“Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness”

The season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ is upon us – familiar words from one of the poems we learned at school – (Ode to Autumn by John Keats). The time of year will be celebrated with the Harvest Festival in all our churches this Sunday. Traditionally, the Harvest Festival was more associated with the Church of Ireland community, but in recent times it has become part and parcel of our Catholic celebrations.

Before the altar will be a representation of local produce of fruit and vegetables. This will remind us of our relationship with the earth, as we give thanks to God for all it has yielded, particularly here in Ireland where we are so much luckier than many parts of the world.

We remember that while we are just passing through this life, we are responsible for the land, and must pass it on to the next generations in good order. It behoves every one of us to take great care.

Care for Our Common Home

“A sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly.”

“We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.”

Pope Francis, Laudato Si