Field of ripe wheat in Gallecs (Mollet del Valles, Barcelona, Spain), Photo by Rafael Ferran i Peralta (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Israel has two primary seasons: summer (hot and dry) and winter (wet). The month of March is known for strong winds which buffet the crops. The latter rains bathe the crops a last time before they are ready for harvest.
The Torah lists what are called the “seven species” of the Promised Land. They are wheat and barley; grapes, figs, and pomegranates; olives, and date palm honey. The seven species relate to three of the Hebrew religious festivals: the grains to Passover, the fruits to Pentecost, the oil and honey to Tabernacles.
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus (37AD – 95AD) praised the vineyards of Judah and Samaria, the olives of the Galilee, and the date palms of the Jordan Valley.
“ ‘Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ ” (John 4: 35).
Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of the harvest, and we Your laborers. We thank You for having called us to join in Your great work. We ask that You call many forward to accomplish this vital task.
Help us to convey Your message of love and Salvation. Help us to win souls for You, that none may be lost.
Amen
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“Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze, Source Metropolitan Museum of Art (PD-ARTlPD-AGE-100)
Most of you will recall Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis”. The series of essays was written during one of our country’s darkest hours, with enlistments in the Continental Army about to run out.
Paine must have wondered what he could say to keep the troops from disbanding, and what right he had to ask such a high degree of devotion from them. Remember that he had no assurance the American cause would triumph – far from it, in fact. Read more…
Urban decay in South Philadelphia, PA, Photo by pwbaker, Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/24409978@N00/425965788 (CC-BY-2.0 Generic)
Violence in Philadelphia has been unrelenting over the past ten years. Children as young as three are regularly killed in drive-by shootings. A few horrific incidents stay with us. The rest blur together, one death as meaningless as the next.
Teenage brothers were shot to death during a home invasion. The murders, like many others, were thought to be drug related. The body of a pregnant woman with young children was found in an abandoned lot by vagrants. It had been stripped and smeared with peanut butter to attract rodents.
The horror prompts us to turn away. But that is not what Jesus would have us do. These lives are not worthless to Him, however random and pointless the deaths may seem. Read more…
Army medical personnel treating a victim of the 2010 Salang avalanches in Afghanistan, Photo by Spc. Brandon Evans, Source http://flickr.com/photos/28650594@N03/4346549621 (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
In April 2011, a team of British military veterans conquered the North Pole. Amazingly, all were war wounded (two of the team, actually amputees). As members of the group “Walking with the Wounded” http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/, the men were out to demonstrate that nothing is impossible. They did exactly that.
We should celebrate the victory of these veterans, not to mention their sacrifice.
But men and women can be wounded in many ways. Millions suffer from chronic illnesses; have been to countless emergency rooms and lain prostrate on kitchen floors, unable to call for help. Mental and emotional difficulties can be as real (and debilitating) as physical.
The trauma, the illness or injury, may feel overwhelming – so draining we find ourselves wishing, at times, it had been fatal. Read more…
“The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Leonello Spada, Louvre Museum (PD-ARTlPD-Age-100)
Americans applaud a fresh start.
- Lose 20 lbs.? You can buy a new wardrobe, and begin life over.
- Have a little “work” done, around your eyes or middle? Have a couple of saline bags inserted in your chest? You become the poster child for healthy self-esteem.
- Go into drug rehab again? You are cited for your courage.
- Spend 15 minutes in celebrity jail? Declare yourself a sex addict? You are suddenly a model of rectitude.
Change is worth applauding, and should manifest externally. But, first and foremost, change is an internal process. So, too, with repentance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes repentance as “a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil…” (CCC 1431). Read more…
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945 and 1951-1955), Source Imperial War Museums (NYP 45063)
“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me…” (2 Tim. 4: 17).
Sometimes the challenges facing us as Christians seem insurmountable. Little, however, is achieved without courage.
Winston Churchill knew this. At a time when England was besieged by bombing raids and without allies, he, nonetheless, wrote:
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight in the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. Read more…
ARP Children’s Gas Mask [Demonstration], Photo by Steffans-Colmer Studios Ltd., Source City of Vancouver Archives (AM1545-S3-: CVA 586-1233)
Those of us with family members living in New York, or the other cities impacted, remember the attacks well. Terror clutched at our hearts. Time slowed. It was difficult to breathe. Had loved ones been exposed? Ineloquent prayers were sent heavenward. “Please, Lord, please, let him be all right. Let her be all right.” Hurried phone calls were made, seeking reassurance.
The attacks seemed to come out of nowhere and everywhere, leaving law enforcement initially at a loss. That added to the public’s sense of helplessness.
Now we are confronted by a new danger. Read more…
Caricature of William “Boss” Tweed, Cartoon by Thomas Nast (PD-ARTlPD-old-100)
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You” (Psalm 25: 21).
Last week Republican Governor Pat McCrory of North Carolina signed into law a bill requiring state approved voter identification, reducing the opportunity for early voting, and eliminating other hard-won reforms. The law is the first enacted since the US Supreme Court in the case of Shelby County v. Holder struck down a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act.
We are told the purpose of the new law is to restore and preserve the integrity of the North Carolina vote. We are told protecting the integrity of the American vote has been the reason for an assault on voter rights taking place across the nation [1]. Mind you, there has been no proof of widespread voter fraud, whether in North Carolina or elsewhere.
On the face of it, these changes do not appear particularly onerous. The devil is in the details. Read more…
Soldier holding his baby daughter on return from deployment in Iraq, Photo by Martin Greeson, Source US Army (ID 070302-A-2403G-005), (PD-USGov-Military-Army)
“When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!”– When Johnny Comes Marching Home
With the Iraq War officially ended and the United States involvement in the Afghan Civil War winding down, our troops are returning home in large numbers.
Having handled both the violence of war and the repeated loss of friends, our marines, soldiers, and airmen must now face the obstacles posed by ordinary life. This means dialing back on their razor sharp instinct for self-preservation, and resuming the humdrum routines of the everyday world.
For a great many veterans, it will, also, mean dealing with survivor’s guilt and the nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, depression, family and employment problems often characterizing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
This is no small task for warriors trained to assess situations in an instant and act appropriately, at peril of their lives. But experience responding to danger and overcoming chaos uniquely suits these capable men and women for service and rescue work.
Across the country, veterans groups are forming which provide disaster relief, teach, build homes, assist with farming, and take on other tasks for their communities and their more seriously wounded comrades. Read more…
“...[A] wolf of the deserts shall destroy them…” (Jeremiah 5: 6).
Riots were feared this summer when Pope Francis chose to visit a slum in northern Rio de Janeiro during a trip to Argentina. Despite an $85 billion auto bailout from Washington, Motown has filed for bankruptcy. More municipal bankruptcies are likely, effecting city services, bonds, and government pension funds.
Survey data [1] exclusive to the Associated Press now indicates 4 in every 5 Americans will, at some point in their lives, face “economic insecurity”. Most of us will, in other words, have to confront extended joblessness, reliance on government aid and/or incomes below the poverty line. One in 10 American children already lives in a neighborhood with a poverty rate of 30% or more. Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 