Bread for a Hunger-free World - July 28, 2024, XVII Sunday of the Year

I make these reflections with an FAO report (SOFI - State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World*) dated July 24 indicating India being the house to the largest under-nourished population. 194.6 million people. Under-nourishment means habitual food intake inadequate to supply energy needs for leading a normal active life. It is indicative of hunger. 

Is it possible that there will be no one going to sleep hungry? Is such a world possible?

Today, the first reading (2 Kings 4:42-44) presents to us Prophet Elisha, feeding over 100 people with the 20 loaves offered to him by a devotee.

The willingness to share and spare leads to ‘enough for all’.

The 193 world nations have agreed upon 17 goals of development with target 2030 and the second in the list is NO HUNGER, indicating the global resolve to ensure that no one is forced to go hungry to sleep.

The Psalmist assures us that God provides for the needs of all people, all creatures (Ps 145). It is that divine spirit in humans that can make it possible for human beings to have a hunger-free world.

In the letter to Ephesians (4:13), St. Paul reminds us of the call to 'bear with one another' as we are all one family in Christ. Not just bearing with, but bearing one another's burdens, and caring for one another, as when any one is deprived we are deprived as one family of God. 

Jn 6:1-15 Multiplication of the Bread

We understand that St. John had done his narration of the good news of Jesus, last in the order of the gospels, with several years of reflection and preaching having taken place by then. Hence, when St. John narrates it is not a mere narration of an incident or teaching, but with definitive Christian reflection behind it.

 

This miracle is happening against the background of the feast of Passover – commemorating the redemptive act of God, from the slavery and want of Egypt, to the possession of free promised land of abundance. When John presents this miracle of the multiplication of earthly food to thousands, there is a reminder of God’s provision of ‘enough for everyone’ – neither more nor less – of food in the forty years of their march to the promised land. There is also an indication towards the Passover of Jesus and the future spiritual food of Eucharist offered in abundance for all for the forgiveness of sins.

 

However, I would like that we dwell on some very earthy dimensions of Christian spirituality in this connection today. This very impressive miracle of feeding a large crowd of about half a dozen thousand people – assuming there were women amounting to at least one-fifth of the men present. The Lord Jesus shows a realistic approach to human concerns – the so-called basics of food, water and shelter (now we add Education and labour with dignity), while we take for granted air and earth.

 

This concern of Jesus for human needs is reflected in the prayer he taught us, where he places God as the Father providing for the needs of the family of creation. Bread is not merely indicative of food to sustain the body, but is also a symbol of human needs for psychological, spiritual and social support.

Let us look at this beautiful miracle narrative to draw inspirations for our Christian life:

1.   The Lord’s concern for the basic needs of the people. Nobody has demanded food from him.  They were following him enamoured by his healing powers, and perhaps also by his person and teachings. However, he shows his concern for the well-being of his followers, and remembers that they would need nourishment for their body. A similar concern is expressed when he heals the girl thought to be dead: ‘give her something to eat’. 

This implies a call to all of us Christians not to wait to be invited or demanded to reach out in help to those in need – having an eye for the needs of others around or even beyond us.

As disciples of Christ, let us have this concern for the people around us. Can a Christian community be at ease when there are people in their neighbourhood having no food, clothing and shelter? Yes, we used to do much in this regard, and still do. (I hear that there are over 800 soup kitchens and food pantries run by ‘Food Bank for New York City’ and ‘City Harvest’ reaching out to over a million o But can we put on Jesus’ mind and ensure that there is no hungry person around in the geographical limits of a Catholic parish?

This is an excellent area for dialogue and Christian unity, where all Christians churches in an area can collectively address this issue; and perhaps even reach out beyond.

2.   Jesus elicits participation and involvement. He invites ideas from his disciples – some of them are negative, some are positive. We find Andrew, unsure, still hoping that Jesus will find some possibilities in the five barley loaves and two fish.  And Jesus proves that hoping in him will not be in vain.  Let that be our model of trust – that our modest efforts can make a change with the Lord with us – as St. Paul would insist: I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).

