Luke 9:12: “The 12 disciples tell Jesus, when the crowd of 5,000 gathered just to hear his words: ‘There was not enough food to feed the 5,000’. Twelve came to Him and said: ‘Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.’

He replied: ‘You give them something to eat.’

They answered: ‘We have only five loaves of bread and two fish — unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.’

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”

Christ’s performance of the feeding of the 5,000 is no different to what I see every day happening in our community in the 12 countries where our “Jamaican brothers” live and serve over 5,000 people every day. How do we do it? How is it possible? How can it be done except by the grace of God in our men of prayer.

We take our vow of free service, we beg mightily, we attend to the poorest of the poor and give out food, clothes, water, medicines to the poorest of the poor. And to my astonishment, for the last 44 years we have had enough to take care of over 2,000 people and each is given three meals a day. People are most generous and God works in the hearts of many benefactors, friends, and loving people whose greatest joy is to give, each day, all that they have.

I often hear the argument from unspiritual practical people who say that the world is overpopulated and that soon there will not be enough food to eat, not enough places to live and not enough resources to share. Yet much food and material goods are dumped, burnt, and rejected, and unused land to produce food in our world. Moreover, why is there so much owned by rich people and rich countries and, on the other hand, so little given for the labour of poor, hard-working men and women, especially in our poor underdeveloped nations?

Christ commands that His followers pray, give and multiply and serve 5,000 with the riches that they would protest to give to the least of our brothers and sisters who are loved by Jesus Christ.

I exhort Christians all over the world not to consume so much, driven by the pleasure principle in matters of food, housing, clothes, travel, furniture, recreation, and even education and self-advancement.

We can justify ourselves in our use of time and talent and end up being selfish and self-indulgent. But instead, we should make use of our lives and gifts and bring joy to those who are poor and simple by serving them with physical and material food. Thus, the 5,000s or 4,000s will enjoy the gifts of God and you will be sharing all that you have with the least of our brothers and sisters and the poor nations of the world. Oh what joy you will experience!

No. I do not believe that we do not have enough food to serve the poor people and poor nations of the world, nor do I believe that we are coming close to over-population in our world or in our country. I believe there are not enough labourers in the vineyard and people who want to give their lives to the poor in a spirit of self-sacrifice and service. How happy we would be if Christ and His men were the leaders in our lives today and we served Him as the master and maker of the world.

Fr Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor, 87 Hanover Street, PO Box 8525, Kingston CSO, Jamaica.

Tel: (876) 550-8987. Email: mopfounder81@gmail.com

Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org