Sunday 3rd of November 2024 at SS Peter & Paul Pro-Cathedral, Lagere, Ile-Ife, was the second of three yearly harvest thanksgiving schedules. The Youth and Children harvest, October 6 was the first to be celebrated; the second, November 3, is the First Adult Harvest, where the latter, December 1 will be the Second Adult Harvest and third for the year. 

At the event, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Peter Oluseyi Adeyemi stressed the impossibility of thanking God enough. He realized that, despite the economic hardship in the country, the harvest is a testament to the unfailing faithfulness and provision of God. As farmers sow seeds, gratitude to God is necessary in the lives of human.

According to him, expression of thanks to God fosters a spirit of humility and contentment. The Priest opened the eyes of the faithful to remember that no matter how affected they are in the current predicament in the country, their current value, no matter how small; is a prayer point for others – stressing further that the blessings taken for granted by some are the reasons of thanksgivings for others. He assures Christ’s people that the challenges confronting them during these hours, definitely have an expiry date since there would be honey after mourning. 

While Fr. Adeyemi appreciated the Harvest Planning Committee for their dedication towards the success of the harvest, he could not but thanked the wonderful members of the Parish community for their ever-encouraging support to the Church. The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Chairman, Prof. Marcus Adebola Eleruja, full of prayer in his words, realized that while it is true that such harvest event is celebrated once in a year, human experience the spirit of harvest all year round.

According to him, “when we remember the goodness of God, we learn to sing the song: ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” He reminded the faithful of proposed projects of the Church such as: Landscaping, Solar/Inverter energy source, shopping Mall, Parish Secretariat amongst others – which still require great financing. 

The mind of the Chairperson, Harvest Committee (First Mass), Dr Angela N. Abasilim was unanimous. In her remarks, she added that harvest time is a season of reflection, gratitude and celebration of the blessings of fruits gifted by God.

She considered it a Biblical principle to recognize that all given to man comes from God hence, it is a privilege to return a portion back to God in thanksgiving. She however encouraged all and sundry to extend the spirit of harvest beyond the day while continuously living a life of gratitude and stewardship.