Good morning, Good People,
May the Lord give you peace and blessings in the Holy Spirit.
It is 04th August 2025, and we celebrate the memorial of Saint John Mary Vianney, Priest, the patron of all priests. Wishing all the priest a happy feast to them for their service and willingness to serve humanity and God. The saint reminds us: “The poor are our treasures. By helping them, we gain more than they do.”
There is a story attributed to St. John Vianney. During a harsh winter in Ars, a poor family came to St. John Vianney seeking help. He had already given away everything he owned, yet he saw their need. What he did next was unexpected. He went into the church, took the candlesticks from the altar, and sold them to buy bread and firewood for the starving family. When people questioned his actions, he replied: “God will be more pleased to see His altar bare than to see His children suffer.”
How often do we hear that millions go hungry every day around us? Yet we cling to our comforts, luxuries, and conveniences. When we focus only on ourselves, our hearts shrink and harden—like stones that no longer feel the ache of the poor.
The desperation of today’s leaders is not like that of Moses. Power must be decentralized. Moses was moved by the tears of the people—he felt their hunger and carried the emotional burden. He pleaded with God, echoing the people’s longing for variety.
Some of us, too, grow weary of the Eucharist—just as the Israelites grew tired of manna. In our spiritual lives, we sometimes seek novelty, a quick fix, or something more “exciting” than the Sacraments and the Liturgy that have been entrusted to us.
But there was nothing lacking in the leadership of Moses—he led them out of slavery. And yet, feeding the hungry is not just the burden of one leader; it is the responsibility of the entire community. God provides. Leaders can labour. But constant complaints and grumbling can crush their spirit and kill their joy.
Unlike Moses, Jesus did not see feeding the people as a burden. He brought God into the centre of the situation and stretched out His hands in compassion, feeding thousands. When we include God—even with limited resources and imperfect skills—He works miracles.
So rather than grumbling and criticizing, let us stretch out our hands and open our hearts to the poor and the marginalized.
As Mahatma Gandhi once said: “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
Yes, we all have enough to feed—but not enough to satisfy our selfishness.
So today, have a day of sharing—from your meagre resources, with those on the margins. May the Lord bless our lives to be generous to those who go hungry around us. Have a peaceful day.