The Other Kind of Hunger-EMPTINESS

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 06 January 2013

The gospel of St. Luke tells us about the Beatitudes. Jesus address directly these beatitudes to his
disciples just chosen. << Blessed are you who are poor, blessed are you who are weeping now,
blessed are you who are hungry …..>>>( Lk 6:20-22).

HUNGER-A STRONG DESIRE FOR SOMETHING [Spiritual]
I’d like to treat to you the third beatitude. << Blessed are you who are hungry….!>> Hungry of
what? In the book of the prophet Amos, we read this expression: << The days are coming – declares
the Lord Yahweh. When I shall send a famine on the country and hunger for food, not thirst for
water, but famine from hearing Yahweh’s word. People will stagger…searching for Yahweh’s word
but will not find >> ( Am 8:11-12 ).

FAMINE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD
From those words of the prophet, we can see the reflections of our time. Our life, the life of our
brothers in times of famine where it seems that the Word of God is hidden. The negative episode
that we are living, indicate also a famine of God. The wrong choices, often we search in it the joy
which obviously cannot be found because we know that only God can satisfy our thirst and hunger
of happiness and joy. We are all hungry !

COMPASSION FOR THE HUNGRY
Not only but the Lord calls us to a further step: We are called to distribute that food that the Lord
wants to give us. It’s beautiful to note the episode of the multiplication of bread that we read in the
gospel of St. John chapter 6. Jesus looking to the crowd tired and hungry asked his disciples how to
feed such great number. He felt compassionate for those people but among them there was also a
boy who had his food for that day. Jesus asked to Philip: << What shall we do? “ Philip represent
the lack of faith: here it needs two hundred denarii of bread, but we don’t have, so all must go
home!”. But Jesus didn’t think that way. He took the bread and the fish and gave it to the crowd.
The figure of that boy has a significant. Jesus have had need that boy. Jesus asks our collaboration.
He asks us to have concern for the famine of our brothers, he asks us to become aware not only
when a brother lives along the boarder of his material necessity but also the one who has no faith,
the one who doesn’t know to give sense of one’s life and to the one who live without Jesus, because
only Him can give the full meaning of our existence.

In conclusion Jesus said: “ Keep your eyes open look out for the yeast of the Pharisees…..are
your minds closed and heart hardened?…….” ( Mk 8:15-21 ). In this passage of Mark’s gospel,
there are seven imminent questions worthy of only one answer: Thus, it must be understood that
Only One Bread can satisfy our hunger – Jesus Himself our Only Lord !

TRY TO THINK:
Am I sensible to the needs of my neighbor? Am I generous?
Am I satisfied with my spiritual hunger?