Thursday 28 August 2008

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"If I spent as much time doing the things I worry about
getting done as I do worrying about doing them,
I wouldn'thave anything to worry about."

-- Beryl Pfizer

Wednesday 27 August 2008

Pope Decries Anti-Christian Violence in India

Hindu Extremists Start Wave of Attacks

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is speaking out against a wave of anti-Christian violence in eastern India, which has already caused perhaps as many as eight deaths.In a communiqué today, the Holy See formally appealed for an end to the violence against Christian communities in India, which intensified over the weekend after a Hindu political leader was killed. Authorities suspected communist rebels in the death of Swami Laxmananada Saraswati, but Hindu hardliners are blaming Christians.

The eastern Indian state of Orissa has long been plagued by Christian-Hindu violence, as Christian missionaries work with poor tribal peoples of the region and Hindus accuse them of forcing or bribing conversions.Saraswati, a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council, was active in the campaign to stop villagers from converting to Christianity or to win them back.

Bishop Thomas Thiruthalil, president of Orissa's Catholic conference, harshly condemned the murder. "We, the Catholic community of Orissa, profoundly condemn the terrible event, and express our profound sympathy to the deceased's loved ones," he said in a statement.SolidarityA note published by the Vatican press office expressed the Holy See's solidarity with the local Churches and the congregations affected in the wave of attacks.The statement said the Vatican condemns these acts that are "against the dignity and liberty of persons and compromises peaceful civil coexistence."

At the same time, the Vatican appealed to all "so that, with a sense of responsibility, an end is put to all violence and a climate of dialogue and mutual respect is re-established."
L'Osservatore Romano describes the news from India as "extremely worrying."Rape and killing. On Monday morning, a 21-year-old laywoman who taught computer classes in an orphanage was killed when Hindu extremists set the building on fire. She and a priest had been locked inside; the priest sustained critical injuries.A Christian man was killed in his home in Kandhamal, and three others were victims of fires.

Sister Meena of the Bubaneshwar Social Center was raped by groups of Hindu extremists before the building she worked in was set on fire, reported AsiaNews.
Some of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's sisters were also attacked; a few were pelted with stones and one was seriously injured. And a hospital for the elderly, run by the Missionaries of Charity, was destroyed for the second time, the news agency reported.

Sunday 24 August 2008

Who Do You Say I Am?

Gospel Commentary for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

ROME, AUG. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org).- There is a practice in today’s culture and society that can help us toward understanding this Sunday’s Gospel: opinion polls.These are conducted everywhere, especially in the political and commercial spheres. One day Jesus also wanted to do an opinion poll, but, as we shall see, for a different purpose. He did it not for political reasons, but for educational ones.Having arrived in Caesarea Philippi, that is, in the northernmost region of Israel, and taking a little rest alone with the apostles, Jesus asks them, point blank, “Who do people say that the son of man is?”It seems that the apostles were not expecting to be asked more than to report what people were saying of him. They answered: "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”But Jesus was not interested in measuring his popularity or in looking for an index of how well he was regarded by the people. His purpose was entirely different. So he immediately followed his first question with a second: “Who do you say that I am?"This second, unexpected question catches them completely off guard. There is silence and they stand looking at each other.

In the Greek it makes it clear that all of the apostles together responded to the first question and that only one person, namely, Simon Peter, responded to the second question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”Between the two responses there is a leap over an abyss, a “conversion.” To answer the first question it was only necessary to look around, to have listened to people’s opinions. But to answer the second question, it was necessary to look inside, to listen to a completely different voice, a voice that was not of flesh and blood but of the Father in heaven. Peter was enlightened from on high.It is the first clear recognition of the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels. The first public act of faith in Christ in history! Think about the wake that a big ship makes in the sea. It widens as the ship goes forward until it is lost on the horizon. But it begins at a single point, which is the ship itself. Faith in Jesus Christ is like this. It is as a wake that widens as it moves through history, and travels to “the very ends of the earth.” But it starts at a single point. A

