“Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
Inherit the reign of God prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you gave me clothing,
I was sick and you took care of me,
I was in prison and you visited me.”
Matt. 25:34-36
Fence Prayer: Feed the Hungry
The World’s hunger has many faces. Just to name a few:
- To be loved; to be honored; to be one’s unique self.
- Perhaps to be allowed to struggle and not be fixed.
- To be safe; to be treated with dignity, to be able to speak and be heard.
- To be welcomed as a stranger or friend into a community.
- Most basic, to have enough food, water, clothing, shelter, and healthcare for one ‘s family and oneself.
- More specifically, for Palestinians and the refugees created by our war machine, a safe and uninterrupted night’s sleep without the sound of overhead drones or explosions.
Our Fence Prayer, “Feed the Hungry,” refers to all these hungers; those resulting from the infliction of unjust deprivations, and those divinely placed in our human hearts. For so many people around the world, their hunger for justice moves them toward engaging in the dangerous work for peace, of feeding the many hungers, sacrificing in the chosen cost of discipleship. “Feed the Hungry” is a call from within human hearts broken by the suffering of others.
“Jesus said to Peter, ‘When you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt round you and take you where you do not wish to go.’” (John 21:18)
God’s hounding of us pushes us to realize the reign of God is where the poor are cared for, the naked are clothed, the hungry are fed, wars are stopped, water is free and safe, land and shelter belong to all, and differences are welcomed. Let us create a welcome for those near and far whose physical flourishing is our concern. Let us pray for a hunger “that we live no longer for ourselves but for Jesus Who died and rose again for us, and sent the Holy Spirit . . . as the first fruit for those who believe….” (Eucharistic Prayer IV)
Jennifer Corbett, osf
L to R: Sister Marlys Jax, Sister Ramona Miller, Cojourner Jean Rynda, Julian Rynda, Cojourners Mike Burns, Sally Burns, Terri Sanneman and Sister Jennifer Corbett
