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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