Kuna, Matthew J

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Spiritan Magazine Volume 42 Number 1 Spring Article 9 Spring 2018 Food and Warmth for the Poor Matthew J. Kuna Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-tc Recommended Citation Kuna, M. J. (2018). Food and Warmth for the Poor. Spiritan Magazine, 42 (1). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/spiritan-tc/vol42/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Spiritan Collection at Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Spiritan Magazine by an authorized editor of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. 14 | Spring 2018 | SpiritanFood and Warmthfor the PoorMatthew J. KunaT his past January, I visited a college classmateof mine who now works in Manhattan. Duringmy stay there, the city was practically frozenover after a snowstorm that closed its publicschools. Though we trudged through nine inches of snow and ice to get from place to place, the tripwas well worth all the hassle.Walking toward Penn Station on the Friday ofmy visit, I came upon the Church of Saint Francisof Assisi — home to the Franciscan Friars’ well-known apostolate to the hungry of New York, the Saint Francis Breadline. Given that it was First Friday, I decided to stop for a few moments in thelower shrine church where Adoration was takingplace. I took a seat in the back, as the pews of thechapel were almost half full.Some in the congregation were obvious regularsto the First Friday devotions. An older lady to myleft knelt on the tile floor and, grasping a woodenrosary in her tired hands, silently mouthed thewords to her treasured prayers. A few minutes later,a businessman in an impeccably pressed suit enteredand sat in front of me, removing a Divine Mercyprayer book from the side of his black briefcase(perhaps seeking a few minutes of peace from thechaos he faced at the office). A number of others sat in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.A church of warmth, rest and safetyHowever, the majority of those gathered sat bundledin blankets, seeking warmth, rest, and safety fromthe frigid winds outside. A few clutched largegarbage bags filled with personal belongings. Others wore hats and gloves, and closed their eyesfor a little bit. One person even left half of a sand-wich in the pew next to me. Although they weremost likely not at Saint Francis that afternoon forthe Catholic devotions, they appeared to be com-fortable and even prayerful in the presence of ourLord, perhaps searching for a hope that they couldnot find elsewhere.Sitting in that Adoration chapel, I became veryaware of the ways in which I was encounteringChrist. His Presence in the Eucharist is the supremegift He gave the Church at the Last Supper, andgives us at every Mass. Christ is the Living Breadthat nourishes our poor souls and accompanies us along the pilgrimage of earthly life. He was most especially present on the altar in that simplemonstrance.Yet in another sense, He was also present in thecommunity of people around me, particularly in thefaces that silently cried for help. Some were hungryor thirsty; others may have been naked or sick,alone or afraid. Perhaps they carry the crosses ofpoverty, homelessness, discrimination, addiction,family instability, or mental illness. They were the“least among us” in whom our Lord calls us to meethim. I was invited to see the face of Christ in thatsacred space, a sanctuary from the coldness and bitterness that swarms outside. We truly saw Godthere. In awe, I sat in my pew and reflected on this.Authentic Christian lifeSaint John Chrysostom reminds us of the deep connection between the Eucharist and Christ’s poor.Preaching once, he remarked: “For he who said:This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: You saw me hungry and did not feed me,and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.”The authentic Christian life unites ourlove for Christ in the poor with a lovefor his Real Presence in the Eucharist.Spiritan | Spring 2018 | 15In the polarizing times in which welive, we too often witness leaders whodivorce their practice of faith from a robust commitment to the vulnerable in society. If we do not open our heartsto see the face of Christ in his poor,then we are not authentically living our baptismal call. Likewise, if our advocacy and social work on behalf of the marginalized are distanced fromthe sacramental life of the Church — especially the Sunday Mass — then wecertainly cannot claim to do God’s workin the world. The authentic Christianlife unites our love for Christ in thepoor with a love for his Real Presencein the Eucharist. Nourished by the Mass, we are sent forth to proclaimChrist and to serve our brothers and sisters in his name.Now is the time for us to commit (or re-commit) to living out this call as Christians. Many in our own com -munities have no shield from the coldof night or the hunger that seems topervade our streets. Local shelters, foodpantries, and outreach services ask forour assistance. Our Lord is inviting usto serve him by encountering those who need us most.The Mass is the celebration of Christ’ssaving work, namely his Passion, Death,and Resurrection. As we reflect on hisEaster Mystery and grow closer to himin the Eucharist, we experience a perfectmoment to seek the face of Jesus, bothin the Blessed Sacrament and in hisstruggling brothers and sisters.Our world longs for a healing that canonly be found in Christ, the One whocalls us to his Altar and to the periph-eries to give of ourselves in his service.Now is the time to encounter him. nMatthew Kuna is a seminarian for the Diocese ofAllentown. A version of this article first appeared on Seminarian Casual, the blog of Saint CharlesBorromeo Seminary, Philadelphia.

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