Here we go again. The annual “eating less” season! The fasting, abstinence, no chocolate or coffee, cutting back “maybe this Lent I will finally lose weight” time of the year.
What does eating, or eating less, have to do with following Jesus?
There are lots of stories in the gospels about eating. One of the more powerful ones is in the gospel of Mark, where the evangelist gives us the story of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus calls on his disciples to do something about other people’s hunger.
There are over one billion people in the world today who do not know whether they will eat on any given day. It is the first time in the history of the human race that such a number of people are food insecure.
In the US we would just say to them, “Go to the soup kitchen, which is down the block, or in such and such part of town,” or “Get down to the social service office and apply for food stamps.” But what do we say to the family in sub-Saharan Africa, where the desert is now expanding due to climate change and there are no soup kitchens or social services? What do we say that to a mother in Haiti, devastated by the earthquake, who has to make the heart-wrenching decision which of her children can eat today and which one has to wait until tomorrow? What do we say to a child in Uganda who has lost both parents to AIDS, is orphaned, and has no one left to feed him or her?
“Give them some food yourselves.” Jesus tells the apostles who urged him to dismiss the hungry crowds and send them away so they can get their own food. The apostles would just like the problem to go away, like so many of us. “If I just don’t see them, then it is not my problem.” “Dismiss them.”
Jesus won’t let the apostles off the hook so easily, nor will he let us off either. “Give them some food yourselves.”
“It is overwhelming. It is impossible. We can’t do it.”
“Well, how much do you have?” “We have enough for ourselves.”
“Then, share it with them. Start giving it, and you will find there is enough for all.”
In fact, there is even enough for lots of leftovers. “And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments.”
There is plenty of food in the world today for the hungry. How we waste it! There are plenty of resources. Those of us who feel we have just enough for ourselves, when we begin to give, find that not only can we share and help others to eat, to have enough, but we still have plenty for ourselves.
What we need to do is first think of what God has given us. “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
Wow, when we think of it, we have a lot! Way more than we need. We have way more of everything than we need. God has given us so much. Can we start thinking of living in a way where we don’t use so much so that others can also have at least some? Pope Benedict tells us in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate that there is a relationship between our excess and their need.
What we need is the faith to do as Jesus asks us to do, namely, just see what we have and share it.
As we begin Lent, the theme of “Lent10 Fast” has become very clear to us. “How is God calling you to fast from this Lent?” It shouldn’t be only food; it could be any excess, such as alcohol and video games, technology—Facebook, text message, Internet, and gossiping or bad habit. When we acknowledge our weakness and make efforts to fast from it, our Lent will be more meaningful not only to know how much we have and but also to be able to share our sacrifice with those in great need.
The day after Christmas in 2004, the unimaginable happened: a devastating tsunami crashed onto the coasts of 11 countries, killing more than 200,000 people. One-hundred-foot waves wiped out entire towns and left more than 1.5 million people homeless and utterly shattered. Then the unforeseen happened as well: across the United States, across the globe, people moved by the suffering of the survivors began a massive effort to help those who had lost nearly everything. In the midst of that, Catholic Relief Services started one of the largest emergency and rebuilding efforts in our history. A five-year plan to rehabilitate the hardest-hit communities in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India was put into place by rebuilding houses, roads, hospitals and restoring the people’s ability to support their families, more importantly seeding peace and hope.
This CRS that also has been in Haiti more than 50 years, gives us a handy reminder of Lent called the Rice Bowl, which helps us do what Jesus asks his disciples to do, namely share what we already have with others. Especially this year we made the Rice Bowl personalized for you, so that you can write down your name and what you fast from on the label. If you have family members and friends who need to practice “Lenten fast,” you could take more Rice Bowls to remember or share with them. Wherever you see the Rice Bowl daily, it will remind you that your Lenten sacrifice can literally save lives. Rice Bowl funds feed the poor of the world, as well as the hungry in our region.
Take the time this Lent to fast from whatever hinders you to grow and to share a little something every day in your Rice Bowl. It will amaze you how much you can give without really realizing it.
Does eating, or eating less, have to do with following Jesus?
Yes, eating and eating less has a lot to do with following Jesus, especially when we think we all eat together. The gospel story ends beautifully, “They all ate and were satisfied.”
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