Bread for All

Today’s Gospel reading quotes Jesus:  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  (Jn. 6:51).  In faith, I want to emphasize the ecumenical and interfaith meaning of Christ’s message. The phrases “whoever eats this bread” and “for the life of the world” are most meaningful.

We are called by the one and only God of creation to be “bread” for one another. This is the real meaning of our lives. The many ways and means of loving one another are what God created us for.  And Jesus showed us the how. In his own loving and merciful way, he fed the hungry.  He cured the sick. He forgave sinners with so much compassion.  His mercy was unending.  And yet, he was not rich nor politically powerful. All this and more was his love for us all. And he invites us to follow him. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” (v.47)

Let me now relate this to what our beloved and dedicated Pope Francis is determined to work for: “a poor church for the poor.” He began by choosing the name of St. Francis of Assisi, who was known for letting go of his wealth and power, to follow the life and ways of Jesus. Pope Francis also refused to live in the papal palace, and has chosen to live a simple lifestyle.  Connected with this was his listing of the so-called 15 ailments of the Vatican Curia that he is determined to cure with the help of his Vatican staff.  One ailment is being identified with the rich rather than with the poor.

In one of his earlier speeches, he said: “The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers.”  He then stated later: “Working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians, the responsibility is even greater.  It is a commandment.”  Pope Francis strongly denounces global capitalism which he condemns as the cause of global injustice. He is no less than inciting a social revolution, rallying the poor all over the world to be involved.  “You, the lowly, the exploited, the poor and underprivileged can do, and are doing a lot. I would even say that the future of humanity is in great measure in your hands.”  A process of change at the grassroots level.

All this is a serious warning, especially to American capitalism, as written by an American writer, Paul Farell. Five reasons for the warning are as follows:

1. Socialism:  Everyone has a sacred right to land, labor, and lodging.

2. Humans, not capitalist profits, must be at the center of global economics.

3. Billions worldwide, cannot wait much longer for action.

4. Revolutions begin with angry citizens, not politicians and philanthropists.

5.Warning:  Socialism is now a moral obligation, a commandment to obey.

How relevant all this is to our country. No less than our recent, murdered hero, Benigno Aquino Jr., the father of our current President, wrote while he was in prison and now published in Testament From A Prison Cell:

“I believe in a Christian Democratic Socialist ideology that will harmonize political freedom with social and economic equality, taking and merging the best of the primary and conflicting systems – communism and capitalism . . . . Capitalism must be corrected by a vigorous anti-monopoly legislation, supplemented more positively by social welfare and security measures than now exist.  Basic economic decisions must be made by the community — the government — and not  by the private owners of the means of production.  More efficient national economic planning must be adopted to husband our meager resources and bring the greatest good to the greatest number.”

Our outgoing President is a person of moral integrity and admirable dedication to his job, guided by his motto: “Daang Matuwid.” But the capitalistic system is so strongly imbedded in our national, economic-political system, and so it is still there.

Pope Francis also strongly condemned corruption as “gangrene of a people.”  We are suffering  from this as well. As a nation, we are tragically suffering from both an unjust capitalistic system and widespread corruption.  According to responsible surveys, forty to fifty families own 76% of our growing economy, Our coming presidential election is really crucial.  Let us keep praying to the Lord to help us discern and vote for the candidate who will follow his will, for the common good of our people.

Let us not forget what the Lord did for us and with us at Edsa in 1986.  And now, at this point in our history, God’s law of love and justice must continue to prevail. If our economic and political leaders do not listen to him, then in God’s own time, he will lead our majority poor to no less than a social revolution.

H