“How many of you want eternal life? Raise your hand!” exclaimed Deacon Leo Okonkwo in his mission appeal homily last weekend at St. Dorothy Parish on Chicago’s south side. I raised my hand and looked around. Sure enough, everyone had their hands high in the air! But, do we really believe in eternal life?
In the readings Sunday, a frustrated Elijah asked God to take his life. Also, those who heard Jesus call Himself the “bread come down from heaven” murmured in doubt among themselves. But, God wants to feed us even in our distress and doubts. Hence, an angel came to feed Elijah with a cake. And, Jesus said to the murmurers that his flesh and blood are real food and drink.
Deacon Leo spoke then of his own distress as an 11 year old boy. His parents, in return for financial aid, pulled him out of primary school and sent him to be a house servant for a rich chieftain. “Will I remain an ignorant house servant the rest of my life?” Leo worried. But, he promised God that if he obtained an education, he would in turn become a slave of slaves in worse circumstances than his own.
God answered Leo’s prayer by sending a sponsor who sent him to school. He was free! But, Leo honored his promise to God and became a slave to poor village children with scarce educational prospects. The moral is that when we complain in our distress, like Elijah, God will be there to feed us, especially in the Eucharist. But, will WE be be there for our brothers and sisters in need?
For $4 a day or $1,500 a year, HEAL can sustain and develop the life of one of our 300 poor village children at BOMCA and MENPS. They are the ones crying out to God now in their distress. Join our family and be their bread from heaven as Jesus is for you each day!