nd this point is Peter’s act of faith. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”Jesus uses another image, which implies stability rather than movement. It is a vertical instead of a horizontal image. It is that of a rock: “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.”Jesus changes his name -- as often happens in the Bible when someone receives an important mission -- from Simon to Cephas, or Peter -- “rock.” The true rock, the “cornerstone” is, and remains, Jesus himself. But once he has risen and ascended into heaven, this “cornerstone,” though present and active, is invisible. It is necessary for a sign to represent him, a sign that makes Christ, who is the “unshakeable foundation,” visible and efficacious in history. And this sign is Peter and, after him, his vicar, the Pope, successor of Peter, as head of the college of apostles.But let us return to the idea of polling. Jesus' poll, as we saw, has two parts, which have two distinct questions. First, “Who do people say that I am?” And second, “Who do you say that I am?”Jesus does not seem to value very much what the people think of him. He wants to know what his disciples think of him. He immediately asks them to speak for themselves. He does not let them hide behind the opinions of others.

He wants them to speak of their own opinions. Almost the identical situation repeats itself today.Today as well “people,” “public opinion,” has its ideas about Jesus. Jesus is in vogue. Just look at what is going on in the world of literature and entertainment. A year does not go by in which there does not appear a novel or a film with its own distorted and sacriligious vision of Christ. Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” has been the most well-known one of late and has produced many imitators.Then there are those who are middle-of-the-road, like the people of Jesus’ time, who believe Jesus to be “one of the prophets.” He is regarded as a fascinating person and placed alongside Socrates, Gandhi and Tolstoy. I am sure that Jesus does not scorn these responses to him, because the Bible says of him that he does not “quench the smoldering wick and does not break the bruised reed,” that is, he appreciates every honest effort on the part of man.But, the truth be told, this view of Jesus does not seem quite right even from a human point of view. Neither Gandhi nor Tolstoy ever said: “I am the way, the truth and the life,” or “Whoever loves father and mother more than me is not worth of me.”With Jesus you cannot not be middle-of-the-road.

Either he is what he claims to be, or he is not a great man, but rather a great lunatic lifted up by history. There are no half-measures. There are buildings and structures made of steel -- I believe that the Eiffel Tower in Paris is one -- made in such a way that if you touch a certain point or remove a certain element, everything will come down. The edifice of the Christian faith is like this, and this neuralgic point is the divinity of Jesus Christ.But let us leave aside the responses of the people and consider the nonbelievers. Believing in the divinity of Christ is not enough; you must also bear witness to it. Whoever knows him and does not bear witness to this faith, indeed even hides it, is more responsible before God that those who do not have this faith.In a scene in Paul Claudel’s play “The Humiliated Father,” a Jewish girl, beautiful but blind, alluding to the double meaning of light, asks her Christian friend: “You who see, what use have you made of the light?” It is a question that is asked of all of us who claim to be believers.[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

