I have a very acute memory of an encounter that some teens had with some European Bloc youth at the World Youth Day in Toronto of 2002. I am assuming they were Polish since the majority of the youth that were there from that section of the world were Poles. They loved Pope John Paul II and it was apparent in the way that they had stayed up the night before singing and dancing, waving the flags of their homeland.
Despite the fact that we considered ourselves a tough group (we were "roughing it" in one of the local schools rather than staying in a hotel) we had hit our breaking point. We had risen early the day before in order to make the 7 mile hike to the place where the Papal Mass would be held.
During the course of the hike, several students had to stop, three had heat stroke, we arrived to find that dinner and lunch were no where to be found and clouds were gathering overhead. Since the group was mostly high school teenagers, the lack of food for two meals spelled a certain amount of agony for them.
The night had been spent trying to keep dry and scavenging for snacks among the people that we had camped around. The rain had started to come down and fortunately for us, one of our group happened to bring some tarps so we were able to keep somewhat dry.
The next morning, breakfast was being handed out and a few of our guys took our tickets in order to get food. As they stood in line, they continuously talked about how they were "starving."
Starving.
We through that word off so casually today.
The two young men from Europe behind them simply smiled and said, "You have no idea what starving is."
It's true. We say that we are "starving for a burger" or that we are "starving for dinner." To be in a state of starvation is quite a different thing. It is no wonder that fasting is so unpopular today in the United States.
In Scripture, Noah is a man that hungered and thirsted for righteousness and Jesus points out that we need to do the same. What does that mean? What does the term "righteousness" mean?
It certainly means that we have to pursue our own personal righteousness, that we should desire nothing less than the best for ourselves, to the point where we should actually desire it like hunger.
Do we thirst for righteousness in others?
Do we desire righteousness for the world in such a way that if there was a buffet of righteousness in front of us we would devour it? If we had the opportunity to be sanctified, renewed, forgiven of our sins, would we devour it?
We are offered the opportunity every Sunday but I don't think it is outside the lines to say that one is hardly treated to being "hungry" for righteousness if our Liturgical celebrations are observed. I certainly don't approach the Sunday Mass as if I am "hungry and thirsty" for the Grace of God.
But we must be.
We cannot be anything else if we are to desire sainthood.
It needs to be what sustains us, what fills us, what keeps us going. Without it, we should actually feel that we are starving.
When you see the lack of forgiveness, the lack of sanctification in the world, do you think of how hungry the world must be for God or do you think that perhaps God had the right solution around the time of Noah? To just wipe everyone out?
How much will our perception of the world change when we start to recognize that those around us are not so much looking for something against God, but that they are looking for God himself. They are looking for His food. They are looking for His Grace.
Our world is malnourished for we do not realize that we are starving for the righteousness of God.
Questions for Reflection:
- What are some things that you are "starving for" in your own life? Free time? Affection? Accolades?
- What do you see the world starving for? Why? What do you see as the solution?
- How is it that we can desire so many things that are not God and ignore the desire for God that is within us? What are we missing out on?
- What is your favorite thing to do? Eat? What would happen if that was taken away from you for six months? A year? Now ask the same question about your Faith. Is there the same reaction?
- As Catholics, there is the teaching that we cannot receive the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin (deliberate sin in the face of our knowledge of what is right and wrong). How does that fit into the attitude of hungering and thirsting for God? How does sin actually starve us?
- Choose the thing that you most like to do, the thing that you most like to eat. Stay away from them for a day. Notice the desire that is in you for those things as you fast from them. Do you find that same desire for God when you don't pray for a day?
- Every time you take a drink or eat, remind yourself that the Grace of God is that "living water" and "the bread come down from Heaven." Say Grace and ask God to give you the desire for Him above all.
- Go without food by skipping a meal. Most likely, what will happen is that you will start to be drawn to junk food or other foods that are not good for you just to fill the hunger. What does this tell you about your spiritual life?
- Take the opportunity this week to fill someone's physical hunger. Be it at a homeless shelter or by donating some food to a food pantry.
- Remove one obstacle to righteousness in your own life this week in a permanent way. Perhaps it is an activity that you need to get rid of. Maybe it is a relationship that needs to end for your own health. Maybe it is an addiction that you need to start taking concrete steps to get under control.
Pray the Lectio Divina at some point in the day.
Psalm 51:12 (pray in the morning)
Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
O My Jesus (pray at noon)
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.
Divine Praises (pray in the evening)
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
