I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die!

First Communion Homily based on:  Exodus 16: 9-15 and John 6:24-36, 48-51
and the song “Eat Until I Die” from Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free [animated cartoon, released Sept 27, ‘47], sang in duet by Goofy and Donald Duck. This was in turn based the refrain of Pavarotti’s Denza, Funiculi, Funicula.

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When I was your age this is a song that we would sing:

Turkeys, lobsters, sweet potato pies, pancakes piled up till they reach the sky! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 

Can you sing it?  ….

Adapted for the Philippines:

Chickens, lechon, crispy pata too, buko salad, halu-halo too!
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 

It’s really good if you belong to the group of people in this world that can sing that!  If you’ve ever had Christmas, birthday, or fiesta meals of plenty, gratitude in order! 

But there’s another side of the world.  Their song is different. 

Hunger, sadness, nothing left to eat. Stomach growling, nothing left to eat. 
I’m gonna starve and starve and starve and starve and starve until I die!   
I’m gonna starve and starve and starve and starve and starve until I die!

II

This is even more painful because there are places in the world like the United States, the European Nations, Great Britain, Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, where people sing:

Turkeys, lobsters, sweet potato pies, pancakes piled up till they reach the sky! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 

And places in the Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao where people sing:

Chickens, lechon, crispy pata too, buko salad, halu-halo too!
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 

Even though, in places of the urban poor, in communities of the lumad poor, where people cannot earn enough, where people are jobless, or where people have lost their jobs because machines and technology have taken their jobs, they sing something like:

Hunger, sadness, nothing left to eat. Stomach growling, nothing left to eat. 
I’m gonna starve and starve and starve and starve and starve until I die!  
I’m gonna starve and starve and starve and starve and starve until I die!

III

Interesting to ask:  why do people eat?

Chickens, lechon, crispy pata too, buko salad, halu-halo too!
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 
I’m gonna eat n eat n eat n eat n eat until I die! 

To many people eat – to die:  They eat too much sugar, they get diabetes, they keep on eating sugar, and they die.  They eat too much fat, they get a heart attack.  They go to the hospital, they get well, but they still begin again  to eat n eat n eat too much fat, and so they die.  They eat too much salt, they get high blood pressure, but continue to eat salt, so their blood pressure soars, and from the high blood pressure they get a stroke, and they die.  They eat too much meat, they get cancer of the colon, and they die.  They drink too much alcohol; they get  liver disease, and they die.  For all their sicknesses they take a botica-full of medicines.  But from too many medicines, they get kidney disease!  And they die.

Did you know?  36 percent in the PH are obese.  14.5 percent malnourished. 
[When I was your age, there were only 2.6 Billion people in the world. Population has since trebled.]
In the world of more than 8 Billion people  (and growing):
more than one billion people (12.5%) are obese –
while 462 M (5.7%) are malnourished – among them children who are wasted and stunted.  Imagine if only the obese people would eat a little less so that the malnourished to eat a lot more!

Jesus was concerned about hunger.   When people who came to listen to him were hungry, he fed them.  With five loaves and two fish, donated by a child, he fed 5000.  He taught his disciples:  Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty.  On this your life – your eternal life – depends.

But he was not only interested in filling their stomachs – which get hungry again.   He was also interested in nourishing their whole person.  “I have come to bring you life, life to the full!” (Jn 10:10). He was not only interested in a full stomach, but in a full life!

Jesus says: I show you the Father’s love. In union with him, I forgive your sins.  In obedience to him, I redeem you.  I bring you to his Kingdom.  I teach you to love:  Love God above all things.  Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Jesus says:  I am the Bread of Life.   I show you how to love. I teach you to be humble in order to love.  I teach you to be courageous in order to love – no matter the cost, to the very end.    

Take me.  Eat me.  Learn to live from me. 
Take me. Eat me. Learn to love from me….

I am the Bread of Life.  From my pierced side flow blood and water – for you. 

Take my body given up for thee.
Take this cup of blood poured out for thee. 
I’m gonna live and die and rise for you for all eternity!
I’m gonna live and die and rise for you for all eternity!

Our response on our First Communion Day – and every day that we Come in Union (Communion) with Jesus:

Jesus, Jesus, Bread of life for me. Feed me, Jesus, make me love as thee.
I’m gonna eat and live and live and give and love eternally! 
I’m gonna eat and live and live and give and love eternally!