June 9, 2013
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Bless the land from sea to sea.
Bless the fields giving life to me.
Bless the earth beneath my feet.
Bless the food we have to eat.

... Bless the children.
Bless their future life.
Bless the earth,
The Womb of Life.

(From: Ordinary Time: the Green and Growing Season, Contemp. North American Prayer Book...WJF)

Today's scriptures feature two widows.

They are both bereft.
They are both poor.
They have both suffered great losses.

A secure life has been taken away from them in the loss of their sons.
Their loss is much greater than most widows losing a son in our day.

They had no social security.
They had no Medicare.
They had no Medicaid.
They had no food stamps.

THEIR SAFETY NET........?

Their sons were their safety net.

Government?

There was one which was cruel, indifferent, and totally uncaring about any widows.

Governments were for keeping order and making war.

Perhaps today's "small government advocates" would love such a system???

Right now in the U.S. Congress there are representatives who want to eliminate food stamps for the hungry poor so we can have "smaller, leaner government" and so we can spend billions for a wall around Mexico and make bigger bombs!  Sounds like the government in Jesus' day, does it not?

Is that what dedicated Catholic Christians want?

It us not what Pope Francis wants. On the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ he announced:

"Jesus fed the poor, and we have a human and Christian duty to feed the poor as well."

Here in Arizona we have poor people whose plight is similar to that of the widows in today's Scripture. Our governor has recognized their need for Medicaid benefits available from federal funds.

Our senate has passed her budget but it remains under attack right now In our House of Representatives.

Our St. Vincent de Paul Society which is close to the grass roots and knows the problems of the really poor, has studied the issues of food stamps and Medicaid and pleads,pleads with genuine Christians like YOU READER to make your voices heard.

At the Federal level...go on line, key in the name of your senators and ask them to protect Food Stamps from crippling amendments in the Farm Bill.

THEY ARE DEBATING THIS ISSUE THIS WEEK.

If you live in Arizona, go on line: Arizona Legislature and key in House of Representatives where you will find email addresses of your Representative

Ask them to pass the Governor's budget without crippling amendments.

THEY ARE DEBATING THIS ISSUE THIS WEEK.

In today's Gospel, Jesus "looked at the widow's plight with pity."

And then, He acted.

As his followers can we do less?

Both compassion and action are needed this very week.

Breakfast Question: The original authors of the Food Stamp legislation were Senator Bob Dole, Republican, Kansas....and Senator George McGovern, Democrat, South Dakota. Why can't we have such bi-partisan cooperation today?
Personal Reflection: What have I done for the hungry lately?