GIVE
THEM SOME FOOD YOURSELVES
[Mt.14:16;
Mk.6:36, Lk.9:13]
LENTEN
PASTORAL
By
Most Rev. Dr. V. A. Chikwe
(Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese)
ASH WEDNESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2002
INTRODUCTION
1.
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd”,
Jesus tells his disciples, “for they have been with
me now for three days and have nothing to eat.”(Mk.8:2).
This introduces the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand
(Mk. 8: 1-10). It is important that the Lord himself gives
the reason for the necessity of giving food to those whom
he had fed with the word of God. He tells the disciples.
“If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will
collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great
distance.” (Mk.8:3)
2.
Some commentators believe that the miracle of the multiplication
of the loves, for the feeding of the four thousand (Mt.
15:32-41; Mk.8: 1-10), is a repetition of the miracle of
the feeding of the five thousand (Mt. 14: 13 –21;
Mk.6:34-41). It is in the combined and careful reading of
both that we get the full meaning of the message the Lord
has left us in his command to the disciples: “Give
them some food yourselves.” (Mt.14: 16; Mk. 6:36;
Lk. 9:13). This command is at the heart of my Lenten pastoral
message to you, my dear and beloved people of God in Ahiara
diocese, this year.
PART
I: FEEDING THE PEOPLE
3.
The miracle of feeding the five thousands people is recorded
in the four gospels. In the Synoptic gospels it is the disciples
who, out of pity for the people take the initiative concerning
their feeding (Mt.14:15; Mk.6:36; Lk.9:12). They were desirous
that the people have something to eat. They did not have
the means and so they wanted the people to go away from
the Lord because of hunger, to look for food. Their request
was explicit. “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.’”(Mt.14:15-16;
Mk:6:35-37; Lk.9: 12-13)
4.
We are, today, faced with the same situation in Ahiara diocese.
Will Mbaise people go away from the Lord in search of food
and because of hunger? We say no! Can the preaching of the
gospel and the provision of food go together as the Lord
did and taught his disciples in the occasion of the multiplication
of loaves? We answer, yes! And I repeat: “There is
no need for them to go away.”(Mt. 14:16)
5.
One of the things very clear from the accounts of the multiplication
of loaves is that both Jesus and the disciples had compassion
for the crowd. The disciples had compassion for the people
but they did not know what to do and they hadn’t the
means. But Jesus had compassion for the people, knew what
to do and had the means to do it. He, in practice, taught
the disciples what to do. Here we are faced with putting
our good intentions into good action, and with finding the
appropriate means to realize those good intentions.
6.
There are other factors involved: the availability of the
funds, the availability of the food, and the locality of
its production and purchase. For instance when Jesus told
the disciples to give food to the crowds, they were frightened
and asked: “Are we to buy two hundred days’
wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?”(Mk:
6:37). Their concern here appears more to be the amount
of money to spend. Implied here is that they had it and
even knew where to buy the food and that the food was available.
But they were hesitant to part with the money.
7.
In Lk.9:13 the willingness of the disciples to buy food
for the people is clear. In Mk. 8:4, the disciples were
overwhelmed by the prospect and asked the Lord: “Where
can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this
deserted place?” One gets the impression here that
the disciples are implying that there is no need to try
to provide for the people because they are so many. But
in the Gospel of St. John it is Jesus who asked Philip:
“‘where can we buy enough food for them to eat?’
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he
was going to do” (Jn. 6: 5-6).
8.
The four gospels are all agreed on the mutual concern of
Jesus and his disciples for both the spiritual and material
welfare of the people. This concern, in itself, is a big
lesson for us today. The lesson is that we must not separate
one from the other. The message of the multiplication of
the loaves and its importance accounts for why this particular
miracle is recorded by the four evangelists and even repeated
by St. Matthew and St. Mark. (Mt.14:13-21, 15:32-39; Mk.6:
34-44,8:1-10)
PART
II: WORD OF GOD AND THE FOOD OF LIFE
9.
Jesus saw that the people “were like sheep without
a shepherd and he began to teach them many things”
Mk.6:34). He healed them of their physical ailment, cured
them of their ignorance and he fed them. It was after teaching
them, that is, after giving them the word of God, that he
fed them. Here we have the legacy from the Lord that our
pastoral care should be for both the body and soul. It should
not be a divided apostolate!
10.
Some biblical commentaries rightly insist that this miracle
points to the Eucharist and makes the children of God everywhere
to remember how God fed the Israelites in the desert. The
story of the Manna that God used to fed the Israelites in
the desert is well known (Ex.16). Well known also is that
it came after they had murmured against God and Moses. So
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will now rain
down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are
to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test
them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not’”(Ex.
16:4).
TRUST
IN GOD
11. Jesus taught us the importance of dependence on God
(Mt. 6:25-34). We are yet to fully understand Jesus’
instruction to us that we should “…not be anxious
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”(Mt.6:34).
