Pastor’s Corner

By Father Eric Linzmaier Holy Cross Catholic Church, Cornell Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Jim Falls St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Drywood

Getting Ready for the Harvest

Gardeners in our area have been busy recently, with zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers ready to pick. We are blessed to live in a part of the country where the land is fertile and the air is fresh, which benefits all creation.

In the Gospel of St. Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus is preparing His disciples to assist Him in His mission to the people of Israel. He has already traveled to the various towns and villages, preaching and healing. Now, He wants them to see the needs of people themselves, because “they are like sheep without a shepherd.”

He tells them, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Those of us whose lives have been changed for the good, because Jesus has reached out to us in our need, cannot keep that experience to ourselves. Our Lord wants to send us out, like those first disciples, to share that message with others, to plant the seeds of faith in our neighbors and to gather a rich harvest to present to Him at the end of time.