[Greek] πεινάω (peinaō), [German] hungria sein, [French] avoir faimen: to hunger, to hunger for truth, to be hungry, to have a painful lack for something, to famish, to crave, to be famished, to be in a state of hunger, to desire strongly, to pine for, to suffer; 24 scriptures
Bread and Circuses: The Roman social contract in which the government leaders would provide free bread and free entertainment to the people.
Background Information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to be hungry (for food) and to fervently desire something (necessary to life).
Xenophons’ Symposium 4.36: “I am told of certain despots, who have such a greedy appetite for riches, that they commit much more dreadful crimes.”
Xenophon’s Cyropaedia 7.5.50: “The Hyrcanians were the first to become our friends, and a time when we were very hungry for allies, so that in our affection for them, we all but carried them in our arms.”
Xenophon’s Economics 139: “For you will do much with them (slaves) by filling their bellies with the food they hanker after.”
Juvenal: “Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.”
Hunger:
- Ever since antiquity, there are times when rulers have followed a social contract (duty) to ensure that their subjects have a subsistence level which will keep them from hunger.
- The Pharaohs (and high officials) boasted of fulfilling this duty.
- Plato concluded that begging should be forbidden by the law, since only the honest man deserves sympathy if he is hungry.
- Bread and circuses (panem et circenses) was a Roman governmental social policy where the people no longer cared about political issues or participation, as long as they were being kept fed and entertained.
- This policy lead to more and more extravagant and violent venues of entertainment. Other philosophies advocated moderation or self-sacrifice.
Old Testament: This term, relating to several Hebrew terms, refers to being hungry (for food), being voracious, being fatigued (weary), groaning, growling, languishing, and fainting.
Old Testament prohibitions against drinking blood (Lv.17:10-12): ****
- Anyone who consumes any blood will be cut off from the people.
- The life of the flesh is in the blood.
- This blood is given to make atonement on the altar.
- The Jews (disciples) were bound by their laws to refuse to drink Jesus’ blood that He was offering to them.
- The tragic and cruel irony is that the Jews’ laws prevented them from partaking of everlasting life that Jesus offered them by consuming Jesus’ Body and Blood!
New Testament: This term means to hunger, to be hungry, and to crave.
Scripture:
Mt. 5:6: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” (Jesus refers to those who seek moral conduct in conformity to Christ and God’s will, mercy, blessedness, holiness, joy, peace, and things of heaven (not of the world).)
Mt.25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Jesus identifies with the hungry person who needs help. Catholic social teachings state that one must first seek to help your neighbor in your immediate sphere of influence. After this, focus outward from your location.)
Lk.1:53: “The hungry He has filled with good things; the rich He sent away empty. (The Canticle of Mary precedes the Sermon on the Plain. The hungry’ were filled and satisfied with God’s righteousness. The rich, more focused on earthly riches, are not concerned with righteousness. God, in His providence, may withhold or take away these riches through misfortune.)
Lk.6:25: “But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.” (Luke curses those who focus on earthly riches. They will be hungry. For their riches will be taken away.)
- Who are filled now: who value earthly riches, affluence, wealth, over-indulgence, vanity, pride, status, and who do not value lasting spiritual treasures
- Who will be hungry: their earthly property will be taken away, their property will have little value, they will hunger for something far better, their hunger will never be satisfied.
Jn.6:35: Jesus said to them, ‘I am the Bread of life; who comes to me will never hunger, and who believes in Me will never thirst.’” (In the Bread of Life Discourse Jesus offers His true Body and true Blood as spiritual nourishment for those who hunger and thirst. This becomes the Catholic basis for receiving the Eucharist.)
Bread of Life Discourse:
- Jesus instructs others to work for food that endures for eternal life. (Jn.6:27)
- Who ever comes to Jesus will never and thirst. (Jn.6:35)
- The Jews murmuring among themselves as they can only see Jesus the carpenter’s son. (Jn.6:41-43)
- Jesus states that He is the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. (Jn.6:51).
- The Jews quarreled among themselves. They are thinking, “Jesus is talking about cannibalism!”***
- In Jn 6:54, 56-58 Jesus uses a more graphic and explicit form of eating His Body ===> gnawing or munching on [Greek] τρώγω (trōgō): to gnaw, to munch.
- Jn.6:54: “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life.”
- Jn.6:56: “Whoever eats my Flesh and dinks my Blood remains in Me and I in him.”
- Jn.6:57: “The one who feeds on Me will have life because of Me.”
- Jn.6:58: Whoever eats this Bread will live forever.”
- The disciples were having a very difficult time in accepting what Jesus was saying to them. (Jn.6:60)***
- Many of His disciples walked away and no longer accompanied Him. (Jn.6:66)*** (Is this perhaps a coincidence to 666, the sign for the devil ===> disobedience, rebellion, and undermining? I don’t think so.
