"I was hungry and you gave me food"

On Christmas Day 2021, I returned to assist the Missionary Sisters of Charity, commonly known as the Sisters of Mother Teresa at their Saint Augustine Parish Soup Kitchen in Newark, New Jersey.

The day began with Holy Mass and my honor of serving as Lector with the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: 

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.  You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing…” Isaiah 9: 1-2.

After Mass, the Christmas meal began. The meal honors the timeless call to serve those in need, as proclaimed in the Gospel, "I was hungry and you gave me food."

As the line formed outside the Church despite the rain, the guests humbly wished the sisters, each other, and the workers a Merry Christmas.

Today, beside meals of hot chicken, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, biscuits, and grapes - guests received Christmas gift bags filled with winter clothing accessories and candies.

Before meals were shared, the guests were led in prayer. The sisters, inspired by Saint Mother Teresa, believe that not only the body but the soul needs nourishment.

The guests also took time to sing in honor the birth of the Savior as one of the sisters held a statue of the baby Jesus.

It was my privilege to be with the sisters, workers, and guests again today. It was a follow up to my Thanksgiving Day at Saint Augustine’s memorialized below.  

Before the day, I took time to reflect on the words of Pope Francis during his Christmas Midnight Mass homily, which highlights humility, so profoundly reflected in the work of the sisters:

“Brothers and sisters, standing before the crib, we contemplate what is central, beyond all the pretty lights and decorations. We contemplate the child. In his littleness, God is completely present. Let us acknowledge this: “Baby Jesus, you are God, the God who becomes a child”. Let us be amazed by this scandalous truth. The One who embraces the universe needs to be held in another’s arms. The One who created the sun needs to be warmed. Tenderness incarnate needs to be coddled. Infinite love has a miniscule heart that beats softly. The eternal Word is an “infant”, a speechless child. The Bread of life needs to be nourished. The Creator of the world has no home. Today, all is turned upside down: God comes into the world in littleness. His grandeur appears in littleness.” 

Read the Homily

Serving the Poor: Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, 2021

On May 2, 2014, I authored an article titled America’s Forgotten Homeless: Awareness, Compassion, Dignity for my Reawakening the Nation column.

The article was also posted in The Sentinel, and shared electronically with my audience of educators, students, military personnel, law enforcement officials, and community leaders.

In the article, I highlighted an unimaginable sight in New York City, one of the planet’s richest cities.

Because of its importance, and relevance years later, I believe this excerpt that captures my emotions of the sight, deserves a spotlight:

“As one walks the New York City streets, the homeless must touch our conscience and inspire action.

"Although throughout the city and often can be easily circumvented, there are moments when kindness toward the homeless stops us in our tracks.

“One such experience for me was seeing the compassion of the Missionaries of Charity, commonly known as the Sisters of Mother Teresa, tending to the homeless near Central Park’s entrance at Columbus Circle.

 “Although one normally associates these sisters caring for the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, here they were in the heart of New York, one of civilizations most affluent societies, home to the richest people on the planet.

“The Missionaries of Charity, serving the homeless of New York City-the world’s epicenter of wealth, culture, education, tourism and diversity. Here were the sisters, serving a wake-up call to America’s conscience – reminding us of the suffering on New York City streets.

“America must respond to this anguish of our human family and triumph with full force, courage, compassion and dignity.”

Thanksgiving Day 2021

The experience of that day was seared into my conscience.

Now, eight years later, it is reawakened as I visited Saint Augustine’s Parish in Newark on Thanksgiving Day.  The parish is the home to the Missionary Sisters of Charity.

The purpose of my visit today was to assist the sisters with their commitment to the Corporal Works of Mercy, specifically to feed the hungry.

Some may consider the efforts of my wife and I, who hold the work of the Sisters with the highest admiration, as noble.

But our efforts pale in significance to the inspiring work the Sisters do every day for the poor, not only in Newark, but throughout the world.   They are carrying out the work of their foundress, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  In my heart, there is no doubt that Saint Mother Teresa, a model of holiness and love for the poor is smiling down upon them.

The Youth of America

Complementing the work of the sisters today, were a group of young people who represent the best of America.

These youth from Ramsey High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, and New Jersey City University, along with their parents truly represent character.  Each of them gave of their time generously to help the poor, hungry, and homeless of Newark today.

An additional selection from the aforementioned article, as it remains relevant to the events of this memorable day in Newark, also deserves a spotlight:

“America is as great as its commitment to respecting the dignity of each person especially the poor. All human beings must be celebrated and we must always see beyond superficial externals of social status, humbly understanding we are all the human family.

“Whenever a human being is ostracized, distressed or impoverished, a nation must respond with moral courage, compassion, and resolve. When the poor are a burden, inconvenience, or annoyance-or treated with discriminatory indignation for their hardship-the nation is derailed and must be reawakened.”

Hopefully these reflections, and more importantly the admirable work of the Missionary Sisters of Charity, and the outstanding students and parents who assisted today, may serve as a wakeup call.  

The message of each of them is clear - living a life of charity, character, and community is a sacred privilege and the heart of reawakening America.

"God has identified himself with the hungry, the sick, the naked, the homeless; hunger not only for bread, but for love, for care, to be somebody to someone; nakedness, not for clothing only, but nakedness of that compassion that very few people give to the unknown; homelessness, not only just for a shelter made from stone but for that homelessness that comes from having no one to call your own."  Mother Teresa

Related:

America's Forgotten Homeless: Awareness, Compassion, Dignity

Missionaries of Charity (The Sisters of Saint Mother Teresa) Official Website

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works and four books.  Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award, and former confident of the New York Yankees.  

