The Harvest is Abundant in Everyday Life
Jesus was going through all the cities and villages teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Matthew 9: 35 – 38
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Deacon Lex Ferrauiola
Throughout the four Gospels we hear Jesus telling his disciples, and through them us, to go out and cure the sick, cleanse lepers, drive out demons and raise the dead. But what the Gospel writers left out was the part about raising our kids, cherishing our spouse, doing our best at our job, and being present to our relatives and friends and the people we serve.
Curing the sick and driving out demons are valuable skills, especially in today’s economy. But serving God as a sister, a priest, a brother or a deacon are also wonderful and loving vocations. No less wonderful, no less loving, however, are the vocations of being a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a friend. Our vocation in life is right where we are, right where God has planted us.
It takes faith to cure the sick, and courage to drive out demons. But it takes faith, courage, love, and stamina to raise a child to adulthood; to be a lifelong best friend and sweetheart to a spouse; to be a loving relative, friend, worker, or boss. These are the vocations in which God has planted us. The harvest of our vocation is abundant. That harvest is love.
Yes, curing the sick and driving out demons are spectacular achievements. But channeling God’s love in everything we do and in every relationship we have, that’s a vocation.
My sisters and brothers, the harvest is abundant in our everyday life.
With love,
Deacon Lex
Lex Ferrauiola is a husband, father, grandfather and a Catholic deacon serving as a pastoral minister and hospital chaplain within the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. His newest book, All Shall Be Well: Finding God Among the Pots and the Pans is available now.
$12.00 available at Amazon.com and through local booksellers (ISBN-13 979-8767368921)