49 million hungry in the US, 49 million child refugees, 49 million wait for El Niño, and 49 million blog readers

Čumil or ‘Man at Work’, a sculpture by Viktor Hulík in the old town in Bratislava … Slovakia covers 49 million sq metres or 49,000 sq km (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

I continue to be overwhelmed by the viewing and reading figures for this blog. These figures reached a total of 49 million about 10:30 last night (31 August 2026), having reached 48 million a week earlier (24 August 2026), 47 million a week before that (17 August 2026) and 46 million eight days previously (9 August 2026), and more than 3.6 readers for the month of August.

These viewing and reading figures are overpowering at times, and this blog continues to reach volumes of readers I never expected when I first started blogging 16 years ago. At the end of last year, this blog had 21 million hits (31 December 2025). So far this year, there have been more than 28 million hits or visitors in 2026 alone.

Half of all hits or reader figures have been in little more than six months, with 24.5 million hits since 23 February 2026. I first began blogging back in 2010, and it took almost two years until July 2012 to reach half a million readers. Throughout this year and last, the daily figures are overwhelming on many occasions. Of the ten days of busiest traffic on this blog, three were in May (1, 6 and 14 May 2026), three were the previous month (26, 29 and 30 April 2026), three in March, and one in February:

• 1,124,925 (1 May 2026)
• 525,719 (14 May 2026)
• 509,644 (29 April 2026)
• 344,003 (30 April 2026)
• 323,156 (27 March 2026)

• 322,038 (26 April 2026)
• 318,835 (6 May 2026)
• 318,307 (1 March 2026)
• 314,018 (28 February 2026)
• 301,449 (2 March 2026)

The daily average was about 118,700 hits a day throughout August. Yet, I recall how ten years ago, back in 2016, the daily average was around 1,000, or 30,000 a month.

There are 49 million child refugees and displaced minors across the globe, or 40% of all forcibly displaced people (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

To put this latest figure of 49 million into perspective:

The UN World Food Programme warns that the strong El Niño weather that is forecast for later this year could push 49 million more people into acute hunger, raising total global food insecurity to roughly 274 million people.

There are 49 million child refugees and displaced minors across the globe who are impacted by conflict, violence, and persecution worldwide, representing 40% of all forcibly displaced people.

More than 49 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery worldwide, according to a recent report, and children account for 12 million of them. Human trafficking generates over $236 billion every year, making it one of the largest criminal economies in the world.

As of 2026, Spain has a total population of approximately 49.8 million people, having officially surpassed the 49 million threshold for the first time in 2025, largely driven by immigration over the past two decades.

Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, has territory of about 49,000 sq km or 49 million sq metres. The country is bordered by Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria. Bratislava is the capital, and there is a population of over 5.4 million people.

Back in 2013, it was said in the US that 49 million Americans, including one-in-four children, go hungry every day, despite the US having the means to provide nutritious, affordable food for all. Inspired by the documentary A Place at the Table, a companion book edited by Peter Pringle offered insights from people at the front lines of tackling hunger in the US.

The contributors showed the inequities in America’s hunger crisis and suggested strategies for solving the crisis, argued the case for school lunch reform, uncovered the hidden persuaders of web food advertisers, explored the role of faith groups in feeding the hungry, discussed the health impacts of hunger and proposed increases in child nutrition programmes.

They argued for the need to move beyond charity-based emergency feeding programmes, and called for providing healthy food for all children. A Place at the Table showed how these problems could be solved once and for all, if the American public decided that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of everyone.

But all those warnings and all those proposals were ignored by decision makers, while the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the hungry continue to go hungry. And a good example of the rich getting richer came in recent financial disclosure filings that show that one day alone in June Donald Trump made over $49 million in stock and securities purchases during a portfolio reshuffling.

49 million minutes is equal to 93 years, 2 months, 21 days, 18 hours and 40 minutes. This means that if this blog was receiving just one hit a minute, I would need to have started blogging back in mid-June 1933.

I retired from active parish ministry over four years ago, on 31 March 2022. These days, though, about 130-140 people on average are reading my daily prayer diary posted on this blog each morning, or almost 1,000 people each week.

This evening, as this blog heads towards 50 million hits, I am truly grateful once again to the real readers among those 49 million hits to date. In particular I am thankful for the faithful core group of people who join me in prayer, scripture reading and reflections each day.

49 million Americans, including one-in-four children, go hungry every day, according to Peter Pringle’s book

Daily prayer in Ordinary Time 2026: 116, Tuesday 1 September 2026

‘For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!’ (Luke 4: 36) … a gargoyle at Lichfield Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

We have arrived at the beginning of a new month, the beginning of September, and the beginning of Autumn. Creationtide begins in the Church Calendar today (1 September) and continues until 4 October. Meanwhile, we are continuing in Ordinary Time and the week began with the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XIII, 30 August 2026).

