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Celebrating The Abundance of God’s Goodness: A Thanksgiving Reflection While Thanksgiving is traditionally a time in the United States when families feast on the abundance of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies, it is important to be mindful of the food and hunger situation in our country and our world. We remember on this feast of gratitude for bounty and abundance, that not all of our brothers and sisters are able to share in this banquet. Why? What is happening in our world? Consider using the resources below for a community or spirituality night. I. As a community, take CCHD's Poverty Quiz to find out how much you know about hunger in our own country. II. Review and discuss the following facts on International Hunger and Poverty from Bread for the World at www.bread.org. III.)
Reflect and discuss together: More than
840 million people in the world are malnourished—799 million of them are from
the developing world. More than 153 million of them are under the age of 5. Of the
6.2 billion people in today's world, 1.2 billion live on less than $1 per day. The
proportion of people living on less than $1 a day has fallen from 29 percent to
23 percent in the past 10 years, although that masks significant regional
differences. East
Asia has seen a drop from 28 percent to 14 percent. South
Asia has seen a drop from 44 percent to 37 percent. Africa
has seen a drop from 48 percent to only 47 percent. Malnutrition
can severely affect a child's intellectual development. Children who have
stunted growth due to malnutrition score significantly lower on math and
language achievement tests than do well-nourished children. Virtually
every country in the world has the potential of growing sufficient food on a
sustainable basis. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
has set the minimum requirement for caloric intake per person per day at 2,350.
Worldwide, there are 2,805 calories available per person per day. Fifty-four
countries fall below that requirement; they do not produce enough food to feed
their populations, nor can they afford to import the necessary commodities to
make up the gap. Most of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. 1.) What surprised me about the above information? 2.) What is my experience regarding issues of hunger and poverty? 3.) What does the gospel say about the above statistics? 4.) What does Catholic Social Teaching say about poverty and hunger? 5.) How can I best respond to this reality? IV). Prayer Resource (from Colorado Vincentian Volunteer Program): Thanksgiving Table Prayer As
bread that was scattered on the hillside was gathered together and made
one, Let us eat and drink today with grateful thanks for this oneness with all, as we, in spirit, invite the stranger and welcome the poor with us at our table this Thanksgiving Day. May we be more aware of our call to reach out to others in our daily lives, and so be transformed by your presence within. Our
gratitude today is for you, God of all, and your blessings on us through
one another. Open our eyes to
those who are poor, our ears to the cry of those in need, our hearts to
the oppressed and our lives to your call to be peacemakers. For additional resources on hunger and poverty and how you can make a difference, check out the following websites: |
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