In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church teaches that the famine of God's word prophesied by Amos is taking place now (2835). Therefore, "Christians must make every effort 'to proclaim the good news to the poor' " (Catechism, 2835; Lk 4:18). This famine can be stopped and even reversed if we lay down our lives to give each other our daily bread of God's word (see Mt 6:11; see also Mt 4:4). For example, St. Ignatius of Loyola humbled himself by going to school with little children although he was an adult. He did this to learn to read and to eventually proclaim God's word. St. Jerome lived for years in a cave in Bethlehem while he labored to translate the Bible. St. Paul risked his life daily in proclaiming God's word (1 Cor 15:31). St. Matthew immediately quit his job and his life of sin to follow Jesus and, later, to write the first book of the New Testament (Mt 9:9).

You can stop the famine of God's word if you are willing to die to self. Your death to self will prevent the spiritual and physical deaths of so many others. Be the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies (Jn 12:24). You will bear fruit, feed the starving, and stop the famine.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1995

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 4, 1995