he could not turn them away. Just like you when you have a guest and the dinner hour approaches. You offer to them holy hospitality. One-on-one. That is how relationships are made and grow. Jesus was just trying to be a friend.

Then, in a moment close to Christ, he miraculously fed 5,000 people with the five loaves and two fish, foreshadowing the Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist and the Last Breakfast he shared with the disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Action

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4038205.stm

Today, Jesus challenges us to “give them some food yourselves.” Our cupboards are not bear. Many of us are eating better than ever. However, the world is not producing enough food for everyone. On this Corpus Christi Sunday, we can reflect on what to do about these problems. Just as Jesus met the physical and spiritual needs of the crowd, we as the Church must carry on his mission.

As the BBC reported, In 2003, 842 million people did not have enough to eat, a third of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds according to Bread for the World.

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs explains in his recent book, The End of Poverty, that the world has the scientific knowledge to overcome the issues and feed the planet. However, we also must commit the political and spiritual capital to make it happen. Just like churches in Fairfax County have banded together to resolve that no one in one of the world’s wealthiest counties will die of hypothermia during the winter months, we can do the same with hunger, county by county, state by state, nation by nation until we have eradicated this disease.

We’ve seen how the world mobilized when a tsunami hit South Asia killing an estimated 229,000 people. Yet a silent tsunami is happening every week as children, women and men die of starvation. Americans spend more on our pet food each month ($100) than much of the world makes in a week – 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day.

Join the Catholic Campaign against Global Poverty. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invite Catholics throughout the United States to join the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty as we advocate for U.S. policies that foster economic and social development for people living in poverty throughout the world. The campaign focuses on three areas of U.S. economic policy: shaping U.S. trade policies so that overcoming poverty and promoting human development are central priorities; supporting effective programs that foster long-term development and empowerment of the poor; and eliminating the debt of the poorest countries in ways that reduce poverty and promote human dignity.