As we anticipate the birth of Jesus, our St. Francis community has been exploring ideas and various ways of seeking a simpler holiday season. This week we ask you to think about food. “Food”, you say?  “How is thinking about food going help me to find simplicity during this time of the year?” Consider this. . .

The National Catholic Rural Life Conference [www.ncrlc.com] believes that the answers to these questions are yes.  There are many connections to the food that we choose to purchase and to eat.  The NCRLC believes that understanding all the ramifications of our food choices makes eating a moral issue. In seeking a more Christ-filled holiday, it is important for us to remind ourselves about a few of these connections:

• The bread and wine that is transformed into the Body and the Blood of Christ comes from the work of human hands. This is the Blessed Food for our Souls.

• We are what we eat.  Our food choices shape the world. By our diets and food conversations, we influence others.

• The food we place on our tables is produced by human labor. Meat processing, vegetable and fruit fields, dairy farms, poultry houses, etc. employ workers. The dignity of the human person requires that laborers are given safe and healthy work conditions. Ask yourself this: “Can I still follow the Golden Rule and eat at the Golden Arches?”

• In 1969, most food traveled on the average of 1300 miles from farm to plate.  Today, food travels between 1500 to 2500 miles, increasing the CO2 emissions.

• Genetically engineered foods are designed to meet farmers’ needs for disease and pest resistance.  They provide a longer shelf life, slower ripening and enhanced nutrients.  What are the environmental, economic and theological impacts of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)?