He is co-founder of Global Security Resolutions, and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy families of victims. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries.

For more information: twitter@vincentjbove

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POST SCRIPT: Chinese Reflections by Lily Bove

My wife beautifully captured the heart of the day and posted it to share with friends and family in China:

Chinese Language:

2021-11-25，周四。感恩节

在这个美国文化中最重要的象征家庭团聚、亲人相聚的节日，先生选择了做主的工作一一去当地教会的慈善食堂服务，与那些无家可归者共度节日。

    这个位于美国新泽西州Newark 的天主教堂附设的慈善食堂，是由“特蕾莎”修女会组织的，专为当地穷人和流浪汉提供免费午餐的地方。一年四季，每日中午提供，没有身份查询，来者不拒。食品来源大部分来源于一些商家的常年赞助。每日的套餐基本不变，有热狗，面包，沙拉，粗粮，水果，甜点，汤类等。食物种类多，供应也丰富。通常工作人员也会把剩余的食品分配给大家，基本上保障了被救助者们有两餐的食物。

   我和先生曾是那里的志愿者。后来因为搬家，就选择了就近服务。虽然没有再去做工，但也会推荐一些捐助者去邦助她们。当时隔六年后，先生再去那里时，修女们仍然记得我，问起我的情况，并为我祈祷。此情此景，令我十分感动。感谢感恩主的灵在我们彼此的心中，行动中，灵魂里。

  图一是人间天使，穷苦病弱人们的救护神“特蕾莎”：图二、三是今年的志愿者和修女们；图四、五是需要食物救助的人们；图六、七是六年前先生和我去做工的留念。

    求主保佑、看顾天下的穷苦人们，尤其是那些呼唤他的名求邦助，愿意悔改更新、信靠他的人们。阿门。

English Translation:

2021-11-25, Thursday. Thanksgiving.

In this most important symbol of family reunion in American culture, my husband chose to work for God - to serve in the charity Soup Kitchen of a local church, and to spend the holiday with the homeless.

The charity was at the Catholic Church in Newark, New Jersey - organized by Mother Teresa's Order to provide free lunch for the local poor and homeless. Available at noon every day, all year round, no identity checks, all are welcome. 

Most of the food comes from the perennial charity of businesses. The daily package is basically the same, there are hot dogs, bread, salad, coarse grains, fruits, desserts, soup and so on. The variety of food is great and the supply is abundant. Usually the staff will also distribute surplus food to everyone, basically ensuring that the needy have two meals of food.

My husband and I were volunteers there in the past. Later because of the epidemic, we have not been able to assist them, but now they needed assistance. 

When the visit today, years later, the nuns remembered both of us, and promised prayers for both of us. I am very moved. 

Thank you for the Spirit of God in the hearts, actions, and souls.

The first picture is Saint Mother Teresa, an angel for the poor and sick. The second and third pictures are the volunteers and nuns this year. Pics four and five are people in need of food aid; Pictures six and seven are mementos of my husband and I working there before the pandemic.

May God bless and look upon the poor under heaven, especially those who call upon His name for help, who are willing to live and trust in Him. Amen.          Lily Bove

Note Well:

After our collaborative effort feeding the poor at the Saint Augustine Soup Kitchen, two of the sisters with two volunteers and I, filled a van with about 50 hot turkey dinners.

We traveled throughout the city, including the Newark Penn Station area and other locations where the homeless gather, offering meals with our Happy Thanksgiving sentiments.

The meals were gone within an hour, and the response from the people was profoundly humbling - gratitude, humility, and courtesy.

“I have come to realize that it is being unwanted - that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.”

 Mother Teresa

PS: The Missionary Sisters of Charity, commonly referred to as the Sisters of Saint Mother Theresa, asked me to play Santa Claus for their 2021 Christmas Party.

It was the joy of a lifetime, entering an assembly with over 100 children and their parents, at Saint Augustine's in Newark, and distributing Christmas gifts. I will never forget the expressions of awe and appreciation in their faces. 

Photos:

1. Missionary Sister of Charity holding the infant Jesus, Saint Augustine's, Christmas Day, 2021. (Vincent J. Bove)

2. Lily Bove assisting the Missionary Sisters of Charity at their Soup Kitchen, Saint Augustine's Parish, Newark, NJ, Feb. 12, 2017. (Vincent J. Bove)

3. Missionaries of Charity, Columbus Circle area near entrance to Central Park, New York, NY, Sept. 4, 2011. (Vincent J. Bove)

4. Photo collage from events of Thanksgiving Day, 2021 at Saint Augustine's Soup Kitchen. (Vincent J., Bove)

5. Student volunteers from Ramsey High School, Immaculate Heart Academy, and Jersey City University volunteering to help the poor on Thanksgiving, 2021 with Missionary Sister of Charity. (Vincent J. Bove)

6. Mother Teresa serves food to the poor in Calcutta, India, in October 1979. (Photo by Calogero Cascio/Getty Images)

7. Reawakening America Collage, and pics of Vincent J. Bove keynote, PHAMA event, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017. (Lily Bove)

8. Vincent Bove, Sister Lazerena, Lily Bove (left to right) Saint Augustine's Soup Kitchen, Newark, NJ, Feb. 12, 2017 (Courtesy Reawakening America LLC)

9. Missionary of Charity Sisters with Thanksgiving Day volunteers at their Soup Kitchen, Saint Augustine's Newark, NJ, Nov. 25, 2021.  (Courtesy Reawakening America LLC)