Beloved Family:
Who knew?! In last week’s pre-Mass announcements, we featured an account of the challenge women and girls in Malawi face, on a daily basis, in order to collect water. One of our parish Lenten almsgiving initiatives is Water for Life, sponsored by Cross Catholic Outreach, an organization that has an outstanding record for success in addressing material and spiritual needs among our brothers and sisters throughout the world. This is the first year we are collectively participating in this effort. Praise God for the fruitfulness of their efforts!
Our second parish almsgiving initiative is Operation Rice Bowl. When I ask, “Who knew,” it is because while I recall that these put-together cardboard boxes and recipes for simple meals have been around most of my life (this is the fiftieth anniversary for the program), I did not know—or possibly I knew but did not remember—that the roots of this project were geographically very close to home: specifically, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Allentown is about one hour from my hometown, and my father had a small office there, for his accounting business. Here is the narrative, from the Catholic Relief Services website:
In 1975, Catholics in Allentown, Pennsylvania, prayed, fasted and gave alms to help people suffering from famine in the Sahel region of Africa—marking the beginning of what would become CRS Rice Bowl. Since then, generations of Catholics across the United States have come together each Lent with one common goal: to end global hunger.
In the 50 years since, we’ve been deeply moved by the commitment and impact you’ve had on this shared mission. CRS Rice Bowl has been proud to bring stories of hope to you and your family—stories about how our sisters and brothers are engaged in activities that break the cycle of hunger and build health and resilience. Stories of people like Hongkham in Laos.
We met Hongkham in 2016, when she was volunteering as a cook at her children’s school, which provided free school lunches for students. Her family also received monthly food rations through a Catholic Relief Services program after her husband fell seriously ill and they had to sell their farm. Over the next eight years, Hongkham became a mentor in her community—sharing knowledge and fostering a network of cooks who now rotate duties and make sure the children always have a warm meal to look forward to. Four of her six sons grew up on school meals, and they stand noticeably taller. Her husband’s health also improved, and he now works as a carpenter with two of their sons.
Today, however, our world faces a food crisis like never before. Our prayers and almsgiving are as important as ever. When COVID-19 spread across the world, hunger was already deepening. Other problems have contributed to the current food crisis, like conflict and wars, climate change and the rising cost of food. Now, millions of people are living without access to the food they need to live a healthy life. This is dangerous, especially for children who need the right nutrition to grow.
In this holy season, let us recommit to our global family as we pray:
Jesus, Bread of Life,
As we encounter you in the Eucharist this Lent,
nourish us with your love,
unite us in communion with our sisters and brothers,
showing us how we are connected.
Transform our hearts, that we may be moved to
share bread for life with our global family
and work for a world where all can thrive.
Amen.
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