3.   Jesus goes about his acts – his works of goodness -  blessing God – He knows that all that we have, even our limitations and limited resources, are gifts from God, to whom we ought to turn in gratefulness. Gratefulness for the gift of life, and gifts in life, especially food. This had been a Christian tradition, which appears to be gradually disappearing. The Holy Father, in his encyclical LS (227) mentions the significance of such symbolic actions as ways of sustaining the fundamental disposition one ought to have with God – of gratitude for the daily blessings – food on our platter, and several other things we take for granted – water to drink and wash and cook, air to breathe, the soil that nourishes and supports our lives. Let us reinforce that good Christian practice of saying grace before our meals, besides cultivating the attitude of gratitude for the blessings we don’t count.

4.   It is with that small contribution of an unidentifiable young man that Jesus could satisfy the thousands. This is significant – that our modest contributions can go a long way in fulfilling the needs of millions.  This is already happening today – however, this does not suffice. If Bill Gates could dream of a computer on every desk in every home and realise that target by more than 50% in less than 3 decades; how much more can be realized if the Christian community works together to dream that no one sleeps hungry in the world. The miracle of feeding the whole world is surely possible today, provided we are willing to share our barley loaves – nay spare what we do not need, or what we waste

5.   This leads to a significant area of ‘avoiding waste’ and sparing the resources.  Jesus sets an example with another symbolic act of 12 basketfuls of leftover saved indicating the abundance of the good news to be produced by each of his disciples. To a more earthy concern: the Holy Father teaches that "Whenever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor." Not that we have to overeat lest we waste, but rather we determine our needs, and use food and other resources – it can also be water, paper, tissues, packaging, clothes, footwear, energy or any other matter of consumption.  A 21st-century Christian virtue is not being wasteful and not generating waste – rather, making an effort to moderate our consumption based on our need, rather than our greed.

6.   And finally, Jesus’ clarity regarding his mission – establishing the kingdom of God. St Paul would say: Kingdom of God is not in eating and drinking, but in justice, peace and joy in the holy spirit.  But definitely, justice and peace imply that the basic needs of all are met.  For politicians of several nations, including India, the provision of free food for the hungry is an easy route to secure vote banks. India's NITI Ayog report of 2023-24 claims that 99% of the eligible beneficiaries are covered under the Food Security Act of 2013 through schemes like antyodaya anna yojana*.  

As far as Christian spirituality is concerned, the establishment of God's reign demands a new turn in life style of Christians - a lifestyle which cares for the way in which live – we cannot say: ‘our lifestyle cannot be compromised’.  It has to be, so that the world can have enough.

7.  A very positive step in this regard had been the encyclical Laudato Si of the Holy Father as a prelude to the Paris Agreement which decided upon 17 goals for the sustainability of life on the planet.  His follow-up letter 10 years later, Laudate Deum, regrets that our Christian community the world around is yet to tune our spirituality requiring a paradigm shift in conceiving our needs and the call for justice to people across the globe and for the generations to come.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, who takes care of our daily needs, we thank you for all your gifts. Lord Jesus, the bread of life who promised life in abundance we thank you for your message that the good news also implies that human beings and all creatures have enough to live their life with dignity they deserve. Lord, open our eyes to the possibilities of reducing our wastefulness, wants and wantonness, and of reaching out to others in need – that we are able to replicate your miracle of abundance through sharing, and become missionaries after the heart of the early Christians who dared to share everything in common.  Amen. 

*<https://thewire.in/health/undernourished-highest-global-india-un-report> July 27, 2024

Adieu Dearly Beloved Fr Joseph Pulloppilly CMI

Oh my God! Dearly beloved Fr Pulloppilly is no more! It was on  June 20th that I met him last. Offered him a Dasheri mango - daal ka pakka - from our garden in Sitapur, UP, which he refused saying that his sugar levels would not permit him to use that.  He had been my confessor for the past 28 years, and for the many hundreds, who approached him, and to whom, in spite of his ill health, he willingly ministered.  

Fr Pulloppilly was already a familiar figure for me while I was still in primary school with my elder brother, a Rajagiri student, sharing the school news at home or with me.  I knew most of the teachers through him - the headmaster Mr Manjooran, the Malayalam teacher Mr John, the Hindi teacher Mr Krishnan, the Catechism/moral science teacher Fr Jesudas, the Physical Education teacher Mr Xavier,  the biology teachers Fr Silas and Fr Pulloppilly and the headmaster(s) Fr Gregory and Fr Aaron.  

But I directly came into contact with him as a member of the Catholic organisation, KCSL - during its camps and student meets, where invariably Fr Pulloppilly accompanied the Rajagiri team. I could sense his enthusiasm and zeal. Some of my contemporaries from Rajagiri school still recall the lines of KCSL anthem - KCSL jayikka KCSL ... which he taught all of them, whether they belonged to the Catholic fold or otherwise. When we were in VIII or IX grade, he was invited to preach the annual retreat for the Catholic students of Sacred Heart High School. Perhaps, that was the first healthy introduction to human sexuality for any of us. (I am afraid, even now, this education is missing).  

Once I joined the CMIs as an aspirant and stayed on the same campus as he was for a few days, I tried to tap on my familiarity with him, and get a cross or some other charismatic pendant for pinning up on my shirt. But it was not as easy as I thought that he would be able to provide for me.  However, he did find something - perhaps, a 'PRAISE THE LORD' brooch or so, and I sensed that he had to really take some pains to get that for me.  Perhaps, that was the last time, I had a desire to have any such exhibits on me and asked for something of that sort from someone.  I did make use of it for some time.  Then, perhaps, I lost it. 

My next encounter with him was after my being assigned to the Provincial house, either for a period of one year regency, or as a deacon or a freshly ordained priest. Anyhow, I sensed that while he was his old zealous self, he was not generally very much accepted by the rest of the community members.  Perhaps, he was too zealous that the rest who could not match up to his mould of idealism could not gel with him. Or he could not be in tune with the rest of the Rajagiri campus company. At the school, he taught Biology and guided the KCSL unit. He tried to circulate the pictorial Christian education magazine by the Jesuits from Kottayam - Snehasena (later, Soldiers of Love in English) - among the students. He deployed 'slogans of Christian values' for value education and motivating the students - the students still remember his slogans. I think 'kodukku ninakku nalkappedum' (Give and it will be given to you) - a gospel song in that mould was either his creation or he helped it to gain currency. 

I think the students called him endearingly as Fr Pullo. He knew most of his students personally. Last year, while riding to Aluva to meet him, a car stopped by my bike and Anil, Rajagirian of my age, stopped by to say hello. When I said that I was going to meet Fr Pulloppilly, he asked me to convey his regards. And when I did that Fr Pulloppilly could recall him and his brother, who were his students in the 1970s.  As a good Zoology teacher, he tried to familiarise the students with life. Some of the boarders recall him giving them 'guppy' fish to grow. 

While remaining a full-time teacher at Rajagiri, he went about reaching out to the poor, trying to spread the good news in his own way - especially by printing leaflets with useful Christian doctrine and prayers, and distributing the same among those who came in touch with him.  While normally the religious men engaged themselves in some workout or manual labour, and found some half to one hour in a day in some recreational activities, games etc. for Fr Pulloppilly, it was always about reaching out to people in conventional pastoral ministry, home visits, helping the poor or spreading the good news through his leaflets.  I think, for that,  either he spent the meagre amount he received in pastoral ministry or some people of goodwill did help him with the printing charges, which he could not otherwise have managed. 

I am afraid that the CMI congregation which is usually generous with promoting individuals and their talents and qualifications, could not do justice to Fr Pulloppillil. He had joined the order after completing intermediate, and after completing philosophy training at Bangalore, he joined for B Sc Zoology at Sacred Heart College.  In spite of having scored well, and winning the gold medal (1963), he was not permitted to go for higher studies. He got himself qualified as a teacher with a B. Ed degree from St. Joseph's College, Mannanam. Despite his several years of experience as a teacher, he was not found to be a headmaster/principal material for the prestigious Rajagiri school; and by the time the CMIs of Kochi province launched other schools, he was already relieved of duties related to a typical education ministry. Perhaps he was a loner and was travelling the less-travelled path, and while all the required health support was given to him by the congregation, and while all appreciated the great ministry he was doing, I sensed that there was a general apathy prevailing against him. 

I think when he attained the age of 55 (?), the Kerala government prescribed age for retirement, he was relieved of his service at Rajagiri School.  Though I did not understand the entire dynamics of the decision, I sensed that the provision was aptly utilised to remove an inconvenience from the scene.  I felt that he could not accept that decision happily, though apparently he did not revolt. I am afraid that decision did affect him adversely and led him, perhaps gradually, into a state of depression.  However, that did not deter him from carrying on the ministry he was at home with - that of ministering to the Catholic faithful - especially, hearing confession. 

