Harvesting New Fruit
Thursday May 6
Catholic Education Week 2021
Harvesting New Fruit
Welcome to the fourth day of Catholic Education week. It is so good to gather and pray together. Today’s theme is: Harvesting New Fruit. Once the seeds, the sun and the rain have worked together there is fruit and/or vegetables to harvest. In our lives there is new fruit in the skills that we learn and the potentials that are developed. These new fruits bless us abundantly.
Opening Prayer
Prayer for the Work of Our Hands
Prayer for the Work of Our Hands
Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of all that is good,
for in your mercy you give us work that we may be co-creators with you.
With hands to fashion and form, minds to imagine what has yet to be, hearts to care what we have made, and a spirit to impart to our own creations, we rejoice in the labour you give us.
By imitating you, our God and Maker, we continue to shape the world, to name it and claim it and be good stewards of your good gifts through the life-giving Spirit that renews the earth.
Keep us mindful of the power you share with us that we may create only that which leads to peace. May the work of our hands and our vision and dreams collaborate with your good will, which continues to build for us your kingdom on earth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen+
Genesis 1: 28-30
God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so.
Reflection
When God finished creating the earth and everything in it, God gave humankind dominion over His creation. Having dominion over something does not mean to dominate or control it. Rather, it means to take good care of it. God gave humankind everything we need, and we are called to use these resources responsibly so that everyone may enjoy them!
In the reading from Genesis, God says that He has given us the plants and their seeds for food. In the fall months, we harvest the fruits and vegetables that were just tiny seeds a few short months before.
Reflection (cont’d)
Like the seeds of the earth, God has also planted gifts and talents within us. When we open our hearts to God, we invite Him to use the gifts and talents He has given us to do His work in the world. When we do our best to do God’s will and nurture hope in one another, the harvest is bountiful!
Watch the video, I Will Be a Hummingbird:
I will be a hummingbird - Wangari Maathai (English) - YouTube
Question: How can I use my gifts and talents to do God’s work in the world and nurture hope in others?
Activity #1
Go for a walk. Pause to look at the green things that are a part of the spring earth. If you can find flowers or buds on trees, take time to look at them closely. Let them “speak” to you about hope and newness of life. Return and let one of the spring things you have seen speak to you in your journal. You may also draw what you saw during your walk.
Activity #2
Draw your own garden. What plants will be there? Where do you see the signs of growth, birth, hope, change, and nurturing? How is God nurturing life in your garden?
Closing Prayer
Gracious God,
From long ago people have sought your light to guide their way. During Catholic Education Week, enable each and every one of us to be more fully yours. Guide us in letting go of what keeps us from growing and flourishing. Lead us to know and welcome what will enlarge our love for you.
Amen.