I must point out that the multiplication of loaves took
place in a deserted place. The lesson is very clear. The
same God Who fed his people in the desert where they could
neither sow nor reap, still feeds them everywhere today,
even in “a deserted place”. But the difference
is that in the New Testament, He would not wait until they
grumble. He goes out to take care of them even when they
are not aware of it, and perhaps, not expecting it.
12.
But one characteristic of the Old Testament people that
persists with the people of the New Testament is greed.
Moses explicitly told them in the desert not to gather more
Manna than was needed in a day, but greed would not allow
them. The excess they gathered and left over got rotten
(EX.16:19-20). Christ would not lead the New People into
temptation. He made each person sit down in an orderly manner
and He gave each what he needed. Christ even asked the disciples
to gather the fragments for safe keeping so that nothing
would be wasted.
13.
In the collection of what was left over was, in part, to
teach us that no matter the quantity of the food, we could
have our fill and still have much left over, provided we
are not greedy and share it orderly. But human anxiety often
makes us to forget the very thing Jesus taught his disciples
and teaches us - trust in God.
14.
Lack of this trust often separates us from God and introduces
anxiety that separates us from our neighbours. Do we not,
at every Holy Mass, ask the Lord to “protect us from
all anxiety”? Christ gave us the cure for anxiety
in the examples of the flowers of the fields and birds of
the air that our heavenly father clothes and feeds (Mt.6:25-34).
In it He gave us the reasons for the necessity of trusting
in God. My dear people trust in God! Worry can kill faster
than hunger, trusting in God gives life!
PART III: FOLLOWING
THE LORD’S COMMAND
15.
The Lord commissioned his apostles to preach, baptize and
teach the nations to observe all that he commanded them.
“Give them some food yourselves”, is certainly
one of the things he commanded them. Christ is addressing
and commanding us today to give our less fortunate brothers
and sisters, the widows and orphans among us food to eat.
16.
Trusting in God and following the example of the Lord, therefore,
we can’t but use our resources - our land, or goodwill,
our expertise, our personnel, our money, our friends etc.,
to feed our people. Christ fed people with and through the
resources they had. The five loaves He used were in the
community. The willingness of those who had them to give
them up for the good of the community is a lesson for us.
Therefore the goodwill and the willingness to help others
are of utmost importance. And I believe we have them in
Ahiara diocese.
AN
IDEA NURSED FROM THE BEGINNING
17. Since I began the work of the Chief Shepherd of Ahiara
diocese, fourteen years ago, it has been uppermost in my
mind to undertake an agricultural project, as a diocesan
food apostolate for the production of food, especially for
the poor among us. It is a desire to participate more actively
in the apostolate of the “multiplication of loaves”.
It was the desire to develop this apostolate that motivated
me to pay a visit to Fr. Nzeamujo in Porto Novo in 1999,
in the quest of realizing this particular aspect of my plans
and projects for Ahiara diocese in the new millennium.
18.
This is because, as we all know very well, and have learned
for the Lord himself, the Church is mindful of feeding the
faithful both in soul, mind, and body. If we delay or do
not always engage in this at the same time and in the same
degree, it is because of human constraints. But the truth
is that at no point does the Church, nor do we forget or
abandon our people, particularly the poor.
19.
You have, with the help of God, been excellent in bearing
your part of the burden of building this diocese. What we,
together, have since accomplished is nothing but miracle.
You took to heart the message of my first Lent pastoral
that we build this diocese together with correct notion
of the Church. We have walked, worked and prayed together
in harmony in the image of shepherd and sheep I presented
you then. That image remains our model.
PART IV: MATER FARM PROJECT
20.
Last year I ended my Lent pastoral by stressing our commitment
to human promotion, community building in love and faith
and the education of the young. I had in mind then our agricultural
pastoral programme, the food apostolate project I mentioned
above.
21.
Let me quote the passage to refresh your minds. I said:
“Some of you have enthusiastically expressed to me
their wish and hope that we would celebrate the 15th anniversary
of our diocese in the new Cathedral by the year 2003. My
immediate reply to such wishes is that “Our help is
in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
I welcome such wishes. I am praying for their realization.
Pray harder for them too. As we focus on the new Cathedral
project, we will not forget the projects of human promotion,
community building in love and faith, the education of the
young. We pray that the Good Lord will provide us with the
means to promote His Kingdom on earth as we march to meet
Him in heaven.”
WE
MUST LEARN FROM HISTORY
22. We may recall the successful programme of agriculture,
the farm settlements, the Honourable Dr. Michael Okpara,
of happy memory, initiated in the then Eastern Region of
Nigeria. Those who know can recall that enough food was
available. It is quite unfortunate that successive governments
have offered lips service to the farm programme.
23.
We know how much “land army” was helpful to
sustain the starving Biafrans during the Nigerian civil
war. But since after the war we have been familiar with
slogans such as: “Green Revolution”, “Operation
feed the nation”, ‘Food for all by 2000”,
etc. Yet we have seen neither green nor revolution. Operation
feed the nation became operation starve the poor. Food for
all by the year 2000 was followed by the year, 2001, that
the cost of garri was highest in the living memory and history
of our lives and nation.
