The Call to Help Tend and Gather

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:51 am Post subject: The Call to Help Tend and Gather

The Call to Help Tend and Gather

Scripture:

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her. That you may suck, and be filled with the breasts of her consolations: that you may milk out, and flow with delights, from the abundance of her glory. For thus said the Lord: Behold I will bring upon her as it were a river of peace, and as an overflowing torrent the glory of the Gentiles, which you shall suck; you shall be carried at the breasts, and upon the knees they shall caress you. As one whom the mother caresses, so will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb, and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall be angry with his enemies.
( Isaiah 66:10-14 )

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision: but a new creature. And whosoever shall follow this rule, peace on them and mercy: and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me: for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
( Galatians 6:14-18 )

And after these things, the Lord appointed also other seventy-two. And he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he send laborers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you.

And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick that are therein and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you not, going forth into the streets thereof, say: Even the very dust of your city that cleaves to us, we wipe off against you. Yet know this, that the kingdom of God is at hand. I say to you, it shall be more tolerable at that day for Sodom than for that city.

And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying: Lord, the devils also are subject to us in your name. And he said to them: I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven. Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall hurt you. But yet rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you: but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.
( Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 )

Reflection:

The desire of God is that He not lose any of the children of His creation. He created them to observe, learn, and grow so that they might discover all the blessings of living according to the wisdom of His Holy Word; but the evil one lurks and plots to steal the crop. If the field is not tended, good fruit may be taken in the night.

We are told that many hands make light work, but when the laborers are few and with the frailties of human hands, even the strong shall tire. Even more, then, selflessness and dedication of the weary are required to protect the harvest and gather in the good fruit before it is lost to death and decay. We may observe and cry out, ?Who will do the work to tend the crop and ensure the harvest of what is good before all is lost??

We should not be surprised to hear the Master of the harvest answer, ?This is why I called you, so that the work might be performed with many hands together and so that all may share in its blessing.? This is why our Lord calls us to love one another, so that we may help sow the blessings of His Word, help to tend to the health of the crop, and help gather in the harvest so all may share in what He has blessed.

We might be tempted to shy away from the work; perceiving it may be too hard and beyond our abilities. No laborer has ever taken the field knowing all which is required of them, but as they are taught and as they learn, the volume of what they gather grows. Some are tempted to shy away because they perceive they are too weak, but if only one fruit is saved, it is one less to what is lost.

If we trust in the Lord, He will guide us to the ways we might help. Not all are meant to do the same work, nor is one meant to do all the work. The work is best accomplished when hands are willing to help one another by which the bounty of the harvest may be gathered so that nothing is left to decay or lost to the thief of the night.

Let us, then, look to the Master of the fields and ask Him to help us see the work that He desires that we shall perform and the time in which He desires we accomplish it. Let us allow Him to guide us so we may see the hands He sends to help us and let us work together so that all hands may be put to their most effective use. Let us pray to Him that He will help us find the resources to enable those hands and that He will guide us to be responsible stewards of all He allows us to use. Let us ask Him to help us see how we may approach one another with humility, civility, dignity, and respect, so that as we work together, it will be not our will, but His will which shall be done.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways do we offer of ourselves to help tend to His fields and bring in His harvest?

With whom do we share the work to which we are called?

In what ways do we help accomplish the will of the Lord?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier