WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER15,2014

CCUSAANDNETWORKFOODPROGRAMS

Openingprayer
GoodandlovingGod,weaskyourblessinguponallofourCatholicCharitiesstaff,volunteers,clients,
anddonorsinvolvedwithourfoodprograms.

Blesstheheartsofthosewhohelpfundtheseministries.(Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

Blessthehandsofthosewhoperformtheseministries.(Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

Blessthesoulsofthosewhobenefitfromthisnourishment.(Youmaysharespecificnamesnow)

WeliftthisprayerinthenameofyourSonandourLordandbrother,Jesus.Amen.

Scripturepassage
Luke16:1931
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
someoneshouldrisefromthedead.

Reflection
StanFitzgerald,CCUSAParishSocialMinistrySection;St.FrancisofAssisiChurch,SanJose,California
InthispassagefromLuke,Jesustellsastorythathasgreatapplicationforustwothousandyearslater.
Thelanguageisrichandcolorful;theplotissimplebutpowerful.Itisaclassictaleofrichversuspoor.
Itisalsorepletewithirony.Therichmanisunnamedyetthepoormanisnamed.Thehelpless,Lazarus
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
constantlyfearthatcivicauthoritieswillcomeandevictthem.Environmentalistsworryaboutthe
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
thiswell,wewillwintheirtrustandbegintosavetheirlives,aswellasourown.

GeneralIntercession
FortheneedsofthevolunteersanddonorstoourCatholicCharitiesfoodprograms,letuspraytothe
Lord.

CatholicSocialTeaching
UnitedStatesConferenceofCatholicBishops,ForIwasHungryandYouGaveMeFood,2003(see
http://www.usccb.org/issuesandaction/humanlifeanddignity/agriculturenutritionruralissues/foriwashungrypastoral
reflectionpart2.cfm).
ThedignityofeverypersonmustalwaysberespectedbecauseeachpersonisapreciouschildofGod.
Inlightofourcommitmenttotherighttolifeofeveryperson,webelieveallpeoplealsohavebasic
rightstomaterialandspiritualsupport,includingtherighttofood,whicharerequiredtosustainlifeand
toliveatrulyhumanexistence.