the harvest-master
"He Who supplies seed for the sower and bread for the eater will provide in abundance; He will multiply the seed you sow and increase your generous yield." —2 Corinthians 9:10
The Lord loves us so much that He wants us to reap a great harvest. The Lord has revealed much to us about harvesting. If we listen, we will reap many great harvests. To reap the harvest of salvation and justice, we must:
- sow bountifully by almsgiving (2 Cor 9:6),
- "sow in tears" of repentance and love (Ps 126:5),
- sow in peace and cultivate peace (Jas 3:18),
- sow secretly, and God the Father will give us a rewarding harvest (Mt 6:4, 6, 18),
- not "sow the wind" of sin and idolatry, for we then "shall reap the whirlwind" (Hos 8:7),
- sow justice to "reap the fruit of piety" (Hos 10:12), and
- do the will of the Father and thereby reap the harvest of eternal life (Jn 4:34, 36).
We reap bountifully when we are not only sowers and harvesters but also seeds. We reap the harvest of eternal life when we are like the grain of wheat which "falls to the earth and dies" to itself (Jn 12:24). The harvests are bountiful on the land watered by the living waters of the Holy Spirit, sprinkled with the blood of our crucified Savior, and cultivated by Christians with their hands firmly on the gospel plow (see Lk 9:62). Listen to the Harvest-Master (see Mt 9:38) and reap accordingly.
Prayer: Father, thank You for teaching us so much about harvesting so that we can receive so many great harvests.
Promise: "In that way no one can see you are fasting but your Father Who is hidden; and your Father Who sees what is hidden will repay you." —Mt 6:18
Praise: George led his father back into a relationship with God.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, January 4, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 24, 2001