It’s getting to be harvest time, and some priests and deacons are rolling up their sleeves and bestowing a blessing or two on God’s land:

The arches above the altar were not marble or painted wood, but rather the branches of towering burr oak and hickory trees. The backdrop was not a mural or stained glass, but an expansive bean field ready for harvest and the blue skies of a picture-perfect September morning.

“Welcome to the greatest cathedral in the world,” said Father Jim Henning, OFM Conv., in greeting about 50 farmers and their families from throughout DeWitt County at an outdoor Harvest Mass on Sunday, Sept. 9.

During the Mass and a blessing of the fields that followed, prayers were offered in thanksgiving for the bounty of the approaching harvest season as well as the safety of those working the land.

The Mass setting was the front lawn of the rural residence of John and Cindy Houser, members of Sacred Heart Parish in Farmer City whose 400 acres of beans and corn are located just north of town.

A wooden altar, built by former Sacred Heart parishioner Leo Bray more than 40 years ago, was transported to the farm lawn by flatbed trailer. A butterfly settled upon the altar in the moments prior to the 9 a.m. liturgy. In front of the altar rested an antique wheelbarrow filled with ears of corn.

The assembly sat on metal folding chairs, and were greeted by the Housers’ dog, Patch, who was retired to the house as Mass began.

Father Jim – who is also pastor of St. John’s Mission in Bellflower and St. John’s Parish in Clinton – said the outdoor Mass “takes us back to the roots of this area,” when priests first came by railroad to offer Mass at the homes of the area’s pioneer Catholics.

He said the pre-harvest, regional celebration is a natural companion to the annual Diocesan Harvest Mass to be offered by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 17.

“Praying for safety is important,” said Father Jim.

That thought was echoed and illustrated by Deacon John Leonard in his homily. Offering a grim reminder of the risks of farm work, Deacon Leonard recalled that just four days before the Mass a 60-year-old farmer in nearby Gibson City was killed when his mowing tractor overturned as he worked near the edge of a creek.

Deacon Leonard, who lives in rural Gibson City, said that community has united in support of the family and “plans are being made to harvest our friend’s crops.”

He began his homily by holding up a framed painting of a farm couple with their heads bowed in prayer in a field. That painting – “The Angelus,” by Jean-Francois Millet – is “worth a million words” because it shows proper priorities for a balanced life.

“We must take time to pray and worship,” said Deacon Leonard, who placed the painting in front of the altar for the remainder of the Mass.

“We are so blessed to have rich soil in our area,” he added. Because “all we have in life is a gift from God,” he challenged those present to “keep the Lord at the top of your priority list” and not earthly possessions and concerns.

“What would a painting of your priorities look like?” he asked.

The following is the Blessing on the Occasion of Thanksgiving for the Harvest, from the Book of Blessings:

God our Creator,
who never cease to bestow your bounteous fruits from the rains of the heavens and the riches of the soil,
we thank your loving majesty for this year’s harvest.
Through these blessings of your generosity
You have fulfilled the hopes of your children.
Grand that together they may praise your mercy without end
And in their life amid the good things of this world
Strive also after the blessings of the world to come.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Photo: by Tom Demody/The Catholic Post