As his depression-related status aggravated, his mobility became restricted and so too his ministry.  Yet that did not prevent him from being available at Aluva monastery for the great ministry of the sacrament of reconciliation. 

He lived a spartan life - his dress was always simple, and generally, only the prescribed religious habit - the traditional one and the modern one. I think he has never travelled abroad.  Perhaps, he has never had an occasion to fly. He is hardly found in any photograph*. I tried to find a picture of his younger days, hardly anyone has any such pictures.  Perhaps, he did have a collection. He never tried to migrate to the WhatsApp Facebook age. Yes, he did use a mobile phone.  I have never seen him using any vehicle other than public transport  - no bicycle, no motorbike, scooter or car.  Yes, when someone sent a car for his transport he would not refuse, and as he grew older and his health conditions deteriorated, he had to rely on the house vehicle for his very limited mobility.  It is my impression that  if he ever gathered anything it was meant to be for his ministry of the gospel or to support some poor person, 

I recall a year when, while still young,  he lost both his parents in quick succession - they had lived long. He took that in the right spirit.  Not long afterwards, he lost his elder brother, who was still a young person with a family to take care of. I came to know that it was a major blow for him. 

His prolonged priestly ministry of over 50 years, I think, was based in two centres - Kalamassery and Aluva. When the former undivided Sacred Heart province was divided into four provinces, and when the members were given the option to make their choices, most of them chose the province where their native place was.  Fr Pulloppilly, though from the Muvattupuzha region, chose the Kochi region, with which he had been associating for more than three decades of his ministry. I gather from my confreres that he also served as the vocation promoter for the province and there are several CMIs who chose to be CMIs thanks to his efforts. 

I thank God for his long life and untiring ministry in spite of his adverse physical and mental conditions. I am glad that Fr Pulloppilly was an illustrious student of his batch at Sacred Heart.  I admire his simplicity and unwavering faith in the face of great despair and depression.  I feel blessed to have had him as a confessor for the 3 decades of my life as an ordained minister in the Catholic church. While in faith, we submit our sins to God through an ordained minister - young or old.  However, having a senior priest for this ministry, I deem a great blessing - but while I myself grow to be a senior, and those senior to me disappear from the scene, there is emptiness! May the Lord who had compassion on the crowd form us into shepherds after his heart! 

I look forward to seeing Fr Joseph Pulloppilly with the honours of the altar - for trying to live his faith, in spite of the odds in his life - with great simplicity and fidelity - not having led or built big institutions or parishes, never having had an opportunity to exercise leadership ministry in the congregation, not having been a popular speaker, but always and consistently being available as a shepherd, and enduring dark nights of physical and mental agonies! 

May the good Shepherd lead him to his evergreen pastures, spread his feast before him, and anoint him with his oil of sanctity. May the beloved Fr Pulloppilly dwell in the Lord's house and may his cup overflow with joy that shall not be taken away! 

*Rajagiri PTA 1981. From Fr Kariamadam's collection. 

Post Script

Shared by one of his colleagues: 

Fr. Pullo was simple and naive thru and thru. A few of my memories may be interesting.

Besides selling religious articles in class rooms he used to take up collections to help the poor! 

He was not happy when the Headmaster insisted on maintaining discipline in the class: One day half in jest and half in earnest, he knelt down before the HM and said, " You treat me like a fly/ഈച്ച!"  

Looking at the beautiful lawn in front of the Provincial house he said once, "I wish I was treated like a blade of grass in Rajagiri."  Rajagiriയിലെ ഒരു പുല്ലായി ജനിച്ചിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ!  

By one of his students: 

He taught us biology from higher standards and always had a very very soft corner for me and my twin brother. Never used to cane us. All students in school knew that we both were his pets. We used to butter him and everyone knew that too.

Very sad that we lost such a cherubic person that he was, then. 

He zealously promoted and sold Soldiers of God, Sneha Sena and Kuttikaluday Deepika DAILY before EVERY class of his, and myself and my brother used to buy one of them every time he started the class to avoid being asked questions and getting caned by him with a small cane. He never used to punish me and my brother and was always partial and favourite of me and my twin... He always had a small cane and gave us only small small cuts to others.