A Servant of All
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009For Sunday, September 20, 2009
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Catechetical Sunday
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
James 3:16-4:3
Mark 9:30-37
Norman Borlaug died this past Saturday night. You may not be familiar with him. He hasn’t been in the news very much for a long time. But it’s very likely that you enjoy the results of his work every single day. You see, although he didn’t start out that way, Norman Borlaug was famous for his work in plant genetics. He is known as the father of the “Green Revolution,” a title he himself disparaged calling it “a miserable term.”
Borlaug grew up on an Iowa farm during the dustbowl years of the thirties. He saw firsthand people close to starvation while he was studying at the University of Minnesota. This piqued his interest in the means of food production. After the war, he was enticed by one of his professors to work with the Rockefeller Foundation on their hunger project in Mexico. Dr. Borlaug and his team spent years cross-breeding wheat in an effort to develop rust-resistant varieties and increase yields. They succeeded, only to see their efforts falter because the new heavy-yields of grain had the effect of breaking the stalks of the wheat, ruining the crop. Finally in 1953, Dr. Borlaug successfully bred a semi-dwarf version of the high-yielding wheat. The shorter stalk was strong enough to support the larger head of grain. Wheat yields could suddenly be tripled or quadrupled through the use of fertilizer and the newly developed seed. Later, the same idea was applied to rice, a grain that feeds almost half of the world’s population.
In 1970, Dr. Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his Nobel lecture he recounted the story of Joseph and the famine in Egypt from the Old Testament. And then he continued: “Today we should be far wiser; with the help of our Gods and our science, we must not only increase our food supplies but also insure them against biological and physical catastrophes by international efforts to provide international granaries of reserve food for use in case of need. And these food reserves must be made available to all who need them - and before famine strikes, not afterwards. Man can and must prevent the tragedy of famine in the future instead of merely trying with pious regret to salvage the human wreckage of the famine, as he has so often done in the past. We will be guilty of criminal negligence, without extenuation, if we permit future famines. Humanity cannot tolerate that guilt.”
His words find a modern day echo in Pope Benedict’s latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. The pope states: “Moreover, the elimination of world hunger has also, in the global era, become a requirement for safeguarding the peace and stability of the planet. … It is therefore necessary to cultivate a public conscience that considers food and access to water as universal rights of all human beings, without distinction or discrimination” [#27, emphasis original].
In his later years, Dr. Borlaug was criticized by some groups who felt that his agricultural efforts led to the loss of family farms that were supplanted by large-scale cultivation. Others criticized the heavy dependence on fertilizers which his crops required. But it is clear that his efforts saved millions of lives at a time when food shortages were an increasing probability.
For all his honors, Dr. Borlaug was a humble man. His obituary in The New York Times stated that he “characteristically shrug[ed] off any air of self-importance.” He just kept working day after day, seeking ways to avert hunger and feed people. Speaking of Dr. Borlaug and his colleagues, Gary Toenniessen, director of agricultural programs for the Rockefeller Foundation, said, “He knew what it was they needed to do, and he didn’t give up.” Mr. Toenniessen estimates that about half the world’s population goes to bed every night after consuming grain descended from one of the high-yield varieties developed by Dr. Borlaug.
Jesus puts it squarely to his disciples in the gospel this weekend: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Dr. Norman Borlaug certainly served his whole life to feed the hungry. What great project will you serve?
Paul Michaels
Prayer
Loving God,
all creation praises your glory.
You created humankind in love
so that we might know the wonders of life in you.
Help us to be faithful servants,
loving you, our God,
and serving our brothers and sisters in their need.
May our lives reflect your call,
and our actions follow according to your will.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Notices
BISHOPS ENCOURAGE INVOLVEMENT IN THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE
In a press release dated September 15, the USCCB is again encouraging Catholics to become involved in the health care debate. They emphasize that Catholic social teaching supports universal health coverage, opposes any effort to expand abortion funding, and supports expanding eligibility for public programs. Promote the USCCB health care initiative by directing parishioners to: http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/.
LPi LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE
Liturgical Publications Inc continues its tradition of innovative service to Catholic parishes with the launch of its new Web site, www.SeekAndFind.com. Connecting parishioners with parish communities and sponsoring advertisers is now easier than ever. Parish bulletins are automatically posted to the Seek And Find Web site and parish members who register receive a weekly e-mail notifying them that their parish bulletin is now available for viewing. Visit www.SeekAndFind.com TODAY!
LPi PARTNERS WITH PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES
Liturgical Publications Inc (LPi) has partnered with the Pontifical Mission Societies (http://www.onefamilyinmission.org/) to distribute clip art and cover art in support of the World Mission Sunday Collection on October 19, 2009. To learn how your parish can receive free access to these materials, click here.