Food for love!

“With food we go further…” says the theme of the Nutrition Month Celebration this year.

This inspires me to reflect and realize the importance of this grace from God that food is not just for filling our empty stomach but for more.

We need food from the womb for nourishment to grow to full development. We need food to maintain good health to sustain life for our daily grind so the purpose of life is fulfilled. We must be productive, be producers of food not just consumers to have a joyful and fulfilling life.

With food we develop relationship. We often hear, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Through this, love can blossom and can build a home. A happy family dines together joyfully sharing the grace of God with worship and thanksgiving. We also often hear, “kahit saging basta loving”.

But God is generous to us of His wisdom, knowledge and strength to be able to make use of His grace of food to discover variety of healthful food not just ‘saging’.   We must value this food by avoiding wastage. The value of food is not in its price but the nutrients in it with proper and safe handling and preparation.    The rising price of food and the desire to eat safe and nutritious food encourage families to be producers not just consumers, may be inspired by “Bahay kubo kahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari…”

Food unites people for peace and joy. There is no celebration without food. Our parents reminded us always to respect the presence of food in our midst in every gathering because we must respect our Provider, the source of all graces and blessings.

Being mindful of the generosity of God, we are moved to extend our heart and hands to others in gratitude of the love of God and thereby we become instruments of God’s love as we share our food to others especially to the last, the least and the lost.

As we open ourselves to the love of God, we not only seek for the food for the body but also for the food of our soul. We allow ourselves to be soaked in His word and be nourished by His sacraments. As we know Him deeper, we learn to love others more.

The grace of God, the food for the body and the soul can nourish us to love more, strengthen and sustain us in our journey through life until our time to be with Him in heaven. Thank you Lord for the FOOD FOR LOVE.