Catholic-Muslim Group Aiding Philippine Peace


After 40-Year Conflict in Mindanao Escalates
By Inmaculada Álvarez
MANILA, Philippines, AUG. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A panel of bishops and prominent Muslims are appealing to both the Philippine government and the leaders of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front to cease hostilities in the resource-rich Mindanao region.The 12,000-strong separatist Islamic group has been fighting for greater autonomy in the region for some four decades. This month, the conflict escalated after the Supreme Court temporarily halted the signing of a breakthrough peace agreement with the group. On Thursday, the government said they would not sign the deal and more people were killed over night.According to Amnesty International, civilians in the region are forming militia groups, and since the Supreme Court ruling, units from the MILF have occupied farms and homes and displaced another 150,000 people. Meanwhile, the government has asked for the arrest of several of the group's commanders.In the midst of this, an appeal Wednesday signed by Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao and Hamid Barra, a representative of the League of the Ulemas of the Philippines, urged peace.They appealed to both sides to seek an immediate truce, including pulling back troops, handing over hostages, and restoring order in the region of the southern Philippines.
The Catholic and Muslim leaders also called for urgent assistance to those displaced by the conflict, "with special attention to the poor, the sick, babies and young children." They also asked media to avoid publishing information that might be interpreted by combatants as a provocation.
In another joint communiqué, published Thursday by the news service of the Philippine episcopal conference, the Catholic and Muslim representatives of Mindanao condemned the violence in the Northern Lanao area, and the "unnecessary loss of human lives and properties."
"The incidents of armed conflict and violence in Northern Lanao have saddened us profoundly as religious leaders of Christian and Muslim communities," they wrote.
The religious leaders condemned the acts of violence and expressed their "profound sympathy" with the victims, while calling for justice "for those responsible for these crimes."
"At this time in which too many feelings of anger, fear, hatred and confusion are mixed, we appeal to our Muslim and Christian communities to remain calm and faithful to their call as creatures of the almighty and merciful God," added the statement.
The bishops and ulemas of Mindanao promised to do everything possible to "promote peace" in their respective local communities.MediationMeanwhile Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro, president of the episcopal conference's Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, told L'Osservatore Romano that the role of the Catholic-Muslim panel is key in the pursuit of peace.He noted that in recent days, the Philippine media has even speculated on the possible mediation of the panel in the conflict.
Without confirming that possibility, Archbishop Ledesma said that the group, though not political, "will do everything possible, within its realm, to arrive as soon as possible at an agreement that ensures a lasting peace in the country."
"What the conference can do is to contribute to the establishment between the two sides of a climate of mutual trust," helping to "focus better on the topics of coexistence and dialogue between Christians and Muslims," he affirmed. He also cautioned against using the pretext of peace to provoke a separation between the Christian and Muslim populations, in an area where both have coexisted peacefully.
"The members of the conference of bishops and ulemas have been engaging for a long time in programs of interreligious dialogue and social service both for Christians as well as Muslims," Archbishop Ledesma said. "As so many religious and lay volunteers of both creeds are already doing, [both sides] must live and work together in mutual respect of their beliefs, traditions and peculiarities."
According to the 65-year-old prelate, the members of the Catholic-Muslim panel "not only have moral qualities and a solid knowledge of the reciprocal religious spheres," but are the ones "who know best the real needs of their faithful."
The prelate added that the Catholic Church of the Philippines "has always gone to the aid of the poor without distinction of creeds."
"In this charitable action," he added, "[the Church] has always been helped in Mindanao by a number -- at first small but ever more numerous -- of Muslim religious leaders and lay volunteers, who are conscious of the role of religions in society."

Catholic-Muslim Group Aiding Philippine Peace


After 40-Year Conflict in Mindanao Escalates
By Inmaculada Álvarez
MANILA, Philippines, AUG. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A panel of bishops and prominent Muslims are appealing to both the Philippine government and the leaders of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front to cease hostilities in the resource-rich Mindanao region.The 12,000-strong separatist Islamic group has been fighting for greater autonomy in the region for some four decades. This month, the conflict escalated after the Supreme Court temporarily halted the signing of a breakthrough peace agreement with the group. On Thursday, the government said they would not sign the deal and more people were killed over night.According to Amnesty International, civilians in the region are forming militia groups, and since the Supreme Court ruling, units from the MILF have occupied farms and homes and displaced another 150,000 people. Meanwhile, the government has asked for the arrest of several of the group's commanders.In the midst of this, an appeal Wednesday signed by Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao and Hamid Barra, a representative of the League of the Ulemas of the Philippines, urged peace.They appealed to both sides to seek an immediate truce, including pulling back troops, handing over hostages, and restoring order in the region of the southern Philippines.
The Catholic and Muslim leaders also called for urgent assistance to those displaced by the conflict, "with special attention to the poor, the sick, babies and young children." They also asked media to avoid publishing information that might be interpreted by combatants as a provocation.
In another joint communiqué, published Thursday by the news service of the Philippine episcopal conference, the Catholic and Muslim representatives of Mindanao condemned the violence in the Northern Lanao area, and the "unnecessary loss of human lives and properties."
"The incidents of armed conflict and violence in Northern Lanao have saddened us profoundly as religious leaders of Christian and Muslim communities," they wrote.
The religious leaders condemned the acts of violence and expressed their "profound sympathy" with the victims, while calling for justice "for those responsible for these crimes."
"At this time in which too many feelings of anger, fear, hatred and confusion are mixed, we appeal to our Muslim and Christian communities to remain calm and faithful to their call as creatures of the almighty and merciful God," added the statement.
The bishops and ulemas of Mindanao promised to do everything possible to "promote peace" in their respective local communities.MediationMeanwhile Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro, president of the episcopal conference's Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, told L'Osservatore Romano that the role of the Catholic-Muslim panel is key in the pursuit of peace.He noted that in recent days, the Philippine media has even speculated on the possible mediation of the panel in the conflict.
Without confirming that possibility, Archbishop Ledesma said that the group, though not political, "will do everything possible, within its realm, to arrive as soon as possible at an agreement that ensures a lasting peace in the country."
"What the conference can do is to contribute to the establishment between the two sides of a climate of mutual trust," helping to "focus better on the topics of coexistence and dialogue between Christians and Muslims," he affirmed. He also cautioned against using the pretext of peace to provoke a separation between the Christian and Muslim populations, in an area where both have coexisted peacefully.
"The members of the conference of bishops and ulemas have been engaging for a long time in programs of interreligious dialogue and social service both for Christians as well as Muslims," Archbishop Ledesma said. "As so many religious and lay volunteers of both creeds are already doing, [both sides] must live and work together in mutual respect of their beliefs, traditions and peculiarities."
According to the 65-year-old prelate, the members of the Catholic-Muslim panel "not only have moral qualities and a solid knowledge of the reciprocal religious spheres," but are the ones "who know best the real needs of their faithful."
The prelate added that the Catholic Church of the Philippines "has always gone to the aid of the poor without distinction of creeds."
"In this charitable action," he added, "[the Church] has always been helped in Mindanao by a number -- at first small but ever more numerous -- of Muslim religious leaders and lay volunteers, who are conscious of the role of religions in society."

