Be grateful for Our Food Resources

We waste a lot of food.

We buy too much.

We are mesmerised by bargains like ‘3 for the price of 2’.

Pope Francis on waste of food:

‘Our grandparents used to make a point of not throwing away leftover food. Consumerism has made us accustomed to wasting food daily, and we are unable to see its real value … throwing away food is like stealing from the  table of  those who are poor and hungry – around 1.3 billion metric tonnes (1.43 billion tons) of food, or one third of what is produced for  human consumption, gets lost or wasted  every year, according to the United Nation’s food agency.’

Like Jesus, Pope Francis used dramatic language to make a point. He reminded us of something we don’t want to hear. When we waste food, we disrespect what the earth gives us. Caring for the earth is not only about environmentalism; it is also about ensuring the equal distribution of the earth’s resources and being grateful to the earth for what it gives us.

Donal Neary SJ, The Sacred Heart Messenger, September 2022