The seasons are changing, as seasons do. Here in the Midwest we are about to begin the annual harvest.

Unless you live in a big metropolitan area such as Chicago, it's hard to be an Illinoisan and not be aware of agricultural cycles. In the Springfield diocese, the majority of our parishes are in rural areas. The people who till the land, plant the seeds and harvest the crops may be sitting next to you in the pew - or you might be involved in agriculture yourself.

According to calendars, Monday, Sept. 22, was the first day of autumn. If you live in rural areas, however, you notice that the corn stalks rattle in the breeze and soybeans fields are beginning to look yellow. If the weather holds, harvest won't be far off.

This year, we've had too much rain, then not enough rain, then too much rain again. The temperature was too hot or too cool and there was either too much sun or not enough. But despite the vagaries of weather, government projections are that Illinois will once again harvest a bumper crop of just about everything.

We as Catholics know that the bounty of our land is a gift from a loving God, who has placed it in our stewardship. The land rewards hard work by providing us with food for our tables, grain for our livestock and fuel for our vehicles. In turn, we collectively care for the land by demanding responsible policies of agricultural management that benefit the entire economy.

We also care for the people who toil in the fields on our behalf. They participate in the creative work of God in a special way. In Scripture, God is often compared to a farmer or landowner. God sows his word in our hearts, where it takes root like a grain of seed in the fertile fields of Illinois.

At harvest time - as in sowing time and growing time - we pray for those involved in agriculture. In particular, we keep in mind the small family farmers, who often have generations-old ties to the land.

We pray for the safety of workers who operate the combines and drive the tractors and trucks. We remind ourselves to watch for farm vehicles on our rural highways and take suitable precautions for our protection and theirs.

We give thanks to our generous God who has planted us in this time and place. It is God who gives us rains from heavens and fruitful seasons. May our hearts be filled with gratitude and may we share his goodness with the poor and needy among us.