Through the labor, sacrifice and hope of rural life, farm families reveal the dying and rising of Christ and point us toward the renewal of all things.
In this Fall issue, we celebrate not only our diocesan roots but also our enduring stewardship of God’s good creation. As we read in the opening chapter of Genesis, we learn that God looked at everything He made and saw that it was very good. (Gn 1:31) God’s creation, even after the fall, remains a visible sign of the Creator.
Even in the distortion of sin, which came into the world through the envy of the devil, creation reveals the glory of God. The work of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is not meant only for you and me; it is for all creation to be brought under Christ’s sovereignty. As stewards of Creation, it is our role to see that the Gospel of Jesus Christ extends to every corner of the world.
Before we can exercise stewardship of the land and the creatures God has placed with us, there must first be a stewardship of the heart, bringing it into conformity with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The heart of the new creation purchased for us on Calvary is the heart of the only begotten One, so that what Jesus has done may be reproduced in us who are members of His body. Through the sacraments and the life of virtue, each of us becomes a living tabernacle, bearing the presence of Christ into the world.
This transformation in Christ is meant to begin with you and me and, through our stewardship of this gift of God, His indwelling presence among us, to reach out into the world. That is what it means to be His witnesses: evangelists for the person and mission of Jesus Christ.
Through rural life, our connection to creation has given generations a window into the Father’s whole redemptive plan. In subduing the soil and employing wise husbandry, every farmer and every farm family becomes a witness and a midwife of a new creation. Yet the vestiges of sin remain, evident in uncertain weather conditions and in crops spoiled by too much or too little rain. They are evident, too, in the backbreaking work of farming and in the truth that this work is accomplished through one’s body, thrown against the wildness of an unforgiving landscape.
Such a contest forms a strong and resilient people, hardened as steel is hardened against steel, yet able to understand in their flesh the hope of new life and the promise of an unending sabbath rest. I believe our diocese is poised for renewal. Rather than letting go of the wisdom of yesteryear or forgetting the people who subdued this land, let us recognize their wisdom and cherish our continuing connection to them, a connection that remains relevant to our future success. Our connection to the land and to the wonder of new life is but a cipher or placeholder pointing to the Easter victory and lordship of the Risen Christ, who alone makes all things new. (Rv 21:5)
I salute the generations of farm families in this diocese and those who continue this noble vocation for the sake of us all. A farmer cannot be merely a worker in the chain of production; such superficiality costs too much. A farmer must know how to draw life from creation’s bounty while stewarding the cycle of life, death and resurrection. In planting and harvesting crops, milking livestock, culling animals and managing the land in all the ways it needs to be served, the farmer offers his or her priestly witness to the dying and rising of Christ. Let us cherish our past and confidently embrace our future with hope, for what was true for our forebears remains true for us today: He is risen, He is Lord and we are His witnesses.
In the embrace of the Father and the three hearts of the Holy Family,
Most Reverend Gerard W. Battersby
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse