A Framework for Faith/Spiritual Practices

On one occasion the monks said to Mochuda: "Our fields are ripe," said they, "but we have no reapers." "God is able [to give] you reapers," said Mochuda. So a band of angels descended on the field and reaped it.

  - Anonymous, Life of Mochuda (Irish, 12th century from an earlier ms.)

"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest."

  - John 4.35

Mochuda - also known as Carthage - was one of the great Irish saints of the 6th century. He started several churches and a monastery, for which he wrote a metrical rule for their communal life.

These little anecdotes from the lives of the saints are tantalizing. Just what was the writer trying to say? Was he really talking about fields to harvest, or was he referring to the work of evangelism? The idea of angels helping in the work of gathering the harvest of the Lord is an idea not foreign to Scripture (cf. Rev. 14.6, 7), so this could be a way of reminding the saints that God is always at hand to help them as they go by faith to reap His harvest.

The story at the very least illustrates the closeness which the saints of the Celtic period maintained with the unseen realm, confidently drawing on the assistance of angels to help them in their daily work, whether in the true fields or in the fields of evangelism.

Do we look to the Lord this way? Are we sufficiently confident in the reality of angels, and of their availability to help, that we are able to obey and walk by faith, whether in our daily work or the work of bearing witness, drawing on the power of the unseen realm to aid us in our labors?

When we call out to the Lord to help us fulfill our callings, He will never fail to reply. He knows what we need in order to serve Him faithfully, and He will strengthen us as He sees fit. Our part is to know our calling, see the opportunity before us, and move ahead in obedience, calling upon and resting in the Lord.

Will you know the strength of God and His angels to help you in your work for this day?

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

ReVision - Part 2 in our look at relativist ethics and why this is not a workable approach.

In the Gates - We begin a new series on "The Uses of the Law."

Kingdom Civics - How do the prophets add to the growing picture of the Kingdom of God which we find in Scripture?

Daily blogs - Don't miss John Nunnikhoven's excellent suggestion and guidelines for hanging your day on prayer.

Book Store - Still time to order your copy of The Legacy of Patrick before the saint's day March 17. Also, a copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics will help you to understand how the Law of God applies today.

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T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.