The Democratic advocate., 1917-07-06

when I say feed them,' I do not
rerer to the carnal appetite alone.
That Is one thing which we surely
must do, for even the Master himself
was never content that anyone should
90 hungry. Though he were i'm des-
ert place or on the barren mountain,
He saw that they were fed. He had
great sOliCitude for the human body,
for human hunger and human thirst
But the body is not the whole
man, though some live as though 1t
were. The problem of Christ and the
disciples, the problem of the Church
today, is to feed and nourish the
whole man, the body, the mind and
the spirit
But some one will say" We cannot
perform miracle; we cannot feed
a multitude or a world with only a
handful of staple food What is this
among SO many But this is precise
ly what We are authorized and empow-
cred to do. Our Lord said: He that
believeth on me the works that I do
shall he do, and greater works than
these shall he do because | 90 to the
Father In our Orphanages, homes.
hospitals, asylums. Red Cross and
other organizations we are doing eX-
actly the same work with which the
Master was engaged while on earth,
and through His spirit and power we
are doing it on a larger scale. We
are feeding the multitude. We are
healing the sick, cleaning the leper,
opening the eyes Of the blind and un-
stopping the ears OF the deaf, though
we do it through scientific means.
Miracles of science and art, mir
acles Of mercy, miracles of triumph
over almost inSuperable difficulties
have been accomplished since this
war began; and we are called upon to
perform greater ones in the future.
But Our LORD used method even in
working miracles. He commanded the
people to sit down upon the ground in
companies. He gave thanks, blessed
and brake the bread; then distributed
it to the chief officers, who, in turn,
parcelled it out to the companies of
men, women and children
SO we find that organization, dis
cipline, obedience, labor, thanks-giv-
ing and prayer are the human means
through which a miracle is wrought
All of these must be used in any di-
vinely-blessed undertaking
Then, all OF our blessings come
through a right use of the things we
have. When certain woman cried
unto the Lord in her poverty and dis
treSs the prophet, Elisha, enQuired OF
her, What hast thou in the house,"
The widow replied, Thine handmade
hath not anything in the house save
a pot of oil. Elisha told her to 20 and
borrow vessels from her neighbors-tO
borrow many vessels. Then he COM
manded her to shut the door and to
pour of her oil into these
vessels. She did 50: and the
oil continued to flow 50 long as
there was a vessel to receive it. 1t
was only when there was provision
for no more vessels that the oil ceas-
ed. Her blessing came from a right and
divinely appointed use of the few fru-
gal things she already possessed or
could provide.
The miracle of the increase of the
lOaVes and fishes came about through
the proper and divinely- directed use
OF the few frugal resources at the
command Of the disciples.
And it is to be remarked that even
the smallest supply through obedience
and through the blessing of the Mas
ter was sufficient to feed a hungry
multitude of men and women.
But through our Lords blessing
coupled with the efforts of an obed-
lent discipleship the people are SO
bOuntifully supplied that there are
fragments. God is able to give "abun-
dantly, above all that we ask or think"
So under Gods blessing there will be
fragments. The question now to be
considered is the problem of the frag-
mentS. Here is a picture OF one able
to supply a feast to a multitude with a
few loaves and fishes, taking account
OF fragments OF food. In the miracle
as recorded by st. John He says.
Gather up tie fragments that moth
ing be lost"
Thus we see that our Lord gave us
the first great lesson upon the subject
OF the conservation of our food sup
ply. Though He is able to supply
WOrldfull Of food. He admOnishes
his disciples to waste nothing. We
must come to a realization of the
fact that WastefuIness il sin. 1t is sin
because VIC are ruthlessly destroying
something which We. of our own un-.
aided efforts, cannot create Our food
is a creature of God and like all of