We reap what we sow from the fields where we labor

The parable of the landowner who planted the vineyard is a beautiful allegory symbolizing the abundant kindness and care God the Father offers to each of us as his children. He places the needs of our souls at the top of his list of priorities.

He has given us the church, her teachings and the commandments to guide us and to protect us as we travel along the road of life. He has chosen us to be bearers of his love to a world that has become forgetful of his tenderness toward all peoples.

Our souls are the vineyard where the Father has planted the truth of who he is and who we are called to be. There he placed everything necessary for our holiness, from the very moment he created us and placed us in our mother’s womb.

He has made us stewards of his grace and mercy, and as such we are meant to cultivate a culture of love and forgiveness in the fields where he has called us to work. Our striving to live lives of holiness despite the difficulty and spiritual confusion that sometimes comes our way will bear the fruit of inspiring others to do the same.

What and where are these fields to which we have been privileged to be called to labor? These fields are the homes where we live with our families. Are these places where talk of God’s love is front and center? Or has God been given a back seat to sports and entertainment?

These fields are our places of employment. Do we spend more time talking about our fellow workers than we do talking to them?

These fields are our parishes. Do we do our part to make our parish family a place where the stranger, as well as the seasoned member, feels welcomed and loved? Or, do we spend our time complaining about the way things are rather than lifting a hand to make them better?

We reap what we sow. Let’s be intentional about sowing love and building a culture of mercy where we encounter Jesus at every moment of the day.

Father Walter Nolte is pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont. Contact him at wlnolte@archomaha.org.