Huge billows of dust floating across the fields, like storms clouds clearly disclosed where the farmers were working late into the night to harvest their crops.
Driving along the fields, and watching the gigantic machines consume the crops, I was once again reminded of the amount of refuse discharged back into the fields, while only a small amount of grain was funneled into the hopper to be transported to the storage bins.
Farmers work hard and long to produce an abundant harvest. Are we willing to work as hard, and with the same determination to achieve an abundance of spiritual benefits; the reward of eternal life?
The seeds of our spiritual life were planted at baptism. How have we cared for those spiritual "seeds" as adults, and how responsible have we been with regard to our children, and parish family?
Do we nurture that faith life by active participation in the Mass, and by receiving of the Eucharist? Do we regularly spray these spiritual "plants"; our souls with the spiritual ''weed" killer of reconciliation, to prevent sin from weakening or destroying our spiritual life; our faith?
As we mature, the church offers us the spiritual fertilizer; the sacrament of confirmation, and empowers us to produce lasting fruit through our prayers, actual graces and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Looking over our lives, we see that frequently our spiritual lives are not what they should be, or what we would like for them to be; we seem to produce much "refuse," and only a little "fruit" which benefits us and others in the life, and will be saved in God's "storage bin"; eternal life.
Everyone knows that different fields will produce various amounts of grain depending on the condition of the soil; the amount of rainfall and quality of seed; so too every follower of Jesus will benefit from the blessings of God depending on their different levels of faith. The huge cloud of dust in the field does not determine the amount of seed the plant is producing any more than "proclaiming" to be a follower of Jesus produces an active Catholic or Christian.
The abundance of a fruitful harvest is the result of wise planning, proper planting, reasonable caring and timely harvesting of the crop; to neglect any one of these four phases will result in failure.
Jesus through his church has given us the "blueprint"; the plan of our faith. All who adhere to his plan will reap a bountiful harvest; eternal life.
The proper planting of the "seeds" of faith is the responsibility of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus. The manner in which we witness our belief in Jesus will either plant new "seeds" of faith, or destroy any hope of motivating others to grow in faith and produce lasting "fruit."
Hopefully, each generation will prayerfully and faithfully care for the "plants"; pass on the gift of faith by supporting Catholic schools and witnessing their faith at home, in the community and with their church family as we gather to celebrate the Liturgy, and perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
We have been blessed by our parents and all those who cherished their faith and passed it on to us; now it is our responsibility to protect and present this valuable heirloom to future generations.
All who plan wisely, plant generously, and care continuously this precious gift of faith will experience the blessings of a timely harvest; the rewards of everlasting life.