- Jesus allowed these disciples to walk way. Jesus did NOT say, “Come back. I was only speaking metaphorically and figuratively!“
- The sad and tragic irony is that the Jews (disciples) were forbidden by their Jewish customs to partake of life everlasting offered by Jesus.
“Rom.12:20: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals upon his head.” (Individuals do not need to to take justice in their own hands. God will ultimately deal justly with those who have wronged you.)
Hungry enemy: They are those who hunger for revenge and retribution. One does not need to take justice into their own hands. God will ultimately deal justly those who have wronged you.
Feeding your enemy: This involves showing kindness to that person.
Heaping burning coals upon his head: Heaping kindness toward that person will invoke the pain of shame, remorse, embarrassment, and change of conscience.
Why many are NOT being adequately spiritually feed at Novus Order Mass:
- At Vatican II, Pope Paul VI worked with a group of Protestant theologians to develop the NOM.
- This was a misguided ecumenical effort (human tradition) to accommodate Protestants’ concerns.
- This Mass focused more on a community meal rather than on the Sacrifice. Let that sink in.
- This essentially makes the Mass more Protestant and less Catholic.
- Many young people, starving for tradition and doctrine, are attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass, focusing on the Sacrifice.
- The NOM continues to have sparse attendance, while the TLM continues to thrive.
- Replacing or diminishing Catholic Tradition and practices ===> NOT being spiritually fed
Pine (as a verb), penury, penitence, penance, hungry, hunger, famine
Blessed are those who are spiritually hungry:
- Many Protestants, questioning the deficiencies and problems with Protestantism, are now converting to Catholicism. They are seeking the spiritual depths of Catholicism.
- Many young people, seeking to find answers about evil in the world, are turning to God or are going back to Church.
- Many lax cradle Catholics are leaving the Church. This is helping to create a more faithful Church.
- The Novus Order Mass continues to be sparsely attended either because of its liturgical abuse, lack of spiritual reverence, or lack of spiritual depth.
- The young people (laity and clergy) continually to be attracted (spiritually fed) by the deep richness and reverence of the Tradition Latin Mass, not the NOM.
Conclusion:
Pagan culture: appeasement of the gods. “We must do whatever it takes to keep the gods happy. Otherwise, we will starve!”
Unwritten social contracts between rulers and their citizens:
- Now you wonder why there were Roman gladiators and Christian executions in the Roman Colosseum.
- Even to this day many people can’t get enough of violent entertainment.
- Some becomes numb or de-sensitized to combat and violence ===> movies, social media, crime, violence.
- Some enjoy the spectacle of physical combat and violence ===> MMA, professional wrestling
Now the title of the Star Trek episode “Bread and Circuses” finally makes sense! A 20th century Roman empire televising gladiator contests!
Many Jews (disciples) could NOT see past their Jewish prohibitions from partaking of everlasting life offered by Jesus.
Jesus stands in the place of the hungry person and also provides spiritual nourishment (Bread of Life). Jesus calls the hungry blessed. This spiritual hunger may involve finding God’s will for oneself.
Penury is a state of extreme poverty and destitution. This is also related to the Greek peine and Latin poena, meaning pain. Interestingly the French word le pain means bread.
Update: Jesus calls all of us to help our neighbor. I pretty much think that Jesus was talking about one’s IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOR and not other nations’ immigrants and illegal immigrants. These bishops are still trying to get the US government to turn back on the govt. money supply.
Inverted priorities: The USCCB seem to be more concerned about illegal immigrants (illegal aliens) rather than instructing the faithful to help one’s immediate neighbor.
Ordered priorities: Focus first on feeding those in your immediate sphere of influence: oneself ==> family ==> neighborhood ==> parish ==> city ==> state ==> nation
Unfortunately, there are too many people who are filled and satisfied in only what the world offers to them. This can include status, fame, wealth, money, likes, indulgence, sin, and promiscuity.
The young people are flocking to the Traditional Latin Mass as they are not being spiritually fed by the Novus Order Mass.
Nearly 20,00 young people have attended the Chartres pilgrimage. These young Catholics are hungering for tradition.
It is always important to be reminded that Satan is the prince (ruler) of this world (Jn.12:31). Satan does not necessarily need to possess us. Satan only needs to make us forget about God.
What the world can offer is only fleeting and temporary in contrast to what Jesus can permanently offer (everlasting life.)
Riches and treasures:
- Earthly treasures: will eventually pass away by time, loss, or ruin
- Spiritual (heavenly) treasures: these are longer lasting: helping others, serving others, loving others, teaching others, feeding others, clothing others, provide drink for others.
Heaping burning coals on others: This can be also known as “killing people with kindness”
“The hunger for love is more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” Mother Teresa
“The things that we love [hunger for] tell us what we are.” St. Thomas Aquinas
“Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire.” St. Catherine of Siena