A Witness to "Our Daily Bread"

September 2020 a time I had another outlook on the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread". There is an on-going "Food Sharing" program in the Parish where my boarding house is located. The moderator of this program is Fr.  Pat.

How it Happened

The Parish of St. Joseph the Patriach in Mabolo has feeding program. They give lunch every Sunday to street people. Whenever I attend Mass in St. Therese I walk at the back of the road and seen those people waiting for the food to be served. These program continue even when the team of pastors changed at the last quarter of 2019. One of these new team of pastor is Fr. Pat. 

Fr. Pat seeing that people waiting for lunch had been there since early morning (6am) initiate to give them porridge to warm them. With the help of generous people, he then extend the feeding to kids. Before the pandemic, the Church provide porridge for the kids. In some areas the volunteers are waiting in the school gate to give the kids food.

Fr. Pat started to provide 1 meal, rice and 1dish, to families during ECQ. Of course it did not stand in grand way. As he did not have enough he can only give what he does. This has seen by the Lord so He sent people who can help feed His people. The pastor He assigned is Fr. Pat. Some provided vehicle to send food, labor to cook food, monetary to buy ingredients, donation of rice and contributed things needed for cooking.

My sister in Christ happened to be relative of Fr. Pat through marriage. She had contact with him because he is her confessor. Fr. Pat introduced the Food Sharing to her and she was touched of this work of mercy. She then shared it to me, we agreed to contribute/help in the food sharing. Presently, we help monetary contribution plus labor on Sunday only. 

Our Daily Bread

Fr. Pat and Sis Joy. This when he told us what he give to kids.

I thought what they are giving are porridge because that's what I see mostly in feeding program. When Fr. Pat told us what he give to kids he added:

"If you are the parent and you see your child hungry would you just give them porridge to fill their stomach?"

I was speechless when he said that to us. I had deeper understanding of generosity out of charity. It's like because of your love to those people that you treat them like your family.

From 1meal per week, the Food Sharing now provided meal from Monday to Sunday except Saturday 1 meal to different areas. The daily number of people given food ranges to 1,200 - 1500.  After distributing the food, the volunteers all gather to have meal. At one time we asked Fr. Pat how is it possible to sustain feeding this many people everyday. He answered as I recall:

"give us this day our daily bread. You know this work is not ours but of God. He gather His children, like you and them [other volunteers] to help His children who are hungry. Every time I think of what to cook for tomorrow I would tell God of my plans - that I will cook this and that, I will add: Lord I don't have ___, give us this day our daily bread Lord"

I was astounded of Fr. Pat's humility and trust in the Lord. This work is not easy road as we thought just because it is the Church's work. There are still problem of course the main problem is the financing of this imagine to prepare 50,000.00 every week. Also the lack of volunteer to help prepare the food. Most of the regular volunteer would work 7pm to 10pm and 3am to 8am.

Feeding Program

Spiritual Activity for Volunteers

It is termed as such, because it is not a social work where the Church provide food, but a Christian deed by practicing one of the works of mercy which is feeding the hungry. Through generosity we share food and charity we share the Truth through cathechism (Teachings of Jesus handed down to Apostles and Church). Aside from giving food, we have program for the spiritual growth of the volunteer who get the food and distribute in their place.

The distribution of the food is at 8am so the volunteer would come mostly 7:30am. In that 30mins we would have activity, a different approach of Catechism. Since the volunteer come at different hour, we have at least 3 facilitator to cater the volunteers.

This work benefited all that involve in this work from those who received the food to those who prepared the food. Even those people who sellers in the market. They extend their help by giving Fr. Pat discount or more than what Fr. Pat purchased. Below are some of the glimpse of what is happening before the distribution of the food.

Food served to kids. Noodles with sardines and vegetables

Last Christmas, thanks to donors 2,000 chicken drumsticks were cooked.

There are times rice is not enough, porridge is served. This porridge is packed with banana and root crops. The purple is not because of food coloring but caused by ube (purple yam), indigenous in Philippines. Unexpectedly the kids love it that they request for it to be served again.

This gigantic pot are the rice prepared. 1 sack of rice is cooked everyday. Since the pot deep there must be someone who will constantly stir the rice. This is so that the rice will be cooked evenly. The one who stir the pot is usually Fr. Pat (9pm-10pm), he will leave it at 10pm to rest. Fortunately one of the security guard is kind enough to look after the rice so that it will not burn.

Distribution of Food after the Spiritual Activity