“You Give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37)
Feeding The Hungry
(Employees Fellowship, Santa Maria Convent, Plamooodu,Trivandrum)
In Indian language the word “Annam” means food and “Daanam” means to donate. “Annadanam” means feeding the hungry and needy. There is no better puja and ritual in our tradition than feeding a hungry living being. Annadanam is Mahadanam or the greatest donation. According to Sanadana Dharma, Annadaanam is performed for redemption of sins, to attain piety, to get speedy recovery from illness and also to attain moksha. We become better human beings when we are willing to share our food with one who is hungry.
In Bible, we find Jesus himself cared for those in need by feeding the hungry and He had a special sense of mission to poor and oppressed people. The biographies of Jesus depict him repeatedly reaching out to those at the bottom of the social pyramid-poor people, women, widows, samaritans, lepers, children, prostitutes and tax collectors. When crowds of thousands had assembled to listen to Jesus. They soon became hungry. When His disciples suggested that Jesus send the people away to buy food, he responded by saying “I have compassion on these people…” and “you give them something to eat.” He proceeded to perform miracles to feed these large crowds of hungry people.
Once Jesus said “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
You and I can\’t physically give Jesus shelter, fix him a meal, or put a clean shirt on his back; you can\’t visit him in a prison cell or offer him a drink of water. But when you do it for them—for the least—you are doing it for him.
Feeding the Hungry
A great mission was undertaken by the Employees Fellowship (Udyogastha Koottayma) based in Santa Maria Convent, Plamoodu, Pattom, Trivandrum in 2005.A handful of prayerful people started feeding the hungry poor patients and their bystanders in nearby Medical college Campus.
They started collecting small donations from several goodwill people from the community and began this wonderful service now nearly seven years ago- (From 1st January 2005 exactly). Every Sunday at noon, more than 500 people get a one time meal without interruption. And the number of begging hands increases every Sunday. The venue of annadaanam is in front of the SAT – Mother and Baby Hospital, Medical College campus, Trivandrum. Anyone willing to visit the Sunday noon meal service, you are most welcome.
Please help us with your generous support for feeding these hungry people, please remember; with Rs 15 you can give a meal to one hungry person.
Address: Advocate Rex/Mr. Martin-Coordinators of Employee Fellowship at Santa Maria Convent. Tel-09846066230 (Rex), 08547722605(Martin Sir).
Your donations can be send to:
Ac No 096Â 1207090Â 190001, Catholic Syrian Bank, Palayam, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
IFSC code:CSBK0000096
“Deliberately choosing to enter into the experience of a fellow human being sets the stage for God to make an entrance”.
After reading this blog: you may do three things
1. You can ignore and delete it.
2. You may send some money to the above Ac.
3. Least you may forward it to your friends.
*(Please note, all these pictures in this blog are real and taken from the venue, 12 noon-4th March 2012)