The Church last year celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 CE. One of the decisions at Nicaea was that the New Church Year begins on 1 September, a tradition still observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Rite Catholics.

The Calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship today remembers Saint Giles of Provence, Hermit, who died ca 710. Saint Giles is the co-patron of Saint Mary and Saint Giles Church, Stony Stratford. But, before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:

1, today’s Gospel reading;

2, a reflection on the Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;

4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.

1, today’s Gospel reading;

2, a reflection on the Gospel reading;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;

4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.

‘A man who had the spirit of an unclean demon … cried out with a loud voice’ (Luke 4: 33) … an image at La Lonja de la Seda in Valencia (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Luke 4: 31-37 (NRSVA):

31 He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. 32 They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 ‘Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. 36 They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, ‘What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!’ 37 And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.

‘And a report about him began to reach every place in the region’ (Luke 4: 37) … newspapers on sale at a kiosk in Rethymnon in Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Reflection:

We began reading a series of readings in Saint Luke’s Gospel yesterday (31 August). In yesterday’s Gospel reading, Jesus began his public ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth, the small town where he had grown up.

As he finished the reading, people began wondering why he was not doing in Nazareth what he had been doing in Capernaum and other places. His remarks so angered the people of Nazareth that they thought of killing him and drove him out of that synagogue and out of town.

But, as our readings in Saint Luke’s Gospel continue, we see how Jesus continues to bring good news to the poor, he releases this poor captive, he can now see things as they are and as they ought to be, the oppressed may go free, and all are amazed.

In today’s reading, the good news for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed, continues to be put into action by Jesus, not just in words, but in deeds, as he returns to Capernaum, which seems to have been his home town after Nazareth.

Capernaum, was a prosperous town on the Sea of Galilee, and once again Jesus visits the synagogue on the sabbath, where they were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority’ (verse 32).

Jesus speaks directly, confident of his authority and of his very essence. The Greek word here, ἐξουσία (exousía), has the same roots as the word in the Nicene Creed that is translated as ‘being’ or ‘substance’: ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί (‘of one substance with the Father’).

The man with ‘the spirit of an unclean demon’ (verse 33) was, we might say, possessed, or under the influence of evil forces. In the understanding of the time, he was under Satan’s direction, separated from God.

The demon, speaking through this man (see verse 34), asks what Christ is doing meddling in the domain of evil: ‘Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’

He recognises who Christ is and that his coming spells the end of the power of the devil. He understands the significance of the coming Kingdom. Wonder-workers of the day healed using ritual or magic, but Christ exorcises simply through verbal command (verse 35), so clearly he is divine.

Are we comfortable with identifying or naming evil forces that are entrapping people in society today?

Do these malign forces manage to get a hearing in our places of worship today?

How would you name and identify them?

Would you include racism? Homophobia? Sexism? Class discrimination? Recent far-right rioters and protesters, the people who egg them on and who flags or paint over roundabouts as signs of provocation? Support for war and violence?

What inner demons in myself have I failed to cast out? My prejudices, my misjudging of people, my failings in relationships and friendships that continue to cause hurt? My self-indulgence and personal vanity? My failure so often to speak out on behalf of the hurt, the marginalised, the oppressed, the victim?

It is interesting that in his response, Christ leaves the man unharmed (verse 35). What harm could he have come to at the hands of Jesus? Is this saying that the innate integrity of the man is respected and remains intact?

We are not told what happened to this man afterwards. All we know that he is still there, standing among the people of faith, in the community of faith, that Saturday morning. The evil in him has been cast out, but he has not been cast out of the community of faith himself. I too can be forgiven and restored.

But how happy are we with the idea that compassion for the victims of hatred and violence and appropriate responses to the people trapped in a world of hatred and violence both find expression in Christ’s ministry, message and mission?

‘Be silent …’ (Luke 4: 35) … a message in the porch of the chapel in Saint John’s Hospital, Lichfield (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 1 September 2026):

In Pray with the World Church, the prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), the theme this week, from 30 August to 5 September 2026 (pp 34-35), is ‘Anglican Youth Tackle Waste in Madagascar’. This theme was introduced on Sunday with a Programme Update by Ialy Tongasoa, Community Development Lead, Diocese of Toliara, Madagascar.

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The USPG Prayer Diary today (Tuesday 1 September 2026, Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) invites us to pray:

Lord, we confess that much of this crisis comes from both broken systems and our own failure to act; have mercy, and turn our hearts and communities to sustainable care.

The Collect:

Almighty God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Post Communion Prayer:

God our creator,
you feed your children with the true manna,
the living bread from heaven:
let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage
until we come to that place
where hunger and thirst are no more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect:

Almighty God,
you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in strength
and rest on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yesterday’s reflections

Continued tomorrow

The icon of Saint Giles by Brother Leon Lidderment of Walsingham in Saint Mary and Saint Giles Church, Stony Stratford (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org