Thursday 14 August 2008

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

by Father William G. Most
Evidence for the Assumption

There had been a problem of how the Pope could define the Assumption. There seemed to be nothing in Scripture on it, and what things there were in the Tradition of the Fathers seemed to come not from an apostolic origin, but from some apocryphal stories that circulated chiefly beginning in the fourth century.
A Pope is not required to specify precisely where in the sources of revelation he finds a given doctrine. Yet, those documents often do review various things that at least in a way seem to support the teaching. We see an example of this in the Bull Ineffabilis Deus in which Pius IX defined the Immaculate Conception.
One thought that was clearly in the mind of Pius XII was the principle of consortium--that Mary was "always sharing His [Christ's] lot" (AAS 42. 768).
In line with this, Pope Pius showed the relation of the Assumption to the Immaculate Conception: "For these two privileges are most closely related to each other. Christ has overcome sin and death by His own death; and one who is reborn in a heavenly way through baptism has, through Christ Himself, conquered sin and death. However, in accord with His general rule, God does not wish to grant the full effect of victory over death to the just until the end of time shall have come.... Yet God wished that the Blessed Virgin Mary be exempt from this general law. For she, by a completely singular privilege, conquered sin in her Immaculate Conception, and thus was not liable to that law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, nor did she have to wait for the end of time for the redemption of her body" (AAS 42. 754).
Pius XII next said he had asked the opinions of all the Bishops of the world on the Assumption. Their response was almost unanimous in the affirmative. The universal teaching of the authorities of the Church by itself, he tells us, gives us a proof (Cf. Lumen gentium ## 25 and 12).
He next reviewed some of the outstanding statements of Tradition throughout all the centuries. This teaching is found at a very early date in the liturgical books. After the patristic age, the same doctrine was studied in detail by scholastic theologians. For example, the Pope quotes the words of St. Bernardine of Siena who "... gathered up and carefully treated everything that medieval theologians had said and discussed on this matter. He was not satisfied to repeat the chief considerations which doctors of previous times had already proposed, but added others of his own. For the likeness of the Mother of God and the Divine Son in regard to nobility of soul and body--a likeness which forbids the very thought that the heavenly Queen should be separated from the heavenly King--absolutely demands that Mary 'must not be anywhere but where Christ is.' And furthermore, it is reasonable and fitting that not only the soul and body of a man, but also the soul and body of a woman should have already attained heavenly glory. Finally, since the Church has never sought for bodily relics of the Blessed Virgin, nor exposed them for the veneration of the faithful, we have an argument which can be considered as 'practically a proof by sensory experience'" (AAS 42. 765-66).
He then speaks of St. Francis de Sales, who "after stating that it would be wrong to doubt that Jesus Christ has kept in the most perfect way the divine commandment that children honor their parents, puts this question: 'What son, if he could, would not bring his mother back to life, and take her, after death, into paradise?'"(AAS 42. 766).
We have given only a sample of the great review of earlier teachings given in the Munificentissimus Deus. After this survey, the Pope sums up: "All these arguments and considerations of the Holy Fathers rest on the Sacred Writings as their ultimate foundation. These place the revered Mother of God as it were before our eyes, as most closely joined to her Divine Son, and always sharing in His lot. Hence it seems practically impossible to think of her who conceived Christ, brought Him forth, gave Him milk, held Him in her hands and pressed Him to her heart as being separated from Him after this earthly life in body, even though not in soul" (AAS 42. 767-68).
The Key to the Doctrine
But it seems that the precise ground for the definition is in the following passage just before the definition: "We must remember especially that, since the second century, the Virgin Mary has been presented by the Holy Fathers as the New Eve, who, although subject to the New Adam, was most closely associated with Him in that struggle against the infernal enemy which, as foretold in the protoevangelium, was to result in that most complete victory over sin and death, which are always correlated in the writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Wherefore, just as the glorious resurrection of Christ was an essential part and final sign of this victory, so also that struggle which was common to the Blessed Virgin and her Son had to be closed by the 'glorification' of her virginal body" (AAS 42. 768).
The thought is brilliant. The Pope first recalled the New Eve theme, which we have seen. Then he focused on the fact, within that theme, that the New Eve had been closely associated with the New Adam in the struggle against sin and death. Still further, in the case of her Son, that struggle had brought glorification. Since the struggle was in common to both, then a common cause would have a common effect: it had to bring a parallel glorification to her, the Assumption.
Pius XII carefully refrained from saying in his own words at any point that she died. Some, even a few of the Fathers, had denied that she ever died, basing this on the fact that death was the result of original sin, which she lacked. However, because as Pius XII also said, she was "always sharing His lot," for this reason, likeness to Him, it seems much more probable that she did die.

