2/26: What harvesting and gleaning teaches us about Lent
The gift of the earth belongs to everyone
Reading
The gift of the earth with its fruits belongs to everyone. Those who tilled and kept the land were obliged to share its fruits, especially with the poor, with widows, orphans and foreigners in their midst: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very border, neither shall you gather the gleanings after the harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner” (Lev 19:9–10). (Laudato Si’, 71)
Reflection
Jean-François Millet’s The Gleaners (1857) depicts three poor women collecting leftover grains after a harvest. It is well known for placing the poor at the center of a painting at a time when art was generally reserved for the wealthy and royalty. The image echos the words from Leviticus chosen by Pope Francis to communicate the importance of ensuring that the gifts of the earth are to be shared by everyone.
There are times in our lives when we are harvesters — only now instead of leaving grains behind, we might take a portion of our earnings and pledge it to a diocesan appeal or use it to support a charity. Or we might give our time and talent — volunteering to serve families experiencing homeless, teaching religious education at our parish, or spending time with an aging loved one.
And other times we may be gleaners. In moments of financial difficulty, we may learn what it means to depend on others for our wellbeing. In a culture that idolizes independence, reliance on others reminds us of our interdependence on each other and our complete dependency on God. This orients us toward finding ways to combat poverty and social sin and in turn seek the common good.
Other times, we might just be making a commitment to eat the leftovers in the back of the fridge that no one else wants instead of going out to lunch. Eating can be its own form of Lenten fasting.
Questions
- Almsgiving. What are ways I can share with others the resources given to me?
- Fasting. What are ways I can reduce what I consume? Conversely, what are things I can make good use of, rather than seeing them wasted?
Prayer
Lord God, we are challenged by a world of inequality
Help us to be grateful for what we have been given
Teach us to reserve a portion of what the Earth gives us for those in need
Let times of scarcity remind us that we are dependent on one another, and entirely dependent upon You.
Amen.
