"If you lavish your food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall become like midday"
Isaiah 58:10
February Spotlight: Feed the Hungry
Feeding the hungry is a basic tenet of being a Christian, but unfortunately in our modern world, we might think no one goes hungry in America. However, according to Econcomic Research Service, 13.5 percent (18.0 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2023. The 2023 prevalence of food insecurity was statistically significantly higher than the 12.8 percent (17.0 million) in 2022. What is does it mean to be food insecure? At times during the year, these households were uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. Food-insecure households include those with low food security and very low food security.
Families in America do go hungry! If we have never experienced food insecurity, the feeling of hunger may not phase us, except when we are hungry in-between meals. How can we feed the hungry? The best way is to be active in our local community. Almost every community has a food bank or emergency food pantry where they distribute food to families in need. Additionally, many communities have “soup kitchens,” where they offer weekly or daily meals for those in need. Many communities even offer meals to anyone who is hungry or who is lonely during the holidays. This is a hands-on way to serve our brothers and sisters in need, to get our hands dirty and to "encounter" Christ in others. These encounters help us grow in compassion.
Unfortunately we may see someone that is homeless or begging and think, “get a job!” We think that they are to blame for their situation. Whether they are or not, what does Christ call us to do? To serve one another. We are called to care for the least and who knows, we could be the next statistic. How would we want others to treat us?
As a disciple of Christ, feeding the hungry is not an “option”, but a mandate given to us by Jesus Christ.
This month's Saintly Inspiration comes from:
San Paschal Baylon
St Paschal gave himself to a life of penance. Though he was encouraged to study for the priesthood he chose to be a brother instead. As a brother, he often served as porter, cook, gardener and official beggar. St. Pascal was careful to observe the vow of poverty. He would never waste any food or anything given for the use of the Friars. When he served as porter and took care of the poor coming to the door he developed a reputation for great generosity.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia). From a young age, she felt called to a life of service and joined the Sisters of Loreto, a Catholic order of nuns, at the age of 18. In 1946, Mother Teresa received a call from God to serve the poor and sick in the slums of Calcutta, India. She left her comfortable life as a nun and started a new mission to help the poorest of the poor. Over time, Mother Teresa's mission grew, and she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order dedicated to helping the poor and sick. Today, the Missionaries of Charity has thousands of members and operates in more than 130 countries. Mother Teresa's selfless service and compassion inspired people all over the world. In this video, we'll take a closer look at her life and see how her example continues to inspire us to serve others with love and compassion.
Agents of Mercy - Your mission, should you choose to accept...to Feed the Hungry!
A few suggestions for agents of all ages:
- Donate or Organize a food drive. Each week we have baskets in the Commons for non-perishable food donation for ACES.
- Support organizations that feed the hungry like ACEs, Rise Against Hunger, Commonwealth Catholic Charities
- Donate to the Souperbowl of Caring in the Commons on Feb. 8/9th weekend.
- Volunteer to collect donations in the Commons for the Souperbowl of Caring
- Help with the set up, packing or clean up at our Rise Against Hunger Packing event
- Buy soup from the Knights of Columbus on Feb. 22nd/23rd weekend and the proceeds will benefit Commonwealth Catholic Charities
- Share on social media announcements about upcoming food drives and organizations seeking support to feed the hungry
- Keep protein shakes, bars, and gift cards for food in your car to hand out to those in need on the streets
- Volunteer at a food bank
- Deliver meals through Meals on Wheels
- Bring food to an elderly neighbor, someone sick , recovering from surgery or a family who welcomed a new baby or child
- See to the proper nutrition of your loved ones
- Make a few sandwiches to hand out as you walk through areas where you might encounter people in need
- Educate yourself about world hunger
- Avoid wasting food
- Share your meals with others.