Friday 8 August 2008

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year

(9/8/2008)
Jesus walk on the water
The theme of today’s gospel is about our trust in the Lord who cares for us. Both Jesus and Peter walk on the water, but Peter begins to sink when he becomes aware of threatening waves. Jesus walks on the water and invites Peter to come to him. But then Peter was afraid and began to sink. At first Peter was confidence to move from the boat and coming to Jesus walking on the water but he was threaten by the waves so he was afraid. Jesus said to him, 'you man of little faith. Why did you doubt?' Peter was saved by Jesus at the moment he cried out for help.

The message of today is about trusting God. Faith is needed as we journey across the water of our life. Faith in Christ is real and deep means trusting God all the way. It’s like giving up all human resources and putting one’s life and future entirely in God’s hands. We may never lose sight of the fact that the one in whom we place our trust is the Lord who loves and cares for us as only God can love and care.

A boat riding the stormy waves is the image of the Church riding the stormy waves of history. The Church is the people of God. We are the Church and we are constantly being threatened by every possible influence, good and bad, in every age. From the beginning the Church experienced all kind of difficult situation. What about us? In our personal journey of faith, there are times when we experience walking on the water. There is a moment when we feel confidence of our faith. After receiving the sacrament of baptism for example, we feel like walking on water with Jesus. The moment of weeding or the blessing of marriage for instance, you may feel the warmest love from each other. But when honeymoon is over thing began to change. There are times when we come across the water on the of temptations, sorrows, difficult decisions, infidelity of our promise as marriage life and all these difficult circumstances is just like walking across the trouble water. For this we need to walk on faith. We need to leave the boat of our selfishness, the boat of our old life and start walking towards Jesus again.

