It is now the month of November so the harvest season is well over. The first frosts tell of the season that is set to come. I cannot say that we had a good harvest, so we can be anxious and conscious of leaner times to come. One of the most important fruits of any harvest time is that it contains the seeds for future planting and harvests to come. We must cherish those seeds and set our minds and hearts to truly value them, and to see that they are well planted to bear fresh fruit – fruit that will last.
Among the seeds is the special lay synod that is desired by Pope Francis. There are people I know who believe that this is most important; in fact vital to our future. For us who really believed in and hoped for a great outcome for the 2nd Vatican Council, only to realise it was failed in so many ways. Now a fresh impetus, a new enthusiasm, may be like a Vatican III, well fit for purpose. Yes new fruit, new seeds – for fruit that will last. We can have fresh hope, if we are ready to prepare the ground, to plough and to harrow, so that we can look forward to preparing good harvests.
For a moment let us now focus upon the greatest of feasts; the one that is on the horizon “The Feast of Christ the King”. All our hopes are built upon this great event. “Christ will return in all glory”. That is why during the month of November we should pay attention to the Holy Souls. The great multitude who have gone before us, with their own share of human failure, losses and crosses. There has been a long tradition of having Mass offered for our loved ones and our benefactors. A really helpful good thing to do.
After this a new Advent, a new time of sowing, and we are preparing an outline plan that the Bishop and our Diocese has asked us to do.