During her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1979, Saint Teresa of Calcutta shared a peculiar story. Encountering a hungry girl on the streets, the saintly nun offered her a piece of bread; the child hesitated. Even as Mother encouraged her, the little one explained: “I’m afraid to eat this bread, because I fear being hungry again.”
Needless to say, ours is a hungry generation, and not just for food. Indeed, the craving for true love is much more profound and harder to satisfy than the craving for bread. We seek meaning, connectivity, and purpose beyond the superficial, embarking on a journey towards fulfillment and contentment. All of us experience different kinds of hunger—the need to be loved, recognized, and cared for. If we do not satiate this hunger, it is highly likely that we might succumb to the temptation to look for other false worldly alternatives.
Truth is, our yearning to be loved is a longing for the superior love that only God can give. To satisfy this hunger, we must first identify what we are hungry for and seek to receive it from the Savior Himself.
We constantly travel to different places to satisfy our thirst and desires in life. These can include individuals, books, relationships, and cyber networks. However, the thirst remains unquenched and the desires are never fully satisfied. We find ourselves returning to the same sources repeatedly, much like the Samaritan woman returning to Jacob’s well.
Think about the relationship between the recent spike in mental health problems and disaffiliation from the Church and spiritual things. We cannot nurture our souls without relating ourselves to the Ultimate. Carl Jung rightly said: “Every psychological problem is ultimately a spiritual problem.” Turning to God is the only solution to fill the void in our lives and ultimately find meaning.
The only solution for hunger is food, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. Jesus ensures that His followers do not perish by tripping on the stones of temptation through His words: “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37). This mandate is for all. Everyone has something to offer to the starving world. We can share our time, treasure, or talents. What we contribute to satisfy the hunger of the world may seem insignificant, but as Saint Teresa of Calcutta said: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” Sharing makes us joyful, whereas pleasure-hunting will make us despondent. Contribute your share.
O Lord, I do not know what I am thirsting for, but I know for whom I am thirsting—for you, O Lord. Draw me closer to Your love. Amen.