Recall the details of today’s gospel. Jesus has not abandoned his ship. He’s simply been up on the mountain praying for his flock and today he is walking on the waves, coming to the ship. Get hold of yourselves! It is I. Do not be afraid! In other words, trust in me and in my promises that I will be with you till the end of time.
There are times in our lives when the waves of misfortune, sickness, family tragedy, seem about engulf us. There are times when our Christian faith is deeply tried and we feel like giving up in despair. Then it is that Jesus, who loves us more than we will ever know, says to us: Why are you faltering? I am with you always. Do not be afraid. Then it is time for an act of faith and trust, raising from the depths of our hearts: I hope in the Lord, I trust in his word (Alleluia verse)

The first reading reminds us to listen to God who is present every moment. Elijah hears the Lord’s voice, not in any of nature spectacular manifestations but in a tiny, whispering sound.
There was a story of a sea captain. He is an old captain in his retirement. One day he decided to take one day trip to one of the Island. On one day trip the boat was full of young people. These laughed at the old captain when they say him saying a prayer before setting out, for the day was fine and the sea calm. But when out at the sea a storm suddenly blew up, and the boat began to rock n roll violently, the terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him in prayer. But he replied: ‘ I say my prayers when it’s calm. When it’s rough, I attend to my ship’. There is a lesson here for us. If we cannot or will not seek God in the quiet moments of our lives, we are likely to find him when trouble strikes. We are more likely to panic. But if we have learnt to seek him and trust him in the quiets moments, then most certainly we will find him when the going gets rough.

And finally the second reading, st Paul tells us that he would risk any calamity for the sake of his own people. For those of us who are strong we need to help one another. Perhaps there are people around us who need our hand. We need to be the hand of Jesus for one another. As we come to Jesus in the Eucharist, let us humbly as him to increase our faith and hope that we may become stronger than ever to face and to cross the 'trouble water' of life.

Sunday 3 August 2008

A pilgrimage to St. Anne Penang, Malaysia

Half of million of people visited Bukit Mertajam, St. Anne during the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne recently. In our trip we had about 300 participant from the land below the wind, Sabah East Malaysia.

Pictured by: Hilary Majanggon of Penampang Sabah

Friday 1 August 2008

They All Ate and Were Satisfied

Gospel Commentary for 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time(August 3)
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

ROME, JULY 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).- One day Jesus was on his way to a solitary place along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Gospel of Matthew tells the story: “But when he disembarked he found that a large crowd was waiting for him. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick."When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, ‘This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.’"Jesus said to them, ‘There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.’ But they said to him, ‘Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.’"Then he said, ‘Bring them here to me,’ and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds."They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over -- twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.”It was the most joyous picnic in the history of the world!What does this Gospel tell us? First, that Jesus was worried and “his heart was moved with pity” for the whole man, body and soul. He distributes the word to the soul, and to the body he offers healing and food. You will say: So why doesn’t he still do that today? Why doesn’t he multiply bread for the many millions who are starving on the earth?

There is a detail in this Gospel that can help us to find the answer to these questions. Jesus does not snap his fingers and bread and fish appear magically at will. He asked his disciples what they had; he invited them to share what they had: five loaves of bread and two fish.Jesus does the same today. He asks us to share the resources of the earth. It is well known, at least in regard to food, that our earth would be able to support more than a billion more people than presently inhabit the earth.So how can we accuse God of not furnishing enough bread for everyone when every year we destroy millions of tons of food supplies -- which we say we have “too much” of -- so as to prevent food prices from falling? What is the solution?

Better distribution, greater solidarity and more sharing.I know, it’s not that easy. There is the mania for weapons, there are irresponsible government leaders who keep many people hungry. But part of the responsibility is on the shoulders of the rich countries. We are that anonymous person -- a boy, according to one of the evangelists -- who has five loaves of bread and two fish; it is only that we hold onto them and are careful with them lest they be shared with everyone.Because of the way in which it is described -- “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples" -- the multiplication of the loaves and fish has always made us think of the multiplication of that other bread, which is the body of Christ.

For this reason the most antique representations of the Eucharist are of a basket containing loaves of bread and, on the sides, two fish, like the mosaic discovered in Tabga in Palestine, in the church erected on the site of the multiplication of the loaves, or in the famous fresco in the catacombs of Priscilla.At bottom, even that which we are doing in this moment with this commentary is a multiplication of loaves -- the loaves of bread of the word of God. I have broken open the bread of the word and the Internet has multiplied my words -- but many more than 5,000 men, even this time, have eaten and are satisfied.

There remains this task: “picking up the fragments left over,” and bringing them also to those who did not participate in the banquet. We must be “repeaters” and witnesses of the message.[Translation by ZENIT]