MC Fathers' Wednesday Morning Men's Soup Kitchen

For the past two Wednesdays I've had the privilege and joy of participating in the MC Fathers' soup kitchen for men. On Mondays women and small children are served, on Wednesdays older boys and men. I was particularly glad to be there on those days because I met some of these youth and men on our walks through the neighborhood. The "Glue Boys" (young men who live on the streets and sniff glue) are special friends of the MC Fathers and Sisters. They look out for them and have even brought abandoned infants to the Sisters.

Between 225 and 250 men come for food.

It's hard to get an exact count, but somewhere between 225 and 250 men attend. The number has gone up recently due to the increase in food prices related to the sharp fall of the Kenya Shilling against the US dollar - a drop of almost 20% since the beginning of the year.

Fr. Columbus, MC gives a short message in Kiswahili.

Fr. Columbus, MC, directs this particular apostolate, and greets the guests and shares with them a Gospel reading and short message in Kiswahili.

The congregation listens attentively and participates actively.

Some of the younger "Glue Boys."

If we are open to them, the poor have an amazingly powerful prophetic ability to unmask the illusions of our culture and the false values in our own lives. They put us in touch with reality, both in terms of the beauty and brokenness of human life, as well as the heavy burden many are forced to bear because of the inflated lifestyle of a few. I couldn't help but think that many of those present, especially the children, had somehow been robbed or cheated of basic necessities and opportunities they should have had in life. The MC Fathers' soup kitchen is a genuine Gospel gesture that recognizes the dignity of these men by giving them the "daily bread" that every human being needs to survive.

Serving seconds.

One who silently watches over them.