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WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER15,2014

CCUSAANDNETWORKFOODPROGRAMS

Openingprayer

GoodandlovingGod,weaskyourblessinguponallofourCatholicCharitiesstaff,volunteers,clients,

anddonorsinvolvedwithourfoodprograms.

Blesstheheartsofthosewhohelpfundtheseministries. (Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

Blessthehandsofthosewhoperformtheseministries. (Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

Blessthesoulsofthosewhobenefitfromthisnourishment. (Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

WeliftthisprayerinthenameofyourSonandourLordandbrother,Jesus. Amen.

Scripturepassage

Luke16:

19

31

Therewasarichmanwhodressedinpurplegarmentsandfinelinenanddinedsumptuouslyeachday.

AndlyingathisdoorwasapoormannamedLazarus,coveredwithsores,whowouldgladlyhaveeaten

hisfillofthescrapsthatfellfromtherichmanstable. Dogsevenusedtocomeandlickhissores.When

thepoormandied,hewascarriedawaybyangelstothebosomofAbraham. Therichmanalsodied

andwasburied,andfromthenetherworld,wherehewasintorment,heraisedhiseyesandsaw

AbrahamfaroffandLazarusathisside. Andhecriedout,FatherAbraham,havepityonme. Send

Lazarustodipthetipofhisfingerinwaterandcoolmytongue,forIamsufferingtormentinthese

flames.

Abrahamreplied,Mychild,rememberthatyoureceivedwhatwasgoodduringyourlifetimewhile

Lazaruslikewisereceivedwhatwasbad;butnowheiscomfortedhere,whereasyouaretormented.

Moreover,betweenusandyouagreatchasmisestablishedtopreventanyonefromcrossingwhomight

wishtogofromoursidetoyoursorfromyoursidetoours.

Hesaid,ThenIbegyou,father,sendhimtomyfathershouse,forIhavefivebrothers,sothathemay

warnthem,lesttheytoocometothisplaceoftorment.

ButAbrahamreplied,TheyhaveMosesandtheprophets. Letthemlistentothem.

Hesaid,Ohno,fatherAbraham,butifsomeonefromthedeadgoestothem,theywillrepent.

ThenAbrahamsaid,IftheywillnotlistentoMosesandtheprophets,neitherwilltheybepersuadedif

someoneshould

rise

from

the

dead.

ReflectionStanFitzgerald,CCUSAParishSocialMinistrySection;St. FrancisofAssisiChurch,SanJose,California

InthispassagefromLuke,Jesustellsastorythathasgreatapplicationforustwothousandyearslater.

Thelanguageisrichandcolorful;theplotissimplebutpowerful. Itisaclassictaleofrichversuspoor.

Itisalsorepletewithirony. Therichmanisunnamedyetthepoormanisnamed. Thehelpless,Lazarus

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cannotkeepthedogsfromfeedingoffofhissores. Hehungersforscrapstofallfromtherichmans

table. Hehasnodignityandlittlehopeforabetterlife. Heisexcludedfromhisownworld.

Therichman,dressedinroyalpurpleandfinelinen,isofftofeastwithoneofmanyfriends. Hedoes

notrecognizehisbrother,Lazarus,plantedathisgate. Therichmanhaseverymaterialpossessionone

coulddesire. IfwecouldgetinsideLazarussmind,wemightdiscoverwhatLazarusisthinkingasthe

richmandailypasses. Perhaps,Lazaruswondersifhecouldbutspeaktotherichmanforjustone

moment,bothlivesmightbesavedbyasmallgiftoffood. Thisdoesnothappen. Astrangeirony,both

mendieonthesameday. Lazarusandtherichmannowtaketheirfinaljourneystovastlydifferent

places. Athishotnewresidence,therichmaniswithoutpossessionsorfriends. Hethirstsandbegs

FatherAbrahamtosendLazaruswiththetipofhisfingerdippedinwatertocoolmytongue.Thatwill

nothappen.

Forovertwentyyears,Ihaveministeredatadayworkercenter. There,manyarehungryandthirsty.

Theyhungerforwork,andthirstforbetterlives. Someworkersliveintheadjacenthomeless

encampmentcommonlyreferredtoasthejungle.Yes,oneofourcountryslargesthomeless

encampmentsexistsintheveryheartofSiliconValley!Thisisironicandtrulysad. Thecampsresidents

constantlyfear

that

civic

authorities

will

come

and

evict

them.

Environmentalists

worry

about

the

sanitaryconditionsofthecreekthatrunsthroughtheencampment. Churchgroups,includingmy

parish,comeweeklytofeedthesehungrysouls. Theybelievethisactionisnecessaryandfeel

compelledtoact. Inthelongterm,however,thiswellintentionedcharityisprobablyharmful. The

peoplesaytheycannotstandbyidlywhileothersgohungry.

Sometimesjusticeandloveisnotalwayseasytodiscern. Howdoweenableourparishionerstoelevate

theireffortstothosetheyserve?Howdowebringemancipationandnotdependence?Clearly,we

beginbymeetingthepoorandtheexcluded;werecognizeandcallthembyname. Afterwevelistened

totheirstories,wecanfeedthemandlearnabouttheirotherneeds. Aswestarttorestoredignity,we

mustbecommittedtoaccompanyingourbrothersandsistersonwhatwillbealongjourney. Ifwedo

this

well,

we

will

win

their

trust

and

begin

to

save

their

lives,

as

well

as

our

own.

GeneralIntercession

FortheneedsofthevolunteersanddonorstoourCatholicCharitiesfoodprograms,letuspraytothe

Lord.

CatholicSocialTeaching

UnitedStatesConferenceofCatholicBishops,ForIwasHungryandYouGaveMeFood,2003(see

http://www.usccb.org/issuesandaction/humanlifeanddignity/agriculturenutritionruralissues/foriwashungrypastoral

reflectionpart2.cfm).

ThedignityofeverypersonmustalwaysberespectedbecauseeachpersonisapreciouschildofGod.

Inlight

of

our

commitment

to

the

right

to

life

of

every

person,

we

believe

all

people

also

have

basic

rightstomaterialandspiritualsupport,includingtherighttofood,whicharerequiredtosustainlifeand

toliveatrulyhumanexistence.

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