24.
The inability to continue where others stopped was responsible
for the failure of some, for others, it was lack of proper
planning. Still for some others it was the political motive
to starve others so that hunger continues to be a permanent
weapon of the rich to dominate the poor. Greed certainly
was another factor added to the politics of food production
as electoral weapon for campaign. Very soon the sale of
fertilizer will become a business venture that has money
making than food production interests. We cannot say that
we, here in Ahiara diocese, are free from all these.
INITIATIVES:
ORIGIN AND PLANNING
25. The will to succeed in the programme of food apostolate
led me to visit Fr. Nzeamujo, O.P, in 1999. Because I know
that this apostolate falls directly within our diocesan
office of Justice and Peace, I took with me Msgr. Donald
Okoro and Fr. Justin Anaele. Again the need for a constructive
evaluation of the project, the prospects of its possible
failure demanded putting heads together. This paid off.
Our visit to Songhai Farm, in Benin Republic, run and managed
by Fr. Nzamujo, O.P. opened our eyes to the wonders of the
new ways of doing the miracle of the “multiplication
of loaves” in our age of mechanized agriculture. Not
only the people of Porto Novo, but also the international
community is a living witness to the success of the apostolate
of food.
26.
On coming back from that visit, we collected three grass
cutters, Nchi. They survived and have since increased and
multiplied to 20. This, for me, has been a big encouragement
and a sing of a greater success to come. Therefore, it has
not been difficult to come up with a five-year plan on three
phases: 1) animal husbandry to produce protein for our people;
2) agro-related crops plantation; 3) food processing, preserving
and distributing programmes.
IMPLEMENTATIONS
SO FAR
27. As in other things, thinking out and planning may not
be as difficult as implementation. That is where we are
now, implementation - at the stage of anaekwuekwu, anaememe.
Yes we have started. You all know that our policy in this
diocese is to put our faith into action, to practice what
we believe. This is what I mean here by anaekwuekwu anaememe.
The plan to acquire land has materialized. As I have made
clear in the Pastoral Council, with the help of some of
the Executives, the diocese has acquired three extensive
plots of lands. Therefore, I must, in the name of Ahiara
diocese thank, once again, the peoples of Ekwerazu Town
in Ahiara West Parish and of the Uvuru community in Uvuru
parish, for the land they have donated for Mater
Farm Project. I also thank those who made it possible
for the diocese to buy some property in Egberede Nguru for
this project, therefore, Anaekwuekwu, anaememe.
28.
I sent two dedicated priests, Fr. Roland Ugo and Fr.Augustine
Ibezimako, to Fr. Nzeamujo, O.P., in Porto Novo to undergo
not just a theoretical formation but on-the-sport learning
and experience. I thank them. They survived the hardships
and hazards involved with interesting experience. They have
come back with tales of enthusiasm and readiness to work.
I must also note that a good number of agricultural experts,
our own sons and daughters, have donated their talents and
services, waiting for deployment. I am, therefore, enthusiastically
looking forward to the taking off of the programme.
IN
UNITY AS ALWAYS
29. This project which was started in September of 1999
is developing progressively. Our unity in pursuing our common
goals has always been blessed by the Lord. He will also
bless this initiative. You know that our programmes of human
promotion have never lost sight of the unity of body and
soul. Let me just draw your attention to one recent example
in the area of health care delivery. Our hospital project
is going on, even if slowly, but it is going on. Our pharmacy
is doing its best to provide genuine drugs at cheap rates
to combat costly fake drugs.
30.
You may now see why, in my last year’s Lenten pastoral,
I made the connection between the word of God and the food
of life and connected them with your wish of our using our
cathedral for the fifteenth anniversary of our diocese.
I believe that the Lord will continue to increase the means
He has given us to promote His kingdom on earth.
31.
It was a source of personal grief for me, last year, when
garri began to sell, in some place, at three cups for N40.00.
Who could have believed that such a thing would have happened
in our time? Who thinks it may not happen again? Our wish
and prayer is that may it not happen again! But we cannot
fold our hands. Our agricultural project was not conceived
as a reaction to that event. But that event has made it
more urgent and makes its successful completion a pastoral
imperative.
GRATITUDE
FOR SUPPORT
32. I give thanks to God for the encouragement and support
I have always received from all of you, the good people
of Ahiara diocese. We work with one heart and mind and this
proves we are a people truly rooted in the Gospel Message.
Now we have another opportunity to prove it in obedience
to the Lord who asked his disciples then, and is commanding
us today, his disciples: to “give them some food yourselves”.
I thank all of you who have in one way or another given
your support to the building up of this diocese, the Church,
the body of Christ Our Lord, who lives and reigns among
us, forever and ever, Amen!
+
Most Rev. Dr. V. A. Chikwe,
Given at Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral
Ahiara diocese Mbaise, Nigeria.
Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2002.
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