Asking the Master of the Harvest

Today is the first day of the new semester here in La Crosse. This weekend and late last week, my team and I prayed and prepared for the beginning of another hopeful and fruitful semester. One of the amazing things about being on a first year campus is seeing how much change occurs throughout the year. Just four and a half months ago, we were beginning a completely new movement, without knowing a single soul on campus. Now, at the end of January, we are beginning the semester with 11 weekly Bible studies, 80 students in regular attendance and about 10 more with sparked interest in attending, and potentially 20 student missionaries who are delving into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church and having the desire to share their faith with their friends.

With all this beautiful fruit, we need to keep in mind something very crucial: God is in charge. The providential nature of the Church liturgy never ceases to amaze me. The daily Mass reading for this past Saturday, when my team and I were having our half-day morning retreat, reminded us so pointedly that: "the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves" (Luke 10:2-3). We know the mission laid out before us this semester will not be an easy one, but God has promised that it will certainly be an abundant one. Now that we have some fellow laborers (student missionaries) to help gather the harvest, we are even more convicted of God's will and plan for the campus of UW-La Crosse.

The semester started off with a wonderful confirmation of God's faithfulness this morning: eight students attending morning Holy Hour and Eucharistic Adoration-- which is almost 4x greater than we have ever had at a morning Holy Hour. I can only sense that this is the beginning of a very fruitful harvest. Thank you for your prayers, they are working and are greatly appreciated! 

Beautiful snowy day at the Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse